Sunday Times 2

M I M Mohideen

Born in Akkaraipattu in the East and married to Khairul Inaya, daughter of Marhoom M A C M Saleh, a prominent Colombo businessman and deputy President of All Ceylon Muslim League, well known researcher and political activist M I M Mohideen passed away recently at the age of 84.

He has been involved in Muslim politics and fighting for the political rights of Muslims for more than forty years. These activities brought him close to respected Muslim political leaders such as T B Jayah, Dr M C M Kaleel, Sir Razik Fareed, Dr Dr Badiuddin Mahmud and M H M Ashraf who founded the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress. Later, Mr Mohideen founded his own political party – the Muslim United Liberation Front.

It was this close association and political activities that made him to become the general secretary of All Ceylon Muslim League headed by Dr Kaleel.

Besides community service, Mr Mohideen’s specialty had been to document Muslim issues such as the North-East Muslims’ land problems, the northern Muslim refugee crisis and the plight of Muslim Tsunami victims. As the Director of all Ceylon Muslim Documentation Centre he had painstakingly documented the suffering the Muslims went through during the three decades of ethnic war.

In November 2012, he produced a hand book to resolve Muslim grievances in
Sri Lanka. This remains a valuable reference document for politicians and civil society to understand the multi-faceted issues faced by the community. It also offers solution.

In the wake of the December 2004 devastating tsunami, he prepared an extensive document on the destructions to Muslim areas in the east. His Muslim Reconstruction and Resettlement Organisation, MRRO, conducted an assessment of the damage caused to the Muslims, their property and livelihood in the Eastern Province.

As part of this programme, he interviewed more than 72,000 Muslim victims of LTTE atrocities and the tsunami. This document provides vivid details of government discrimination against Muslim tsunami victims. One of the most valuable documents made by him was on the topic of land issues, especially of Muslims of the east.

He conducted extensive and intense research and prepared a roadmap to resolve anti-Muslim activities by the supporters of the Bodu Bala Sena.

In his work “Battle of Muthur — Ethnic Cleansing and Massacre of Muslims”, Mr Mohideen documented the suffering of Mutur Muslims during the eight-day war (August 1-8 in 2006).

Mr Mohideen is the brother in law of well known activist Mamoun Saleh who was forced to settle down in California after his family business, M A C M Saleh & Sons at Bristol Building in Colombo Fort, was burnt down during the July 1983 riots.

Mr Mohideen is no more, but he left his legacy in the form of his research works which, for generations to come, will help the Muslim community destined to live amid growing Islamophobia. Mr Mohideen had been a great asset to the community but it failed to recognise his hard work when he was alive.

 Latheef Farook

 

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