ACJU urges tough action against violators of congregational prayer ban

The All Ceylon Jamiyyatul Ulama has denounced the performance of congregational religious activities in some mosques despite the government’s strict directive as an irresponsible behaviour that goes against the teachings of Islam. 

In a hard-hitting statement, the ACJU, Sri Lanka's main Muslim scholars' body, has reiterated its call to Muslims to fully adhere to the government's instructions and called on the law-enforcement authorities to take stern legal action against those who violate the regulations the government has put in motion to control the spread of Covid-19.

The statement reads:

The ACJU strongly condemns the performance of congregational religious activities carried out in few areas of the country, in spite of the Government ban on public gatherings in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus within the country.

The Wakf Board, the Department of Muslim Religious & Cultural Affairs and the ACJU, have been providing continuous guidance to the Muslim community with regard to not observing religious activities in the Masjids and requesting strict avoidance of any public gatherings even the Jumu’ah and daily congregational prayers, from the onset of Covid 19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.

It is most unfortunate to note that few irresponsible individuals have acted in an irresponsible manner by disregarding the repeatedly emphasized instructions and guidelines given by the authorities to curb the spreading of this dangerous disease. 

We wish to reiterate that disobeying the laws of the country is against the teachings of Islam and engaging in such activity which endangers the lives of other innocent people would never be tolerated under any circumstances. We commend the prompt action taken by the Wakf Board to suspend the current board of Trustees of the concerned Mosque. 

We strongly urge the law enforcement authorities to take stern legal action against all those who violate the law regardless of race or religion.

Furthermore, these isolated incidents should not be associated with the religion or to the entire community, as it is evident that these are negligent activities of few ignorant individuals who have not abided by the laws of the country.

Moreover, such incidents should be reported in the Media in a responsible and ethical manner, ensuring to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings being portrayed among the communities which may lead to racial disharmony and disrupt the national peace building process among the communities. 

Hence, we request the law enforcement authorities to take stern action against those who spread false information and promoting hatred among the communities of our mother land. 

While the entire world is seeking all possible safety measures, we commend and appreciate the appropriate precautionary programs exercised by the Government of Sri Lanka to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

We earnestly request the Muslim community to sincerely cooperate and abide by the law and order of the country and to show support in all possible ways to overcome this challenging period successfully. 

Ash Shaikh M.M.A. Mubarak

General Secretary - ACJU