Min. Rauff Hakeem urges for a more tolerant and empathetic environment

The Sri Lankan Muslim community must be given room to undertake the task of examining itself instead of being demonized by the media, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem said today (May 30).

Issuing a special statement, Minister Hakeem urged that a tolerant and empathetic enviornment must be created to identify how and why the Muslim community is now placed in a dangerous position.

"Some mainstream media ‘cover up’ and galvanize open threats of violence by Sinhala Buddhist extremists with no filter or qualm," the Minister of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education said.

On the same note he claimed that certain media outlets spur anger against another community not with the intention of creating conflict, but to embarass the government and the ruling parties.

The "mindless carnage" on Easter Sunday last month was carried out by some extremist Muslims who are feared by the majority of the ordinary Muslim community, the SLMC leader observed.

He therefore, urged media institutions to refrain from giving coverage on 'unjustified and needless emphasise on mundane events' that promote majority hatred towards the Muslims.