The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) vehemently rejects the claims made by Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera that members of the Council met a terrorist leader in Qatar.
Ven. Gnanasara Thera made the allegation during a television program pointing to a photograph of the meeting. The same photograph was given by the MCSL to newspaper outlets following the event at that time.
“In 2013, the advisor to the president of Qatar, Usuf Al Karlavi, an Islamic theologian met a representatives of MCSL at a seminar in Qatar,” the Muslim Council in a communiqué stated. The photograph which the Thera showed is from that meeting.
“We insist that it wasn’t a confidential meeting. We only discussed the importance of living peacefully with the Buddhist community, the major ethnic group in Sri Lanka,” the MCSL stated.
The communique further stated that the Council is in the process of making adjustments in the Muslim community while rejecting extremism. The Council appeals from all parties not to destroy the process of a establishing a Sri Lankan identity, with false accusations.