Islamic Society
Sri Lanka Muslims: Tamil Converts or Arab Descendents?A couple of years back my Sinhala friend and my self were having a quiet dinner at a sea –side restaurant in Mt. Lavinia. Suddenly my friend focused his conversation on the present ethnic crisis in his homeland. Even though we have been best friends from our kindergarten days, we had never agreed on how the ethnic issue should be solved. Then, out of the blues he said
“ The Sinhalese thought that by chasing the Tamils out of Colombo, they could control the real estate and economy. But the Ashroff’s people have simply overwhelmed us. They are every where and control everything in Colombo.” To day the Sri Lankan Muslims are the most politically powerful people in Sri Lanka. It is most ironic that the most politically powerful personality in Sri Lanka is neither Chandrika nor Ranil Wickremasinghe but Hakeem. He can demand and get whatever he wants.
Who are the Sri Lankan Muslims? Are they Tamil converts or had they arrived in the island from far. Why do they mistrust the Tamils – especially Jaffna Tamils? This article attempts to answer some of these questions.
Origin of Sri Lanka Muslims
The adherents of Islam in Sri Lanka belong, chiefly , to three different ethnic backgrounds viz, the Sri Lankan Moors, The Indian Moors and the Malays. The term ` Moors' was applied to the Arab Muslims and their descendants by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and the term referred to their religion and was no reflection on their origin. Even the Indian Muslims traders who used to visit Ceylon and operated mostly around the coastal towns (coast moors) were called Moors.
“ The Sinhalese thought that by chasing the Tamils out of Colombo, they could control the real estate and economy. But the Ashroff’s people have simply overwhelmed us. They are every where and control everything in Colombo.” To day the Sri Lankan Muslims are the most politically powerful people in Sri Lanka. It is most ironic that the most politically powerful personality in Sri Lanka is neither Chandrika nor Ranil Wickremasinghe but Hakeem. He can demand and get whatever he wants.
Who are the Sri Lankan Muslims? Are they Tamil converts or had they arrived in the island from far. Why do they mistrust the Tamils – especially Jaffna Tamils? This article attempts to answer some of these questions.
Origin of Sri Lanka Muslims
The adherents of Islam in Sri Lanka belong, chiefly , to three different ethnic backgrounds viz, the Sri Lankan Moors, The Indian Moors and the Malays. The term ` Moors' was applied to the Arab Muslims and their descendants by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and the term referred to their religion and was no reflection on their origin. Even the Indian Muslims traders who used to visit Ceylon and operated mostly around the coastal towns (coast moors) were called Moors.
http://newageislam.com/sri-lanka-muslims--tamil-converts-or-arab-descendents?/islamic-society/d/1209
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11:01 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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