Muslims protest in Colombo over Koran texts blocked at customs
For more than a year, a shipment of Tamil translations of the Islamic holy text from a Saudi foundation has been blocked in a container. The detention was reportedly requested by an official from the Ministry of Defence. Muslim MPs: ‘Discrimination on religious and linguistic grounds’.
Colombo (AsiaNews) - All Muslim members of the Sri Lankan Parliament - both from the majority and the opposition - have made a joint appeal to the Minister of Religious Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, to intervene to obtain the immediate release of a batch of copies of the Koran translated into Tamil, currently held by Sri Lankan customs.
In a letter signed by Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, among others, the MPs condemned the action as a violation of the fundamental rights of Sri Lankan Muslims, which are protected by Chapter III of the Constitution. The shipment, identified as Container No. FSCU 8233306, was reportedly seized on 16 May 2024 on the instructions of a former secretary of the Ministry of Defence, who allegedly acted on behalf of the government.
The detained cargo was printed by the King Fahd Glorious Qur'an Printing Complex in Saudi Arabia, an institution recognised worldwide for the publication of Qur'anic texts. According to MPs, identical translations into Tamil from previous shipments had been cleared through customs without objection and are widely available in the homes of Sri Lankan citizens and on online platforms.
‘The continued detention of these religious texts is not only unconstitutional, but also discriminatory on religious and linguistic grounds,’ the MPs stressed. ‘No similar restrictions have been imposed on religious texts of other faiths, and copies of the Qur'an in Arabic have always been allowed without interference.’
The MPs also called for the immediate dissolution of the ad hoc review committee set up to examine Islamic publications, calling it arbitrary, non-transparent and discriminatory. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has also launched an investigation into the incident, requesting a formal report from Customs. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya herself has reportedly requested a report.
The incident is sparking a broad debate on religious freedom, linguistic equity and institutional accountability in Sri Lanka. Muslim leaders and civil society groups warn that such actions risk undermining interfaith harmony and constitutional protections for minorities.
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24/01/2007
