Sri Lanka Economic Crisis - Dr. M. R. Mohamed Economist - Daily Ceylon on 24-08-2022

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All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama's Activity Report 2016/17

Read more>>> https://islamicthinktanksl.blogspot.com/2018/02/acjus-activity-report-20162017.html   

Amnesty International Report 2017/2018

Amnesty international Annual Resport-2017/2018

M. R. Mohamed’s Free Resource Bank-free download from here;

https://issuu.com/m.r.mohamed/docs/2017-18              

https://issuu.com/m.r.mohamed/docs/2015-16              

When A Central Bank Governor Speaks Like A Governor

When a Governor speaks frankly, the market responds positively: When a Governor of a central bank speaks like a Governor, he is sure to receive two types of response. His candid speech will build private citizens’ confidence in central bank actions which in turn helps the Government in power to attain its growth objectives. But it could also anger his political masters if they are just concerned with short-term political gains and not about long-term sustainable economic achievements. Read more>>>

Northern Muslim Expulsion & Tamil Leadership

An event on October 30, 2016: Last Sunday, October 30, 2016, a commemoration event was organised in Colombo by the newly formed group “North Muslim Civil Society” on the theme of “A necessary Solution for Northern Muslims”. I was struck by the fact that the chief guest and guest of honor were the prominent political leaders of the Sri Lankan Tamil community, and leaders of the opposition. These leaders are spokespersons of the rights of Tamils of Sri Lanka. I decided to travel to Colombo from Kandy, to participate in the event even though I had not received a formal invitation. Read more>>>

Global Terrorism Index-2015

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Muslim Law Reform Group Says Muslim Marriage And Divorce Act-1956 Violates Women’s Rights

Muslim women’s groups have been advocating for reforms of the MMDA for over 25 years and there have been at least four official committees set up since 1970’s with no progress on reforms. The current 16-member Muslim Personal Law (MPL) Reforms Committee headed by Justice Saleem Marsoof was set up in 2009, by the then Minister of Justice Milinda Moragoda in view that “certain reforms to the Muslim personal law was urgently needed”. Seven years later, the report is still pending. Read more>>>

Maithripala Sirisena’s Speech At United Nations General Assembly-2016

Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, where Theravada Buddhism is practiced. There are solutions in Buddhist teachings to most of the problems faced by the people in this world. Similarly, those who follow other religions like Hinduism, Islam and Christianity too can find answers to these problems by these great religious philosophies. Read more>>>

China’s Brutal war on Islam and Uighur Muslims

As it happened to Palestine and Kashmir, the world has ignored the plight of persecuted Uighur Muslims in China’s Xingjian region where the people started their struggle to win back their political, economic, religious and cultural rights ever since Red Army occupied the area in 1949. Read more>>>

Embracing Globalisation: The Case Of Sri Lanka

Some of the new economic initiatives announced by the Sri Lankan government about integrating the economy with the wider world, initially acquiring land to create special economic zones where large scale investment projects from India and China are to be invited to locate, are a refreshing departure from an economically dysfunctional post-independence mindset of nationalist pre-conception of the national interest as a zero sum game with the world beyond: their gain is our loss and our gain is their loss. Sri Lanka at the time of independence boasted an economy more prosperous, a population that was better educated and a society which was largely free of the worst dysfunctional aspects of religion which characterize the neighbouring countries of the sub-continent. Yet the country became ensnared by angst over identity and suspicious of opening up the economy to the world at a time when development was fueled by trade. The changed mindset informing recent economic initiatives holds out prospects for greater prosperity. Read more>>>

WAN Says Muslim Marriage And Divorce Act Treats Women As Second Class Citizens, Calls For Rectification

The Women Action Network (WAN) has called for the rectification of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) of 1951 citing that the Act renders Muslim women as second class citizens and does not guarantee them equal protection under the law. The Network has also called on authorities to ensure that the new Constitution rectifies this which will ensure Muslim women will have equal rights in the eyes of the law. Read more>>>

Muslim Political & Religious Clerical Leadership Crisis in Sri Lanka

Who represent the Muslim community in the government? The shocking answer is “NONE”.

One may ask “how could the Muslims complain as there are several Muslim ministers and deputy ministers in the government”. Yes there are many Muslim ministers, but they do not represent the community as most of them entered into deals and got into the government. For example the presence of Sri Lanka Muslim Congresses, SLMC, in the government is deceptive as they contested in UNP tickets and entered the government. Read more>>>

The future of Sri Lanka’s economy

A new era has dawned in Sri Lanka. Peace has been consolidated after a bloody 30-year civil conflict. The country’s 67-year old democracy has been reinforced after a dramatic, peaceful and people-led political transition in January 2015.We’re prioritizing business-friendly policies so that we can take advantage of today’s peace to build a thriving economy. Read more>>>

Industrial Development Policy in the Islamic view point

Whilst the Western world has managed to achieve phenomenal development since the industrial revolution the Muslim world on the other hand lags far behind. The Muslim world is represented by an underdeveloped infrastructure, poverty, unemployment and nothing in the way of technological development. At the same time the Muslim world possesses some of the worlds largest reserves of key mineral resources. The Muslim world single handedly possesses 74% of the world’s oil reserves – the world’s most important commodity. Read more>>>

The Manufacturing Policy and Building an Industrial State from the Viewpoint of Islam

Since the time Allah has created man and put him on earth, man tries to satisfy his needs with materials created in the universe around him, as well as trying to maintain his security, sovereignty and survival whether in case of attack or defense by using the raw materials around him. Read more>>>

World Islamic Economic Forum - 2016 in Indonesiya

The World Islamic Economic Forum started off from a modest beginning as the OIC Business Forum, which was held on 15th October 2003, in conjunction with the tenth OIC Summit in Putrajaya, Malaysia.The inaugural OIC Business Forum sought to create a business ‘face’ of the OIC. The Forum brought together government leaders, captains of industries, academic scholars, regional experts, professionals and corporate managers to discuss opportunities for business partnerships in the Muslim world. The second OIC Business Forum was convened in Kuala Lumpur in 2004, a momentous event that brought about the birth of the World Islamic Economic Forum and the subsequent convening of the 1st WIEF in Kuala Lumpur in 2005. Read more>>>

Muslim Women, Shariyah & Modernity

A Review of the book – Women Claiming Rights and Spaces: Activism to Reform Muslim Personal Law in Sri Lanka, Published by Muslim Women Research and Action Forum.

Muslim Personal Law (MPL) in Sri Lanka that governs the family affairs of the Muslims which specifically includes marriage, divorce and inheritance and exclusively applicable to the Muslims is supplementary to the general law of the country. There are such supplementary family laws like Kandyan Law and Thesavalamai Law that governs the family affairs of Kandyan Sinhalese and Jaffna Tamils respectively. Read more>>>

What the Chilcot Inquiry doesn’t address

Since 2003 (excluding the murderous sanctions regime of the years before), the people of Iraq have been subjected to a brutal occupation. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and many Iraqis have witnessed first hand the West’s empty promises of freedom when detained and tortured at Basra, Camp Nama and Abu Ghraib. The Iraqi regime – discredited by sectarianism, corruption and deals with brutal militias -continues to be propped up by their allies in London and Washington. There is no economic development. Despite aid pledges of billions, there is little evidence of the promised rebuilding of Iraq. Read more>>>

The Iraq Inquiry Report

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Reforming Sri Lankan Islam: Where Should One Start?

Reform in reality is not a one off event to be accomplished by introducing a new or revised document or an itemised agenda but an ongoing process that keeps a phenomenon updated and relevant to meet the growing challenges of an ever growing stock of human knowledge and civilization. In that sense the history of Islamic thought bears ample testimony to the fact that Islam had been reforming quite intrusively and extensively during the first six centuries of its introduction and superficially and restrictively thereafter. Read more>>>

Would Sri Lanka Elect A Tamil Or Muslim President?

The Western World, particularly the United States of America (USA) and Western Europe, can well afford to boast about human rights and their vehement protection on international platforms and fora. Especially in the United States, the first ten amendments (also known as the Bill of Rights) to their Constitution talk volumes for the safeguard of the rights of an individual. What is most significant about the US Constitution is, it has been crafted to safeguard the individual from the government and its potential threats to the individual.

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Deporting Buddha Tattoos: Economics And Embracing Emotionalism

Max Weber, the late 19th century German philosopher, later expanded the frontiers of the subject by analysing the relationship between economics and religion and cultural disenchantment which the modernity had brought to society in the current era. In a path-breaking book titled ‘The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism’ and published in German in 1905 and in English in 1930, Weber argued that modern capitalism and its entrepreneurship were born after individuals were freed from the crutches of the church and secularism was propagated in society. Read more>>>

Don’t Re-Traumatise The War-Traumatised: Dons

A group of Sri Lankan university academics who took different positions during the war fought between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE have called upon the Sri Lankan government, all political parties, the UN and other international bodies and sponsors of the UNHRC resolution to place the needs and concerns of those who suffered during the war at the forefront of any mechanisms that will be put in place in the future. Read more>>>

A Global Crisis Comes To Sri Lanka

The radical extremists in ISIS the Islamic militant group is wreaking havoc in Syria along with Assad’s minority Alawite Shia regime. Between the two of them, they have killed more Arab Muslims than any other group(as Sunni dictator Saddam did during his disastrous 9 year war with Iran and his suppression of Kurds and Shias). The Wahabi Salafist radicals hate Shia Arabs. The want to force everyone to abide by their twisted version of Islam: which is by far a peaceful religion. Turkey too is suffering; while Turkey is a predominantly Muslim nation it is not a religious theocracy. Read more>>>

Minorities – The Problem Of The Twenty First Century

The great black American ideologue W.E.B. Du Bois wrote “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line”. I hold that the problem of the twenty first century is the problem of minorities. Let me first clarify what Du Bois had in mind in making his famous statement. He was universalist in his outlook, not tribalist or narrowly nationalist. By the colored he had in mind not only black Americans or black Africans but also the colored peoples of Afro-Asia and of the rest of the world.Read more>>>

Policy Statement Delivered By President Sirisena on 01/09/2015

It is my great pleasure to offer you the congratulations of the people of Sri Lanka and welcome you to the new parliament. You are the democratically elected representatives of the people and you have been elected in the most peaceful election held in the history of our country. As a person political experience of more than five decades, including 26 years as a Member of Parliament, I take this opportunity extend my thanks to the brotherly people in this country, those who voted for and against me at the Presidential Election on January 08, which I won as the Common Candidate of the opposition. Read more>>>

Identity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka: by Sisira Pinnawala

In 2011 the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) of Columbia University initiated a joint Project entitled “Historical Memory as a Tool for Conflict Resolution” with the objective of engaging scholarly and intellectual participation in the country’s post conflict peace building and reconciliation effort. The specific task identified by the Project was to get the scholars and intellectuals with different perspectives to work together in collaborative work to produce, through research, public debate and discussion, shared narratives of the conflict which would provide a strong and dependable basis for mutual understanding between the two main protagonists leading to sustainable peace and reconciliation. The formal work of the Project commenced with a workshop jointly organized by the PF and ISHR in Colombo in July 2011, facilitated by Dr. Elazar Barkan, Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and Director of Columbia’s ISHR. The participants of the civil society representing academics and researchers from the Universities and other stakeholder groups, were invited to this workshop. A consensus that emerged from the workshop was that the lack of agreement on the nature of the postcolonial Sri Lanka state was one of the root causes of the conflict. Therefore it was decided to conduct a collaborative research project and produce a scholarly volume on the Sri Lanka state as focusing on Identities and State-Building with particular attention to the postcolonial state.  A Working Group (WG) consisting of university academics/ researchers and civil society intellectuals was formed to carry out the above activity. The Working Group (WG) on State-Building.  Read more>>>

Ugly Muslim Politics in Sri Lanka

The most important factor here in selecting a candidate is seeing through distortion techniques. All the candidates are trying to sell themselves to the voters. In many cases, they use the languages that they are so skilfully crafted that they distort the truth in a way that is difficult even for the most careful observer to detect. They attack opponents based on characteristics that may not be true. They also make references to region, for example. The region of a leader where he comes from will not affect his performance. At the last minute, the opposite candidates may also spread rumours about withdrawals or supporting the opponent. This is not a factor at all they should consider in electing a candidate as their representative in the parliament. Read more>>>

Sri Lanka Between Elections

A half year after Maithripala Sirisena’s stunning defeat of President Mahinda Raja­paksa raised hopes for democratic renaissance, the complexities of partisan politics, and Rajapaksa himself, have returned to centre stage. Sirisena’s initial months with a minority government led by the United National Party (UNP) have opened important political space: robust debate and criticism have replaced the fear under Rajapaksa, and important governance reforms have been made, but much remains undone. By initial steps on reconciliation, the government set a more accommodating tone on the legacy of the civil war and the ethnic conflict that drove it. But divisions within government and Sirisena’s failure to take control of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) prevented deeper reform and allowed Rajapaksa and his supporters to mount a comeback. With Sirisena opposing Rajapaksa’s return, the 17 August parliamentary elections will test the continued appeal of the ex-president’s hardline Sinhala nationalism and give a chance for the fresh start that lasting solutions to the country’s social divisions require.Read more>>>

Social Market Economy Vs. Social Market Socialism

Social Market Economy may be a familiar term or concept but the other concept might be new. As I perceive it, both concepts have very similar economic components but there is one significant difference. What is it? Social Market Economy will continue to link the distribution of distributable output significantly to the ownership of means of production. On the contrary “Social Market Socialism” will separate the distribution of distributable output significantly from the ownership of means of production. This difference is not just theoretical; instead it has very far reaching practical impact. The impact is related to the efficiency of the economy. Let us discuss this matter further.Read more>>>

Muslims seek Solutions to their Problems; Not Ministerial Portfolios

Over the years today the SLMC ‘s selfish and short sighted politics has isolated the Muslims, especially those living in the predominantly Sinhalese areas, and had caused tremendous  damage to Muslims who now feel ignored  and orphaned. Muslims feel that this state of affairs cannot continue anymore and thus demand an end to racist politics to reestablish their harmonious ties with the majority community. This is the reason why Muslims, especially the educated lot and the civil society is keen that Muslims abandon the SLMC in the forthcoming elections and join national political parties. Read more>>>

The international significance of the Sri Lankan general election

The current election campaign takes place under conditions of acute political crisis in Colombo and deep fractures within the ruling elite. The two contenders in the January presidential election are both members of the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and Sirisena, by virtue of being the country’s president, is also nominal party head. However, rising public hostility towards the government has emboldened Rajapakse and his supporters to take control of the party’s election campaign and promote the ousted president as the next prime minister Read more>>>

The Greek Tragedy

Tragedy is etched into the Greek psyche, whether it’s the fall of Troy, Macedonia, Thrace or Thessaly, throughout Greek history tragedy has been a constant feature. Located on the edge Europe, Greece came to dominate the ‘known Western world’ for a good portion of Europe’s ancient history. In the ancient era, Greece became a maritime city-state and invented a culture oriented towards commerce. Greece was the West’s first advanced civilization (Athens) and produced its first empire (ancient Macedon). Read more>>>

Gold Standard: The future for a stable global currency

With the European sovereign debt crisis threatening to dissolve the Eurozone and the US with record budget and trade deficits the world is facing a monetary crisis. 

Central to the sovereign debt, housing and financial derivatives bubbles has been the provision of cheap and abundant credit. Money that has been simply manufactured from the keyboards or printing presses of Central bankers. As long as the financial system allows the effective counterfeiting of paper currency to meet ever increasing central spending – inflation and instability will ensue.  Read more>>>