COSMOS UK" இன் அறிக்கை...!

"Ref : Proposed Demonstration on 5th May 2014 in London

We are pleased to send this press release for your public readership. It is our duty and responsibility to tell Muslim public the negative and positive consequences of this demonstration that has been already planned by some elements of diaspora community in London. This demonstration is supposed to be anti- BBS and yet, we believe that consequences of such demonstration will affect entire Sri Lanka community and for that reason it is our duty to clarify some facts about it before hand. 

It has been found necessary to clarify and elucidate COSMOS UK (Council of Sri Lankan Muslims organizations UK) position with regard to the proposed anti BBS demonstration to be held on Monday 5th May 2014 in  London in particular and the hate campaign launched by the BBS against Muslims in Sri Lanka.

Council of Sri Lankan Muslim Organisations UK (COSMOS UK) is the umbrella organization consisting of 18 Sri Lankan diaspora organizations operating in UK in various fields. It has always been the policy of COSMOS UK to work in liaison with the Muslim leadership in Sri Lanka, particularly the Council of Muslims Sri Lanka and the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulema towards further promoting and preserving amicable relationships prevalent among the divergent communities in Sri Lanka, and to desist from taking any action which may hamper  this cause . With this laudable objective in view, COSMOS UK has been, during its inception 2 years ago, involved in various activities to stop this hate campaign which included

Discussions with the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in UK highlighting our concerns

Meeting Sri Lankan MP delegations who  visit UK from time to time

Showcasing our concerns and actual situation to the Muslim Leadership in UK, such as Muslim Council of Britain

Encouraging  member organizations to make representations to the UK government through local MPs to use their good offices with the Sri Lankan government  to ban hate speech and to take appropriate action against hate groups  operating in Sri Lanka

Organizing multi-faith gatherings to promote communal harmony and a unified approach to forge a sense of unity and harmony in Sri-Lanka, viewing this issue as a minority  related one rather than only directed at Muslims

Highlight the activities of its' member organizations in UK

Preparation of a documentary regarding the background, history and details of the hate campaign carried out by extremist hate groups against Muslims in Sri Lanka 

COSMOS UK has always been working impartially as a Pressure Group, with a balanced outlook, without aligning itself with extreme approaches taken by other minority community groups or adopting a fully biased approach of falling in line fully with the ruling party policies and decisions.

In  the light of its' aforesaid objectives and its' policy of initially exploring all available avenues to make our joint voices heard, COSMOS UK considers the proposed anti BBS demonstration organized by SLMDI and some other organizations as pre-mature and ill-conceived, specially considering predominant  resolve of the majority prevailing in Sri Lanka, to challenge and oppose the naked and  provocative acts of the hate groups . Besides, COSMOS UK views that demonstrations of this nature would tend to hamper the positive efforts of the peace groups in Sri Lanka to bring about reconciliation in our motherland.   These concerns were duly conveyed to the organizers of this protest which unfortunately were not given due consideration. COSMOS UK therefore decided to desist from officially  supporting this demonstration.

Nevertheless, COSMOS UK considers the unity of the Sri Lankan community both important and uppermost in achieving the laudable aspirations which it set out to achieve when forming this umbrella organisation.  Therefore, COSMOS UK appeals to the community to preserve its' unity and have requested its member organizations to take all available courses of action in this regard.  It is in this spirit that COSMOS UK has requested  its' member organizations to explain the rationale for its' principled stance  while ensuring that participation in this demonstration be not taken as a divisive  issue within their communities.

Jazakallahu Khairan

Department of Public Relation

COSMOS UK"