Muslim politics and culture: Disturbing symbiosis

SINCE 1980s when Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) entered the country’s political arena Muslim politics and Muslim culture began to develop a symbiotic relationship to strengthen the community's identity politics.

- By Dr. Ameer Ali

Islam in Sri Lanka has a proud history as an integrated element of the nation's cultural mosaic. Post-SLMC identity politics appears to be threatening this integrated edifice

The fact that identity politics was the norm and not the exception at that time may be the justification for such an amalgam. Yet, even at that time the pre-SLMC Muslim leaders had the wisdom and foresight to avoid falling into that identity trap and were able to utilise their commercial tool of bargaining between the existing parties to get the best deal for their community. It was politics of pragmatism as came to be known later.

What made this bargaining possible was the ubiquitous presence of Muslim voters in several parliamentary constituencies across the country. Also, the growing discontent between the Sinhalese and Tamil politicians from 1950s further strengthened the hands of Muslim leaders. As a result, special privileges were granted to the Muslim community as part of affirmative action. For example, the origins and growth of Muslim primary schools, Muslim Maha Vidyalayas, and Muslim training colleges is an outstanding testimony for the success of pragmatic politics.

What is even more significant and not well researched by scholars is the fact that Muslim politics did not disturb the millennium old historic and peaceful integration of this community into Sri Lanka's multi-ethnic polity. Muslims in every aspect had become a community OF and not IN Sri Lanka. After the 1980s and with the growth of SLMC identity politics however, this healthy integration seems to have received a setback with the intrusion of cultural elements into Muslim politics.