Annual Performance Report - 2002
DEPARTMENT OF MUSLIM RELIGIOUS & CULTURAL AFFAIRS
Mission Statement:
“Promotion and Preservation of Muslim Religious and cultural Activities in Sri Lanka”
Objectives and Functions:
The main objective of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, which comes under the Ministry of Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs is to foster and promote Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs and to implement the Mosque and Muslim Charitable Trusts or Wakf Act. No 51 of 1956 as amended by the Mosques and Muslim Charitable Trusts or Wakf (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 1962 and Act No. 33 of 1982.
In pursuit of the above objectives, the Department undertakes the following functions:-
a) Dealing with all matters pertaining to Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs such as arrangements for the Holy Ramazan, organising the Hajj activities, conducting Meelad Celebration at national level, awareness religious programmes to mark the Islamic important days, publication & encouragements of Muslim Religious and Cultural Books, and financial assistance & guidance to deserving Religious and Cultural Organizations, Mosques, Madrasas and Arabic Schools.
b) Implementing the Mosques and Muslim Charitable Trusts or Wakf Act and attending to all matters provided for in the Act (such as Registration of Mosques and Muslim Shrines, appointment, suspension and removal of trustees, scrutinizing of Mosques account and administering the Muslim Charities Fund).
Activities During 2002:
The following are the important activities in addition to the day to day matters of the department conducted during the year 2002.
01. Mihraj Day:
Mihraj Day religious observance to mark the holy journey of the Prophet Mohammed was held at Devatagaha Mosque, Colombo on 04.10.2002 over 200 people from that area participated in this programme.
02. Ramazan:
Ramzan fasting started on November 07, 2002 continued for a period of one month. This year there were no dates gifted by the government of K.S.A or United Arab Emirates for free distribution among Muslims due to the delay in harvesting in those countries. Two Qaries (Religious Dignitaries) from Egypt visited to various districts to recite and explain Holy Quran during this period. A meeting was held at the office of the Prime Minister to ensure the uninterrupted supply of water, electricity, essential goods at Sathosa centres, etc. during the period of Ramzan.
The moon sight to decide the days of starting the Ramazan fasting as well as the end of the fasting was coordinated by the Department with the Colombo Grant Mosque, Jammiyathul Ulama, members of Hilal committee, and religious leaders.
03. Hajj Activities:
Around 6000 pilgrims visited this year to the holy places such as Mecca and Medina in K.S.A to perform Hajj. The Department made the following arrangements to have this programme a success:
a. 70 Travel Operators were registered with the department for taking pilgrims.
b. A special passport counter was opened for a period of two weeks at the Department of Immigration and Emigration to help the pilgrims to get their passport without much difficulty.
c. Necessary arrangements were made with the Embassy of K.S.A to obtain visas for the pilgrims and free movement visas for the travel operators.
d. Necessary arrangements were made with the airline authorities to get the required numbers of seats at lower rates.
e. Officers were sent to assist the airport authorities during the departure and arrivals of pilgrims at Katunayake International Airport.
f. A team of officers visited to look after the welfare of the pilgrims and the travel operators in K.S.A.
g. A medical team also was sent to K.S.A. to treat the Sri Lankan pilgrims during the Hajj.
h. An amount of Rs. 300,000.00 was also sent to the Consular General’s Office expenses during the Hajj.
Hajj Act has also been drafted to regularise the activities and expected to be presented in parliament in a very near future.
04. Independence Day:
Religious observance was held with the participation of Hon. Ministers and Deputy Ministers and Muslim Parliamentarians at Zahira College Mosque, in Colombo. More than 200 participants attended the function. The function was organised in collaboration with the members of the trustee board of Zahira Mosque.
05. National Meelad Un-Nabi Celebration:
National Meelad was held on 14th and 15th of December at Udathavinna and Madawala in Kandy District. The first day celebration was held at Udathalawinna, Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Port Development and Shipping and Minister of Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs was the chief guest, Deputy Ministers, and Members of Parliament for the Kandy District and Muslim Members of Parliament were attended. The first day programme was started with a Maulood recitation, which was held at the Jumma Mosque, Udathalawinna in the morning. In the evening the addresses of religious leaders of all three communities, religious dignitaries and guest speaker from India were held. The cultural event including an Islamic oriented drama was also staged in the night.
The final day celebration was held at Madawala, which was graced by the Prime Minister as the chief guest, Governor of Central Province, Ministers, Chief Minister of Central Province, Deputy Ministers, and Members of Parliament also attended.
To mark this national event competitions were conducted on national and district level on essays of general knowledge and Islamic knowledge in all three languages, Islamic calligraphy contests, Holy Quran recital contests were held and about 100 of the winners were awarded certificates and cash prizes. 15 Muazins selected from various districts were honoured with cash awards to honour their long time services. A history book of Udathalawinna and Madawala Muslims containing the information of their history, education, culture and art, employment etc. was also released.
As a capital rehabilitation projects Rs. 37.7 Million were allocated for the rehabilitation of school buildings, roads and infrastructure facilities in this area and the work was completed before the National Meelad Un-Nabi Celebration.
06. International Contests:
International Contests on Holy Quran and Qiraath held in Colombo, the two selected candidates for Malaysia, one for United Arab Emirates, three for Iran and one for Egypt participated in those countries. One scholarship for 3 month training on Islamic studies and seven Undergraduate scholarships on Islamic Studies to Al Asher University, Egypt were selected. The applications for the candidates were called from Arabic colleges.
07. Quran Madrasa:
11 new Madrasas were registered with the Department this year. 100 needy Madrasas were offered grants as an on going programme, which is amounting to Rs. 360,000.00, each Madrasa is offered Rs. 3,600.00 per year to cover the administrative cost of their Madrasas. 07 Quran Madrasas were also offered Rs. 10,000.00 each to purchase their requirement during this year. Common Syllabus for Quran Madrasa was completed and in printing to maintain a common standard between Madrasas.
08. Pre-Schools:
03 new Islamic pre-schools were registered with the Department to provide Islamic pre-education. One pre school was offered Rs. 10,000.00 as a grant to purchase their basic requirements.
09. Associations:
11 new Islamic associations were registered this year.
10. Encouragement to Writers:
Encouragement to Islamic Writers as an on going programme 16 variety of books was purchased for Rs. 135,000.00 this year.
11. World Symposium on Islamic Tamil Literature:
A World Symposium on Islamic Tamil Literature was organised by the Ministry of Eastern Development & Muslim Religious Affairs and the Dept. of Muslim Religious & Cultural Affair in coloration with Sri Lanka Institute for Islamic Research at BMICH from 22nd to 24th of October 2002.
On the first day the 22nd of October 2002, Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Port Development and Shipping and Minister of Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs, was the chief guest to inaugurate the symposium.
On the second day the 23rd of October 2002, Hon. Dr. Karunasena Kodithuwakku, Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, was the chief guest to inaugurate the symposium.
On the final day event was graced by the Chief Guest, the Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe, Prime Minister of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The Treasury allocated Rs. 3. Million for this programme but the total cost for this symposium was nearly 4.Million. 500 delegates including 150 from India, Malaysia and Singapore were participated. The following were included in this symposium.
1. Three day discussions on the Islamic Tamil Literature
2. Seventeen books on Islamic Tamil Literature reprinted were released
3. A souvenir was released to mark the event.
4. 75 prominent artists were honoured.
12. Special Identity Cards for Islamic Clergies:
Special Identity Cards for Islamic Clergies in collaboration with the Dept. of Registration of Persons has been issued, about 2500 applications were received and nearly 1000 were forwarded to the Department of Registration of Persons. 245 identity cards were issued by them this year.
13. Arabic Colleges:
A one day seminar on enhancement of efficiency of the Arabic Colleges was conducted at Sasakawa Hall, Colombo. Nearly 70 Principals of Arabic colleges were attended the seminar. The participants were provided with necessary course materials. This year 07 new Arabic colleges were registered with the Department.
14. Ahadiya Schools:
A syllabus for the Ahadiya Schools (Daham School) has been completed to maintain a standard to enable the students to obtain concession in their university entrance. It is expected to be released during next year. The central Ahadiya, the federations of all Ahathiya schools was offered Rs. 50,000.00 as an ongoing grant to meet their administrative cost of its branch Ahadiya Schools.
15. Wakf House Construction:
The construction of Wakf House at D.R.Wijewardene Mw., was approved by the then cabinet to complete at the cost of Rs. 70. Million, the revised estimated cost of this project is Rs. 255 Million. An amount of Rs. 6.5 Million was allocated for the year 2002. The part of the work has been entrusted with the Department of Building to complete before the end of June 2003.
16. Wakf Board:
29 new mosques have been registered, 186 appointment of trustees were given, 14 permission for the construction of Mosques and others were taken up for discussion, 39 cases were referred to inquiry, 13 cases for financial assistance were approved, 12 cases were referred to the Wakf Tribunal, cases have been filed at Magistrate Court against 04 Mosques to recover the property and streamline mosques administration, during the end of December 2001 cases pending at Wakf Board for the year 2002 was 10, and at the end of December 2002 cases pending for the year 2003 was 07.
17. Wakf Tribunal:
10 cases were referred to the Wakf Tribunal, orders were made to 04 cases and 05 cases were partly heard, and 01 case is pending.
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