Make religion a top priority, Lankan students advised

Priority should be given to religion in all circumstances, a visiting Sri Lankan Muslim scholar told Muslim students in Riyadh on Saturday.
M.I.M. Rizvi Mufthie, president of the Colombo-based All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama (ACJU), was addressing more than 150 students at a lecture held at the auditorium of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) in Riyadh.
Muslim students from grade three to advanced level classes were present with their parents to listen to the lecture of Mufthie, who was deemed one of the 500 most influential Muslims worldwide.
“You must be a Muslim first before you get involved in other activities,” Mufthie said, pointing out such a concept would guide one in the right path of Almighty Allah.
The scholar insisted students should learn to practice Islamic values in their daily life and follow the principles of Islam as laid down by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Cultivating good habits and manners will make them useful citizens in society, the scholar said. Both male and female students were present to listen to the lecture program chaired by Saleem Mowlana.
In Colombo, the ACJU headed by Mufthie plays an active role as the Islamic religious authority with 3,000 active members.
Speaking to reporters following the lecture, Mufthie said after the recent attack on a mosque in Dambulla, his organization has been keen on resolving the issue through dialogue with the parties involved. However, he reiterated that ACJU and the Muslim Ummah severely condemn the manner in which an illegal protest was conducted there, disrupting the Friday prayers at the mosque.
“As Muslims, we have compromised with other communities in several instances,” he said, pointing out that Muslims in the city of Kandy gave land from property belonging to the Line Mosque for some city development work.
“Similarly, land from Nimal Road Mosque in Colombo was given to the government to accommodate the highway that was constructed,” he said. “This shows how Muslims are accommodative and want to live peacefully with other communities on the island.”
He recalled Dambulla Masjid was established in 1962 and has a long history of more than five decades serving the community in that district.
“The ACJU, the Muslim community and Muslim parliamentarians are all of the opinion that the mosque should not be moved from its present location,” he added.