JEDDAH, 23 August 2003 — A prominent leader of the Sri Lankan Muslims who is visiting the Kingdom has slammed the “lackadaisical” attitude of the Sri Lankan government in dealing with anti-Muslim violence in the island’s eastern province.

Rauff Hakeem, who is the president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and also a Cabinet minister in the country’s United National Front government, told reporters here yesterday that his government was not doing enough to maintain law and order in the region, where tensions are running high following the slaying of four Muslims by Tamil Tiger rebels.

“There is a kind of inhibition on the part of the Sri Lankan armed forces to fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who have wreaked havoc in the region by killing and abducting Muslims,” he said.

“There is a growing perception among Muslims that the government is dragging its feet on the use of force against the Tamil Tigers.”

As a Cabinet minister, Hakeem said he would impress on his government the need to use force to end the reign of terror unleashed by the LTTE rebels.

Hakeem’s Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has 15 members in Parliament and is a key constituent of the ruling coalition.

The minister recalled his meeting with LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran in April last year. “That meeting generated a lot of euphoria, and for the first time there was a feeling that Muslims and Tamils could coexist. But unfortunately the LTTE is again playing the same old game. It remains an enigma,” Hakeem said in exasperation. “They are hard bargainers backed by ruthless guerrillas.”

Hakeem said the patience of Muslims in the eastern province was wearing thin and that if urgent steps were not taken, frustrated Muslim youth could take the law into their hands. “We want to avoid that unfortunate situation. The government must act and act now,” he added.

He said a special pressure group has been formed to protect the interests of the Sri Lankan Muslims at the peace talks. “The formation of the Northeastern Muslim Parliamentarians Forum is aimed at increasing Muslim leverage at the talks,” he said.

Hakeem also met with Haj Minister Iyad Madani and signed various agreements with the Haj Ministry.

According to Hakeem, 6,000 Sri Lankans will perform Haj in 2004, 500 more than this year.