COLOMBO: The last living member of the Constituent Council of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL), Mohammed Haniffa Mohamed, 95, passed away peacefully in Colombo recently.
His funeral took place at the Kupiawatte Muslim Burial Grounds in Colombo amid thousands of well-wishers.
Mohammed, was the father of former Sri Lankan Ambassador Mohammed Hussain Mohamed, who left the Kingdom 10 months ago on completion of his term in Saudi Arabia.
Being the founder of the Colombo-based Islamic Center, Mohamed had cordial relations with world Islamic bodies such as the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the International Islamic Relief Organization and the World Muslim Congress in Pakistan.
Under the patronage of the Muslim World League, he organized an international seminar on “Peaceful coexistence with other communities” in Colombo. With the help of the IDB, Mohamed was instrumental in obtaining hundreds of scholarships for deserving Muslim students in Sri Lanka to pursue degrees in medicine, agriculture, engineering and dentistry at the universities on the island.
Mohamed was a veteran statesman who had served his country as the speaker of Parliament, minister of transport, labor and parliamentary affairs and was the respected leader of the island’s Muslim community.
Dignitaries, who paid their last respects, included Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa sent his condolences from Thailand.
Founding MWL member dies in Colombo
Founding MWL member dies in Colombo
