Leader of Sri Lanka's Islamic party arrested

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA

Sri Lankan police arrested a member of the Islamist Jama’at-e-Islami in an alleged terror case, a party statement said.

Usthadh Rasheed Hajjul Akbar, 59, who headed the party for 24 years until last September, was picked up from his home on Saturday night.

"A group of at least five [police officers] came to his home and asked for Usthadh," a close relative told Anadolu Agency from Mawanella, Usthadh's hometown, 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of the capital Colombo.

"There was no arrest warrant against him and the family was told that they needed to take Usthadh for simple questioning in a complaint against him," the relative said.

"On Sunday evening, we came to know through local media that Ustadh has been arrested," the relative added.

Jama’at-e-Islami, which has operated in Sri Lanka since 1954, slammed the allegations against their member saying they were "completely baseless".

Quoting police, Jama’at said: "The detectives have stated that the arrest was carried on having received complaints that he had assisted the banned terrorist outfit National Tawheed Jamaath and that the arrest was made in order to investigate the matter and to record a statement from him.”

"Sri Lanka Jama'at-e-Islami is a registered religious and civil society organization having moderate views. It's a law-abiding organization functioning in a transparent manner and vehemently objects to every form of extremism and terrorism," the statement added.

After stepping down as chief of Jama’at-e-Islami, Usthadh was elected as member of party’s executive council and deputy chief.

He is the father of eight children of a family that lives in central part of the Buddhist-majority country.

"We will question him and send him back," the relative quoted police officials telling Usthadh’s family.

The family and his lawyer have been trying to see Usthadh since Sunday to no avail, said the relative.

"The Jama'at wishes to categorically state that neither Sri Lanka Jama'at-e-Islami nor its former leader Usthadh Rasheed Hajjul Akbar have had any connection with the banned organization - National Tawheed Jamaath or any such group holding terrorist or extremist ideologies," the statement asserted.

The island nation of Sri Lanka was hit by coordinated terrorist bombings early in April this year. At least 251 people were killed while over 500 were injured.

The terrorists hit hotels and Churches where Christians held mass congregations.