Glorifying the Icons of Terror?

Commemorating LTTE’s Prabhakaran, JVP’s Wijeweera and IS Zahran will not help us to build harmony, stability or prosperity. The surge of support should be harnessed by the leaders, their parties and the government to build a Sri Lanka devoid of violence, corruption and discrimination. Should the world celebrate Pol Pot, Slobodan Milosevic, Osama bin Laden and their campaigns? Should they be the heroes of the next generation? Or, should we honor the innocent?

Sri Lanka witnessed 3 campaigns of terror by ideological movements. They were separatists, leftists and religious extremists. Their visions and missions especially the virulent ideologies and barbaric violence they engaged in brought untold suffering to its masses and made Sri Lanka fragile and its people vulnerable.

After so much of agony of the people and the country, the leaders should learn. Far reaching leaders and smart governments should neither glorify their lives or their ideologies as it will send the wrong message to the next generation. By glorifying leaders that espoused violence especially against innocent civilians and destruction of property will radicalise another generation to engage in terror and vandalism.

To restore social harmony, political stability and economic prosperity of a nation, the thinking of the leaders and actions of the government should be to promote safety, security and peace. Idolising Prabhakaran, Wijeweera or Zahran will only create future Prabhakarans, Wijeweeras and Zahrans.

Having interviewed Prabhakaran, many leaders of the JVP and wives, ideologues and operators of the suicide bombers of Easter massacre, none of these undemocratic movements should be celebrated. None of their leaders or their legacies should be celebrated. On the contrary, the lives of the Colombo University Vice Chancellor Stanley Wijesundera assassinated upon the instructions of Wijeweera, Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah assassinated by Prabhakaran personally and Mohamed Razik Mohamed Taslim who was maimed by Zahran’s assassin should be celebrated.

When I interviewed Zahran’s widow Hadiya, she revealed to me the brutal and dated ideology of the Islamic State leader of Sri Lanka. I quote from page 55 of “Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Massacre – Lessons for the International Community”. Zahran to Hadiya advocating sharia (Islamic law) to be implemented in Sri Lanka said, “If someone robs, his hand should be amputated and if someone commits adultery, the person should be stoned.” Let the burden of history not trap the mind and cripple the future! History is history, and, it should not be the present or the future.

The incumbent leaders should reflect and step away from these icons of terror. They should develop programs to build unity across ethnic, religious and ideological divided communities. They should move away from their dark histories and create enlightened futures. That is visionary leadership and statesmanship.