Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana
Encyclopedia
Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana (born June 25, 1956) is a popular Sri Lankan politician. He has been politically active since 1988, and was Member of Parliament
from August 19, 1994 to December 5, 2001, and from April 9, 2004 to June 23, 2004, under the label of the United National Party
. Moulana is currently the Minister of Economic Affairs for the Sri Lankan Embassy to the United States
.
He is most noted for his extensive contribution to the peace process of Sri Lanka, especially in the Eastern region of the island nation, and also for his controversial role of aiding the renegade LTTE commander Colonel Karuna
in fleeing from the east to the capital city of Colombo
, and his resignation from the Parliament of Sri Lanka
thereafter. His role in the Karuna affair has now proven to be a key component to peace in Sri Lanka, as the renegade leader Colonel Karuna
, has moved into the democratic mainstream of Sri Lanka by starting up his own party, the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
, and later became a Minister in the ruling government party, United People's Freedom Alliance
.
, and was educated at the prestigious St. Michael's College in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, and gained fame early as a star soccer player, captaining the district side to several championship wins, and then went on to become a founding member and first captain of a famous soccer club in Eastern Sri Lanka. He then pursued his higher education at Jammal Mohammed College, in Trichy, India
. Upon receiving his diploma as a Bachelor of Commerce
, he returned to Sri Lanka, where he joined the family business in the gem
trade. In the mid-1980s, Moulana emigrated to the United States
, with his wife Tanuja. There he pursued a degree in Computer Science at UCLA, California
, and also promoted the family business. He then returned to Sri Lanka
, five years later with the intention to aid the hapless victims of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, especially in the North Eastern region. His close association with the public won the hearts of the people, and they urged him to enter the political stream, as their representative.
Moulana is the seventh in a family of eight, and is married to a lady from Batticaloa, Tanuja, and they have a son, Amjad, and a daughter, Amana.
, but lost.
, a conservative major political party. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
for the first time. During his decade-long tenure as an MP, his charisma and strong public relationship skills allowed him to gain supporters in the tens of thousands who thronged to witness him during meetings and rallies. During the most volatile periods of hostilities between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE), Moulana has been noted to stand by with the people and has been most recognized for resolving matters before communal clashes would have most likely erupted or for ensuring the security of his people when there were certain situations where there would have been a mass loss of lives during the heavy conflict.
.
, and once again gained victory and was elected to Parliament for the second time.
winning the majority and securing the position as the Government. This cut some slack for Moulana, who functioned as a private citizen, until his appointment as advisor to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
, Ranil Wickramasinghe.
. It was then that he first met the Colonel, and was not acquainted with him before the ceasefire came about, according to several media speculations. This close-working relationship between the two resulted in many developments in the East, in favor of its people, and also in maintaining a commendable relationship between the Muslims and the Tamils, the two biggest ethnic groups in that area. When Colonel Karuna split from the mainframe of the LTTE, and requested Moulana safe passage to Colombo, Moulana did give him safe passage, according to his press release: "on humanitarian grounds and also as Colonel Karuna was going to enter into the democratic mainstream." During this time, in April 2004, another General Election took place, but this time Moulana was nominated to Parliament for the third time through the National List of the United National Party. However, when details of his involvement in Karuna's escape to the capital city came to light, in mid-June 2004, Moulana tendered his resignation to the Secretary General of Parliament, as the threat to his life from the dreaded LTTE assassination squads increased dramatically. In his resignation letter, he stated that he carried out his actions in aiding the renegade LTTE commander without consulting his party or its leadership, and it was solely his decision and actions, based purely on humanitarian grounds, and accepted total responsibility for it.
He has also been caught between several crossfires between the Army and Tigers numerous times, but has escaped unhurt on all occasions.
When his role in the Karuna affair came to light, Moulana was subject to the feared LTTE assassination squads, who had planted suicide bombers in strategic locations pertaining to Moulana's whereabouts.
from the LTTE, emigrated from Sri Lanka to an unknown destination. Although various media outlets speculated that he had moved to the United Kingdom, Moulana reemerged to public life in the United States where he had been living in since his departure from the country.
He was appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C., by President Mahinda Rajapaksa
in December 2007. This position allowed Moulana to negotiate various deals with the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and World Bank
, which in turn led to the IMF granting Sri Lanka a $2.3 billion loan for developmental purposes. Moulana also was in charge of community affairs, making him one of the most visible personalities along with the Ambassador Jaliya Wickramsuriya among the Sri Lankan Diaspora.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from August 19, 1994 to December 5, 2001, and from April 9, 2004 to June 23, 2004, under the label of the United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
. Moulana is currently the Minister of Economic Affairs for the Sri Lankan Embassy to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
He is most noted for his extensive contribution to the peace process of Sri Lanka, especially in the Eastern region of the island nation, and also for his controversial role of aiding the renegade LTTE commander Colonel Karuna
Colonel Karuna
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan politician and former militant. After fighting for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for over 20 years, he rose to prominence as the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal , a breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers.After giving up arms and...
in fleeing from the east to the capital city of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, and his resignation from the Parliament of Sri Lanka
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
thereafter. His role in the Karuna affair has now proven to be a key component to peace in Sri Lanka, as the renegade leader Colonel Karuna
Colonel Karuna
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan politician and former militant. After fighting for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for over 20 years, he rose to prominence as the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal , a breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers.After giving up arms and...
, has moved into the democratic mainstream of Sri Lanka by starting up his own party, the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal , previously known as the "Karuna Group", is a political party in Sri Lanka. It was formed by Karuna Amman, a former leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, after he defected from the organization in 2004...
, and later became a Minister in the ruling government party, United People's Freedom Alliance
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Susil Premajayantha is the general secretary of UPFA.The alliance was formed by:...
.
Early life and family
Moulana was born in Eravur, a village about 9 miles east of BatticaloaBatticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
, and was educated at the prestigious St. Michael's College in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, and gained fame early as a star soccer player, captaining the district side to several championship wins, and then went on to become a founding member and first captain of a famous soccer club in Eastern Sri Lanka. He then pursued his higher education at Jammal Mohammed College, in Trichy, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Upon receiving his diploma as a Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
, he returned to Sri Lanka, where he joined the family business in the gem
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
trade. In the mid-1980s, Moulana emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with his wife Tanuja. There he pursued a degree in Computer Science at UCLA, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and also promoted the family business. He then returned to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, five years later with the intention to aid the hapless victims of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, especially in the North Eastern region. His close association with the public won the hearts of the people, and they urged him to enter the political stream, as their representative.
Moulana is the seventh in a family of eight, and is married to a lady from Batticaloa, Tanuja, and they have a son, Amjad, and a daughter, Amana.
Political career
Moulana initially contested the local elections of 1989 under the banner of the Sri Lanka Freedom PartySri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
, but lost.
1994 elections
But, in July 1994, Moulana contested under an independent group and had a landslide victory over major political parties and was elected as the Chairman of the Eravur Town Pradeshiya Sabha. Having held the office of the Chairman for a short while, following the public's recommendation, he contested in the General Elections which were held in November of the very same year. Moulana won yet again, but this time he contested under the United National PartyUnited National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
, a conservative major political party. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the first time. During his decade-long tenure as an MP, his charisma and strong public relationship skills allowed him to gain supporters in the tens of thousands who thronged to witness him during meetings and rallies. During the most volatile periods of hostilities between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(LTTE), Moulana has been noted to stand by with the people and has been most recognized for resolving matters before communal clashes would have most likely erupted or for ensuring the security of his people when there were certain situations where there would have been a mass loss of lives during the heavy conflict.
1999 presidential elections
Moulana's campaign for his party and its leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, who was the candidate for the presidency of Sri Lanka, acquired around 110,000 votes from the Batticaloa district and the incumbent President only managed to acquire half of that number. Mr. Wickremasinghe however, lost that election overall to the incumbent, Chandrika KumaratungaChandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
.
2000 elections
Once Parliament was dissolved by the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, in 2000, Moulana contested yet again as a nominee for the United National PartyUnited National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
, and once again gained victory and was elected to Parliament for the second time.
2001 elections
Moulana entered the race once again as a nominee for the United National Party, when Parliament was dissolved yet again, only 10 months after the previous election. However, despite intense campaigning Moulana lost the 2001 election due to an act by the Government to block all voters entering from the uncleared areas, and more than 70,000 people were deprived of their franchise. A quick follow up resulted in Moulana filing an election petition case, and several other voters filing fundamental rights cases, which resulted in the Army Commander and several other officials compensating for their actions on that day. However, this election resulted in the United National PartyUnited National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
winning the majority and securing the position as the Government. This cut some slack for Moulana, who functioned as a private citizen, until his appointment as advisor to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
, Ranil Wickramasinghe.
Ceasefire and development
Following a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in 2002, which resulted in the cessation of hostilities between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army, Moulana used this period of time to develop the Batticaloa District and provide the deprived. This resulted in the reopening of the A5 Highway, the restoration of train services to Batticaloa, providing electricity to several villages, assisting the rebuilding of the livelihoods of the internally displaced persons in the area etc. This required intense negotiations with high officials belonging to the LTTE. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7145http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7188Karuna controversy, reappointment to Parliament & resignation
During this period of time, when Moulana was involved in negotiations with the LTTE in rebuilding the lives of the people, he worked closely with many officials of the LTTE including its Eastern Military Commander, Colonel KarunaColonel Karuna
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan politician and former militant. After fighting for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for over 20 years, he rose to prominence as the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal , a breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers.After giving up arms and...
. It was then that he first met the Colonel, and was not acquainted with him before the ceasefire came about, according to several media speculations. This close-working relationship between the two resulted in many developments in the East, in favor of its people, and also in maintaining a commendable relationship between the Muslims and the Tamils, the two biggest ethnic groups in that area. When Colonel Karuna split from the mainframe of the LTTE, and requested Moulana safe passage to Colombo, Moulana did give him safe passage, according to his press release: "on humanitarian grounds and also as Colonel Karuna was going to enter into the democratic mainstream." During this time, in April 2004, another General Election took place, but this time Moulana was nominated to Parliament for the third time through the National List of the United National Party. However, when details of his involvement in Karuna's escape to the capital city came to light, in mid-June 2004, Moulana tendered his resignation to the Secretary General of Parliament, as the threat to his life from the dreaded LTTE assassination squads increased dramatically. In his resignation letter, he stated that he carried out his actions in aiding the renegade LTTE commander without consulting his party or its leadership, and it was solely his decision and actions, based purely on humanitarian grounds, and accepted total responsibility for it.
Assassination attempts
Due to the importance of his position and the significance of representing a war-torn area in Parliament, Moulana has been subjected to numerous threats on his life. He has narrowly escaped several assassination attempts, one of which took place when the convoy he was travelling in was ambushed by LTTE cadres along a lonely strip of the Pollonaruwa-Batticaloa highway. Amidst extremely heavy firing for over 10 minutes, between the rebels and his personal bodyguards, his bullet-riddled motorcade managed to enter the security of a nearby army camp. Although Moulana escaped unhurt, multiple injuries and two deaths were reported among his bodyguards, and Moulana's own cousin was killed in the attempt.He has also been caught between several crossfires between the Army and Tigers numerous times, but has escaped unhurt on all occasions.
When his role in the Karuna affair came to light, Moulana was subject to the feared LTTE assassination squads, who had planted suicide bombers in strategic locations pertaining to Moulana's whereabouts.
Tenure in the USA
Moulana, following the escalations in numerous death threats that plagued him and his family in the aftermath of the role he played in breakaway of Colonel KarunaColonel Karuna
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan politician and former militant. After fighting for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for over 20 years, he rose to prominence as the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal , a breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers.After giving up arms and...
from the LTTE, emigrated from Sri Lanka to an unknown destination. Although various media outlets speculated that he had moved to the United Kingdom, Moulana reemerged to public life in the United States where he had been living in since his departure from the country.
He was appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C., by President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
in December 2007. This position allowed Moulana to negotiate various deals with the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) and World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, which in turn led to the IMF granting Sri Lanka a $2.3 billion loan for developmental purposes. Moulana also was in charge of community affairs, making him one of the most visible personalities along with the Ambassador Jaliya Wickramsuriya among the Sri Lankan Diaspora.
External links
- http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=12270
- http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=12272
- http://www.priu.gov.lk/Election/Batticaloa/batti1.pdf
- http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jul2004/sril-j08.shtml
- http://www.spur.asn.au/News_2004_June_26.htm
- http://www.spur.asn.au/News_2004_July_21.htm
- http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=91331&category=Frontend&Country=sri%20lanka