JAFFNA MUSLIM AND ITS 10 YEARS PUBLIC SERVICE

-BY JM Reader in UK-

 The Sri Lankan Muslim community has been living in Sri Lanka for centuries and yet, it has failed to produce  any regular public newspaper or TV station. Since Sithy Lebbe produced his newspaper “Muslim nation”  in the 19th century, many Newspapers have appeared and disappeared among Sri Lankan Muslim community. None of them continued its service. There are some regular  monthly new Islamic magazines and yet, their circulation is limited into hundreds of people among Muslim community. Unlike Sinhalese and Tamil communities. the Sri Lankan Muslim community has failed to produce any regular newspapers. Yet, today in this digital world some Muslim journalists have tried their best to produce some online News papers for Sri Lankan Muslim community. Jaffna Muslim and Madawala News are two good examples.  These papers are  produced by some devoted Muslim journalists to meet the journalistic needs of Sri Lankan Muslim community. It can be said these online newspapers are widely read by  Sri Lankan Muslims all over the world today in this digital world. Young generations are more likely to get a reading habit in these online newspapers. The Tamil speaking Sri Lankan Muslim community should promote these online newspapers in their  public service.

                 With grace and blessing of Allah, Jaffna Muslim online Newspaper has been providing  its public service for more than 10 years now. This is indeed a great success for many reasons. It has been providing public service without any financial support from public. Jaffna Muslim has managed to overcome many difficulties and hardships in its journey of journalism. It has been a neutral Newspaper in publishing  local and international new items without any bias. It has not got any political affiliation or influence. It is a free service and done entirely on voluntary basis. The Sri Lankan Muslim community has been benefiting greatly from its service. It is number one online Newspaper among Tamil speaking Sri Lankan Muslim community in Sri Lanka and abroad. This is indeed a timely needed online Newspaper to highlight the challenges and problems of Sri Lankan Muslim community. We all know that the Sri Lankan Muslim community faces many challenges and problems today. 

      The Sri Lankan Muslim community is in a political mess today than any time in the history. The Muslim community has failed to produce competent political leaders in recent times. Except a few good Muslim politicians, many are inept politicians. So, Jaffna Muslim should produce good articles and news items to create a political awareness and awaking among Sri Lankan Muslim community. It has been doing this for some time. But a highly political analysis and discussion should be included weekly or monthly in this newspaper to make a political awareness and to send  some good politicians into Sri Lankan parliament. Secondly, Muslim schools are not performing well compared to Tamil and Sinhalese schools. The Muslim community are left behind in education. So, online Newspaper like this should highlight educational problems of Sri Lankan Muslim community. Jaffna Muslim newspaper could get support of some Muslim educationalists to write about issue in Muslim education in Sri Lanka. This should be done regularly to create an educational renaissance among Muslim community. Thirdly, Muslim groups are fighting each other over trivial issues in religion. Jaffna Muslim could seek support of experts  to unite Muslims beyond all these ideological differences. Moreover, the Sri Lankan Muslim community immensely suffers from economic hardship and poverty. Jaffna Muslim should seek Muslim experts in economy to write articles about this problem too. in short, online News like this concentrate on core Muslim problems and challenges rather than just peripheral news items.  Yet, Jaffna Muslim newspaper has been rendering a great service  but it must become a goal-oriented Newspaper to uplift socio-economic, political, and religious condition of the sri Lankan Muslim community. It has been greatly contributing for a nation-building process in Sri Lanka.  It has been producing news items to promote peace and community harmony in Sri Lanka.  Yet, today, the Sri Lankan Muslim community needs a journalism to save our community from pathetic socio, political and religious conditions. 

           My best wishes and congratulations for this online Newspaper and May Allah give bless all those who work for this newspaper.