No Islamist jihadist groups traced in Lanka:ICES

A study conducted by the Colombo-based International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) has found there are no Islamist jihadist groups in Sri Lanka.

The ICES, a leading research center in the country, has commissioned the study after accusations were made, both from within and outside the Muslim community, that in recent years a 'jihadist' movement was in the making in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka, reports Lanka Page.

According to the 2012 census, Muslims constitute 37 percent of the population of Eastern province while the community constitutes 9.67 percent of the national population.

Though the focus of the study was on the dynamics of intra-group relations among Muslims, researchers also investigated the charges made in certain quarters in the last couple of years.

The discussions with representatives of Thablighi Jamaat, Thawheed and Sufi groups revealed while there is discontent among the Muslim youth, acts of violence are unlikely in the near future.

"While there is a talk among discontented youth about espousing 'jihadi' practices, these are just idle youth responding to the global trend in Islam but with no motivation or the means to make this a reality.

"Local organizations such as mosque federations are also keeping tabs on the community and nipping such ideas in the bud," the study said.

Following the revelation that a 37-year-old Lankan Muslim had been killed in Syria while fighting for the Islamic State in July 2015, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, a Muslim association in Sri Lanka, assured that 10 Muslim organizations have reached an agreement not to allow such incidents to happen again.