Terrorism Research Expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna has reiterated that overseas Islamist terror cells are operating in Lanka posing a severe threat to Sri Lanka’s national security.

Commenting on the arrest of Lankan Islamist terror suspect Mohammed Zakir Hussain in Chennai, India, Dr. Gunaratna said Hussain’s associates were still active, jeopardizing the security of entire region that includes Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.

{module LOLC}

Speaking to the weekend English newspaper ‘The Nation’, Gunaratna had said authorities here should work with their security counterparts to dismantle regional terrorist and criminal networks.

Until now the Sri Lankan Muslim community has been a model community, but this is likely to change unless its own leaders work with government to protect their cultural and religious heritage, Dr. Gunaratna said.
He said Muslim leaders in Sri Lanka had a key role to play in ensuring that youths from the community do not fall prey to terrorist recruiters who are always on the lookout for new members.

“Sri Lankan Muslim leaders must play a decisive role through their religious and educational institutions and protect their faith and heritage from extremist ideologies originating from overseas. Unlike the way the current generation of Sri Lankan Tamil leaders failed to protect their youth from separatist ideas from Tamil Nadu politicians, Sri Lankan Muslim leaders should nurture in Muslim youth greater understanding and living harmoniously in a diverse society,” Dr. Gunaratna had told the newspaper.