ACJU centenary celebrations to be attended by President, PM

By Ifham Nizam

The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) will celebrate its centenary service under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the chief guest and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena as the special guest.

The event is scheduled take place on Jan 19 at the BMICH.Speaking to the media on Wednesday at ACJU Headquarters in Colombo, its General Secretary M. Arkam Nooramith saidthey would focus on coexistence, education and youth in their centenary celebrations.

He said education, is one of the greatest treasures that should be acquired by every human being in this world. Islam has made it compulsory upon every male and female to seek knowledge. Literacy plays a major role in acquiring education.

“It is through writing we read. Reading and writing are significant gateways to acquire knowledge. In fact, writing is an ‘Amaanath’ and being a writer is a responsibility. Writers perform a significant duty of developing the society through his thoughts, creativity and activities. Accordingly, a literate society stands ahead in the improvement of all aspects of humanity.”

He said that an educated community dispels the darkness of society and illuminates it. The pre-Islamic Arabian social environment was known as ‘Ayyamul Jaahiliyyah’ which is interpreted as the dark period of ignorance. They were at the height of ignorance and were engaged in sins such as murder, robbery, adultery, gambling and vain disputes. Almighty Allah guided this society to the righteous path with the light of revelation.

He also said that co-existence involves more than just tolerance, for tolerance does not ensure harmony. It requires the willingness to understand diversity, the need for understanding and open discussions as well as being able to hold our religious differences not in isolation but in relation to one another, which is an important aspect for coexistence to be implemented in Sri Lanka.

Understanding the importance of establishing racial and religious harmony in Sri Lanka ACJU instituted a dedicated division under the name of CCC – Council for Cooperation and Coordination, to focus this matter.