Colombo, April 24 -- In recent years following the end of the war in 2009, Islamic religious organizations like
Thowheed Jamath - Wahhabist groups which preach religious extremism and intolerance - have taken root in the underdeveloped Eastern Province, and have gradually gained influence in other parts of Sri Lanka.
One of the main objectives of the Thowheed Jamath movement is the implementation of Sharia law for Muslims in the country. It also advocates, for example, compulsory wearing of the burka for Muslim women - a practice foreign to Sri Lanka. It is estimated that at present 10 percent of Sri Lankan Muslims adhere to the ideology of Thowheed Jamath.
The activities of the extremist movement have included the construction of mosque...