News
Zuhair questions arrest of Lankans over ISIS links, warns of Western machinations
Former parliamentarian and ex-ambassador to Iran M. M. Zuhair, PC, has questioned the rationale behind the arrest of four Sri Lankans over their alleged involvement with ISIS.
Zuhair has sent the following statement in response to our report ‘ Lankans arrested in Gujarat over terrorism charges: India, Sri Lanka finding vary while university dons warn of post-Easter Sunday failures’ in yesterday’s issue of The Island: “A significant question that is being raised in circles concerned with the never-ending Western aided wars in third world countries is, where was the so called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’, best known by its acronym “ISIS”, when the Israeli forces wantonly destroyed its host country Palestine and mercilessly murdered thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, for eight consecutive months! In short, why didn’t ISIS launch even a single attack on Israel?
The terror organisation-ISIS’s intervention on behalf of the helpless Palestinian women and children being killed by a racist terrorist State, Israel, would have been a legitimate expectation, if the group was in fact in existence or a pro-Islamic entity! At the least, they could have dropped some ‘parippu’ for the hungry Palestinian kids who are in the throes of death! Why didn’t they? Why do pro-Western governments and their agents continue to label any Muslim involved violence as “ISIS terror”, even though they know the ISIS is dead and destroyed?
Of course the terrorist organisation, Islamic State of Khorashan Province (ISKP) is still surviving in Afghanistan, confronting the Afghan government!
These questions have arisen following the arrest on 20th May at the Ahmedabad airport in India of four Sri Lankans alleging ISIS involved plans to carry out terrorist attacks on contradictory targets! Sri Lanka must investigate independently without relying on CIA, Mossad, RAW or any of its agents or being subservient to any government abusing the name of a dead organization!
The leader of the ISIS Abobucker Al Baghdadi was killed on 26.10.2019, close upon five years ago and the ISIS, widely known in the Muslim world, as an anti-Islamic terrorist group, died a natural death by 2020, four years ago! Baghdadi’s alleged successor, the so called Caliph Abu Ibrahim Hashimi reportedly committed suicide in 2021, in Germany Hitler style. Hashimi’s suicide, prohibited in Islam is also evidence that ISIS was an anti-Muslim terrorist entity!
Hypocritically, those who founded Baghdadi’s ISIS, to oust though unsuccessfully, the Syrian leader Bashar Al Assad continued to label any significant attack by any person with a Muslim name in any part of the world as an ISIS attack or that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack! Editor of Prison Planet.com Paul Joseph Watson in a write up dated 3rd September 2014 records that in an appearance on Fox News, US General Thomas McInerney acknowledged that US “helped build ISIS”.
When the Easter Sunday attack of 21/04/2019 occurred, the ISIS was gasping for breath with its leader Baghdadi said to have been working in an American military camp in Baghdad, Iraq! There was no ISIS involvement even in the 21/04 attacks, according to the evidence given by the then Senior DIG CID Ravi Seneviratne before the Parliamentary Select Committee that probed the attacks. Everyone had also come to know of alleged attempts through an Indonesian contact to get ISIS to claim responsibility.
How long more can they mislead the world supported by the powerful Western media and Western intelligence agents, hell bent on creating hatred against Islam? The mass murder by the Zionist State Israel, of Palestinians, its women and children by the hundreds every day, notwithstanding the International Court of Justice ordering ceasefire and the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor being intimidated for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister is proof enough of Western hatred for peace and a world free of wars!”
As part of the official visit to London for the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, held discussions with academic experts from the British Council on Wednesday [20 May 2026].
The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in education, particularly in the areas of teacher training, English language programmes, education frameworks, and language acquisition skills.
The British Council shared international experience and highlighted its ongoing engagement in Sri Lanka, while expressing readiness to support the country through technical assistance, teacher development initiatives, and policy collaboration.
Discussions also included views on improving quality assurance, expanding research collaboration, and enhancing learning opportunities.
The Prime Minister appreciated the British Council’s continued engagement in Sri Lanka and reiterated the importance of deepening partnerships.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division’
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, met with members of the Sri Lankan community living in London on Wednesday [20th] and engaged in cordial discussions.
Despite the event being held on a weekday, it was notable that nearly one thousand Sri Lankans representing the Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities attended with great enthusiasm.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that despite natural disasters and international crises, the present government has succeeded in stabilizing the country’s economy while providing relief to the people. She further noted that Sri Lanka’s political culture has now undergone a positive transformation that is irreversible.
Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj, addressing the event, stated that a governance system has now been established in the country where all communities are treated equally and the benefits of economic development are shared fairly among all citizens.
Moving away from the traditional method of political gatherings, the event also provided an open platform for members of the Sri Lankan community to directly raise questions and express their views to the Prime Minister and the Minister.
Commenting on the organization of the event, the organizing committee stated that all expenses, including dinner, were borne by the participants themselves. The organizers further remarked that it is unsurprising that opposition groups, accustomed to organizing such events through the misuse of public funds, appear unsettled by this transparent process.
The occasion was attended by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj and Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya currently undertaking an official visit to London, United Kingdom, to participate in the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026 held a bilateral meeting with the Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom ON Wednesday [20]. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera, along with officials from the Sri Lankan High Commission.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the United Kingdom for the support extended in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwa, including ongoing rebuilding and recovery assistance. The Prime Minister also commended the United Kingdom’s support in facilitating increased bilateral trade and exports for Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister briefed the UK delegation on Sri Lanka’s recent economic developments and policy priorities, the Government’s commitment to advancing human rights and reconciliation, as well as Sri Lanka’s positive growth trajectory.
The two sides also exchanged views on current global geopolitical developments, challenges in the energy sector, and the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and long-term energy security.
Both sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening structured academic mobility frameworks while ensuring fairness, clarity, and integrity within migration systems.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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