President Ranil Wickremesinghe has invited the Muslim community to join hands with the Social Justice Commission to find solutions for the issues faced by them and urged all communities to unite as true Sri Lankans as the country celebrates its 75th Anniversary of Independence this year.

Addressing the 100th Anniversary celebrations of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), President Wickremesinghe stated that any religion should guide their respective community to modernity and adapt to the modern world.

The President, who noted that modernity is important, said that in Sri Lanka, centers of modern thinking among Muslims should be in existence.

Stressing that no religion is a region of hate, he said, “Especially for Islam or those who preach otherwise, a religion, which acknowledges the same God as the Jews and the Christians, cannot be by any means a religion of hate.”

President Wickremesinghe said the past is useful to look at, however, everyone should live in the present and look to the future.

Speaking further President Wickremesinghe stated that each religion will try and must preach its essence to everyone, both believers and nonbelievers. “But preaching to nonbelievers doesn’t mean that they are the enemies of any religion.”

He pointed out that the past 75 years were spent on the various communities fighting each other and appealed to all Sri Lankans to cast aside all differences and unite as citizens of one Sri Lanka as the country celebrates its 75th Anniversary of Independence.