On 08th February 2022, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka submitted its proposals to the ‘One Country One Law Presidential Task Force’ appointed by His Excellency president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. CEMSL thanked the president for the step taken by appointing the Task Force to take the country forward with one law for all. CEMSL stressed that if the government implements one law for all, that will be a historic juncture in the history of Sri Lanka.
Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka’s document contains 21 key proposals for the consideration of the Presidential Task Force in submitting its report to the president. All existing parallel legal systems, including personal laws, acts, and clauses, should be abolished. Suppose any beneficial laws, acts or clauses are found in the parallel legal systems, they should be accommodated into the country’s common law for the benefit of all the Sri Lankans were one of the proposals of CEMSL. The organization for those who dissented Islam in Sri Lanka has stressed in its proposal that any materials containing and promoting violence, terrorism, hatred discrimination should not be allowed to be taught, recited, printed, digitalized, displayed or distributed within the country in any language and in any formats such as textbooks, religious books or holy scriptures.
CEMSL has requested the Task Force to ensure LGBTQIA+ rights and recognize their gender and sexual identity and their right to choose partners. CEMSL has further requested the Task Force to call proposals from LGBTQIA+ right organizations and groups. One of the other proposals was abolishing the present school segregation system. While proposing to abolish ethnic and religious-based segregation of the school system, the council requested Tamil and Sinhalese languages be taught to all the students from grade one in an equal manner as compulsory subjects to strengthen the unity among Sri Lankans.
Legal and state recognition for atheists and irreligious people was one of the main proposals of CEMSL. Banning of genital mutilation known as circumcision in minors irrespective of their gender and religious or ethnic background, banning of the regular usage of loudspeakers at religious places, legalizing abortion rights, setting a minimum age for the enrolment to religious institutes, clergy and monkhood, setting 18 or above as minimum age of marriage for all Sri Lankans and treating domestic violence, sexual harassment and verbal harassment as punishable criminal offenses were some of the other proposal submitted.
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka expressed its gratitude to the Presidential Task Force at its official premises in BMICH for receiving the proposals.
