Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem said the "exit strategy" presented by the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) to the President deserves outright condemnation for racially profiling Muslims and causing stigmatization.
Issuing a statement, Hakeem said, "The stigmatization of the Muslim community and its racial profiling in the report “GMOA/ICTA COVID-19 Exit strategy – Sri Lanka,” presented to the President of Sri Lanka on April 4, 2020 where “Muslim populations” is identified as a variable of COVID-19 spread/threat factor deserves out right condemnation. While in preparation of my statement, I learnt that the insensitive reference to Muslims in the document has been edited.
According to the GMOA/ICTA COVID-19 Exit strategy – Sri Lanka, report, “Muslim Populations” was enlisted as a variable along with a set of three other variables identified for the containment of COVID 19 at a DS level. The variable given are as follows i). number of corona cases ii. number of quarantined and iii. population density iv. Muslim Populations. The reference to the Muslim populations in a DS division was to identify them as a risk factor for the COVID-19 viral disease.
In page 19 of the report, a table illustrates the weightage given to each variable. Of the 12 variables the ‘Muslim population’ has the highest coefficient (0.9446), even higher than a corona case co-efficient (0.8260) weightage points. There is no epidemiological basis for the Muslim population in a DS area in Sri Lanka to be listed as a variable in a database set which is used as an exit strategy to quantify the risk of COVID -19 in geographical area. This is an act of clear stigmatization of an ethnic group in the COVID-19 pandemic. We challenge this report and ask its authors the GMOA, as to what epidemiological basis they used to identify the Muslim population at DS division as a variable in their data set as opposed to other religious groups (for the sake of an example: the Roman Catholics given their higher correlation with migration to Italy?)
In the meantime, it is also heartening to note that Dr Sanjiva Weerawarana, one of the Directors, of Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), has tweeted (from h@ sanjiva) that the reference to “Muslim areas” as “ridiculous” and rubbished this report dissociating ICTA and himself saying that, “the whole idea of using Muslim population to make this decision is utterly preposterous and disgusting. I would NEVER agree to any such bullshit. I’m extremely sorry for the pain it will cause to people.”
It ought to be noted that this report is a text-book example of racial profiling and cultural stereotyping of a minority community, stigmatizing and marginalizing it for no apparent reason. This is, by all means a part of the ongoing malicious practice of resorting to a psychological and modern racist discourse. The ethno-religious prejudice and frequent below-the-surface racial profiling practices such as these are often internalized by the non-discerning eye of the innocent masses as plain ‘truths’ presented to them. Such subtexts contribute towards institutionalization of cultural and social marginalization of a minority community. It is a form of social injustice and structural violence which is reprehensible.
This report had already been circulated in its original form to many. I too am in possession of it. So are many others. We urge the Government to out rightly reject this report and make no such insensitive reference to the “Muslim population” as a variable, and adopt policies on the basis of a prejudiced methodology against an ethnic community. The Government must also reverse its overall unjust and biased practices towards the Muslims and other ethnic minority groups and religions in the pretext of controlling COVID-19. We are Sri Lankans, and we implore the Government to treat us as equal citizens and stop undermining people’s trust in the Government, thereby wedging deep rifts in the minds of the common masses by stigmatizing the Muslims."
