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'Besides the News' will carry points of view from contributors on current issues. It's a debater's forum where controversy is strictly the norm.

The Prophet Mohammed (S) is referred to as 'a mercy unto mankind' in the Holy Quran. Prophet Mohammed (S) is loved with deep affection and revered among all Muslims. He is central to the ideology of Islam.

So, when an unknown cartoonist in an obscure newspaper in Denmark satirizes by drawing caricatures of the Prophet (S) the initial reaction is sadness which in a short time changes to anger and rage. The rage spread like a hurricane not only to Muslim countries but even to Europe and New Zealand.

The issue was compounded by other European countries and New Zealand reprinting the cartoons in their publications. Muslims living in Europe and New Zealand then staged angry demonstrations to protest at this outrage.

While the Muslims claimed that the caricatures were blasphemous the Europeans insisted that they had the right to publish the caricatures under freedom of speech granted to them by their democracies.

Viewing the issue dispassionately many Muslims felt that the publications were in bad taste. Other Muslim observers point out that since the publication of Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie there has been a calculated campaign to denigrate Islam, a religion which has 1.5 billion adherents.

Still others claim that since there is a confrontation between the Muslims and the West with the occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan and a continuing stand-off with Iran, the cartoons and caricatures have a political undertone.

The Muslims are shocked, outraged and angry mainly because of their love for Prophet Mohammed (S). Besides the emotions of outrage and anger they also find it hard to get over the sadness in their hearts on their beloved Prophet (S) being ridiculed and blasphemed.

The episode intentioned to insult the Muslims has however resulted in a fall-out that has some positive features for the Muslims. The intensity of the protests worldwide which broke all national and sectarian boundaries consolidated the unity of Muslims everywhere.

Muslims solidarity to stand against the West received a big boost. Many secularists in the West could not fathom the intensity of the protests and could not understand how Prophet Mohammed (S) who died about 1400 years ago could create such an emotion among his followers. Muslims are also hopeful that many Westerners observing such incident will read books on Prophet Mohammed (s) and Islam to find out about the driving force of Islam and convert to be Muslims.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism, it is Islam that is destined to challenge the neo-colonial capitalistic ideology of the West. A call by the former president of Iran Dr. Mohammed Khatami, for dialogue of civilization failed.

It appears that Samuel Huntington's notion of clash of civilization is gaining ground. Events on the ground that have been happening since the Islamic Revolution in Iran seem to point to an apocalyptic clash of civilizations between the secular West and the Islamic East.

Saybhan Samat

Need for a national debate on the Federal idea

We, numbering more than a thousand and representing more than 25 organisations islandwide, gathered together at a national symposium to discuss constitutional reform for conflict resolution on Monday, February 6 in Colombo, urge all political parties, groups and communities in Sri Lanka to work together to develop a durable political solution that will address the aspirations of all people within a united and democratic Sri Lanka.

We have in the past year studied and discussed the evolution of the island's ethnic conflict, past attempts at resolving the conflict, and the federal idea as a possible model for a reasonable and durable political solution to the conflict.

We believe that the federal idea suitably adapted to deal with the particular challenges faced by Sri Lanka offers a basis for such a solution. Federalism which seeks to combine self rule and shared rule, unity in diversity, autonomy which is secure and guaranteed within a supreme constitution which enshrines human rights, pluralism and democracy, is an internationally recognised onstitutional/political model for countries that are multi-ethnic and plural in character.

We believe also that a federal constitution offers a reasonable accommodation or compromise in a conflict where one side is committed to a unitary state and the other a separate state. The country cannot afford a protracted military conflict where innocent civilians from all communities are displaced, maimed or killed. A reasonable political solution must move beyond the existing, inadequate, maximum devolution of power within a unitary constitution, as introduced by the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution nearly 20 years ago.

We recognise that many Sri Lankans have fears and misconceptions as to the meaning of federalism. These should be addressed in an islandwide debate that is open, informed, and respectful of dissent. This is what we have done in districts throughout the country over the past year.

We urge all Sri Lankans, including our political leaders and civil society groups to participate in such a debate and seriously consider the adoption of a federal constitution in Sri Lanka.

Constitution Watch

Restoring tourism to its former glory

The following short-term and long-run turnaround strategies may be adopted to restore tourism in Sri Lanka to its former glory.

Short-term strategies

1. Via proactive pictorial advertising and publicity campaigns, foreign tourists must be attracted to our golden beaches, beautiful hotels, resorts and surroundings situated in areas which were not affected by the tsunami, such as Negombo and adjacent beaches. This paramount fact that these areas were not affected at all by tsunami and still sustains their former glory must be made crystal clear in these advertising campaigns.

2. Emphatic focus also must be made in these campaigns to hill country attractions to foreign tourists. Pictorial booklets illustrating the prevalence of beautiful hotels and surroundings, natural resorts, lush greenery, attractive waterfalls etc., should be made freely available to tourists. The virtues of hill country resorts such as Bandarawela, Badulla, Diyathalawa, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Peradeniya etc., must be extolled.

3. Immediately clear all traces of the tsunami debris left behind along-side the main roads in the coastal areas, because the mere appearance of such debris may bring back traumatic memories to many a foreign tourist and their friends, leaving them psychologically phobic. In effect, these areas shall not be present with any traces of debris indicative of the tsunami havoc.

Long-term strategy

1. Reconstruct the golden beach resorts in the Western, Southern and Eastern parts of the island which were ravaged by the tsunami, keeping a safe distance away from the sea. Thus, even in the event of tsunami striking again, no life or property will be endangered. Aggressive and vigorous publicity in all international media must be carried out highlighting this material fact.

2. All the traces and debris of tsunami devastation must be totally eradicated from all parts of Sri Lanka and new cities and roads must be constructed in those areas as soon as possible. The network of roads must be restored, if not further developed, to facilitate tourist arrivals and transmission.

3. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful medium of communication in the world. When the short term strategies enumerated above are implemented, the foreign tourists who visit Sri Lanka currently, may spread the story that Sri Lanka has been restored to its former glory resulting in a mass influx of tourists to the Island.

4. The Sri Lankan rupee appreciating against foreign currencies in the aftermath of the tsunami due to the influx of foreign aid, has only been a temporary phenomenon.

This fact must also be made known to foreign tour operators revealing that Sri Lankan tour packages have not become expensive but still maintains the status-quo.

V. P. Karunaratne

Job Opportunity - Jarir Marketing Co.

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