Jaffna Muslims evicted by Tamil rebels 20 years ago, have revived prayer services following the re-opening of their newly renovated Grand Mosque.

http://www.ucanews.com/2010/06/01/jaffna-muslims-reopen-mosque-after-20-years

Jaffna Muslims reopen mosque after 20 years
Published Date: June 1, 2010
By ucanews.com reporter, Jaffna

The renovated Grand Mosque in Jaffna
Jaffna Muslims evicted by Tamil rebels 20 years ago, have revived prayer services following the re-opening of their newly renovated Grand Mosque.
The Dutch-built mosque, which dates from 1713, was abandoned in 1990 as the separatist LTTE (LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) drove Muslims away from the Northern Province.
Sheik M.J. Abdul Halik, a Muslim cleric, delivered a special Friday sermon at the May 28 re-opening ceremony, which was also attended by 50 other religious officials from Sri Lanka’s north and east.
The Grand Mosque President M.M. Akbar Hajiar also welcomed other religious groups, adding that they all wish to see Muslims return to their homes.
Jaffna diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission president, Father Amirthanathar Francis Xavier told ucanews.com that “Muslims are gradually reconciling with their Tamil neighbors and their past.”
He observed, “Relations between people of different ethnic groups are crucial to maintain stability in the country.”
About 75,000 Muslims, mostly involved in trade were evicted in 1990 from the northern districts of Jaffna by the now-defeated LTTE in their struggle for an independent Tamil homeland.
For the last 20 years, Muslims lived in other parts of the country as refugees or built up communities in the western part of the country. After the defeat of the Tamil forces last year, a number of Muslims began to return to their homes.
Kumara Kurukkal from the Sri Bala Kathirkama Temple noted that the re-opening of the Grand Mosque was a “sign of (a return to) normalcy and reunification.”
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