“A.H.M. Azwer MP’s statement might make the life of poor Rizana miserable” : Saudi tribal leader demands apology

The UPFA party list Member of Parliament A.H.M. Azwer has come into sharp criticism from Saudi Arabia for his latest speech in the floor of Parliament regarding the Sri Lankan Housemaid Rizana Nafeek.

The leader of the Saudi Arabia’s Al Othibi tribe Mr. Shaik Faisal al Otaibi has expressed his serious displeasure and criticism over the speech recently made by A.H.M. Azwer, M.P., in the floor of Sri Lanka’s Parliament.

Mr. Shaik Faisal al Otaibi, the l leader Al Othibi tribe criticized that the speech made by A.H.M. Azwer, M.P in the floor of the Sri Lanka Parliament which was reported in the Daily News of 18 January 2012 as distorted and there was no truth in that statement of the Sri Lanka’s Member of Parliament.

It was pointed out that the father and mother of the deceased 4 month old Saudi child belongs to Al Othibi tribe and the tribal leader Mr. Shaik Faisal al Otaibi has cautioned “that these kind of ‘diabolic lies’ would only worsen the case of Sri Lanka’s house maid Rizana Nafeek as well as the cordial relationship of our two countries.”

It was reported in the Daily News dated 18 January that A.H.M. Azwer, M.P has said in the floor of the Sri Lanka Parliament, “ - we were able to go to Saudi and meet the parents who live 500 kilometers away from Riyadh. So, we spoke to them in their own language. We went to Dawadmi village to the place where the parents are living. In Dawadmi there is a tribal leader. His name is, Muhammad Faihan Shuraim Al-Uthaibi. He accorded us a warm reception at the Civic Hall, a magnificent hall built in the tribal city of Dawadmi. He summoned all the tribal leaders and they were so sorry to hear of the fate of Rizana.

Shaik Faisal al Otaibi, the tribal leader of the 2 million Al-Othibi tribe in Saudi Arabia has been appointed as tribal leader by His Royal Highness and the Custodian of two Holy Mosques, King Abdulla bin Abdul Aziz and nobody else is the leader of the tribe in which the father and mother of the deceased 4 month old child belongs.

It was alleged that the 4 month old Saudi child has been killed by the Sri Lankan house maid Rizana Nafeek, who is in custody since 25 May 2005 and in the death row since 16 July 2007.

It was further reported in the Daily News of 18 January, that the tribal leader has said "It is our duty - Hon Minister (?) , I want to tell you this - "You please go back home and when the pardon is obtained from the parents, please come again to take the girl home."

In a letter to Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to Sri Lanka’s President, Abdul Cader Al Mashoor Moulana, President’s Coordinator, who is working on the release of Saudi House Maid Rizana Nafeek, wrote “Shaik Faisal al Otaibi informed me that by publishing these kind of statements like the one made by A.H.M. Azwer MP in the parliament might make the life of poor Rizana miserable, as there is no truth in that statement. He also demanded apology from A.H.M. Azwer MP.”

He further added in the letter to Secretary to Sri Lanka’s President that, “Moreover he is the official Tribal Leader appointed by His Royal Highness and the Custodian of two holy mosques, King Abdulla bin Abdul Aziz and the news made him laugh to read that the delegation met the ‘Tribal Leader’ and they have promised that the release date of Rizana will be notified to them and they can come to Saudi Arabia to accompany her to Sri Lanka. These kind of diabolic lies worsen the case of Rizana as well as the cordial relationship of our two countries. "

Abdul Cader Al Mashoor Moulana, President’s Coordinator speaking to Asian Tribune said that on 18 November 2011, a delegation sent by Dilan Perera Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare has not met the Al Othibi tribal leader Shaik Faisal al Otaibi, but they met the Elders of the Dawdmai.

Those who arranged the meeting with the Elders has failed to comprehend the difference between the tribal leader appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia and the elders of a city.

The delegation that went to Saudi Arabia has now won the wrath of the Al Othibi leader and the entire tribe thus endangering the chances of the release of the House Maid Rizana Nafeek.

It is being said that the party list Member of Parliament A.H.M. Azwer should come forward and apologize in the floor of the parliament for making a statement that has been contested by the tribal leader of the Al Othibi, thus winning the enmity of the tribal leader which might endanger the release of Sri Lankan House maid Rizana Nafeek.

It is said that this was not the first time A.H.M. Azwer has made such outrageous and incorrect statement, in the floor of the Parliament. On Tuesday 21st June 2011 A.H.M. Azwer has said that LTTE leader Prabhakaran's wife and children are safe and sound and being looked after by President Rajapaksa.

Subsequently the UPFA Member Azwer came under heavy criticism

In the meantime Asian Tribune when reporting the outcome of delegation that went to Saudi Arabia on 18 November 2011 Seeking Pardon to Rizana Nafeek: A Doomed Mission, Shamed the President

In that news item, Asian Tribune Reported: “Right from the very beginning Asian Tribune warned that too many cooks would spoil everything and accordingly the Government delegation organized by the Ministry for Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare went to Riyadh, failed to seek any concrete commitment , instead stirred the hornets’ nest and shamed the Sri Lankan President and the Country.

In the end, the veteran politician Alavi Moulana, who was a member of the delegation met with Shaik Faisal al Otaibi, the Tribal Leader appointed by the Saudi Monarch, at his palace in Riyadh and apologized on behalf of the Government for the mess the delegation have created by inflicting pain of mind and also for arousing the anger and fury of those around deceased infant baby’s parents. “

It was further reported in the Asian Tribune that:

“The delegation, as clearly pointed out by Asian Tribune failed to arrange a discreet negotiation. More than 14 to 15 members came on the delegation all the way from Colombo, but when they came over to Riyadh it became imminent that they haven’t made any spade work prior to coming to Riyadh.

There were no arrangements to meet the Parents of the deceased infant boy. No arrangements to meet the tribal leader. Worse of it all was, no arrangement to meet anyone from the Interior Ministry, Justice Ministry and from the Governorate of Riyadh. It was a big flop. Unnecessary wastage of Government funds.

On the other hand Saudis have openly condemned the delegates - Moulavis in the delegation, as they were trying to teach Shariah laws to them. Also they openly condemned the attitude of the Sri Lankan delegation which has openly announced that they are prepared to pay any amount as ‘blood money’.

Asian Tribune learnt that the deceased baby boy’s parents were irritated and it seems they have said that Sri Lankans are trying to bargain clemency for money. It seems that they have said we are not after money.

Furthermore, on Thursday Nissanka N. Wijeratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare and I.Ansar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs has told Nakaeeb Moulana – Coordinating Secretary to the Governor of the Western Province not to bring along with him Abdul Cader Al Mashoor Moulana, the person appointed by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa as his Coordinator, to work on the release of Rizana Nafeek. Yet another delegation to seek the release of Rizana Nafeek

Abdul Cader Al Mashoor Moulana, President’s Coordinator who works with this writer and last time both of us went and met the brother of the deceased baby’s mother and he agreed to arrange quietly the meeting with the parents.

Subsequently, Abdul Cader Al Mashoor Moulana worked very closely with Saudi Government’s Tribal Leader Shaik Faisal al Otaibi. We have already provided a list of three to four names as the possible people who will be in the Government delegation and told that we would notify once the names were approved by the Sri Lankan President.

Once he heard of the arrival of the Government delegation organized by Ministry for Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare and their meeting with the so called Elders at the Community wedding hall in Dawdami, he was very much annoyed.

In the end, Abdul Cader Al Mashoor Moulana took along with him the elderly member of the delegation Alavi Moulana. Saudi Government Tribal Leader Shaik Faisal al Otaibi explained to Alavi Moulana the way the so called Sri Lankan delegation messed up the whole issue and told that if this is the way Sri Lanka Government will behave, then Government has to forget about the Clemency to Rizana Nafeek.

Alavi Moulana assessing the situation in the correct perspective, agreed that they have knowingly blundered and tendered an apology and appealed to the Tribal Leader and also to the representatives of the Interior Ministry as well as that of the Finance Ministry to continue working for the release of the housemaid, who languish in the Detah row, in the name of the God Almighty."

- Asian Tribune -

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