Sri Lanka Muslim Congress

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is a political party in Sri Lanka. Presently led by Rauff Hakeem, it is currently the largest party representing the Muslim community of Sri Lanka.

History

The party was formed at a meeting held at Kattankudy in 1981 by a small study group of local Eastern Province political leaders. The group was pioneered by Congress Leader, M. H. M. Ashraff. According to M. M. Zuhair, the SLMC was later formed as a political party in order to prevent Muslim youth of the Eastern Province from joining the LTTE, which was then engaged in a civil war against the government:

According to their official website, the SLMC is a political party that is totally focused on giving voice to the Muslim minority of Sri Lanka, which makes up 8% of the island's population. The party is centered around Muslim community interests, but is committed to foster multiracial amity and collective prosperity for all Sri Lankan citizens. It firmly believes that Sri Lankan Muslims can be equal partners in Sri Lanka's path to economic development and improvement in the general quality of life in Sri Lanka in the 21st century.