Sri Lanka Expels 161 Foreign Muslim Clerics

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - According to officials, the foreign Islamic clerics ordered to leave the country by January 31 were mainly from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the Maldives and Arab nations. They belong to the Tabligh Jamaat movement that has a wide following in Sri Lanka and the region as a whole.Officials said the clerics covered by the order had violated visa regulations by preaching after arriving in the island nation on tourist visas that does not permit them to do so. They stressed that the vising visas allow their holders only to have a holiday or visit friends and family.Although officials indicated that some local believers had notified authorities that the clerics were not preaching a moderate form of Islam, Muslim members of the Sri Lankan government has expressed concerns over the mass expulsions. They are expected to hold talks with concerned officials on the issue later in the week.Under Sri Lankan laws, foreign clerics (belonging to any religion) who wish to engage in religious activities in the country are required to get prior approval from relevant authorities to do so./129