Born in Akkaraipattu in the East and married to Khairul Inaya, daughter of prominent Colombo businessman and deputy President of All Ceylon Muslim League Marhoom M.A.C.M.Saleh, well known researcher and political activist M .I. M. Mohideen passed away recently at the age of 84.
He has been involved in Muslim politics and fighting for the political rights of Muslims for more than forty years. These activities brought him close to respected Muslim political leaders such as T.B.Jayah, Dr M.C.M.Kaleel, Sir Razik Fareed, Dr Al Haj Dr Badi Ud din Mahmud and M.H.M Ashraf who founded Sri Lankan Muslim Congress. Later he founded his own political party –Muslim United Liberation Front-MULF.
It was this close association and political activities made him to become the general secretary of All Ceylon Muslim League headed by Dr M.C.M.Kaleel.
Besides other activities serving the community Mohideen’s specialty has been to document Muslim issues from land issues in the north and east, northern Muslim refugees and the plight of Muslim Tsunami victims. As the Director of all Ceylon Muslim Documentation Centre he has painstakingly documented the atrocities committed to Muslims during the three decades of ethnic war.
In November 2012 he produced a hand book to resolve Muslim grievances in Sri Lanka. This remains a very valuable reference document for politicians and civil society as well to understand the multi-faceted issues faced by the community .It also offers solution.
In the wake of December 2004 devastating tsunami he prepared an extensive document on the destructions to Muslim areas in the east of the island. His Muslim Reconstruction and Resettlement Organization, MRRO, conducted an assessment survey of the damages to persons, residences and occupations of the Tsunami affected Muslims in the eastern Province.
As part of this program he interviewed more than 72,000 Muslim victims of LTTE atrocities and tsunami victims. This document provides vivid details of government discrimination against Muslim tsunami victims. One of the most valuable documents made by him was on the topic of land issues of especially Muslims in the east.
These activities made him to do intense research and prepare a roadmap to resolve anti-Muslim activities by the Sinhalese Buddhist supporters of government backed Bodu Bala Sena.
The atrocities committed by both the government and the LTTE to Mutur Muslims during the eight day war,1-8 August 2006, was documented in his work “ Battle of Muthur-Ethnic Cleansing and Massacre of Muslims”.
He is the brother in law and well known activist Mamoun Saleh who was forced to settle down in Californian after his family business, M.A.C.M.Saleh & Sons at Bristol Building in Colombo Fort was burnt down during the July 1983 riots and reduced overnight to penury.
Mohideen is no more, but left his legacy in the form of his research works which for generations to come help the community destined to live in the midst of racist elements backed by foreign Islamophic forces. Mohideen has been a great asset to the community which failed to recognize his hard work. 29th December 2021
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Disclaimer: M.I.M.Mohideen-Left a legacy of research work
by Latheef Farook - Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Latheefarook.com point-of-view