ABDUL A SAMAD
COLOMBO : Recalling the significance of the political career of the late former minister the late A.H.M.Azwer, former Colombo Mayor Omar Kamil recalled that the then Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa had gone to Azwer’s residence early morning requesting him to join his party.
“ This amply demonstrated the simplicity of Premier Rajapaksa who recognized talents and skills for the development of his party,” Kamil who was former ambassador to Iran said.
Kamil was speaking at the Late Minister A.H.M. Azwer 3rd death Anniversary and memorial meeting organized by All Ceylon Muslim League Youth
(ACMLYF ) at its headquarters in Borella on Sunday.
Presided by ACMLYF President M. Luqman Shahbdeen , Former Mayor of Colombo and Former Ambassidor of Iran Omar Kamil delivered the keynote address on Late A.H.M. Azwer on his third death anniversary.
Senor Journalist N.M. Ameen, Former Minister A.H.M.Fowzie and Imtiaz Barkeer Markar, Colombo Times Editor and Arab News Correspondent Mohammed Rasooldeen, Mana Mackeen and Muslim League youth front members were present at the event.
To mark Late A.H. M Azwer 3rd year anniversary, five G.C.E. A.L five students received scholarship funds to pursue their higher studies.
Late A.H.M. Azwer memorial book was presented to former Minister A.H.M.Fowzie by ACMLF President M Luqman
Omar Kamil said, “ Late A H M Azwer was a Veteran Parliamentarian and the former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs , State Minister of Muslim Cultural affairs, four- time Member of Parliament.
Azer had worked as interpreter with Late President J.R.Jayawardne, R.Pramadasa, D.B.Wijetunge, Mahinda Rajpaksa, and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe. Azwer was very fluent in all three languages. He was Private Secretary to the former Speaker Late Bakeer Markar, He was former President of ACMLY, Muslim Educaton Confernce and also a popular Cricket commentator.
In the Sri Lankan parliament, the records that Azwer set will take a long time to be broken. He was the only MP who can claim to have been appointed to parliament without contesting for a seat at any time. The only MP as we know who was multilingual and equally fluent in all those languages as are recorded in the Hansard time after time. Equally eloquent was he in composing poetry in all three languages, surprisingly ad-hoc and relevant to the subject he was debating. Being a Muslim he certainly espoused Islamic causes in and out of parliament and most certainly ensured that he also supported causes of other faiths in equal vein. He was endeared to the Buddhist, Hindu and Christian priests and attended their events without affecting his own belief. He used his private members budget to help all causes irrespective of religious faith. Computers and furniture to the Buddhist temple in Maththegoda, furniture to Hindu temples and mosques are only some of the contributions Marhoom Azwer made from his parliamentary budget.
A peace loving individual who always believed that, through tolerance, co-existence between the different faiths in Sri Lanka is possible despite the irreconcilable differences that existed with the religious practices of the different religions. There are no instances recorded of Azwer having confronted any other religious groups that openly condemned Islam and the Muslims of Sri Lanka.