Azath Salley

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Mohamed Azath Sanoon Salley (born 18 September 1963^{[citation needed]}) is a Sri Lankan politician and the eighth Governor of the Western Province.

Salley was the deputy mayor of Colombo,^[when?] and the founder/leader of the National Unity Front (NUF).^{[citation needed]}

He has two children, Amina (daughter) and Nafees (son).^[1]

In May 2013, Salley was arrested and later released by the Sri Lankan Forces under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) after he called Muslims to launch an "armed struggle" during an interview.^[2][3]

Salley founded the National Unity Front, an Islamic political party. He was a member of the Central Provincial Council. He worked in partnership with the United Arab Emirates High Commission in Colombo to help the needy during the Islamic Holy Month of Ramazan.

On 3 January 2019 he was sworn in as the eighth Governor of the Western Province. However, as a result of the 2019 Easter Bomb attacks by radical thowheed jamath Islamists, Azath Salley along with all the Muslim politicians were forced to resign after a Monk named Athuraliye Rathana^{[4][circular reference]} protested against Salley's alleged ties to extremists.^[5][6]

In 2021 March Salley claimed that he does not accept the law of the government but only Sharia law outlined in Islam. CID opened investigations against him and Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara called for his arrest and asked him to go to Saudi Arabia if he wants Sharia law.^[7] The opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya also condemned Sally's claims. The Attorney General ordered Salley to be arrested under Prevention of Terrorism.^[8]

Salley was somewhat of a controversial figure after the COVID-19 pandemic, as one of the only Muslim leaders in the island to talk against the government's forceful cremation of COVID-19 victims.^[9][10]

Alleged influence on police investigation[]

In 2020, Sri Lanka Police (CID) division started investigation on Salley for allegedly pressuring the police in the investigation of the vandalism of Mawanella Buddha statues. It was revealed that culprits of this vandalism where also responsible for 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. ^[11] He was denied the accusation.^[12]

A senior DIG^[who?] later revealed to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, probing Easter Sunday attacks, that Salley requested that the two suspects be released, which he refused to do so.^[13]

References[]

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