2026-03-03 / Oral Question by Private Notice: Reactivation of Deregistered Islamic Charitable Organizations (Q. Standing Order 27(2)) 2026-03-03
## Summary
Dr. Hizbullah raised a question under Standing Order 27(2) to the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs regarding the mass deregistration of approximately 350 Islamic charitable organisations in 2019, which he states was carried out under a ministerial directive without specific investigations or individual findings against the organisations. He argued that these organisations had operated legally for decades, providing community services, cultural programmes, youth activities, and social harmony initiatives, and that their wholesale deregistration has caused significant hardship to the Muslim community and disrupted essential services. He contended that while individual organisations under suspicion could have been separately investigated, the blanket deregistration was undemocratic and unjust. He posed three questions to the Minister: whether the deregistration is acknowledged, whether steps will be taken to restore the registrations, and what specific measures have already been undertaken toward reinstatement.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
Hon. Speaker, thank you for permitting me, under Standing Order 27(2), to put a question to the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.
Hon. Minister, under your Ministry, the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs had about 350 Islamic charitable organizations registered, many of them for 40–50 years, operating legally across various districts in collaboration with mosques and community bodies. They protected religious order, sustained culture, supported youth and women’s advancement, education, sports and social services, and led mediation and guidance in social issues, contributing particularly to the Muslim community’s needs and to social harmony.
In 2019, pursuant to a direction of the then Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, all these registered organizations were deregistered at once. Without any specific inquiry reports, the wholesale deregistration of around 350 Islamic charitable organizations that had been operating islandwide has created administrative and legal difficulties for these entities and raised questions, suspicions and anxiety within the Muslim community. Community services have been interrupted, cultural programmes affected, youth and sports activities halted, and social harmony initiatives diminished, causing hardship to the country and especially to the Muslim community, which relies on these organizations for support and sustainable development.
If there were suspicions or allegations regarding a few organizations, they could be separately investigated and legal action taken. But wholesale deregistration without specific reasons or investigations, islandwide, is undemocratic and a grave injustice and betrayal to the Muslim community. Therefore, considering national interests and particularly the welfare and progress of the Muslim community, I request that steps be taken to immediately restore the registrations of the organizations that had been functioning well, and to guide them through your Ministry so they can carry out their work lawfully and effectively.
My questions are:
1. Do you acknowledge that around 350 registered Islamic charitable organizations were deregistered in 2019?
2. Are you prepared to take appropriate steps to reactivate the registrations of those deregistered Islamic charitable organizations?
3. You are a very effective Minister and we, as members of the Muslim community, have confidence in you and appreciate the measures you take to resolve our issues. In that spirit, what steps have been taken so far to restore the registrations of the deregistered Islamic charitable organizations?