UPFA MP Faizer Musthapha yesterday said he would have resigned from his post if he was a minister of this government.

MP Musthapha told parliament that Muslim MPs resigned from their ministerial posts as the Muslim society had wanted them to do so. “The Muslim civil society was of the opinion that Muslim ministers should not hold ministerial posts if they cannot provide security to the Muslim community,” the MP said.

He said Muslims were not extremists but a group that wished to work with members of other ethnic and religious groups. “I was the first to oppose the burqa in parliament,” he said.

“Muslim people are living in fear after the Easter Sunday attacks. They are living in fear especially after the incidents which occurred after the bomb attacks on April 21 2019,” he added.

“No one has given terror groups to use Islamism for their cause,” he said.

Mr. Musthapha said some MPs in parliament were provoking extremism. He questioned as to what would happen to the country if MPs provoke extremism. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)