Guests also received commemorative gift bags featuring framed
recycled-art tiles and Thasbeehs crafted by the children of the Home.

Felicitations were delivered by Sikkamani Ameena Mustapha of the Muslim Women’s Conference, Azad Zaheed of Amana Orphan Care and Shiraz Mohideen of
International Human Relief Canada.

This spectacular CMLU 90th anniversary commemoration was brought to a
memorable close by the dynamic and vibrant Emcee Javed Bongso.

CMLU marks 90 years of service, PM calls for recognition of Muslim women’s legacy

The Ceylon Moor Ladies’ Union (CMLU), one of Sri Lanka’s oldest Muslim women’s organisations, marked its 90th anniversary at Ramada by Wyndham Colombo on July 18, with Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya as the Chief Guest.

Dr Amarasuriya was received on arrival by CMLU President Mrs Faahima Macan Markar and the Union’s executive committee and was presented with a bouquet of flowers by little Nuha, before a traditional escort to the hall by the Naqshabandi Sufi Ensemble.

The ceremony began with salutations and a recitation of the Qirath by Mrs Rihana Saleem, with the translation delivered by Ms Mariam Irshad. The Prime Minister then joined Deputy Speaker Dr Rizvie Salih, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Colombo Mayoress Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof, CMLU President Faahima Macan Markar and the Chairperson of the 90^th Anniversary Committee Mrs Shahama Raji, in lighting the traditional oil lamp, officially inaugurating the 90th anniversary celebrations.

The welcome address was delivered Committee Chairperson by Mrs Shahama Raji.

A union born of faith and vision

In her address at the President of the CMLU Mrs Faahima Macan Markar traced the Union’s origins to March 25, 1936, when eleven founders, “shaped by a vision and mission to stand up for the issues and rights faced by women and children”, established the Union despite the obstacles of their era, sustained, she said, by their trust in Allah SWT. That founding vision, she said, has included working with diverse communities and assisting successive governments in times of national crisis over the decades – a history spanning 1936 to 2026 that was later highlighted in the ‘Down Memory Lane’ documentary and reflected in the anniversary souvenir.

Speaking as a third-generation descendant of the families who helped pioneer the CMLU, Mrs Macan Markar paid tribute to two women unable to attend: her mother, a former CMLU President, whose guiding principles she distilled into “the 3Ps – Prayer, Patience and Perseverance, and the 3Hs – Humility, Honesty and Hardwork”; and her mentor, Deshabandu Mrs Jezima Ismail, who she said shaped her views on equality, dignity and justice, particularly for the rights of women and children.

She also used the occasion to address what she called a misconception that Islam considers women inferior to men, noting that Prophet Muhammad (Sal) upheld women “not as secondary figures but as integral to the spiritual fabric of our faith, community and the daily functioning of a healthy society”.

Two founding projects, and a Home in transition

For the CMLU’s founders, Mrs Macan Markar said, educating Muslim girls was a key theme in shaping their initial agenda – a priority that paved the way for the Union’s first major project, the opening of Muslim Ladies’ College in 1941, today a well-established school producing students across various academic and social arenas.

The Union’s second major project, she said, was the establishment of the Home for Girls in 1978. Functioning under the guidelines of the Probation Department, the Home has recently  been ranked Category A in the Western Province, she said, expressing pride in that record.

Mrs Macan Markar told the gathering that in the last decade, the children who have walked into the Home have come from the most vulnerable parts of the country and have undergone immense trauma and abuse, including exposure to drugs, alcohol, incest and other forms of violence. She said the Union’s approach to caring for them has evolved since the Home was founded in 1978: today, as a first step, the responsible members and staff carry out a needs-assessment of each child and provide the tools necessary for them to live in a secure environment and to trust their caregivers.

She appealed to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Women and Child Affairs to consider implementing a system to first rehabilitate these children before they are sent to orphanages, noting this is an issue faced by several homes. The challenge, she said, does not end there: current probation guidelines require that a child leave the Home upon turning 18, yet the environment they return to has often not changed, leaving them vulnerable and at risk of being drawn back into vices, violence and abuse. “We have had to deal with these situations with our children, and as caregivers it is disheartening to witness,” she said.

To address this, the Union has started a project supporting the families of its girls, encouraging their mothers to start small businesses for which CMLU provides the capital and monitors progress, an initiative intended to ensure mothers do not need to seek employment overseas and can instead care for their daughters when they return home during vacations. Mrs Macan Markar said it is CMLU’s policy that when a child leaves the Home, “our doors are not shut”: the Union monitors and mentors former residents until they are able to stand on their own, and assists them financially if they wish to pursue higher studies, find jobs, access healthcare, or get married.

Drawing on this experience, she said the Union has identified critical gaps in existing systems and institutional structures, and pointed to a longstanding need to establish a Transit Home – a safe space for women and children from the community enduring abuse and other forms of violence to seek refuge as they regain control of their lives, physically, emotionally and mentally. She appealed to donors to help make this vision a reality, while expressing gratitude to all donors and supporters, without whose generosity CMLU’s success over the past 90 years would not have been possible.

A story of what women can achieve

Addressing the gathering as Chief Guest, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya paid tribute to the 11 Muslim women who founded the CMLU in 1936, describing their vision as “transformative” at a time when educating Muslim girls was not widely encouraged. She said the founders’ efforts to establish Muslim Ladies’ College in 1941, including going from house to house persuading families to educate their daughters, had helped reshape attitudes towards women’s education.

Calling for the pioneering contributions of Muslim women to be recognised as an integral part of the country’s history, she said, “The story of these women is more than the story of one school. It is a story of what women can achieve when they come together and should form part of our nation’s history”.

Dr Amarasuriya noted that Muslim women today are excelling across the education system and in professional life, stressing that this progress was built on the determination of earlier generations whose stories have often remained undocumented. She urged researchers and academics to preserve and document the history of Muslim women’s leadership, saying such narratives challenged stereotypes that have historically marginalised Muslim women.

She commended the Union’s long-standing work in caring for vulnerable girls through the Home, describing the provision of safe spaces for children from abusive or difficult family situations as an essential social service.

On government policy, Dr Amarasuriya said children in residential care institutions are now permitted to remain until the age of 21, up from 18, and that the state is supporting their transition to independent living through housing assistance, livelihood programmes and savings schemes. She added that the government was also working to expand temporary shelters for women escaping abuse, noting existing facilities were insufficient to meet demand.

“The work you are doing is closely aligned with our government’s priorities of ensuring that women, girls and children are safe, secure and never feel they are without alternatives,” she told the gathering.

The ceremony included a recognition and awards segment in which the Prime Minister honoured long-serving members Mrs. Fauzulilla Mohideen and Mrs. Zahira Athas for their contributions to the Union.

Ms. Salma Sahara Nizar, Assistant Manager of the CMLU Home for Girls, herself a former resident of the Home, now qualified in Human Resources, Counselling and Child Psychology, was also recognized for her dedication, commitment and loyalty.

President Faahim Macan Markar presented the Prime Minister with an artwork titled ‘Noor’ (Light) by artist Aidha Cader, the great-granddaughter of founder member, late Mrs Ameena Mohideen, and granddaughter of the late Mrs Shuaiba Junaid, a past president of the Union, while Juwairiya Faizal, presented the Prime Minister with a gift, handmade by the girls.  Guests also received gift bags that included framed tiles made from recycled materials and unique thasbees to which every girl at the Home – from the youngest to the oldest – had contributed in one form or the other.

The event featured a welcome song, especially written for the occasion by Maryam Namiz, and performed by Miss Aaliya and the children of the Home, trained by Nuzla Noorullah;  performances by the Naqshabandi Sufi Ensemble, and three segments of the documentary, ‘Down Memory Lane’, chronicling the organisation’s 90-year history.

The 90th anniversary commemorative souvenir was launched by handing over the first copy to the Prime Minister by Editor Zahima Marzook.

All guests were astounded and awestruck by the breathtaking performance of the children to the songs ‘We are the world’ and ‘Magey Rata’.

Felicitations were delivered by Sikkamani Ameena Mustapha of the Muslim Women’s Conference, Azad Zaheed of Amana Orphan Care, and Shiraz Mohideen, Director of International Human Relief Canada.

CMLU Secretary Feroza Marikkar Fauz delivered the vote of thanks followed by Salawath by the Naqshabandi Sufi ensemble.

This spectacular CMLU 90th anniversary commemoration was brought to a memorable close by the dynamic and vibrant Emcee Javed Bongso.