Tourists told to leave for preaching Islam
Published:Tuesday | January 24, 2012 | 12:00 AM
COLOMBO (AP):
Sri Lanka has ordered 161 foreigners to leave the country for propagating Islam in violation of their visa status.
Immigration controller Chulananda Perera says they are members of Tabligh Jamat, a group founded in India to spread the teachings of Islam.
He said yesterday they arrived in Sri Lanka as tourists, but were found to be propagating Islam in several parts of the country.
Perera said they include citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and some Arab countries.
About seven per cent of Sri Lanka's 20 million people are Muslims. About 74 per cent are Sinhalese, who are mostly Buddhists, while about 18 per cent others are Tamils, who are predominantly Hindus or Christians.