ECONOMYNEXT – A medical officer in Eastern Sri Lanka who has come to the notice of authorities over alleged links to an ‘extremist’ Islamic group denies any violent intentions and says the state can arrest him if he has broken any laws.
He rejects charges of extremism, though locals in the area say he and his followers have unorthodox views which has led to disputes with a mainstream Muslim group in the area.
Eastern Sri Lanka has come under the spotlight of the authorities, and rest of the country, after members of groups originating in the area were involved in suicide bombings of churches and hotels on Easter Sunday 2019.
Super Muslim
The medical officer at the Mental Health Unit of Kalmunai North Hospital responded to allegations that he was leading a group called ‘Super Muslim’ in Kalmunai, Eastern Sri Lanka.
“This is all rubbish. If I have breached any laws, the defence agencies can always arrest me,” said Kalenther Lebbe Mohamed Raees, popularly known as Dr. Raees, speaking from his three-story residence at Mosque Road in Kalmunai, 350 km east to Colombo.
“I am ready to face any inquiry into my behaviour.”
Wearing an ash-coloured sarong, the 51-year-old graduate of Sri Jayewardenepura Medical Faculty stated he had nothing to do with a movement called ‘Super Muslim’.
However, he claims some people wrongly associated his name with the group due to differences that arose with another Islamic movement in 2019.
“We are not an organization. When I had differences with the mainstream Islamic movement called Tablighi Jamaat, we were labeled as Super Muslim,” Raees said while lying on the floor, shirtless, surrounded by three followers, including his 15-year-old son.
“Most of the members in this group have come to me because they agree with my opinions compared to mainstream Islamic movements.”
His differences with the mainstream Islamic movement centered on key concepts of Islamic spirituality. Raees advocates for more spirituality over materialism.
Tablighi Jamaat is an international Islamic movement which has gained followers in Sri Lanka and the region. It promotes religious teachings among Muslims and encourages them to pray at their mosques.
Super Muslim is an online education platform that provides courses in Arabic, Quran studies, and Islamic teachings. It also has a Tamil-language YouTube channel.
Raees’ views align with some teachings of Super Muslim, which he says led to him being lumped with the group.
The All Ceylon Jammiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), Sri Lanka’s apex religious body guiding the Muslim community on religious, social, and educational matters, has stated that the “Super Muslim ideology contradicts” many clear verses in the Quran.
Sri Lanka officially banned Super Muslim in April 2021 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) following ACJU’s comments after the Easter Sunday attacks. However, the ban was later lifted.
Under Surveillance
Raees has been under continuous investigation by various defence agencies since 2019.
“I have had enough of all these probes by police and military intelligence. I have visited the TID (Terrorism Investigation Department) and CID (Criminal Investigation Department),” he said.
“I know intelligence officials are monitoring all my movements day and night. I have even made their work easier by being open,” he said, pointing to the open gate to his house.
“These gates are open all the time for anyone to come and check on us. I am not worried because my destiny will be decided by God. Nobody can change that.”
Last week, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said Sri Lanka’s defence agencies were closely monitoring intelligence reports of an extremist group operating from the East.
Sri Lanka’s The Sunday Times, newspaper quoting Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, reported that the government had received information from the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and military intelligence about efforts to propagate extremist ideologies among the Eastern Province’s Muslim population.
Minister Wijepala said that surveillance of certain religious sites found that children were being indoctrinated in extremist ideologies, which he described as “contrary to the teachings of Islam.”
He specifically mentioned such activities in Kalmunai.
Raees, who believes these statements referred to his activities, rejected the claims, instead suggesting that interested groups were trying to create trouble.
“This could be due to some local and foreign groups who want to destabilize the country by creating a speculative national security threat,” Raees said.
Unorthodox Views
Residents of Kalmunai have told EconomyNext that Raees’ group has operated in the area for over five years, though no member has been arrested for terrorism-related activities.
However, locals say the group preaches against formal schooling, professional jobs, vaccination, and lavish wedding expenses.
Raees insists his group promotes home-based education, believing traditional schooling in Sri Lanka is unproductive.
“My 15-year-old son will sit for his Ordinary Level exam next year. He has been learning through home-based education and is nurtured to be more intelligent while mastering important languages,” he said.
“I am not against education. But we are wasting resources on the current schooling system. That is what I oppose.”
On allegations that he promotes traditional trades like farming and goat rearing, Raees said such work yields higher income than professional jobs.
“Even I engage in part-time businesses like soap and oil manufacturing instead of practicing private medicine,” he said, pointing to glass shelves displaying his products.
Residents also report that Raees has been involved in disputes with mosques in the area.
His estimated 60 followers are easily identifiable due to their distinct colored robes and turbans, differing from the white robes commonly worn by many Sri Lankan Muslims. He admitted that his followers sometimes clash with others over religious views.
“There have been police cases against me because I intervened in some arguments involving my group members. There have also been court cases,” Raees said.
He was once arrested over a land dispute related to Sri Lanka’s Archaeology laws, which led to his job suspension. However, he was later reinstated.
Security Alert
Sri Lanka’s defense agencies have closely monitored his activities, Raees says, including his travels.
He regularly takes his family to Medagama in Monaragala to have meals with a Sinhala family and to Jaffna to learn about Hindu traditions. He also studied at Wesley College in Kalmunai.
“Even now, I am being followed by intelligence, but I am fine with that.”
Sri Lanka’s security agencies faced severe criticism for their failure to address the rise of extremism in the Eastern Province, which contributed to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Before the attacks, extremist groups had been spreading radical ideologies and operating in Eastern towns like Kattankudy and Sainthamaruthu, neighbouring Kalmunai.
The previous government’s negligence was worsened by poor coordination between intelligence agencies and law enforcement, as well as political infighting, which led to disregarded security warnings.
Raees maintains that his group has no intention of resorting to violence or taking up arms, and countercharges that it is not possible for him to build an armed group without authorities becoming aware.
“Another Islamic terrorist attack in Sri Lanka is not possible without the support of foreign groups, military intelligence, CID, police, or key government officials like the President or Defense Secretary,” he said.
“We have not violated the country’s laws. Authorities can arrest us anytime if we have.” (KALMUNAI/March 09/2025)
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