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Ali Sabry (Sri Lankan politician)

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Hon.
Ali Sabry
PC MP
අලි සබ්රි
அலி சப்ரி
Sabry in 2022
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
22 July 2022 – 23 September 2024
PresidentRanil Wickremasinghe
Prime MinisterDinesh Gunawardena
Preceded byG. L. Peiris
Succeeded byVijitha Herath
Minister of Finance
In office
5 April 2022 – 9 May 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byBasil Rajapaksa
Succeeded byRanil Wickramasinghe
Minister of Justice
In office
26 April 2022 – 9 May 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byHimself
Succeeded byWijeyadasa Rajapakshe
In office
12 August 2020 – 3 April 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byNimal Siripala de Silva
Succeeded byHimself
State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation[1]
In office
26 April 2022 – 9 May 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byLohan Ratwatte
Succeeded byVacant
Consul General of Sri Lanka in Saudi Arabia
In office
1997–1999
PresidentChandrika Kumaratunga
Prime MinisterSirimavo Bandaranaike
MinisterLakshman Kadirgamar as Minister of Foreign Affairs
President's Counsel
Incumbent
Assumed office
2012
PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa
Maithripala Sirisena
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremasinghe
Prime MinisterD. M. Jayaratne
Ranil Wickremasinghe
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremasinghe
Dinesh Gunawardena
Member of Parliament
for National List
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 August 2020
Personal details
Born (1970-05-01) 1 May 1970 (age 54)
Kalutara, Sri Lanka[citation needed]
Political partySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
SpouseSarah Sabry
Children3
Alma materZahira College, Colombo, Kalutara Muslim Central College
OccupationPolitician, Lawyer

Mohamed Uvais Mohamed Ali Sabry, PC, MP (Sinhala: මොහොමඩ් උවයිස් මොහොමඩ් අලි සබ්රි, Tamil: மோஹமட் உவைஸ் மோஹமட் அலி சப்ரி; born 1 May 1970[2]), also known as Ali Sabry, is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs serving from 22 July 2022 to 23 September 2024.[3] He previously served as the Minister of Finance until 9 May 2022.[4] He was a Member of Parliament, appointed from the national list of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.[5] He also served as the Minister of Justice until 9 May 2022.[6][7][8] He served as the defense counsel of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, chief legal adviser and President of the Muslim Federation of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.[9]

Beginning 4 April 2022, Sabry was appointed as the new Minister of Finance, replacing Basil Rajapaksa (brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa) in the position. Due to the worsening of the financial crisis, Sabry tendered his resignation 5 April 2022, having served only a day in office.[10][11] However, Sabry revoked his resignation and resumed office as the Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka.[12] After the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the cabinet was dissolved on 9 May 2022.[13]

Early life and education

Born in Kalutara[citation needed] to M.S.M Uvais and Zareena Uvais, Sabry was educated at Kalutara Muslim Central College and Zahira College, Colombo. He entered Sri Lanka Law College where he was a notable student leader and was elected General Secretary of the Law Students’ Union, elected President of the SLFP Law Students’ Union and also led the Law College Sinhala debating team. He was admitted to the Sri Lankan bar as an Attorney-at- Law in 1995.[14]

Family

Ali Sabry is married to Sarah Sabry and they have three children, namely Bilal Sabry, Talal Sabry and Jamal Sabry. Bilal Sabry is a graduate from the prestigous University of California, Berkeley.

Having qualified as an attorney at law, Sabry joined the Unofficial Bar and developed a lucrative practice in original and appellate courts specializing in civil law. He served as Sri Lankan Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and represented Sri Lanka in many International conferences including the Human Rights Session in the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2012. He was the treasurer of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and Chairman of the Junior Bar Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. In 2012 he was appointed a President's Counsel.[14] At the time of his appointment he was the youngest ever President's Counsel.

In 2019 Sabry defended the then defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa when the latter was accused of holding US citizenship in the runup to the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election, and insisted that Gotabaya wasn't a US citizen, presenting evidence.[15][16][17]

In 2020 he appeared in court cases for Rajapaksa, who was accused of corruption during the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa.[18]

Political career

He campaigned for Gotabaya Rajapakse during the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election and urged the Muslim community to vote for him to form a stable government following the pressure on the community aftermath the 2019 Easter attacks.[19][20]

He entered the mainstream politics in 2020 and became a member of SLPP.[21] In July 2020, he was appointed as the national leader of the SLPP party's Muslim Federation by the President.[22][23][24]

He did not contest at the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election but was named by SLPP as a national list candidate to enter the parliament.[25][26] On 12 August 2020, he was appointed as the Justice minister by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his cabinet during the swearing-in ceremony and was the only Muslim person in the 25 member cabinet of ministers for the 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka.[27][28] He was the first President's Counsel to serve as Minister of Justice after M. W. H. de Silva, QC.

On 4 April 2022, he was part of the temporary four member cabinet which was formed following the resignation of 26 cabinet ministers from their ministerial portfolios in wake of the economic crisis and protests.[29] He was also one of the 26 ministers to resign but was given a new ministry by the President soon afterwards so he was part of the temporary cabinet.[30] The following day, on 5 April 2022 he quit the temporary cabinet by resigning from the finance ministry which was handed over to him in the new temporary cabinet.[31][32][33][34][35] But, later on 8 April 2022, he informed the House that he would continue as the Finance Minister because the President did not accept his resignation and served until his government was dissolved on 9 May 2022.[36] He was appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs replacing G. L. Peiris on 22 July 2022.

Racist attacks

His appointment as a Justice minister was controversial.[better source needed][37] He also faced criticisms and backlash for his remarks on the government's decision and Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine's decision for prohibition of burials and a proper cremation process of the Muslims who died due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.[38][39][40]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ali Sabry.
  1. ^ "Ali Sabry gets new portfolio".
  2. ^ "Hon. M .U. M. Ali Sabry, M.P." Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  3. ^ "New cabinet ministers sworn in".
  4. ^ "Sri Lanka PM to take over as finance minister too". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  5. ^ "GL, Ali Sabry, Johnston, & Dinesh form new 4-member Cabinet| Colombo Gazette". Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  6. ^ admin (2020-08-12). "Ali Sabry takes oaths as new Justice Minister | Colombo Gazette". Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  7. ^ "Lawyer turned politician Ali Sabry is the new Justice Minister". Colombo Times. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  8. ^ "Finance Minister Ali Sabry gets Justice Ministry as well - Breaking News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  9. ^ "New Cabinet: Ali Sabry appointed Minister of Justice". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2020-08-12.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Sabry appointed as Sri Lanka's finance minister". Reuters. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Sri Lanka's finance minister resigns a day after being sworn in - letter". Reuters. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  12. ^ "I am still the Finance Minister: Ali Sabri - Breaking News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  13. ^ "What happens to the Cabinet following PM's resignation?". The Morning - Sri Lanka News. May 9, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "President's Counsel Sabry signs nomination papers for appointed MP". colombotimes.net. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  15. ^ "No truth in rumors on Gotabaya's US citizenship – Ali Sabry". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  16. ^ "Upul Jayasuriya responds to Ali Sabry regarding Gotabaya Rajapaksa's citizenship". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  17. ^ "GR, Sabry make strong case for Muslim support | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  18. ^ "Four members of Rajapaksa family find place in Sri Lanka cabinet". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  19. ^ "Vote Gota Or Prepare "To Get It In A Big Way": Ali Sabry Video Warning Muslims Goes Viral". Colombo Telegraph. 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  20. ^ ""If we don't support him, what will happen?" - Ali Sabry | Tamil Guardian". www.tamilguardian.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  21. ^ Rasooldeen, Mohammed. "All citizens equal in SLPP Government – Ali Sabry". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  22. ^ Corr, Addalaichenai-Central. "Muslims should rally round SLPP – Ali Sabry". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  23. ^ "Ali Sabry, Uwais Hajiar lead SLPP Muslim Federation | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  24. ^ "Ali Sabry, Uwais Hajiar to lead SLPP Muslim wing". www.themorning.lk. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  25. ^ "Muslims countrywide contributed to SLPP victory: Ali Sabry | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  26. ^ Indrakumar, Menaka. "SLPP releases National list". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  27. ^ LBO (2020-08-12). "Swearing-in ceremony for Sri Lanka's new Cabinet". Lanka Business Online. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  28. ^ "Minister of Justice Ali Sabry PC". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  29. ^ "GR appoints four ministers until full Cabinet is formed". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  30. ^ "Ali Sabri appointed as Finance Minister - Business News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  31. ^ "Sri Lankan's new Finance Minister Ali Sabry resigns within 24 hours". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  32. ^ "Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Quits After Just One Day, as Economic Crisis Worsens". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  33. ^ "Sri Lanka Finance Minister Ali Sabry resigns; ready to vacate parliament seat". EconomyNext. 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  34. ^ "Ali Sabry steps down as Finance Minister". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  35. ^ "New Finance Minister Ali Sabry resigns". NewsWire. 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  36. ^ "Sabry continues as Finance Minister". Island. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  37. ^ Indrakumar, Menaka. "Baseless allegations, mudslinging - Ali Sabry". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  38. ^ "Sri Lanka: Muslims face extra threat as coronavirus stirs hate". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  39. ^ "Anguish as Sri Lanka forces Muslims to cremate COVID-19 victims". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  40. ^ Rizwie, Rukshana. "Hate campaigns against Muslim community deplorable – Ali Sabry, PC". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
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