Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.3/5)
Genre: Speeches, Political History, Education, Sri Lankan History, Muslim Studies

Book Review:
''A. M. A. Azeez: Senate Speeches'' offers readers a window into the mind of one of Sri Lanka's most thoughtful and dedicated public figures. Dr. A. M. A. Azeez, recognized posthumously as a national hero and commemorated on a Sri Lankan stamp, was that rare combination: a civil servant who understood administration, an educationist who grasped the transformative power of learning, and a community leader who thought in terms of national rather than sectional interest.

The speeches collected in this volume span Dr. Azeez's tenure in the Senate, where he brought the concerns of the Muslim community to the ''centre-stage of national life.'' But these are not narrow communitarian addresses. Azeez consistently frames Muslim educational and welfare needs within the broader context of national development. His argument that higher education could transform a ''community of traders into one with professionals and other educated people'' applies equally to any community seeking advancement through knowledge.

What distinguishes these speeches is their constructive tone. Azeez was a builder, not merely a critic. His establishment of the Ceylon Muslim Scholarship Fund in 1945 exemplifies his approach: identify a need, create an institution, provide ongoing support. The speeches reveal the intellectual foundations of such initiatives—the careful analysis of problems, the research into possible solutions, the persuasive articulation of need.

Equally striking is Azeez's consistent commitment to inter-ethnic amity. He ''believed fervently that all communities in Sri Lanka could and should live in amity'' through ''understanding and tolerance.'' In an era when communal tensions were rising, these speeches model a different kind of politics—one based on mutual respect and shared national purpose rather than competitive advantage.

The volume's significance is underscored by Dr. Azeez's recognition among the ''100 Great Muslim Leaders of the 20th Century'' by the Institute of Objective Studies in New Delhi. This international acknowledgment places his work in a broader context of Muslim leadership navigating the challenges of modernity, education, and pluralism.

For readers interested in Sri Lankan parliamentary history, Muslim community development, or simply the power of reasoned public address, this collection offers rich material. It reminds us that effective leadership requires not just action but articulation—the ability to explain, persuade, and inspire through words. Dr. Azeez's Senate speeches demonstrate these qualities in abundance, and their publication ensures that his voice continues to speak to new generations.