The All Ceylon Union of Muslim League Youth Fronts has issued an urgent appeal to Members of Parliament, calling for Parliamentary intervention to protect the constitutional rights, dignity, and religious freedom of Muslim female healthcare workers in public hospitals across Sri Lanka.
In an official letter dated October 8, 2026, signed by National President M. N. M. Sham Nawaz, the organization highlighted recent incidents regarding religious attire worn by healthcare staff at Nagoda Hospital, along with similar past occurrences at Kalmunai North Hospital and other state healthcare facilities.
Constitutional Rights and Legal Standpoints
The organization underscored that the Sri Lankan Constitution guarantees religious freedom under Article 10 (freedom of thought, conscience, and religion) and Article 14(1)(e) (freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, and teaching).
Key arguments presented in the letter include:
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Constitutional Supremacy: There is no Act of Parliament or legislation explicitly prohibiting Muslim female healthcare staff from wearing religiously compliant attire while performing their professional duties. Internal circulars, departmental orders, or localized practices should not override constitutionally protected rights.
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Flexibility in Uniform Rules: Public sector administrative practices have regularly accommodated modifications to standard dress codes for other special cases, such as pregnancy. Similar reasonable administrative flexibility should be applied for religious attire without compromising safety, hygiene, or patient care standards.
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Inconsistent Regulations: The appeal pointed out that healthcare workers involved in these incidents were reportedly transferred to other state hospitals while continuing to wear the same attire. The group argued that if the attire truly violated national public service regulations, these workers would not be able to serve in other government facilities, indicating that the disputes stem from localized or inconsistent administrative interpretations.
Core Demands Submitted to Parliament
The All Ceylon Union of Muslim League Youth Fronts requested MPs to raise the issue on the floor of Parliament and seek intervention from relevant authorities with the following specific requests:
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Fully respect the constitutional rights of Muslim female healthcare staff to practice their faith.
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Ensure no healthcare worker is subjected to harassment, discrimination, or administrative pressure over religiously compliant attire.
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Direct the Ministry of Health to review existing uniform policies and administrative practices across healthcare institutions.
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Establish clear, inclusive, and consistent national guidelines to avoid arbitrary interpretations by individual hospital administrations.
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Provide reasonable accommodation for religious attire wherever it can be worn without compromising patient safety, hygiene, or professional healthcare delivery.
The organization emphasized that state healthcare workers should not be forced to choose between their professional duties and their sincerely held religious beliefs, urging lawmakers to reach a fair, lawful, and lasting resolution.
