M.C. Siddhi Lebbe Marikar

The Father of Muslim Education in Ceylon, M.C. Siddhi Lebbe Marikar was one of the founders of Zahira College Colombo in addition to founding many other Muslim schools including the first Muslim Girls’ school in Sri Lanka, which was situated in Kandy. He was the first Tamil novelist in Sri Lanka, the first Muslim lawyer, and a pious and farsighted individual who even today is heralded as a chief changemaker of Sri Lankan Muslim society, by the grace of the Almighty. He was one of those at the forefront of ensuring that Muslims were educated in the English language in a time when it was distrusted deeply. He published “Muslim Nesan” on December 21, 1882 and “Muslim Friend” as magazines to inculcate the reading habit in the Muslim community. As a lawyer, philanthropist, writer, editor, and much more, he was a multi-faceted individual who had many talents and sought ways to help better the state of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka.