Mohamed Azath Sanoon Salley is a Sri Lankan politician and the eighth Governor of the Western Province. Salley was the deputy mayor of Colombo, and the founder/leader of the National Unity Front. He has two children, Amina and Nafees. In May 2013, Salley was arrested and later released by the Sri Lankan Forces under the Prevention of Terrorism Act after he called Muslims to launch an "armed struggle" during an interview. Salley founded the National Unity Front, an Islamic political party. He was a member of the Central Provincial Council. He worked in partnership with the United Arab EmiratesHigh Commission in Colombo to help the needy during the Islamic Holy Month of Ramazan. On 3 January 2019 he was sworn in as the eighth Governor of the Western Province. However as a result of the 2019 Easter Bomb attacks by radical thowheed jamath Islamists, Azath Salley along with all the Muslim Politicians were forced to resign after a corrupt Buddhist Monk Named Athuraliye Rathana protested against Salley's alleged ties to extremists. Which were proven wrong after investigations, Athuraliye Rathana was rumored to be paid by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna to stage the protests at the Temple Of The Tooth Relic in Mahanuwara, Sri Lanka. Salley was somewhat of a controversial figure after the COVID-19 pandemic, as one of the only Muslim leaders in the island to talk against the government's forceful cremation of COVD-19 victims, He has been strongly critical of the Rajapakse family in Sri Lanka, calling it a "Racist Nationalist Party", with the family having two Presidents and a Prime Minister along with a number of cabinet positions. Salley accuses the family of misuse of state funds during the Mahinda Rajapakse regime and the Gotabaya Rajapakse regime. Salley has always been strongly critical against racists irrespective of their race, such as Abdul Razik, Udaya Gammanpila, Madhumadava Aravinda and Wimal Weeravansa. Salley is a National List candidate for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, headed by Sajith Premadasa for the upcoming elections.
