Kandy: Sri Lanka Jama'athe Islami (SLJI) elected Attorney-at-Law Ash-Sheikh Jamaldeen Mohamed Ashraf (Naleemi) as its 9th President during the National Member Convention (NMC) 2026. He succeeds Ustaz Mohamed Ussair Islahi, who served two consecutive terms as President since 2018.A native of Akurana, Ash-Sheikh Jamaldeen Mohamed Ashraf received his early education at Zahira College, Matale, before completing his Islamic and Arabic studies at Jamiyyah Naleemiyyah, Beruwala. He later earned an LL.B. from the University of Colombo and an M.A. from the University of Peradeniya and currently practices as an Attorney-at-Law.He joined Sri Lanka Jama'athe Islami in 2001 and has served on the Central Consultative Council, Executive Council, and as Central Regional Leader. Since 2018, he has also served for nearly eight years as one of the Vice Presidents, leading key divisions including Community Development, Social Reform, Education, and Human Resource Development.Beyond SLJI, he has served in the Akurana Jamiy yathul Ulama, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), and the Waqf Board. Between 2017 and 2018, he chaired the Peace Committee, contributing significantly to communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.Established in 1954, Sri Lanka Jama'athe Islami has served the nation for more than seven decades through religious guidance, education, social welfare, humanitarian services, youth and women's empowerment, and community development.