By Tisaranee Gunasekara –
“…it is time that the world adopt a position that refuses to countenance Religion as an acceptable justification for, excuse or extenuation o, crimes against humanity.” – Wole Soyinka[i] (UN Conference on the Culture of Peace and Non-violence – 21.9.2012
‘Eat, Pray, Fast’ was the title of a photo-essay in the Foreign Policy magazine marking the beginning of the 2013 Ramadan season[ii]. The pictures provided a glimpse of the wide and varied spectrum of global Islam – from the hip young protestors of Turkey breaking fast in the Gezi Park to a fully-covered woman outside a mosque in India.
Gnanasara
This rich variety is inadmissible to two sets of people – anti-Islamic extremists and Islamic extremists.
The rigid and counter-reality notion of what constitutes a Muslim is the common ground between the BBS (and its Christian/Jewish/Hindu variants) and the ISIS (or Boko Haram or Taliban etc). The BBS believes that all Muslims are fundamentalists obsessed with global domination and Jihad. The ISIS believes that only those who support its notion of Islam and its Caliphatist pretensions are Muslims. Neither set of extremists admits the existence of a vast majority of ordinary Muslims beyond their confined horizons.
In his incendiary speech at Aluthgama, Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera wished the Muslims shops of the area ‘Aba Saranai’. This unfamiliar phrase is said to be a wish for destruction, a lethal curse. That an adherent of the teachings of the Buddha cannot wish destruction on any living being is a foregone conclusion. But for Buddhist-extremists, from Myanmar to Sri Lanka, heaping verbal and physical violence on enemies is a national/religious duty.
The politics of ‘Aba Saranai’ is premised on hating and working for the destruction of unbelievers. Incidentally, the category of unbelievers is not limited to those worshipping a different god or following a different religious-teacher; it also includes those who worship the same god or follow the same religious teacher, in a different way.
Sinhala-Buddhism is far more intolerant of non-Theravada variants of Buddhism than of Hinduism, Christianity or Islam. The BBS types are at their most vitriolic when it comes to monks who disagree with their twisted form of Buddhism. Medieval Christianity’s preoccupation with ‘heresy’ gave birth to the Inquisition and to the deadly confessional wars in the heart of Europe. Before the self-professed Caliph of the nascent ISIS-state gave his inaugural sermon from the historic Grand Mosque in Mosul, he ordered the execution of its Sunni Imam, Muhammad al-Mansuri – for refusing to pledge allegiance to the new ‘caliphate’. Two days later 12 other Sunni clerics were executed for the same crime, according to the UN[iii]. The ISIS has also threatened to attack Shia holy places in Iraq.
This combustive intolerance makes theocratic politics inherently destabilising, violent and destructive.
Even the most secular society has its share of religious extremists. They have always been with us and it’s possible that they will always be with us, in one form or another. So long as they vegetate in their own ideological ghettos they cannot do much harm to larger society. The danger is when a governing class, party or family adopts their ideas and slogans either out of genuine conviction, opportunism or a combination thereof. When that marriage between extreme religion and politics occurs, it brings forth devastation, including self-devastation.
There is a nexus between anti-democratic politics and religious extremism. Actual and would-be despots see in extreme versions of religion a weapon and a shield for their political projects. In Nigeria it was the encouragement accorded to extreme forms of Christianity by the country’s military rulers which paved the way for the creation of that horror, Boko Haram. In Iraq, Premier al-Maliki’s Shia-supremacism made it possible for the ISIS to grow from nothingness to the monster it is today. It is an open secret that Myanmar’s military rulers are enabling/supporting Monk Wirathu and his 969 Movement. He had openly come out against Aung Sang Suu Kyi (despite her unprincipled refusal to condemn anti-Muslim violence) warning that chaos will result if she wins the presidency[iv]. In Sri Lanka the meteoric rise of the BBS would have been impossible without overt and covert state patronage.
The BBS has already begun to create a faux nexus between ordinary rice-and-curry issues and the Muslim bogey. According to Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera, “It is Muslims businessmen who import dhal and rice to this country. There are big problems here.”[v] Once upon a time, not so long ago, Tamils were blamed for cost-of-living issues and that lie provided an added impetus to the fires of Black July. Today the BBS is insidiously cultivating the image of the rapacious ‘Muslim businessman’ who is exploiting Sinhala-Buddhists (a similar bogey-making process preceded the 1915 riots). Thus when Sinhala-Buddhists are overwhelmed by economic woes, the BBS (or its successor/s) will hold high the bogey of ‘Muslim exploiter’, diverting majoritarian anger away from the real culprits – the ruling family.
When the Muslim bogey becomes dysfunctional for some reason, there is always the Christian bogey and the Tamil/Hindu bogey. The BBS continues to highlight conversions to Christianity as a critical national issue[vi]. It is also demanding that Pope Francis apologises for the crimes of colonialists[vii]. If the Pope visits Jaffna and makes some acknowledgement of the plight of the Tamils, the BBS might replace ‘Muslim enemy’ with the ‘Christian/Catholic/Vatican enemy’, for a while.
Resisting Religious Politics
Extremists of all faiths agree that life and society should be reordered in accordance with religion, the only difference being whose religion. They oppose the secular humanist values of the Enlightenment, pluralist democracy and cultural diversity. Most of them are also against welfare capitalism.
Commenting on the unravelling of the Egyptian revolution Khaled Hroub said that “in the period just ahead of us, these two questions or logics – the slogan ‘Islam is the solution’ and the discourse in the name of the religion – will, with their ideological burden, face the test of a public, mass experiment conducted in the laboratory of popular consciousness. The experiment may last a long time, devouring the lives of an entire generation.”[viii]
The BBS types too insist that ‘Sinhala-Buddhism’ is the only solution to Lankan problems and the right way forward is to head backwards to a neo-feudal era. For them pluralist democracy is a curse which divides Sinhala-Buddhists and empowers the minorities. This anti-democratic version of politics in which individual and collective human rights are vitiated and replaced by Sinhala-Buddhist rights (to lord it over the minorities) works in favour of the Rajapaksas and their familial project.
We live in pluralist societies. In such societies, religious politics and politicised religions cannot but lead to alienation, civil hostility and conflict. The de facto dismemberment of Iraq (into a Sunni state, a Shia state and a Kurdish state) is a warning that the plague-bacilli of Balkanisation might infect Asian and African continents if the current trend of religion enmeshing with politics is not impeded.
In Sri Lanka the political masters and the religious pawns are cajoling and pushing the majority community into a series of conflicts with every single minority community. If we follow this Rajapaksa/BBS path, ‘Aba Saranai’ may will become the fate of Sinhala-Buddhists.
[iii] http://www.theage.com.au/world/imam-of-mosul-mosque-executed-before-caliph-gave-sermon-20140708-zsztq.html
[v] Interview with Irida Lankadeepa – 6.7.2014
[vi] Ibid
Rationalist / July 10, 2014
“According to Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera, “It is Muslims businessmen who import dhal and rice to this country. There are big problems here.”[v] Once upon a time, not so long ago, Tamils were blamed for cost-of-living issues and that lie provided an added impetus to the fires of Black July.”
If this Man in Robes (who has been arrested for Drink Driving) takes the initiative to set up as a Business man, and Import Rice and Dhal, he would not have to make such Comments!
Why would he, when he is living off the Generosity of mistaken Buddhists, who are made to believe that they have to respect the Robe, whatever Evil is inside it!
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Rationalist / July 10, 2014
Thank you CT for the Correction
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Bizi Mungu / July 11, 2014
Every words uttered by Gnaney is the actual and words from the heart of MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE. That’s his script Gnaney is openly uttering.
So, makes no mistake, MAHINDA is one of the enemies of ISLAM with expecting full backing from other enemies like ISRAEL & MODI.
Let’s see what God has planned for these criminals. No Mass Murderer has survived without his entire lot being annihilated in the end by Punishment from Heaven.
We await MAHINDA’s and the Sinhala Only creep’s who controlling almost everything in the wretched land of Lanka Total Destruction by the heavenly punishment. Pharoah, Romans, Hitler learnt it the hard way and when it came to them in sudden the guys have breathed their last.
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Amarasiri / July 10, 2014
‘Aba Saranai’ And The Scourge Of Theocratic Politics
The Data, The data, the Data, given below.
Treatment by Monk Magama Hemasiri.
Child Abuse by a Monk in Habaraduwa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNSC93mPs4I
Buddhism The Great Evil — Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNOfTGSADdY
Buddhism The Great Evil — Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcs2PSze0I
Amarasiri
July 10, 2014 at 3:49 am
Reply
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Native Vedda / July 10, 2014
Rationalist
Strange thing about this saffron clad thug’s brain is , there’s nothing right in left side, and nothing left on the right side.
This quality equally applies to his Sinhala/Buddhist supporters like Banda, Ramu, wathie, sach, Thonda, ………………..
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Rationalist / July 11, 2014
NV
“…there’s nothing right in left side, and nothing left on the right side.’
Just Love this!
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Native Vedda / July 11, 2014
Rationalist
To tell you the truth like OTC I too plagarise others’ work occasionally.
The only difference is I am ready to confess.
I also have some original ones I made earlier.
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Leelagemalli / July 12, 2014
Even the name -Ghanasara to be heard we the buddhists should have made that much of Karma.
Even the name -Rajapakshe to be heard we the buddhist should have made that much of Karma.
This is what I feel in today#s context. Decent politicians have been marginalized while the social scum have risen up to destroy the country and the nation or the other way around.
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Rarityminds / July 12, 2014
Today #s inlcudling Mervin well deserve bullot than the ballots.
READ THE BELEW TEXT:
———————————————————————
Mervyn accused of securing suspect’s release
Alleged harassment of girl
July 11, 2014, 9:50 pm
article_image
Injured brother of the girl allegedly harassed by the suspect
The teacher
By Norman Palihawadana
A school teacher yesterday complained that the Athurugiriya police had released a youth taken into custody for grabbing her daughter’s hand in public.
Mrs. Lalani Pushpa Jayanthi said the suspect had fled when her son intervened to protect her daughter.
She said that after she had reported the incident to the police the suspect and his father stormed their house and assaulted her son injuring him. He is being treated at the Koswatte hospital.
She told The Island that she had complained to the IGP N. K. Illangakoon that the police had acted partially owing to political interference.
She said Minister Mervyn Silva had stepped in to secure the suspect’s release.
The police said that the victim’s mother had assaulted the suspect inside the police station and she had been immediately taken into custody and then released.
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Harry Hatton / July 10, 2014
The various issues between majority Buddhist and the Muslim community must be looked at in the context of what is happening now in the middle east. The ISIS is committing wholesale murder of Shias and other religions. Most of the Arab countries are run by dictators who are also very corrupt.Nepotism is seen in every Muslim country. Can a Buddhist priest wear his robes or a christian wear his cassock and walk down a street in Saudi Arabia ? Will they allow the Buddhist to hold a pirith ceremony in Iraq or a christian to convert a Muslim child? See how many Sinhalese write condemning the extremist Buddhist ? Will that happen in Pakistan ? The stock answer of a Muslim to these challenges is that the Koran says something else and that intolerance is against the religion. Well please show us a Muslim country as tolerant as Sri Lanka !
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Lapatiya / July 10, 2014
Yes Harry, we as Pure Sinhala Nanasara Buddhists, should follow Middle East and kill all non Buddhists as done by ISIS. Also we should not allow other religious to perform in our Motherland following Saudi and other Muslim Countries. Also Harry we should ask our Sri Rohana Manaranjana to become a dictator and start nepotism (nepotism is new word) in our Dharmadveepaya following Muslim Countries.
Harry, be careful when you are sitting as your brain might get damage.
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Eusense / July 10, 2014
Lap,
If you read Harry carefully, no where he says that Buddhist should practice what the Middle Eastern Muslims (MEM) are doing. In fact you are the one who question whether we should follow the MEM in our behaviour. Also, he has not endorsed or supported what the Buddhist did to Muslims in SL either. Your response has nothing related to his post.
By the way, do you agree with the mode of operation of the MEM governments?
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Ellakollage Appachchi / July 11, 2014
Eusense
Harry still assumes what happened at Aluthgama is acceptable by saying Sri Lanka is a tolerant country. His statements implies, we are not as bad as MEM countries, so certain amount of discrimination, racial abuse, hatred, burning, looting, maiming and killing of minorities should be tolerated as there are countries that as worse.
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Lapatiya / July 11, 2014
@Eusense,
Read Harry’s post between the Lines. What he says we, Pure Sinhala naanasara Buddhists and our “Pinbara” Leaders are Million times better than those Middle east Muslims or their leaders. He is repeating Galaboda Gandasara’s Madamulana Bana.
In my post i never suggested or said that in our Country we should follow what MEM doing in their Countries. ( read between the lines) If you are a Buddhist (not that Pure Sinhala Buddhist kind) you follow that Great ones foot path, not that dirty Gota’s or Mahinda’s or Galagoda Gandasara’s hate path.
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anonymous / July 10, 2014
Dear Harry,
I feel sorry for your ‘Wrong View’ (Samma Ditti) about the concept of the teaching. ‘Samma Ditti’ is the first stepping stone towards everlasting peace or ‘Nirvana’ in Buddhism. Buddhists do not condemn or dismiss any other beliefs as those are outside your control. First of all, we Buddhists like to know who we are. As far as I am concerned, I am not an ‘Entity’, but an ‘Activity’. I hope this makes sense to you.
So, try not to find answers for others but for yourself first. That is called ‘Samma Ditti’, pal. The other seven stepping stones of ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ will appear in front of you in time.
Metta!
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Abdullah Abdul Rahuman / July 10, 2014
Unfortunately,most Muslim countries are occupied by Zionist/Right wing Christians
They have instilled their stooges/yes man and that is the reason for this violence in most Muslim majority countries
Look at Afaganisan,it is the geographical locality which initially Russians went after destroying the country than followed by the Americans after which Pakistan droned,unfortunately all these para military groups were financed by Zionist/Right wing Christian and the so called Muslim puppets
Today Saudi Arabia purchases Arms worth 60 billion from USA,If they fail to purchase their fate will be like Iraq
These Muslim puppets are only fear USA not their creator
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Amarasiri / July 11, 2014
Abdullah Abdul Rahuman
“These Muslim puppets are only fear USA not their creator”
Are they Muslim? Those who follow the Devil, Satan, Shaitan are NOT Muslims, they are Wahhabis.
They kill other Muslims such as Sufis, Shias, Ahamedia etc.as per instruction from the devil, Satan.
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AVB / July 10, 2014
Harry,
You are happy if your Siri Lanka is more tolerant culture than some Muslim countries you have heard of… Go to Malaysia and see how how civilized and free are those people… Young girls and boys holding hands and walking in main streets, girls wearing beautiful and sexy dresses. People can smoke in public if not designated as non-smoking area. I have been UAE, I didn’t see any open intolerance, but 80~90% people in public places and shopping malls are foreigners, some South East Asian (our gene pool) behave badly and locals tolerate it. In SL, Mahinda just say “no public smoking, it become a law. Girls and boys holding hands near beaches are arrested and remanded overnight by police … What sort of tolerance is that? BBS Gnane abuse local people belong to other religions, then all others tolerate Gnane and Ghotaya, this is the kind of tolerance SL majority displays….
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Sri Lankan / July 10, 2014
That is besides the point Harry. What the muslims do and practice regardless if it’s in Saudi Arabia or in Sri Lanka does not matter when we call our selves Sinhala Buddhist and in the name of Bhuddha’s philosophy do the exact same thing which we clearly know is wrong. We become no better than those who we point our finger at. It is fine to have a constructive dialogue about these issues but, Gnanasara and his supporters call them selves the ‘Saviors of Buddhists’ yet they blatantly contravene Buddha’s philosophy. They are not even ashamed about it and want the public to endorse and join them in the hypocrisy. Buddhism did not survive 2500+ years because of hypocrites like Gnanasara and co. It survived because of the pure and clear message that is embedded in Buddha’s philosophy. However Gnanasara and Co’s actions are subverting the message and will only help degrade the greatness of the message. Specially if you and I get misled. Gnanasara and friend’s actions including the Govt is more of a threat to Buddhism than anything else that it has faced in the recent past including LTTE terrorism. We are on the verge of self destruction. Filter the messages through Bhuddha’s philosophy before you regurgitate it. If you are honest 100% of what Gnanasara says will end up in the dustbin of history where it belongs. Think about it. As the saying goes, Do we ‘practice what we preach’?
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Snowden Edward Asange / July 10, 2014
“Well please show us a Muslim country as tolerant as Sri Lanka ! “
I can give u more than 1 .. QATAR, OMAN, KUWAIT, MALAYSIA, BRUNEI, MOZAMBIQUE, DJIBOURTI, MAURITANIA, MALI, NIGER, AND MUCH MORE.. most OF These countries ALSO let YOUR fellow Sinhalese MEN and WOMEN to work and earn a living (which the SL govt can’t provide) and increase ur economic state.. while BBS Gandassara and the ilk, are JEALOUS of the Muslims and are hell bent to destroy the Economic status of the Muslims in SL.. just look at some part of the above article.. which is copied below..
“The BBS has already begun to create a faux nexus between ordinary rice-and-curry issues and the Muslim bogey. According to Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera, “It is Muslims businessmen who import dhal and rice to this country. There are big problems here.”[v] Once upon a time, not so long ago, Tamils were blamed for cost-of-living issues and that lie provided an added impetus to the fires of Black July. Today the BBS is insidiously cultivating the image of the rapacious ‘Muslim businessman’ who is exploiting Sinhala-Buddhists “
Gandassara is furious by the success NO LIMIT, FASHION BUG HAMEEDIAS… ALL clothing chains which are very successful. BBS is also supported by the Businessmen/thugs in the garment trade of Pettah, MOST of whom were Gold Bracelet wearing INVITEES on the stage at the Aluthgama meeting.. where Gandassara made his infamous quote ” Aluthgamata ABA Saranai”
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Harry Modaya / July 10, 2014
These Sinhala-Buddhist Harrys, Tommies and Dickies are typical modayas who cannot think beyond their nose or rather a kavum kediya.
All the citizens of Saudi Arabia are 100% Muslims who follow Islam. If every Tom, dick & harry from different countries (non-citizens) with different religious background who go on a work visa to Saudi Arabia for temporary employment ask to build a temple for them or try to convert the Muslims to other religions or wear a robe and walk on the streets it will become a Joke. In a multi-religious country like Sri Lanka, not only Buddhists but Hindus, Muslims and Christians are citizens of Sri Lanka for many centuries. They all need their own place of worship and should be free to practice their religion.
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Native Vedda / July 11, 2014
Harry Hatton
“The various issues between majority Buddhist and the Muslim community must be looked at in the context of what is happening now in the middle east.”
Could you spit out what exactly are the issues between Buddhists and Muslim community in this island.
“The ISIS is committing wholesale murder of Shias and other religions. Most of the Arab countries are run by dictators who are also very corrupt.Nepotism is seen in every Muslim country.”
Are the Muslims of this island running/controlling those medieval Middle East kingdoms? If you really are concerned about the Muslims of those countries you should help those people liberate country from their rulers. Send in the Sinhala/Buddhist army which supposed to have liberated the Tamils from dictator. The Muslims of those countries would be eternally grateful to you. Do you want Muslims from this island to fight those dictators?
“Will they allow the Buddhist to hold a pirith ceremony in Iraq or a christian to convert a Muslim child?”
Why should anyone be allowed to convert others to their religion. In fact the Sinhala/Buddhists should convert themselves to Buddhism.
“See how many Sinhalese write condemning the extremist Buddhist”
Rightly so.
“Will that happen in Pakistan ?”
You are not living in Pakistan nor are the Muslims from this island. Be careful when you criticise Pakistan. The ISI knows how and when to send their own terrorists to infiltrate and bring chaos to this island. By the way Pakistan is all weather friend of this island which helped to eradicate terrorism in this island. Therefore you ought be grateful to them.
“Well please show us a Muslim country as tolerant as Sri Lanka !”
It should be other way round. Show to the world you are much better than the rest. Your country should compete with itself to improve the conduct of all people. We are not in race to become the worst compared to the Middle east medieval kingdoms.
If you don’t like those country, please consider boycotting their oil, dates, stop exporting tea and bring all those men and women back to where they belong. You shameless moron first you stop sending your women folks to toil and die in those countries.
Go find a job so that your wife, daughters, aunts, grandmas, and sisters stay in this island contribute to this island.
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Amarasiri / July 11, 2014
Harry Hatton
“the ISIS is committing wholesale murder of Shias and other religions. Most of the Arab countries are run by dictators who are also very corrupt.Nepotism is seen in every Muslim country. “
Eyewitness Reports
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/what-life-iraqs-city-mosul-under-isis-rule-n151461
Looks like they have killed fewer than the Sti Lanka did in 2009…
When Sunni extremists seized control of Iraq’s second-largest city, many feared the militants would brutally brandish their new-found power and exert a reign of horror on the residents of Mosul.
One month later, it appears that most in the city are far from terrified, their biggest complaint a lack of electricity rather than explosive violence.
“We all thought ISIS fighters will hurt people, but they did not do so,” said shop owner Fahad, referring to militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). “It is 100 percent safe here. The only thing we suffer from is the lack of public services.”
Sign up for breaking news alerts from NBC News
The shop owner’s sentiments run counter to reports of brutality carried out by the militants elsewhere. As recently as Wednesday, Iraqi security forces found 53 corpses, blindfolded and handcuffed, south of Baghdad, Reuters reported.
The identity and sectarian affiliation of the dead people was not immediately clear, but the Sunni insurgents have boasted of killing hundreds of captive Shi’ite army troops after capturing the city of Tikrit on June 12. They put footage on the Internet of their fighters shooting prisoners.
ISIS overran Mosul two days before that fight, marking the first of many key victories for the fighters in a lightning offensive through Iraq. The assault triggered an exodus of refugees, with many Shiites fleeing northern Iraq amid fears of sectarian violence at the hands of the Sunni extremists.
What Life Is Like in Iraq’s City of Mosul Under ISIS Rule
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Muslim / July 10, 2014
However, or What ever, Now the matter has gone too far and gone out of Muslims hands, Now GOTAYABAYA RAJAPAKSHE is in a complete risk, he thought he can play a monkey role while Mahinda Rajapaksha’s direct involvement over the Phone to GOAT… ” wack them when I am out of country”…. now ISIS crazy wll come here with teh Support of USA … who is Bagdadi? He is American Backed 4 Billion Dollar funded guy… so Sinhala Modaya Asked for it, and wait for their action.
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Ansar / July 10, 2014
Harry,
Saudi had been Saudi from time in memorial and people who opted to go there are willingly going there knowing the customs and traditions of that country. Why go there if you cannot adopt to that life style. Sri Lankans go there just to keep the wolves at bay and their keep their house fires burning. In fact you should be grateful to ME, otherwise our economy will be in ruins and MARA and GORA will not have the luxury of feeding the Nation and fattening MARA family coffers by way of commissions and corruptions.
Do not try to protect the MARA by being a party to the instigation of communalism spearheaded by MARA and acted upon by Booru Balu Sena.
We Sri Lankans had some respect for multi cultural co habitation, do not tarnish what little is left of that,without beating behind the mulberry bush. You jolly well know who is the recipient of this melo drama, it is none other than MARA and family, who have nothing to give to the poor masses after five years of end of war, but poverty and distress and they are very cunningly taking advantage of Nationalistic sentiments of Buddhists,when they live in the height of luxury and dish out rations to the masses.
Surely you don’t need to be a partner in a crime unprecedented in the Sri Lankan history, committed by the dispotic MARA and family.
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Saman Wijesiri / July 10, 2014
Now that we have clearly seen the clay feet of the so called Sinhala Buddhist hero Galabodaatte, we should start directing our our contempt at the two persons responsible for creating this monster!
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Ravi / July 10, 2014
Sinhala-Buddhists Rejoice – The Next Buddha has already arrived.
Gotama Buddha predicted the coming of next Maitreya Buddha but however the Sinhala-Buddhists always wanted a violent Barbaric Buddha as depicted in the Mahavamsa instead of a peaceful Maitreya Buddha as mentioned in the Tripitika. Instead of Maitreya Buddha, Gnanasara Buddha has arrived.
We have a very good news for the Sinhala-Buddhists, the Buddha that they dreamed of (always wanted), the Buddha as portrayed in the Mahavamsa, the true Sinhala-Buddhist Buddha, the Barbaric Buddha who can terrorize the non-Buddhists has already arrived in the form of GALAGODA ATTE GNANASARA. Saadu! Saadu! Saadu!
Gotama Buddha: Ahimsa (non-violence), Karuna (compassion), Metta (affection), and Maithriya (loving-kindness).
Gnanasara Buddha: Provocative hate speech and swearing in filth, attack them, loot them, rape them, sodomise them, burn them, kill them, and plunder/destroy their belonging.
For the Buddhists around the world, Gotama Budu Saranai and for the Sinhala-Buddhists of Sri Lanka Gnanasara Budu Aba Saranai.
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AJ / July 10, 2014
I like this article but what is the Solution for all these problems?
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reply to Harry Hatton / July 10, 2014
We cannot compare the fights of all around the globe which took place or is taking place or will take place in future for the smae motive or in the same situation. Each one is unique. If you think deep in a proper way you will notice your comparison is not appropriate.It is not the case of comparing an apple with another apple rather you have done it with an apple and an orange.By the way Sri Lankan Muslims are more tolerant. If you notice what is happening now in Sri Lanka after this acursed BBS is formed one would see who is the root cause of all evil which is taking place now in our country in terms of religious confrict. May our Creator open our minds and put a fullstop for this.
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Crazyoldmansl / July 10, 2014
I think we should concentrate on the fact that it is the incompetence of the government that has led to all this. Getting carried away with whether the rats it has bred have red tails or yellow tails or green tails and whether they wear sunglasses or not, is not the issue.
Please do not try to entertain and side track the people. EDUCATE them as to what the real problem is and what they have to do – VOTE OF COURSE – to change it.You are becoming one hell of a lousy journalist. I think it is the “education” they have put you through. It is designed to make you lose touch with the basics and focus on irrelevant and entertaining issues. This is the BBC and CNN issues as well as what you see on facebook. Get your act together if you can.
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Cyril de Alwis / July 10, 2014
Whatever said and done, this man looks very well fed. These robbers in robes rob the poor people’s food by promising them to send to heaven.
Can they ever help us? It is the best time to stop giving free food and lodging to these uneducated fools.
Cyril
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Peace Lover / July 10, 2014
Nanasara as a Buddhist Monk should let go of attachment to materialistic things…. The main objective of a Buddhist monk is to let go of all the attachments so that the monk will shorten the path to Nirvana???
What is this EVIL MONK doing conducting political speeches and using evil words such as THIRISANA, PARAYA, NARIYA, SIKANALA,BALLA, BURUWA, AMMAGE REDDA to the respectable robe of a Monk..YAKKO…..
These words are called Parusha watchana in Buddhism…
This Nanasara has to learn alot from the Buddhist books.
I think he’ll make a very clever politician.. definitely not suitable for a Buddhist monk…
Total Disgrace to Buddhism…
Nanasara should carry out his mission in layman’s clothing not in a respectable Buddhist Monk’s robe…
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Peace Lover / July 10, 2014
All citizens of SriLanka learn to love and respect each other no matter what the religion is… It’s the path to harmony. At the same time minority groups also should not carry fire under water… they also should have the same attitude towards every human being in SriLanka…
If one wants peace that’s the way to achieve it. It’s simple as that. But with different political and religious objectives can this ever be achieved in our Mother Lanka… The Pearl of the Indian Ocean???
It’s the responsibility of the rulers and all the religious leaders to make this noble thing happen…
to handover a harmonious, beautiful Sri Lanka to our younger generations ..
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Peace Lover / July 10, 2014
Nanasara will never be a Buddha Puthra ….. He can never be called a follower of Buddhist principles.
Why is everybody treating him as a Hero ??? Why can’t everybody see the truth ???
Save Buddhism ….Not in a violent way… Insulting everybody … That’s not the way… Nonviolence is the Buddhist way …
Leave it to the rulers…
Rulers please do the job right…
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Renuka / July 11, 2014
Peace lover,
Don’t you see who is driving the Gnanasara in backside.
Its rulers behind it and Gnanasara is simply a curry leaf same as the ruling party ministers.
Now to whom we are to blame!!!
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Samuel Bandara / July 11, 2014
why underworld thugs cant pull the trigger and finally remove this man phy<ysically. He is a not a monk… not a layman either… he is there between. His childhood should have been brutal him to react this way. Even test tube born ones would not behave as Balusara MONK.
I wish I could commit suicide killing this man – Ghanasara in Red robes. He is a threat to entire humanity.
I am depressed. Sorry for my comments. When I see that all work good for them the criminals while the victimized have been isolated, I could kill even all Rajapakshes together… to relieve this nation.
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Sama / July 12, 2014
Yes, if anybody would remove the man Ghanasara, Rajapakshe and the bunch. We the peace loving people would even die for the country and nation.
This is what I felt after going through all the recent happenings.
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Park / July 11, 2014
“Aba Saranai” to Galaboda Gnanasara Thero. Which Buddhist in Sri Lanka has the guts to remove his robe?
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DH / July 11, 2014
Tissaranee, thank you. I am so proud that a Sri Lankan can write so beautifully in English with such a perfect choice of words.
Please, what does “Aba saranai” mean in English?
May the monk wish for himself and all his followers the higher goal he committed to live by and lead:
“May I become a buddha to benefit all sentient beings”
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Sri Lankan / July 11, 2014
Asian Mirror is now in a position to reveal that the term “aba saranayi” which was used by Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera with reference to Muslim shops in Aluthgama was a direct call for destruction.
“Sinhala Sahithya Wishvakoshaya’ – written by veteran journalist the late David Karunarathne – says the word ‘Aba’ can be used as a synonym for “destruction” or “personal loss”. Therefore. the term “Aba Saranayi” is suggestive of seeking refuge in destruction.
According to Buddhist philosophy one should only seek refuge in ‘Buddha’, ‘Dhamma’ and ‘Sangha’ and not in any form of destruction. Therefore, the term ‘aba saranayi’ which is often used by Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera can also be interpreted as an insult to core values of Buddhism.
In his controversial speech in Aluthgama on June 15, BBS General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera used the word ‘aba saranayi’ in a threatening tone when he spoke about Muslim shops in Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga Town.
During the weekly Cabinet briefing a week later, a journalist asked Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella whether he knew the meaning of the word ‘aba saranayi’. In response, the Minister said he was unaware of any such word.
On social media pages, BBS supporters often use the term “aba saranayi” with reference to various people whom they dislike. Going by the meaning of the word “Aba”, it can be construed as a call for destruction.
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K.A Sumanasekera / July 11, 2014
Gnanassara and his Group 8 were sponsored by World View International, to undergo a boot camp type indoctrination in Norway.
Mr Solheim the mentor and the chief Protocol Officer of the LTTE leader Mr Prabakaran arranged the visas for Gnanissara Group.
Gnanissara even as late as last month openly said that the Norwegian Tamils are the most patriotic ex Lankans, when the reality is that they are nearly all hardcore LTTE members.
This “Aba Sarana” .must be a Norwegian term which was used during the Sessions to sharpen the leadership skills of Gnanissara.
Pity Ms T didn’t get an invitation to Norway,
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Aynul Fazliya / July 11, 2014
HOW CAN ONE UNKNOWN MAN WHO POSES HIMSELF AS A MONK LEASH SO MUCH OF HATRED IN A COUNTRY WHICH HAS AN EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT WITH OVER ALL POWERS TO OVER RULE ANY OPPOSITION TO THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE OF THAT COUNTRY.
HERE, THIS MONK HAS ACCUMILATED A LARGE GATHERING AS HIS FOLLOWERS AND IS GOING ABOUT CREATING MAYHEM IN THE COUNTRY CAUSNG HAVOC IN THE LIVES OF THE MINORITY AND THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT TURNS A BLIND EYE TOGETHER WITH HIS ARMED FORCES AND MAKES LAME EXCUSES FOR THIS MAN’S ATROCITIES. HENCE, THIS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THIS ONE MAN IS ENCOURAGED AND EMPLOYED BY THE STATE IN AN ETHNIC CLEANSING CAMPAIGN. MR AND HIS CROONIES ARE WOLVES IN DOVE’S CLOTHING.
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JimSofty / July 11, 2014
The Other side of a story;
Ven. Ayagama Samitha Thero, the chief priest who was attacked on poson poya 12th June 2014 and recounted incidents that the local English people have purposely shunned from publication.
Ven. Ayagama Samith Thero took over as chief incumbent of the Kurunduwatte Sri Vijayaramadhipathi temple in Dharga Town in 2009. The temple is said to have a history of over 100 years. There were only 3 priests at the temple. The temple has over 120 dayakas who maintain the temple. Muslims live on the other side of the temple wall.
The English newspapers have purposely suppressed instances that the Ven. thero had been thrown colored water by Muslim children on bikes while walking to the temple. The thero had not even informed the incident to the dayakas lest it would lead to issues.
The media also blocked mention of how the other priests walking to the temple had been subject to humiliating remarks and how these priests had recounted with sadness the experience. The thero’s decision to use a threewheeler so as not to subject the other priests and thereby allow room for bigger issues is also worthy of mention but again purposely left out of public domain by the supposedly unbiased media. The cost for the threewheeler usage was borne through the sale of coconuts from 20 trees inside the temple premises which drew Rs.6000.
Purposely omitted was the most important incident that took place 10 days before the events erupted in Aluthgama.
Why did the English newspapers and the unbiased commentators omit to mention that a dead cow’s head and 4 dead chickens had been thrown into the temple premises? Was this act an example of peaceful co-existence and how did it tally with the peaceful slogans that are being promoted worldwide with only Buddhists declared the guilty party.
The English newspapers also blocked out an incident in 2006 when Muslims destroyed the Dharmachakra at the temple premises leading to the Buddhist priests having to withdraw in fear from the temple and the temple being shut for some time.
The issue of police inaction is highlighted when the thero went to the police to lodge a complaint as to who would thrown carcasses into the temple compound. Not only had the police taken away the evidence they had simply done nothing. The police have a lot to answer for.
The police of the area cannot deny that over a period of time the behavior of the Muslims in and around Dharga town is what erupted into the clashes that ensued because the police and politicians were taking only one side. Removed from mention was the two policy adopted by the police with Sinhalese being charged for not wearing helmets while Muslims could ride motorcycles without. The people of the area had been silent suffers and none of these grievances have ever made headlines.
We next come to the most important question. Exactly what happened in Aluthgama.
No riot takes place without a reason. 12th Jun 2014 was poson poya. The Ven. thero had been returning from a bana held at the Pathirajaweela temple in a threewheeler. The road had been blocked by a threewheeler and a motorcycle and despite the thero’s driver horning 3 times the response had been Don’t make too much noise, these are our villages”. The thero had beckoned his driver to compose himself and not be intimidated. The thero’s threewheeler was not able to proceed 100metres before a motorcycle with 2 men arrived and attempted to forcibly take the thero’s driver out of the threewheeler. The 2 men were joined by another who came running towards them. The thero had descended and attempted to break the altercation when he was attacked by one person. Upon hearing that an attack was taking place the Pathirajawela temple head priest arrived and asked why a Buddhist monk was being attacked. The response given by the Muslims standing around them was whether he too wanted the same treatment. Not a single newspaper carried how the Prathirajawela chief monk was denied entry to his temple on 13th June 2014 and had to seek assistance of the STF to do so.
Samitha thero was admitted to the Seenawatte hospital and from there he was taken in an ambulance to Nagoda hospital. There was no Bodu Bala Sena involvement or presence on 12th June 2014 when the thero was attacked by a Muslim man for trying to stop them harassing his threewheel driver. The thero was not a member of Bodu Bala Sena nor did he know them. Therefore, the question is for asking the threewheeler to move so that he could travel to his temple what was the crime that the chief incumbent of the Kurunduwatte Sri Vijayaramadhipathi temple in Dharga Town committed?
The most important details that do not tie up to the much projected opinion that innocent Muslims were attacked are the series of incidents that have been taking place. Much of the unreported incidents if made known would certainly tip the opinion but we know that media would not do so.
Please take note that the throwing of the carcasses, throwing of blue dye onto the Buddhist priests, the destruction of the Dharmachakra in the temple, the humiliations that priests walking along the road to the temple passing the mosque was subject to were all done in the absence of any involvement or presence of the BBS. These were all taking place over a period of time. The Buddhists of the area had to silently suffer because neither the police nor the politicians took the issues on the merit of attempting to ensure that people lived peacefully. These grievances numbered many and included how politicians would attend birthday parties of Muslims but not attend the funeral rites of a Buddhist priest. The unheard of grievances were many.
The Buddhist priests of the temple including the chief incumbent had no history of any altercation with the Muslim community whatsoever to be subject to the abuse and humiliation that they suffered. This background information has been purposely blacked out by media.
The next question is how did BBS enter the scene. Having heard what had happened to the chief incumbent and been informed by the grieving public, the BBS is said to have decided to bring the priest to the temple with the respect that had been denied to him and conduct a meeting to address the people. The meeting organized was on 14th June 2014 in the evening at the Aluthgama junction turning to Dharga town, two days after the attack on the priest.
On 12th June at the police station where people had gathered to know what the police was planning to do the police had fired tear gas creating unwarranted tension.
We next come to the most important question. How did the clashes ensue? After the meeting which had a gathering of close to 10,000, the people were asked to return home while the organizers would take the chief incumbent to the temple. When the people began slowly walking home a single unwarranted act led to what we are told is a Sinhala-Muslim riot.
It is extremely important to note the next flurry of detail.
14th June 2014 the day the public meeting was organized was a Saturday. Why would the mosque gather 2000 people at the mosque since there was no reason to gather such a large number of people? Why would the mosque also gather huge stones kept piled to be used, the first of which had struck one of the people calmly returning home? There was no mention of who threw the first stone. For that stone was what led to putting out all the anger and humiliation that the people had been suffering. What is also noteworthy is that there was never any media highlighting the 7 Sinhala homes that had been razed to the ground or the 20 Sinhala homes destroyed there was under reporting of the Sinhalese warded at Nagoda hospital?
What is interesting is that the 1915 riots began with a stone. The stone happened to have been thrown by the same parties. The Muslims threw the first stone in 1915 at a Buddhist procession no different to the 2014 incident where the first stone descended from the mosque by people who had piled up huge stones with the intent of creating an altercation. Incidentally, the 1915 riots was on a Poson poya just as the 2014 riots. If coincidences are counted further the numbers even add up to 7 for both years.
There is a pattern to the denigration. All this shows that there has been a very unfair and unjust coverage of the incident and a totally unfair denigration of Buddhists. But, we understand the reasons for this too. It is well within a larger gameplan and one tied to decades of efforts to denationalize and divide the Buddhists and systematically remove the power they have that holds the country together. Sadly, ignorant Sinhala politicians for power and money have become pawns without realizing that they can and will only lead in a nation that is held together by Buddhists. If Sri Lanka ever turns into a South Korea or a Maldives (as the twin plan shows) none of the present lot of Sinhala politicians will ever find themselves eligible for even election or be elected!
The general reaction as a result of biased media coverage was seen in the manner the usual culprit the Opposition Leader questioned why those attending the BBS meeting had gone through Dharga Town – with lack of knowledge of Sri Lankan landscape the Opposition Leader was not aware that anyone going to Aluthgama had to pass through Dharga town. We can recall his comment on Thoppigala!
We reiterate again that Sri Lanka’s problems have erupted because of politics and in particular politicians. Likewise, the thero explicitly mentions Rajitha Senaratne as continuing to ridicule the Buddhists as he had been doing in the past. We can only question why such people are given portfolios to continue to mislead and destroy harmony while there are scores of other Ministers doing the same. The Thero in the interview does mention the names of the Transport Minister, Minister Champaka Ranawaka, Provincial Council MP Piyal Nishantha who had looked into the welfare of the Buddhists.
The Thero had been presented at the meeting arranged during the arrival of the President but he had not got a chance to address his views.
What the media should have taken time to highlight was how Samitha thero had spoken about the many good Muslims in Dharga town wherein one such Muslim had even visited him in hospital and apologized for the behavior of other Muslims.
Media is not interested in merit or publishing good deeds and so the many acts that the thero had taken part in was again purposely left out. The media thus never said a word about how Samitha thero distributed sweatmeats during the Sinhala New Year, where he would parcel these items himself and distribute to poor Muslims homes. Media never highlighted how Samitha thero would give coconuts and jackfruits from the temple compound to poor Muslims as well. Samith thero in the interview cited an occasion where a poor Muslim operating a tractor who had met with an accident had come to him to ask Rs.2000 but the thero had only Rs.1000 and had given it saying he did not need to return the money. Why did the media purposely omit to mention how Samitha thero had chanted pirith at the Nagoda hospital to sick Muslim children or the fact that even the temple compound is being given to a poor Muslim to maintain so that he would have a livelihood. It was to such a Buddhist priest that the Muslims attacked in Dharga town. Should the people have not been given these details to decide for themselves who the guilty were?
Moreover, much has been left out. There is never mention of the Muslim-Muslim rifts and how far the Sufis of Sri Lanka are being targeted by fellow Muslims via Wahhabi funded movements, groups so much so that these people are being forcibly evicted from where they lived. The media blackens out how far the Wahhabi influence is what contributes to the change in Muslim dress, manipulating Muslims in their submission to the religion to adopt Wahhabi cultures and behaviors that are not only distancing Muslims among Muslims but creating the dent in peaceful co-existence.
Dr Ameer Ali, a scholar and former Advisor to the Australian Government has quite rightly asked that Muslims should first wonder whether they want to be Muslims of Sri Lanka or Muslims in Sri Lanka. He says that Muslims are self-segregating themselves calling it a ‘self-inflicted alienation’ and then blaming the Sinhala Buddhists. Dr. Ali’s advise for Muslims to indulge in self-introspection ended up in him being at the receiving end of vituperative attacks by Muslims themselves. A Muslim himself is declaring that Muslims in Sri Lanka were not intermingling. Dr. Ali also highlighted an aspect that thus far had not been openly mentioned and that was to question why Muslims did not hoist the national flag and most do not even know the national anthem. Dr. Ali was compassionate even to view the manner why cattle slaughter was being objected to, and also confirmed what we have been saying all the while that the abaya was never seen in Sri Lanka until immediately late 2000 and he confirms too that the abaya has nothing to do with Islam and it was on this argument that France secured the ban. That the politicians and corrupt municipal and provincial counsils have allowed mushrooming churches and mosques was highlighted in 58 mosques in Kattankudy some with less than 20 people attending.
History has repeated. The police were bribed in 1915 to stop drumming when the Buddhist perahera was passing the mosque along the perahera route. Unwritten laws were violated by Muslims no different to the grievances that had been omitted by media. It was the Sinhalese Buddhists who were arrested by the British Government. Punishment for offence was to be death. D S Senanayake, his brother F R Senanayake, D R Wijewardena and D B Jayatilake were also arrested, falsely charged and imprisoned. Martial law was declared. It was Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan a real statesmen who came to the rescue and travelled to England to argue the case on behalf of the Sinhalese. Sir Ponnambalam argued the case so well that not only was he able to transfer the Governor, recall the head of the British military but get all the Sinhalese released as well. The horse drawn carriage arranged in Colombo was not drawn by horses but by all the illustrious Sinhala leaders who carried Sir Ponnambalam to his residence to show their appreciation. We wonder whether Sri Lanka will ever have such leaders.
The cause of the 1915 riots was the inept handling of sensitive issues ignoring the sensitivities of the Buddhists in a Buddhist civilization that they had built and have been throughout claiming acknowledgement of. The 2014 incident has been a sad repetition. The media has much to account for the mischief that ensues in Sri Lanka.
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punchinilame / July 11, 2014
With all these going ons, why are the M A H A N A Y K E S – the Buddhist hirearchy maintainig deafening silence – probably awaiting a clue from MR.
Every aspect of Society has been politicalized since 2010 and more being
militarizied at every turn.
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Amarasiri / July 12, 2014
punchinilame
“With all these going ons, why are the M A H A N A Y K E S – the Buddhist hirearchy maintainig deafening silence – probably awaiting a clue from MR.”
Mahanayakas wants to have Motor races for son and have carnival at the Temple of the Tooth. Mahanayakas are Pus-Nayakas.
President apologizes on behalf of son
FRIDAY, 11 JULY 2014 12:17 E-MAIL| PRINT |PDF
http://www.lankatruth.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7260:president-apologizes-on-behalf-of-son-&catid=87:other-stories
After the motor races carnival was held within the sacred city of Kandy ignoring the opposition by Mahanayakas of all three Chapters the President suddenly visited the Mahanayakas of Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters yesterday (10th) and made offerings.
The motor sports carnival was held in Kandy sacred city by Carlton Super Sports Club headed by Namal Rajapaksa and other sons of the President. The media had revealed there was an organized campaign to get the services of 350 foreign prostitutes and provide various kinds of drugs during the festival.
President’s visit after the motor races carnival was to win the favor and goodwill of Mahanayakas who had vehemently opposed the holding of the carnival in the sacred city say political analysts.
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Hameed / July 12, 2014
Dear Harry,
In 1971 and 1988/89 we saw the same horrors committed in the ‘motherland’. We remember the Manamperi case vividly as we do the headless bodies of Sinhala youth killed by the army floating in the Kelani Ganga. If you are a ‘Sinhala Buddhist’ should I hold you responsible for those crimes (never mind the slaughter of innocent Tamil civilialns or Muslims or Christians. After all we are the ‘other’and the Sinhala Buddhists are the chosen people) If your answer is in the negative why should you hold all Muslims responsible for the crimes Muslims are committing in Iraq and Syria?
Should the stupid ‘Islamic Caliphate’ follow what our army did to Tamil civilians in the last stage of the ‘war’and kill as many as they can before their time comes to die.
Hameed
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Harry Hatton / July 12, 2014
From the various responses I see several (obviously Muslim or Tamil )readers responding very violently to Harry’s opinions which were given from a neutral point of view and said only a few very obvious things. These opinions of the anti-harry writers sound very intolerant and almost hysterical.None can deny that the political/social situation in most Muslim countries is unstable and there is a lot of corruption and despotism in these countries. Even in Malaysia their deputy Prime Minister was accused of sodomy and sent to jail !
We can all see that Muslims do not accord equality to their women and demand that they act in a secondary role like in old feudal societies.They have to dress in a certain way etc. Of course some women say they like it !In fundamental thinking even the men must wear beards and dress in a certain way. Cleanliness and personal hygiene are judged by out-dated standards.
Those who are attacking Harry have two themes. One is that since some Sri Lankans get employed in Saudi Arabia and other arab countries they should just close their eyes and not say one word of criticism about those societies. Such employment is not a contract between an employer and employee where both benefit but a huge favor done by the employer to a miserably poor soul! This is an idea from the dark ages.
The other critics of Harry say that Pakistan has a secret service , which apparently is a mighty thing, and therefore the Sinhalese should be fearful and keep their mouths shut.These arguments say a lot about these comment writers and the fundamental substance of their thinking. As I feed you , you are my slave. As you fear me you must love me.
I think Heal thy self is all I can say to these fellows. You either decide to live your life as it presents itself or decide to live according to some old scriptures.As for me I have an open mind and like to look at all humans as one ,regardless of any man made difference. I do not want to be put in some mental cell by ideas which are thousands of years old . After following these ideas for centuries these countries are hardly paradise. Of course the fundamentalists will argue that this is because that they don’t follow these old ideas ardently enough !
I condemn the misguided actions of a few crazy Buddhist. Buddhism has never fought a war in its name.It has no need to convert and does not judge its value by a head count. But at the same time I question the attitude of an aggressive exclusivity displayed by some religions even going as far as having a loyalty to a religion over their own country.
I think some of the hatred shown towards Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapakse by some of these comment writers might amount to a psychological twist. From what is said around some Colombo parlors the Rajapakses, in their corruption, abuse of power and nepotism come very close to Muslim leaders like Saddam Hussein and the Mubarak family (and others)They too ran their countries with their family members who abused power and made money. There was no difference between the country and their family. The country became their personal property.Just see what Kadaffi children and brothers did.This was the man who preached to us about the green book and said he was living in a tent. How about Tunisia,Syria , Pakistan, etc , same story. But since they are Muslims let us not talk about them, just condemn MR and GR who are easy targets.
In my view only by discarding all these nonsense things , becoming truly non-partisan that we can help build a very secular country.How can we fight for a secular country when most Muslims advocate the very opposite ?
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