While the tense situation in Ampara following the attack on a mosque and business premises owned by Muslims has abated, authorities continue to do nothing on the fear psychosis regarding so called ‘sterilizing drugs.’
There has been a pernicious campaign to whip up anti-Muslim sentiment among Sinhalese over the past few years. This includes the spreading of a canard that Muslim businesses surreptitiously try to sterilize Sinhalese customers using various means. Among them is the notion that substances are embedded in brassieres and the deliberate contamination of food with ‘sterilizing substances’.
The incident in Ampara involved the second, where a group of Sinhalese people allegedly under the influence of alcohol entered Hotel Cassim and forced the cashier to confess that such ‘contamination’ had been perpetrated.
Such canards have been circulated in social media for quite some time and have generated a fear psychosis among the Sinhalese. It is clearly a dangerous tendency and one which seriously threatens the conditions for peaceful coexistence among communities.
However, none of the state agencies mandated to promote such things nor various NGOs that claim to address such issues have done anything to lay the canard to rest.
Meanwhile the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, in a media release, urged authorities to conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident, drawing attention to the video clip where the mob exacts a confession from a Muslim cashier. The Council also noted that a leading Muslim textile retailer was recently accused of distributing toffees that would ‘make women barren,’ and pointed out that there is no evidence of such drugs existing anywhere in the world.
wannihami / March 1, 2018
Here is the effective Vanda Peththa: reform the the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Law, Read the following and decide for yourself aren’t the fundamental rights of Muslim girls and Women violated or not.
The Act (MMD) legally allows child marriage by not stipulating the minimum age of marriage for Muslims as 18 years (under the Act a Quazi judge can even permit the marriage of a child under the age of 12);
● There is no requirement of mandatory and written consent from the bride therefore forced marriages are technically legal;
● There are different conditions of divorce for men and women:
o Only husbands are granted the right to unilateral divorce without reason;
o Process of divorce for wives lengthy, requiring reasons and evidence, witnesses and case hearings;
● The provision for wife and child maintenance is decided arbitrarily by Quazis;
● Under the Act qualified women are not allowed to be marriage registrars, Quazi judges, jurors or Board of Quazi members. These are state-salaried and tax-funded position that legally discriminate against women simply on the basis of sex;
● There is no mandatory requirement of qualifications or mandatory training for Quazis on MMDA;
● The Act allows the practice of polygamy without requirement of consent from the wife/s or wife to be (and often without their knowledge) or without conditions of financial stability,” the statement said.
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Sana / March 2, 2018
I am truly ashamed to be born in this country with a bunch of uneducated racist idiots. They should definitely be sterilized to prevent further damage to the society.
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Citizen online / March 4, 2018
How come , MR and clan is not breathing a word out about Ampara Attack ,? After all The Aluthgama Muslims did give their votes to his faction ,,,
And how about JVP the color changing katusa +Lizard),???
How could politicians sleep at night peacefully, wish well for their children, while gaining power by playing with innocent poor peoples lives ? I always thought no matter what ,but when it comes to belonging to the poor class Race and religion diminishes ,and they unite. But For my surprise ,it is the poor who pay the price all the time .guess their blood is not worthy .huh,,,
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