Two days after ordering the closure of a small mosque in Dehiwala, the Gangodawila Magistrate has set aside the order after mosque trustees appealed against the order refuting police claims that the premises was operating illegally and was a public nuisance.
The Magistrate set aside Tuesday’s order and granted the mosque permission to reopen.
The Magistrate observed that the Buddha Sasana Ministry Secretary’s circular about authorised places of worship cannot supercede the approval of the Wakf Board which is a legally empowered entity to register mosques. The Magistrate also acknowledged that there could be no obstruction or nuisance caused to public life by the mosque’s existence.
A team of lawyers led by M.M. Zuhair, PC and Shiraz Noordeen appeared on behalf of the mosque trustees in court yesterday.
Kohuwala Police filed a complaint in court saying that the mosque was a public nuisance and that it was operating in violation of a Buddha Sasana Ministry circular. The police complaint followed months of resident complaints about the prayer centre, a phenomenon that has been growing where different communities live in close proximity, following the campaigns carried out by Sinhala Buddhist extremist movements like the Bodu Bala Sena and the Sinhala Ravaya.
Safa / March 8, 2014
The constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees the freedom of worship for all religons. There can be some inconveniences to public in the casse of all religons such as processions on public roads, use of loudspeakers, traffic congestion.
These can occur not only due to religous places but also due to cultural events, political rallies, protests, demonstrations, commercial establishments, vip movements etc. It is quite unfair to target one religon for all these problems and order closure of a mosque.
It is quite puzzling why the Dehiwala Police and the District Secretary target only muslims. Are they followers of the Gandasara clique.
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Fedrick / March 8, 2014
These are simple. Former magistrate in Kesbwea (Munidasa Nanayakkara) gave most court decisions in famous temple (Undurugoda temple) for [Edited out].I also got two court decision infavour of me for [Edited out] through chief monk in this temple. Check his court decisions they are just jokes. Sri Lankan nice judiciary.
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Unreal / March 8, 2014
How the ‘The rule of Law’ in SL works! What more of a proof do you need?
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Lanka Muslim, UK / March 8, 2014
Did the ‘Rule of Law’ operate in the case of the violent attacks on several other Mosques; and what about the ‘Manipulation of the Law’ that took place on the attack on ‘Fashion Bugs’. We might have to thank the impending Resolution in Geneva for good thinking to take place at times.
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priya / March 10, 2014
I am a layperson, but can legal folks tell me as to why the judgement of the magistrate cannot be reversed. Can he forgive people for committing arson, disturbing the peace, damaging property etc, even though FASHION BUG owners for whatever reason had forgiven them. May be they were under threat and even “ordered” to forgive. Who has to pull up the magistrate who gave this order if this was wrong
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Rohan / March 9, 2014
WOW… you are UNREAL, really!
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Unreal / March 9, 2014
To: Lanka Muslim, UK / Rohan
Oh, dear; oh, dear!
I wouldn’t blame you. My mistake. I was not knowing that I was commenting to a readership that cannot read the sarcasm in a remark!
Note: This isn’t the first time I have had to face this misfortune.
From: Unreal
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Amarasiri / March 8, 2014
Dear Muslims,
‘Two days after ordering the closure of a small mosque in Dehiwala, the Gangodawila Magistrate has set aside the order after mosque trustees appealed against the order refuting police claims that the premises was operating illegally and was a public nuisance.”
You need to Challenge at every step of the way. That is your duty as a citizen. You are doing the right thing. You can expect the Judges to be more egalitarian and follow the law.
In Sri Lanka there are TWO kinds of Buddhists:
1. Those who follow the True Teachings of the enlightened Philosophy.
2. Those e who follow the Racist Ideology and Teachings of Monk Mahnama in the Mahawansa.
You may have to point out the difference and the Laws of the Country and the UN Charter now and then because some of those forget. The Police while seem to have been infected, they are being meddled by the Monk Mahanama Racists, that makes it difficult for them to do their duty.
So, mu suggestion is keep challenging the MYTH Holders, because in the Monk Mahanam Sinhala Buddhists want to practice myths, they can keep it to themselves, without interfering in the ability of others to follow their Myths.
Anyway, those Sinhala Monk Mahanam Buddhists are Para- Para-Sinhala. What makes them more Para-Sinhala is that they are not following the teaching of Buddha. They call it is Dhamma Depaya, Faith Island, but the fact is that they have turned the Land of the native Vedda, Aethho, to a Mara Deepaya, Mara Island, who was against Buddha.
It looks like, Monk Mahanama is Mara Reborn, if Rebirth is True, but need confirmation.
The Mahawansa has a lot of errors and Imaginations, that is the root cause of Sri lank’s problem.
According to a German Scholar, Mahawansa contains, Tissue of Absurdities.
Deja Vu… Seen Sinhala Monk Maranama Buddhist Racism before.
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Fathima Fukushima / March 8, 2014
SL has 2 kinds of Islam – Shia, Sunni.
They kill each other and blame Israel!
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whywhy / March 8, 2014
Fukushima
And they both enjoy the service of a House maid called
Fukushima who knows everything about these Sunni and
Shia!
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Amarasiri / March 8, 2014
Fatima,
As long as they keep their Myths to themselves, and not kill each other it is fine.
As far as Sri Lanka, (the native Land of the Veddah Aethho) is concerned, the problem is Monk Mahanama Sinhala Buddhist racism and it’s imaginations.
As you say, it is the killing that is the problem. That is true for Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jew and many other myths believers who make unsubstantiated promises of after life. Why the hell( if there is one) can’t they live on this earth, where the evolved, instead of being brainwashed from early childhood to adulthood and created all these problem for everybody, myth-holders and non-myth holders alike?
Yes, Yes, it is the killing, the violence, and the hate that is the problem withe the myth holders.Looks like they cannot wait to go to heaven, hell, to be reborn or recycled.
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Marwan / March 9, 2014
Fucku, are you meaning like Theravada Buddhists will kill the Mahayana Buddhists if they catch them propagating their brand of Buddhism in this country, or like Protestants still hate the Catholics in our Ireland. Well, then who cares if Sunni’s are after Shiites, all are same – common denominating factor. No one is better nor perfect than the other. No saints, only human beings.
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whywhym / March 8, 2014
Amarasiri
The hidden hand behind mosque allergy is no secret to
anybody.But how the rule of law is being applied in
the case should not be taken lightly.Ministry of
Buddha sasana comes under the Prime minister and again
is the Prime minister going to say that he didn’t know
anything,like he said about his involvement in the
release of the world known drug container?Mosques,for
Muslims,are a very sensitive places to be touched by
anyone with ill intention.In Srilanka,don’t look for
Buddhists,just Sinhalese.It’s the prime minister who
ordered the closure if the reports are correct.He must
not make such huge blunder sitting in that chair,in the
first place.Who are these vultures occupying respectable
positions that attract public respect?Not Muslims,it’s
Sinhalese who should feel disgraced by these kind of
actions
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Amarasiri / March 8, 2014
Dear Muslims, Sinhala and Tamils,
You all know, according to Native Veddah terminology, you all are Paradeshis, Para-Sinhla, Para-Tamil and Para-Muslims, i.e. Parangios, just like the Portuguese, Foreigners, in the native Veddah Aethho land.
You all originated from South India. If you cannot live in an egalitarian civilized manner, without imposing your Myth-based hegemony, please leave and get back to South India, with your fellow South Indians.
Here is the Data for the above assertion.
“As such, genetic evidence linking the legendary origin of the Sinhalese population to East India (Prince Vijaya) is lacking.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3166342
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1988 Jun;76(2):217-25.
Blood genetic markers in Sri Lankan populations–reappraisal of the legend of Prince Vijaya.
Saha N.
Author information
Abstract
Serum protein (haptoglobin types; transferrin and group-specific component subtypes); haemoglobin and red cell enzymes (acid phosphatase, esterase D, glyoxalase I, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, adenylate kinase, and phosphoglucomutase (locus 1) (subtypes) were studied in the Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims of Sri Lanka. The allelic frequencies of all the polymorphic systems were similar in these populations without any significant differences. A close look at the present results and earlier investigations on 13 polymorphic loci controlled by 37 alleles did not reveal any genetic characteristics in the present-day Sinhalese population that are distinct from those in the Tamils of Sri Lanka. As such, genetic evidence linking the legendary origin of the Sinhalese population to East India (Prince Vijaya) is lacking.
PMID: 3166342 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8543296
Hum Biol. 1995 Dec;67(6):843-66.
Genetic affinities of Sri Lankan populations.
Kshatriya GK.
Author information
Abstract
Mythological and historical sketches of the Sri Lankan population indicate that it is heterogeneous and composed of diverse ethnic groups. Ancient chronicles of Sri Lanka relate the origin of the Sinhalese to the legend of Prince Vijaya, who arrived on the northwest coast of the island in 543 B.C. from northeast or northwest India. Further, because Sri Lanka occupies an important position on seaways, it has received a constant influx of people from various parts of the world (especially from the Middle East and Europe), including India. Taking into consideration mythological, historical, and linguistic records of Sri Lanka, I attempt to study the degree of gene diversity and genetic admixture among the population groups of Sri Lanka along with the populations of southern, northeastern, and northwestern India, the Middle East, and Europe. The genetic distance analysis was conducted using 43 alleles controlled by 15 codominant loci in 8 populations and 40 alleles controlled by 13 codominant loci in 11 populations. Both analyses give a similar picture, indicating that present-day Sinhalese and Tamils of Sri Lanka are closer to Indian Tamils and South Indian Muslims. They are farthest from Veddahs and quite distant from Gujaratis and Punjabis of northwest India and Bengalis of northeast India. Veddahs are distinct because they are confined to inhospitable dry zones and are hardly influenced by their neighbors. The study of genetic admixture revealed that the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka have a higher contribution from the Tamils of southern India (69.86% +/- 0.61) compared with the Bengalis of northeast India (25.41% +/- 0.51), whereas the Tamils of Sri Lanka have received a higher contribution from the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka (55.20% +/- 9.47) compared with the Tamils of India (16.63% +/- 8.73). Thus it is apparent that the contribution of Prince Vijaya and his companions, coming from northwest India, to the present-day Sinhalese must have been erased by the long-standing contribution (over 2000 years) of the population groups of India, especially those from Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Similarly, the Tamils of Sri Lanka are closer to the Sinhalese because they were always in close proximity to each other historically, linguistically, and culturally.
PMID: 8543296 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
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Rohan / March 9, 2014
“1. Those who follow the True Teachings of the enlightened Philosophy.”
You mean, they don’t pray the idol, don’t bring flowers to temples to dedicate, don’t wear pirith nooluwa, but well and truly follow the teaching of him?
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Amarasiri / March 12, 2014
Rohan,
“You mean, they don’t pray the idol, don’t bring flowers to temples to dedicate, don’t wear pirith nooluwa, but well and truly follow the teaching of him?”
What they follow is inventions.
Read Ms. Shamini Setrasingha’s write up, on the Mahamnama Mahaewamsa Buddhism, and other innovations.
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RICHARD / March 8, 2014
What has the Police got to say about the loud speakers that is operating the full stretch of the Aththidiya Rd (Papiliyana to the bottom of Temples Rd Mt. Lavinia) and half way up Temples Rd? With whose permission are they operating this when there is a law that all loud speakers operating with permission for any event must knock off by 10 pm. These loud speakers are a permanent fixture on light posts every 25-30 meters and operate every weekend. On poya these loud speakers work full blast day and night until the following morning.
I haven’t heard any complaints from the Police, BBS, Ravana balaya or even decent Buddhist folk complaining about the disturbance caused to the entire neighbourhood? After all there are residents of other religious faith, little babies needing their sleep, sick and old people needing to rest; don’t these Buddhist complainants see the injustice caused by these blaring loud speakers to others who are not interested in their crap?
Why should any religious activity, celebration be permitted outside the temple, mosque, church or kovil? This is an intrusion to others and must not be allowed.
IGP, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS IT HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ROAD ATHTHIDIYA -TEMPLES ROAD TO REST IN THEIR HOMES ON THE WEEKEND.
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Rohan / March 9, 2014
I am glad your name is not public. Otherwise, they will bring a mobile loudspeaker to your house as well.
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Marwan / March 8, 2014
Finally, the falsity and machinations of the Secretary Buddha Sasana Ministry has been exposed, and the truth has come to prevail. A great victory defeating all the lies and deceit. We can only thank and praise Allah for His guidance to ensure and safeguard Muslim rights as in this case. If only all matters such as this were decided in Courts, instead of marauding monks taking the law into their own hands, then we may be able to expect more fair judgements, which can be considered to be more fair and just and acceptable even to all parties.
It is a known fact that the Wakf Board is the only State sponsored competent body authorized to register all Mosques in the country, and it will do same unless it conforms to certain standards. It is by itself a constituent of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The Magistrate’s ‘final’ verdict is very clear on this. Way to go.
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Amarasiri / March 8, 2014
Mawran,
“Finally, the falsity and machinations of the Secretary Buddha Sasana Ministry has been exposed, and the truth has come to prevail. A great victory defeating all the lies and deceit.”
Deja Vu… have seen it before.
Yes, this is a exposure of a lie. You need to lool at one of the BIGGEST SINHALA BUDDIST lies. The Monk Mahanama Imaginations of Mahawansa. Given below is a summary of the real facts.
Remember Somarama who killed SWRD. They were ALL Sinhala Mahanama “Buddhist” Racists .
“Buddhist” because they are NOT Buddhist. They are racists. So we had a situation where the Paradeshis. the Para-Sinhala killing Para-Tamil based on Mahanama racism. That is NOT True Buddhism.
This is what the True Natives, Native Veddas have to say about the Para- Sinhala and other Paras-, the Paradeshis or foreigners.
1. All the above descriptions support the Sinhala and Tamil as Para-Sinhala and Para-Tamil, like Para-deshi, Foreigners, as far a the Native Veddah are concerned, who walked at least 16,000 years ago when Lanka and India were connected by a land bridge as the sea levels were low. So, the Sinhala and Tamil Nationalism need to be identified as, Racism, Para-Sinhala Nationalism and Para-Tamil Nationalism. Monk Mahanama imaginations of Mahawansa need to be exposed and discarded.
Why? Non- Confirmation bias of Mahawansa. Did Dr. Para-nawithana, the noted Sri Lankan Archaeologist believe the Imaginations of monk Mahanama of 5th Century such as:
a) Grandfather of Para-Vijaya was a lion? Any DNA data in support of this imagination?
b) Buddha visited Lanka three-times in 500 BC? any support for the Imagination.
c) During one visit, Buddha left his giant footprint on top of Mount Samanala Kanda, “Adams Peak”. Did he fly by the Dandu Monera Yanthraya, Giant Bird, and parachute?
d) The Veddah are the offspring of Para-Vijaya and Kuveni. Is there any DNA data to support this? No. Another Monk Mahanama Imagination. Sri Lanka’s indigenous inhabitants, the Veddas — or Wanniya-laeto (‘forest-dwellers’) as they call themselves — preserve a direct line of descent from the island’s original Neolithic community dating from at least 16,000 BC and probably far earlier according to current scientific opinion.1 Even today, the surviving Wanniya-laeto community retains much of its own distinctive cyclic worldview, prehistoric cultural memory, and time-tested knowledge of their semi-evergreen dry monsoon forest habitat that has enabled their ancestor-revering culture to meet the diverse challenges to their collective identity and survival.
Further reference:
Here some credible data and reference of the genetic Admixture. The Native Veddah were the original inhabitants of the land, well before the foreigners, the parades-his, came from South India.
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2007/6/15923_space.html
The Genetic affinities of Sri Lankan populations – [Reproduced here on a special request made by our LNP friend MURU, this article (web site) was first found by our friend MAGHA.] Friday, 15 June 2007 – 11:25 AM SL Time Genetic affinities of Sri Lankan populations Human Biology, by Kshatriya, Gautam Kumar
Genetic Admixture. Table 9 presents the estimated values of admixture for the two hybrid populations (the Sinhalese and the Tamils) based on 13 polymorphic loci, fitting a trihybrid model using the ancestral frequencies shown in Table 10. (Tables 9 and 10 omitted).
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Peace Lover / March 8, 2014
It is sad to see the damages and disunity these selfish politicians are cultivating within the races in our motherland.
Sri Lanka is the Pearl in the Indian Ocean and this is the Island to which God sent Adam (peace be upon him)
In the past Sri Lanka was a popular destination for the genuine hospitality the islanders had.
I was born and bred in the Hill Capital, the Sinhalese folks whom I grew up with and those whom I knew were very caring and peace loving people.
Let us not get distracted or be manipulated in the game of politics.
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Fathima Fukushima / March 8, 2014
No rule of law in SL.
The court has been bribed by the rich trustees.
Curse them!
Now people have to take matters into their own hands. Too bad.
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whywhym / March 8, 2014
Fukushima
Yes honey,now that all the girls are in the Middle East
you are left with no choice but to “take the matters
into your hands.”
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Marwan / March 9, 2014
In my opinion, don’t expect any support nor sympathy from the Sri Lankan Muslim community, when the international community screws our country at the next UNHCR Resolution in Geneva, for all that has been said and done by racist monks against Muslims. We can only say, you buggers, that is those bigot monks in BBS/SR/JHU and all its supporters, this government included deserve it.
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aratai / March 8, 2014
.
I think all religious places should look at using SMS, Tweeters to call for prayers, instead of loud speakers.
:-)
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JimSofty / March 8, 2014
Muslim Democracy is allow muslims to expand of the other religions.
IT is the modern conquest. USE the system to expand.
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JimSofty / March 9, 2014
This Judge screws up the Sinhale’ majority culture and the civilization and supports expansion of foreign cultures.
This is why when any employee is chosen, that include judges, their personal suitability should be considered.
In that sense, previous Female CJ was not suitable for the position.
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jansz / March 12, 2014
BBS is gonna celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the 1915 sinhala-muslim riots in 2015 with bloodshed.
check the link below for a faint clue. The original post by BBS on their website has been taken down when the matter started leaking out.
http://asiantribune.com/node/62157
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