By Raashid Riza –
There is that scene from Schindler’s List which had a profound impact on me. I had forgotten about it, I never knew it existed, except that it has lain somewhere in the fibre of my brain, dormant, latent, waiting for the opportune moment for it to be of use. The state of Muslims in Sri Lanka is changing, it is perilous, getting graver with each rising of the sun, and suddenly this scene makes a lot of sense. It draws lessons from the attitudes of races and ethnicities and the chemistry between religious communities in Sri Lanka, a chemistry which is at threat of losing its equilibrium.
In the film Ralph Fiennes, playing the character of Amon Goeth, an SS officer, is in his bedroom with a girl. He rises to use the bathroom from where he sees an inmate in the concentration camp taking a break from the heavy painful labour he is being subjected to. As Goeth sees it, he is wasting time, being disobedient. So with the girl still teasing him in the background, he picks up the rifle and shoots him. He then surveys the working landscape from the balcony and walks the few feet back to the room where he and the girl continue to laugh and argue, as if they never had an interlude in which misery was wreaked on another.
For all the details in this scene, it is the image of the girl that recurs – she didn’t kill anyone, she was only an onlooker.
Except she wasn’t. There are no mere onlookers or observers under such circumstances. Inadvertently or not, you are a participant. You contribute to a crime, to someone else’s suffering by inaction, by a silence that spells out consent.
Were the Nazis, the Serbs, the Hutus or Tutsis, the monk-led groups in Myanmar or ironically the Israelis, who are largely descendants of those killed in concentration camps, able to go on the rampage with their killings because of Ralph’s character? No, it was because of people like the girl, the silent majority, who in their silence precipitated the suffering of others.
What then of the situations that we aren’t privy to? That we aren’t as contiguous to, like the girl was contiguous to in that crime?
As a human being, and as a Muslim, my conscience prickles to the murder waiting to happen, of the girl denied her hijab or sari, her jeans or her skirt, being calculated and honed-in for an imminent rape. Of a father fearing for the security of his daughters, bereft of his sons who in distant places toil away for the collective comforts of themselves, their families and their communities. Of the mothers who have lost their sons when they were incarcerated, tortured or killed. Of the numerous wives widowed – or worse, not knowing if they are widowed or not, some only daring to hope.
But do I heed my pricking conscience? Do I do something? No, I choose to be an onlooker, a bystander. Why? In doing something, there is a risk, a risk that my interests may be harmed. I am shackled in a world that entraps me in a suffocating embrace, seducing me with a culture that I cannot liberate myself from, a participant of a club I have to be a member of, spending needlessly and forcing upon me vacations that I justify as mandatory.
I too am aiding to a crime, I let it happen.
There is a fine line here – this is not a call to arms or a veiled threat, nor is it a subscription to the vile Bush-esque dictum “you’re either with us or with the terrorists”. But this is a conscience call, to me, as much as it is to you.
This history of Muslims in Sri Lanka is not just another story of a minority community. Sadly and very inaccurately, the term ‘minority’ is used to describe Sri Lankan Muslims in the same vein as European Muslims are described as minorities. This history of Muslims in Sri Lanka is as old as Islam itself.
Geographically, Sri Lanka previously held a central location in ancient trade routes, and was the traditional resting spot of sailors and merchants who were travelling from the east to the west. Therefore, Arab merchants had been frequenting Sri Lanka long before the advent of Islam in Arabia. With the ideological transformation of Arabia, the same Arabs coming to Sri Lanka were now Muslims, and in addition to marrying local Sinhalese and Tamil women, helped create the Sri Lankan Muslim population on the island.
Unlike their other Muslim ‘minority’ counterparts, the Sri Lankan Muslims bear the exact same physical resemblance to the rest of the Sri Lankan communities and speak the same local tongue. Traditionally, Muslims in Sri Lanka have had the best of relationships with the two other communities in Sri Lanka – the Sinhalese and the Tamils – and have a history spanning well over a millennium.
The Muslims in Sri Lanka are now in a perilous state, a state which they aren’t used to being in following their long history in Sri Lanka. Their shops are being attacked or looted; girls have been harassed on account of wearing the hijab. Racist Buddhist monks in their religious garb, with no regard to the pristine beauty of the teachings of the Gautama Buddha, yawp in derogatory terms, hurling abuse and damaging Muslim-owned properties as the police stand by doing nothing to uphold law and order. The rancid inaction of the police has been attributed by many commentators to be in deference to orders from the highest echelons of the state. A state contaminated by politicians of the most nefarious ilk, who would benefit from ethnic disturbances just right now to conceal their misgivings, corruption, extra judicial killings, daylight robberies of the state coffers, mass unemployment and the rising costs of living.
The Sinhalese in Sri Lanka are suffering the traumas of a corrupt government and an insipid and emasculated opposition. But the Sinhalese are a cultured people, armed by the virtues of Buddhism, a proud people with a celebrated history of close to three millennia, except that in their midst, like almost every other nation on earth, they have a minority of extremists who would kill, rape and steal, like they did to the Sri Lankan Tamils in July 1983.
Should the situation of the Muslims in Sri Lanka deteriorate, like that of the girl in Schindler’s List, it will be the nonchalance and silence of the decent majority of Sinhalese, imbibed by the salience of Buddhism, be it religious or cultural, that will scream the loudest. By their silence, and by virtue of their inaction, they will incontestably be contributing to a crime. They have a power, a power greater than that of the racist monks that feed the Bodu Bala Sena or the Sinhala Ravaya. They must use it, and they must use it now.
A peaceful vigil conducted a few days ago was hijacked by the Bodu Bala Sena with the connivance of the police. The collective voice of the Sinhalese majority, aided by like-minded Muslims and Tamils, has to make itself heard. Until then, there will be a deathly and eerie silence in which Sri Lanka will be engulfed, much to its peril.
*Raashid Riza is the Politics & Society Editor of The Platform. He tweets on @aufidius. Above article was first published in the www.the-platform.org.uk
Safa / April 15, 2013
I think the majority of Sinhalese Buddhist are not aware of what is actually happening. Other than being bombarded with vitriol regarding the threat to their religon and nation from the muslims hoards they are not in receipt of any of the saner counsel accessible to educated denizens of the internet.
So it is unfair to expect them to respond to any attacks on those potrayed by their clergy and leaders as the evil shylocks of the country. The rural folk are by and large uneducated folk who believe the gossip circulating at the market place or village kade.
Reform of the Sinhala Buddhist Polity has to be from within. It has to be led by its clergy, educated leaders and scholars. If not the tale of the Gonibilla and Muslim Rapist will prevail. Just as International Conspirators, NGO’s and now Nightclub Buddhist are bad words.
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j.muthu / April 15, 2013
Reform of the Sinhala Buddhist Polity has to be from within. Should have done it long long time ago, Budhism and sinhala budhism two different thing. One is preaching peace and harmony, sinhala budhism accept blood violence part of their religon…cheerrrssssssssssssss
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Dodo / April 16, 2013
Good article – but why do you speak only of and for Muslims? Why don’t you speak about the Sinhala political mob attacks on Tamils in 1977, 1983 and on Christians – minorities in general?
The failure of the Muslims, particularly Muslim politicians and leaders, to care about anyone else but themselves is part of the problem that you write about..
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Dinuk / April 16, 2013
Sri Lankans from all walks of life are fleeing the country due to lack of economic opportunity, and fear if one is a minority. Economic prosperity is strictly reserved for the Rajapakse military dictatorship and its cronies masked by the Saffron Robe.
Rajapakse thrives on the Sinhala mob’s envy and jealousy, and the minorities can go to hell – their property and lands have been grabbed and stolen by Rajapakse Brothers and sons, the military and the Buddhist monks who claim all sorts of “scared areas”. Today Muslims are the target of the envious and jealous Sinhala mob.
July 1983 and previous anti-Tamil riots were about destroying the ECONOMIC backbone of the Tamils, driving out Tamil professionals from govt. jobs and turning them out of Lanka, today the same strategy of attack on minority businesses and professional is directed against the Muslim – Sinhala Budhicization of Lanka is the name of the RAJAPAKSE game of DIVIDE, DISTRACT AND RULE Forever.
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dav / April 17, 2013
The efforts to make sinhala people to fight each other won’t succeed.. sinhalese are no sunni- shia to fight each other. Now you are trying to provke BBS supporters and those who oppose them, i tell you my friend this cheap technique will not work
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Roger Harding / April 16, 2013
Sinhalese Buddhists look paralysed against the ongoing wave of hate mongering by Balu Sena.
Left wing parties are asleep or sleeping with the enemy for perks.
Balu Sena is very good at intimidating Sinhalese Buddhists as well. By quickly branding them Kalu Suddas or traitors, if they stand up against Balu Sena.
Mass media is heavily controlled by Rajapassa clan. Sinhalese are infleunced by Balu Sena propaganda.
Not a nice picture.
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justice / April 15, 2013
Sinhalese are not totally silent.Many have protested.But the majority may be silent due to fear – fear of state machinery which brutally suppresses protests by average citizens.
They see what has happened & is happening to tamils who dared to ask for equality in every sense of the word.
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Leon / April 15, 2013
Can the author please help me and I am sure others too, to understand why Muslim MPs and other Muslim States are silent, while the silence of the decent majority of Sinhalese Buddhists is challenged?
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punchinilame / April 15, 2013
and more importantly why the five MAHANAYAKES right here are so deaf
and blind to what is happening in their very own Sector!
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Piranha / April 18, 2013
What does it imply?
Doesn’t it imply that they are in agreement with what the BBS and the other Sinhala fascists are doing? I think so.
The mahanayakas only speak out when the Sinhala Buddhists are attacked. That shows the difference between true Buddhism and Sinhala Buddhism. The latter is evil, violent and unbuddhist.
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Imana / April 15, 2013
As some one called, the Muslim politicians are a ‘purchased commodity’. They are a disgrace to the community and a bunch of hypocrites.
As for the other Muslim states, their actions will speak more than words.
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whywhy / April 15, 2013
Islamic organization comprised of 57 nations has already
voiced its concern.Rauf hakeem’s demand for an urgent cabnet
meeting was not met with success.All citizens seem to believe
that the govt is the beneficiary of this hate campaign
against Muslims.A section of the Sinhala community could be
convinced that they don’t need to worry about attacks
carried out against another community in the name of their
own racial benefit.There’s also a section in the Muslim
society itself, not least worried about anything until and
even after loss of lives.They are waiting to be rescued
from above, with shower of miracles.Sinhala people’s voice
in loud counts because the attack is being carried out in
their name and religion and for their future generation!
Don’t they have a responsibility to stand up and say”not
in our name?”
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David Blacker / April 16, 2013
Because, Leon, those you mention are Muslims, and their protests will simply be dismissed as Muslim sentiment. It is the Buddhists who must take a moral stand against this bigotry within their ranks, and say “This is wrong; stop it.”
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Atomic51 / April 16, 2013
…and the girl in the backstage in this havoc is no partner in crime, but a promiscuous in business in transient, satiating the libidinal drives of the shoot to thrill prankster’s sexual disposition. So, it cannot be surmised that she involuntarily was part of the unexpected malice of her partner.
….
“Paradox is beloved of novelists. The despised savior, the humane whore, the selfish man suddenly munificent, the wise fool, and the cowardly hero. Most writers spend their lives writing about unexpected malice in the supposedly virtuous, and unexpected virtue in the supposedly sinful. ”
― Thomas Keneally, Searching for Schindler: A memoir.
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Nas / April 15, 2013
I think that we could see backfiring soon and is happened in USA already for BBS delegation . One Buddhist centre refused to give accomendation to this delegation because of their extreme views of minorities. You can not blame singhalese for the actions of few fanatics.
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Aney Apochchi! / April 16, 2013
Nas:
I beg to differ. The VAST MAJORITY OF SINHALESE ARE CHOOSING TO BE SILENT AND ARE, THEREFORE, COMPLICIT IN THESE CRIMES. At least Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (with the huge security forces behind him!) has had the balls to declare his allegiance to the BBS. On that score, at least, there is no doubt!
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J muththa / April 15, 2013
The people who need to respond are the Law enforcers.
Hijab was denied in France and you remained silent.
Then the pinnacle at the roof of mosque denied in Switzerland and you remained dumb founded……
Now .. BBS..
Wonder who the NGOs or the country whose hidden hand is behind all this?
Bottom line is all this take place to destabilise Sri Lanka, to create unrest and break up the country.
[Edited out]
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j.muthu / April 15, 2013
YOu are right break up the country is the only answer, othervice you will live in country blood and violence part of your life. we tamils had enough let us go alone good for you and innocent sinhala people…
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DODU / April 15, 2013
But NO LIMT and FASHION BUG were full of Budhists in this Avurudu season!
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Shiva / April 15, 2013
Riza how would Muslims nations treat non-Muslims who want to worship?
How would Muslim nations treat non-Muslims who want to carry a symbol of their religion?
How would Muslim nations treat non-Muslims who wish to put up a kovil, temple or church?
Muslim nations do not give any rights to non-Muslims but in non-Muslim countries they demand all the freedoms….
practice what you preach…
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Hismail / April 15, 2013
Try to read and understand what the writer is trying to convey. The context is Sri Lankan Muslims within Sri Lanka. Therefore, confine your comments to the subject matter.
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NAK / April 19, 2013
But he brings up Myanmar and Thailand but conveniently ignore Bangladesh! Look,You harvest what you sow. If you live in a community in harmony the chances of anything untoward happening are very low. When you try to segregate your self as something seperate and special and do thing that offends others you must expect them to react. It is simple as that.
I will give you a few examples. your Mosques blaringloud speakers all day long irritates others,you know that and you can’t clim that is in accordence with the Qoran,nevertheless you keep doing it just to show your power(someone actually said so in a blog)but others just tolerate it as mark of respect for the religion. Notice how you guys invade the main roads after prayers paying scant regard to others on the road. Does any one obeject about the inconvenience caused them by closing shops on preyer times.You might argue it is our business and we open and close when we like but you can only do it if it is members only and not open to public,but no one complains because it is your religion.
You choose to seggregate your selves in prayer,in housing,in dress
and claim we are also the same society and complain about discrimination. It is you who chose to become a minority by self imposed seggregation. Ask your selves do you have to dress like a Pakistani or an Arab to be a good Muslim. Did’nt you guys do fine untill you decided to change.It is easy to blame others,BBS or Ravana force or any other force,not that I condone,not what they do,but how they do.
If they feel they have some cause to protest they have the same right and freedom as the other to do so but within the bounds of law.If the law is broken the police has the duty to ensure law is enforced and if the police failed in their duty there are other means addressing that,exhaust all the means at your disposal for justice before declairing that there is no justice for minorities in this country. You are condemning the country not the culprits.
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Ane mea / April 16, 2013
@ shiva what are you talking about ? the keys to the holiest site in Christendom the church of the holy sepulcher is entrusted to two Muslim families ! look at the number of kovils and temples in the most populous Muslim country in the planet Indonesia, Malaysia isn’t that different. ask any Jew ! the golden age of Judaism was under Islamic rule. In fact many non Muslims say that its easier and safer to practice their religious beliefs in Muslim countries. look I understand that you have the liberty to say what you want but please have the DECENCY TO USE YOUR COMMONSENSE before commenting ! Cheers
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Shiva / April 16, 2013
obvviously u r clueless about history – malaysia, indonesia were all buddhist countries ….pl just google and see for yourself.i just did… so naturally there will be ancient sites…
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Ane mea / April 16, 2013
Obviously you still haven’t used your common sense ! most other Muslim countries were not Buddhist countries! so naturally there aren’t any temples there duuh (I Just goggled it, may be you should too) ! there has to be worshipers in order to have temples, people don’t just make temples for show you know !!
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Bagbota / April 16, 2013
Egypt was a Buddhist country, Tamilnadu’s sangam era was totally Buddhist, Mongolia was totally Buddhist, Siberia was totally Buddhist, The Apache (not the helicopter) was totally Buddhist, Micronesia was totally Buddhist, Liberia was totally Buddhist, Serbia was totally Buddhist etc.etc.
Voltaire, Bismark, Disraeli, Justinian, Shah Shuja, Pol Pot, Marco Polo, Samson & Pliny were all Buddhist disciples.
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Piranha / April 18, 2013
You forgot to mention our local Hitler – His Supreme Highness Mahinda Rajapaksa, SOB.
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Uthungan / April 16, 2013
..and that includes the Maldives too.Many artefacts and clues about the Hindu & Buddhist religions and traditions which prevailed many centuries ago in those islands have been completly obliterated and what remained being systematically destroyed.
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Fuel to the Flame / April 16, 2013
Descendants come upon descendants. Ancestral beliefs could change in the recourse of beliefs and what to keep and what to discard belong to the master’s will. Nowadays, nobody prefers a langooty over a spandex brief even though if it’s poor wicking?
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Kurumban / April 16, 2013
That vast majority of artefacts existed in the tiny atolls of Maldives???
We could see the Capital Male as only to be a stretched bikini in size with dotted with sand dune atolls. Wonder, what could have flourish in it the likes of ruins and grottos?
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Lester / April 16, 2013
@ Shiva,
Malaysia and Indonesia were Buddhist and Hindu, yes. And the Middle East was Christian, Jewish, and “pagan” long before the Arabs invaded. Even Iran was Zoroastrian for most of its history. The same thing is true for North Africa and Turkey. “Islam” does not have roots in any major civilization; it is simply the outcome of some Bedouins in the desert banding together. How they managed to conquer so much territory so quickly is a big question market.
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Lester / April 16, 2013
*is a big question mark
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David Blacker / April 16, 2013
Shiva, why do you want SL to follow the example of Muslim countries? Are we a Muslim country, according to you?
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Brandish / April 16, 2013
Vishvam Sarvamayam. Your head is with Vishamayam, the arsenic brain.
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Wicca / April 16, 2013
A third eyed Lester?
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Suraj De Silva / April 15, 2013
Below is a comment posted on facebook under this article considering several other comments. Posting again due to relevance to article here.
Don’t generalise Sinhalese as racist. If they were, there wouldn’t have coexistence even at the level that we experience in this country. It is politicians (in all ethnicities) that make some people racist by creating a situation of fear psychosis. Some so called educated in all ethnicities are also responsible for the same . I have experienced and have heard how Sinhalese saved many lives of Tamils as well as in some cases Muslims during 1983 riots from moronic goons who were on a killing and looting spree. You are doing injustice to the moderate and open minded Sinhala population by trying to brand them as racist.
Many of the writers in exaggerated form are doing it for their own benefit and survival. They too are opportunists as much as many politicians waiting for an opportunity to expand their vote base. For them peace & harmony is end of their means of earning money or winning the vote.
Yes, there are extremists, racists, and opportunists in every nation, every religion, every race and cast etc. It doesn’t mean that we need to label everyone else the same. Yes, there are problems and during past few months we have seen unacceptable behaviours of some extremist. But it is no way near the situation that writers try to portrait. There is no situation here in this country that does not allow someone to hide their race and religion and walk on streets in fear of attack. Even during 30 years of war Tamils did not have to hide that they are tamils. It’s the same with Muslims or any other race here. If they claim such, they should be referred to a psychologist. For them fear of height also could be racial.
Yes, there are legitimate grievances for all. But the way that some tries to resolve such aggravate them further. What some of those who campaign for minority rights should also be aware that majority also have similar grievances. Some issues that they portrait as racial are not racial issues but problems that we all face.
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Dompe Sira / April 15, 2013
I have to agree with your sentiment. The anti-BBS movement has become a fad for some people, and a breadwinner for others. Yes, the BBS is full of shit, and yes, minorities have genuine grievances. But the situation is not even remotely as dire as some people make it out to be. For all the hoo haa about the power that the BBS yields, the sinhala people were out in force shopping at fashion bug and no limit over the weekend.
The truth of the matter is that the BBS hasn’t even gotten the attention of the sinhala majority, let alone their imagination. right now the BBS is just like a little kid desperately seeking for attention, just ignore it.
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ONE / April 15, 2013
Suraj : The fact remains that the none-racial you talk of just ignore the fact that minorities are being persecuted as long as it does not touch you like the insurrection of the JVP. Suraj the humbug.
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Suraj De Silva / April 16, 2013
ONE – I truly dont understand what you mean here – “Suraj the humbug”. Excuse my ignorance & explain
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Aney Apochchi! / April 16, 2013
Suraj de Silva:
EVERYTHING you say runs contrary to the reality that we are facing in this country today.
All that was needed to bring out broad public AND GOVERNMENT support for the BBS was fabricated lies about sexual attacks on a Sinhala girl and similar fiction. It says a great deal about the “great, tolerant, Sinhala Buddhist nation” that all that is needed for it to support (however, surreptitiously) and launch pogroms against minorities is some lie and/or fabrication!
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Suraj De Silva / April 16, 2013
Aney Apochchi!
Are you living in Sri Lanka? When I read your comments here and below all I could say is “Aney Apoi”. If you want to talk the truth, first start with your real name. Fake start and fake ID continue to pursue you to say things that’s not correct.
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whywhy / April 16, 2013
Suraj
Excuse me,just give me an idea that your name is not
fake and all pen names are fake.Please find my comment
a little above and correct me if I’m wrong and trying
to hide under a fake name.You may be real Suraj,yet I
can argue that you are fake.You won’t prove you are
real.Pen name is a cover for safety to say what one wants
to say under moderator surveillance.You asked in your
comment not to “generalize” all Sinhalese as racists,and
can I ask you to do the same regarding your “Fake name”
comment?
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Suraj De Silva / April 16, 2013
Correcting a typo –
There is no situation here in this country that REQUIRES someone to hide their race and religion and walk on streets in fear of attack.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / April 15, 2013
The majority Sinhala citizens of Sri Lanka cannot be used as a cat’s paw when elected Muslim representatives in parliament are silent to the unfair treatment meted out to Muslim businesses and ordinary veiled women. This is not condoning the actions of extremist religious fanatics who should have no place in Sri Lankan society.
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PresiDunce Bean / April 15, 2013
Most of the majority knows what is happening.
So long as something does not affect them, they remain apathetic. If the majority really cared like most people mention in their comments here, why did they (the majority)remain silent when Tamil civilians were getting bombed in the no fire zones? Why don’t they ask for an impartial inquiry into what happened in the last days of the war? Why did they remain silent and not raise a voice about the appalling conditions the Tamils had to suffer in the so called welfare camps? Why were there no protests when Tamils were being abducted in white vans? Why no protests when the GOSL is dragging its feet on implementing the LLRC report and holding elections in the North? Why know protests when the Uthayan newspapers was burned to the ground a few days ago?
Most of them are too busy making ends meet, while the rest just don’t care. Most of them will tell you that we are all brothers and sisters under one flag…that we are one country, one people and one nation…but in their hearts almost all of them believe in the Mahavamsa myth of this country belonging only to the Sinhala Buddhists. This is the reason for their silence and complicity in everything that has been happening post war. The Rajapaksas’ are playing the race card for votes because they know that a majority of the majority are either openly racist, closet racists or just “we don’t care what happens as long as we are safe Sinhala Buddhists.”
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Lankan / April 16, 2013
Buddhism came to Sri Lanka through the children of Emperor Ashoka. Emperor Ashoka became a Buddhist only after killing thousands of soldiers and civilians. It appears that the history has taken a 360 degree turn in Sri Lanka. With the killing of civilians by the armed forces during the JVP times and the LTTE times and the Buddhist monks attacking the Muslims, Christians and Hindus and their places of worship, we Rajapakse is at a juncture, same as Emperor Ashoka and wondering what steps he should take. May be we all realize that its time again like Emperor Ashoka, the leader of our country can also become a “TRUE BUDDHIST” and make the necessary changes that are required to bring about democracy, equal rights and above all rule of law back into Sri Lanka……. A dream of a Sri Lankan.
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PresiDunce Bean / April 16, 2013
@Lankan
…before your dream comes true…
I think pigs will fly…
American women will start working as housemaids in Sri RajaPakistan…
Sri RajaPakistan will win the next rugby and football world cups…
Politicians will declare their assets…
The majority of this country will urge the government to invite the international community to conduct an independent and impartial inquiry into the last days of the war…
Sri RajaPakistanians will appoint a Tamil President and a Muslim Prime Minister…
Australian boat people will seek political asylum in our country…
…and this country will finally become the wonder of Asia and the Universe! :D
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Lankan / April 16, 2013
Good dream.
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Joy / April 17, 2013
If only dreams came true…….
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Upul / April 16, 2013
I just have an observation. If you are living in another country, having gone there was a better life, your ability to make a credible judgement or comment on anything Sri Lankan is severely compromised.
During the LTTE times, there were many occasions I was an observer to many discussions about how/why/when the Army and Govt and everyone else should do to end the Tiger menace. Strangely most of these commentators were foreign passport holders with no skin in the game.
This is what we do best! We do this with Sports, Politics, Economics and anything else that is topic du jour!
A religion does not need defending. It has survived the test of time because the faithful have kept the faith! Those who claim to be the defenders are generally the ones who do the damage. I do not think there is a need to quote examples here because there are plenty of examples to go around.
What is important is a sense of collective responsibility. As Buddhists we must question the type of lives the clergy live. After all they are our examples. Acquisition of property be it in the name of the temple should be banned henceforth. Dana’s should be simple and vegetarian. How come we have to make fried chicken and beef fry ? Of course we indulge lest they refuse our invite the next time.
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Suraj De Silva / April 16, 2013
Upul – We have been giving vegitarian alms for many years and none of the Buddhist monks have ever refuced an invite. Not just one temple but 3 or 4 that we invite from. We have never been asked to give non veg.
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K.A Sumanasekera / April 16, 2013
“”Racist buddhist Monks” and “Muslims in a perilious state”, are serious allegations by this Muslim writer. when Islamic brothers and sister having been living and progressing well after the 30 year Terrorism.
This writer perhaps is not up to speed about what happened to the Muslims in that period.
Neither he seems to be of the knowledge of Sinhala Buddhists, about their connections to people from Arabic lands going back to Roman era abd beyond.
Even If he is trying to please the anti Govt , and anti Buddhist crusaders , he is not doing any favors to his own kind, by this kind of writing.
It is fair enough to encourage and even participate in any vigils whether , they are organised by Facebooking yuppies, or Rent a Crowd casuals.
What the inhabitants, and it is the great majority of them, want is to prevent any disturbances to their current peace and harmony that they enjoy through out the land.
And today’s explosions at the Boston Marathon make it even more important.
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Suraj De Silva / April 16, 2013
Euphorian writers
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Wickramasiri / April 16, 2013
There is a high degree of anxiety amongst the people of all races living here due to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s attitude of ignoring acts of violence and the rule of law. He permits the use of religion and race to secure his electoral base. This appears to be a pre-programmed recurrent theme. The threat to people’ freedom and happiness, their need for peace and harmony is subordinated for his own selfish need. After 40 years as a politician he has lost the sensitivity and the decency to give to the people what they are yearning for. Now he cannot be humble, instead he is swept by egotism and pompous conduct so ugly to behold. He has no loving kindness in his heart to give.
The people of this country and many religious leaders have tried to advise him without success which is why they are now silent. I think there is no point in appealing to him, or to any one else in the government. The criticisms and the commentaries in the social media will achieve little. May be it is time to appeal to his wife and children as a last resort for they may sometimes better understand what the good people of Sri Lanka are saying.
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Upul / April 16, 2013
Mr. Sumanasekera,
What has Boston got do with this discussion.
Koheda yanney malley pol?
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Native Vedda / April 16, 2013
Upul
“What has Boston got do with this discussion.”
K.A Sumanasekera is a secret admirer of Yankee Dick. Boston incident hurts him more than the Mullivaaikkal war crimes.
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Upul / April 16, 2013
Rest assured the FBI, US Depts. of Justice and Homeland Security will eventually get to the bottom of it. The report will not disappear into thin air!
During the last 10 hours, they have kept the news media informed of relevant developments without any control or hindrance. You do not see the Secretary of Defense calling in his stooges to stage-manage the facts. However flawed and deficient at times, this is freedom of information and democracy at work. Of course, there is much to be desired but then, who the hell cares for a Sri Lankan’s opinion, other than ‘the Sri Lankan’ himself!
And that my dear Watson, is the problem in a nutshell.
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lesly / April 16, 2013
My friend Riza – All the communities lived well for centuries in peace and harmony in the country, its the modern day dirty and bad politics and politicians are destroying the country. It’s very easy to come and stay in power using the communal feelings of the people. Our people too educated but wouldn’t use their head when electing people to high offices to serve them. In a decent country the elected officials and public servants are to serve the people for they get their pay and pecks from the public from the public funds but in our country these people are the masters of the people. Not at all answerable to the public or for that matter to any one.
Now all these fuzz about saving the Sinhalese and Buddhisms are another smoke screen to hide the bad deeds and incompetent of our politicians to delivery the goods to the people. It’s an opium to shift their attention from difficulties of their daily living.
The cost of living has shot up through the roofs. The leaders are not making any attempt to lighten it at all, on daily basis they are loading more burden on to them. The cost of living was better during the war but now, in peace time, it’s unbearable. But the politicians and the public officials do a fantastic life at the expenses of the people.
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Aney Apochchi! / April 16, 2013
Tsunamisekera rides again!
Pray expand on “Rent a Crowd casuals” with particular reference to the work done in this field by the government before which you live in eternal genuflection!
Your paymasters have, for a long time and led by the two Rajapaksa brothers with their connection to the US, sought to inflict on Sri Lanka the establishment hysteria that brands anyone with anything resembling Muslim/Asian headgear as “terrorists.” The fact that this kind of murderous thinking which was given impetus by George W. Bush’s gang is actively supported by those you serve should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Fascist behaviour and tactics.
PLEASE retreat to the shelter of the rock from which you (all too soon!) emerged to inflict yourself upon us!
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peebee / April 16, 2013
Its an undeniable fact that the inability of the majority community to empathize with the minorities is the root cause of most of the issues here. This leads to a denial of any issues the minorities have as demonstrated by the author called SURAJ above.
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Five Fingers / April 16, 2013
Well its obvious in many countries in the world people change the history to fit the present time. Even so in Sri lanka. In Europe the white people have always worked against the minority Roma/gypsy who came from India for 1000 years ago. They ´+25 million people have been discriminated, and there culture , language have inspired many countries in Europe…But today people don’t recognize there language and culture and respect what they have done for the European history. In Sri Lanka we living under a strange thing that Sinhalese are a race. When some Sinhalese looks more like Tamil or middle eastern or mixed, some looks like “African” kafirs , immigrants from Mozambique who came as soldiers with the Portuguese, you can find still many Kafir Sinhalese in Negombo, which have curl African hair . its obvious that all Sinhalese people are not of same race, just same language and culture. The history is more complex with immigration with all parts of the world to Sri Lanka during the years. The facts are that the government and the scholars wanted to United the Sinhalese race VS the Tamils. that is why it created an story about everyone is from Orissa/east Bengal. In fact somethings is very similar in east bengal, the names like singhe and many Sinhalese last names, and of cos the faces as well… is very common use there
However what i wanted to tell you is that historical evidence, and findings and as well in the Buddhist scripts..Are talking about Both significant Kamboja (Iranian Buddhist) immigration all over the island. The most famous is Rohana Empire (which was soly created by Persian soldiers who was fighting with Rama against Ravana.)
you can still find many interesting looking faces in these areas of Kalutara you go in to the village side) which are very Indo-aryan looking.
Secondly the big immigration was by Yavanas (early Indo-greeks) (Its also well written about 40 000 Yavana came to the Anuradaphura stupa celebration with the King Menander who was the emperor for Alexander the Great in India. .They came from the Indo-Greek empire in today’s Kabul Afghanistan. Most of them settled and got married around Kalutara area. You can still find Greek sounding names and village names . And the Sinhalese people there for sure average are taller and bigger than in the south.
And we should not forget that Tamils traditionally don’t welcome foreigners. Many of the foreigners got invited with the Sinhalese kingdom, and got wife’s from them, including the Muslims…who was killed by the European colonial powers..and chased away to Kandy. so why are we trying to create a fight, when are ancestors are from all walks of life and globally dispersed, This BBS, are a bunch of low grade, fools, who need to go back to the temple and re-learn Buddhism and Sri Lanka’s rich history
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Kiri Yakka / April 16, 2013
Raashid,
The online poll by Centre for Policy Alternatives may help answer your question. Out of 975 respondents 76.2% possibiity of a balck July, yet a significant portion of the respondents 43.5% vote ” Never ” to arrest & appropriate Punishment.
groundviews.org/2013/04/13/a-tolerant-sri-lanka-report-on-online-poll/
What does this tell you ?
It tells you what the Mahawamsa has been advocating under the leadership of the Sanga in ridding the country of non-Sinhala Buddhist – mainly the Demalus then – who were considered half human. The Muslims were not there then, but never too late to join the list.
Deep in the Sinhalese psyche there seems to be a built in endorsement for crimes against non-Buddhist, while they clearly see the danger of another 83, they seem to find a religious justification that blinds them to their crimes.
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Mohamed / April 17, 2013
Buddhism has been on the decline.The reason for this is well explained by happenings in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.The list of former Buddhist countries keeps on expanding. Indonesia, Malaysia Maldives and so on. There were no wars in these countries to convert Buddhists.
Islam is a way of life. From nail cutting to earning money every thing is stipulated in Islam. Most of the Muslims do not even touch alcohol for the one single reason that one verse in Qur’an has prohibited it. There is no police, army or any other force to enforce this
quranic law among Muslims. This is the beauty of Islam. Recently, there was A fatwa based on Qur’an and Hadhiths that smoking is not allowed in Islam.Islam totally prohibits gambling. Islam is not a religion of rituals and some cultural features only. It is complete system of life. In this process Islam has contributed immensely to humanity.
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Paisa Must Appah / April 19, 2013
Wrong. Wrong, Wrong,Mohammed.You are simply hallucinating. I am a Muslim myself and no verse in any Holy Book can prevent me from consuming alcohol. At official parties I cannot refuse a whisky because I have to be with the crowd. And no fatwa can prevent me from pulling on my Marlboro or Dunhill at embassy parties. About nail cutting, no need for any reminders.I need long nails to claw my political opponents. Just ask Hakim. As for making money,well, being in the govt, the kitty is there and if your hand can go through it, its all yours.I am also a member of that black-suited fraternity of Hulftsdorp vultures so nobody need teach me how to make money, whether halal or haram.
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Lester / April 17, 2013
GOSL must implement imminent population control. It is not a racist policy; it is the same policy used by Israel to keep itself majority Jewish. SL is small, like Israel. If some outside group comes in and every family has 6 or 7 babies, for whatever reason, and this group is also unproductive , it will lead to vast socioeconomic problems. In Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and UK, there are so many Muslims who are abusing the generous system of social benefits given by these countries. SL is not rich like these countries, so the consequences of being flooded with a vast amount of unproductive people will be extremely severe.
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David Blacker / April 18, 2013
Yes, Lester/Heshan, your idol Hitler also was keen on population control, so tell us some of His methods; you know, the ones you praised on Groundviews? In that case you must be praising the actions the GoSL is accused of in the NE, ie the changing of the demographic to maintain the Tamils as a minority within each constituency.
FYI, the Muslims are not outsiders, and they are also far more productive than the Sinhalese. SL would be a lot further along in its development if we had more Muslims and less Sinhalese. Unfortunately, that’s never going to be so.
What’s hilarious is that some of the most virulent Muslim-haters on the BBS Facebook page are actually working in Muslim countries :D
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Lester / April 18, 2013
Blacker/Heshan/etc.
[Edited out]
Who told you Muslims were more productive than Sinhalese? Did you learn that when you were only 18 or 19 and had never seen a corpse (oops, Muslim) before?
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David Blacker / April 19, 2013
No one told me anything, Heshan. I can see it for myself. Do take your medications before going online; it’ll save CT the time editing your sexual fantasies out :D
It’s also hilarious that you’re now suggesting I impersonated you. If I wanted to do that, I’d teach a baboon to type. It was you that got kicked off Transcurrents for attempting (badly) to impersonate DBS Jeyaraj :D
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Senarath / April 15, 2014
Dear Ria
For you question about silence of majority Buddhist has got the answer here in Mohammad comments. When i was university, i got a friend he is the person who correct my Sinhalese writing. I didn’t see any thing different between us. We got Muslim girls,. I didn’t see any thing different. They were like one of us. There never ever let down Buddhism and we didn’t see any thing wrong with the Islam. Look around, how many Mohamed like this commentator. As Buddhist we are not approving what ever the bodu-bala sena is doing. Real Buddhist power (bodu balaya) is the kindness not the hate. But unfortunately, people who living with Arabic money try to create separate Islamic identity (in the same time letting down all others) what we do not want. We want see only Sri Lankan not any body else. But being the majority everybody finger to sinhalies Buddhist, but not looking what the so called minorities are doing. I can see, you got the respect to all. If there many Muslims like you who appreciate the respect and mutual recognition, all other will be raise. But ground realty is completely different. So there is no place for people like you and me with the extremist ( no matter Sinhalese or Muslims or Tamils) in all segment in our society.
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wOls BeMia / April 19, 2013
You are but a shindy prey, convoluted in the final dungeons of the earths fall.
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Rahman / April 19, 2013
Mohamed
You are asserting that Islam is the best like a modaya. This is beside the point discussed here and the topic is not religion. I being a Muslim feel ashamed of your ignorance. Please try to go with the flow,Mohamed.
It is true Islam has prohibited alcohol but many Muslims do drink and you cannot stop it.
Being a good Muslim may be good but please use your brain as well. No offence, mohamed
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