By Ameer Ali –
Dr. Ameer Ali
There is one irrefutable fact about the Sri Lankan Muslim community and that is, this minority which has been living in this island peacefully for over a millennium since its origins in the 8th century and prospered exceptionally well in comparison to similar Muslim minorities in the rest of Asia, has, during the last two to three decades, got deliberately enmeshed in narrow ethnic politics and irrational religious fanaticism to such an extent that it is now confronting a virtual existential crisis. Unless the community’s problems are properly diagnosed and remedies meticulously prepared and presented for action the future of this minority appears unsettled and troublesome to say the least.
The responsibility for the prevailing crisis falls heavily on the community’s leadership, which is mostly shared by Muslim politicians and the ulema or religious scholars. Historically and prior to independence it was the Muslim commercial class and landed gentry that monopolised community leadership, but since then because of the country’s overall political, economic and educational changes the social dominance of the business class has declined relatively to that of politicians and the ulema. Unfortunately and seriously what is missing here is the leadership of the secularly trained Muslim intellectual class, an aspect about which l will have more to say later in this short piece.
Even within the political leadership the birth of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in the 1990s marked a turning point. Before that, the Muslims of Sri Lanka never dreamt of forming a separate political party of their own. Aspiring politicians from the community joined the national parties, contested and won parliamentary representation and a few of them even became cabinet ministers. While the leadership of the Tamil minority was treading a divisive and ethnic based political line Muslim leadership on the other hand, with a commercial shrewdness historically and uniquely inherited, chose to work with the majority community so that the advantages to their own community could be maximised. This strategy, contrary to the criticism it receives from the SLMC politicians and their cronies, worked out very well, and owing mainly to the selfless dedication of some of the then Muslim leaders the community made several strides economically, educationally and culturally. Of course there were substantial shortcomings in these achievements some of which were superficial and even carried hidden disadvantages, like closing schools during the month of Ramadhan. However, the main reason for this shortcoming was not the political strategy but the absence of a carefully crafted agenda or program focusing on the long term interest of the community but designed in consultation with Muslim intellectuals and thinkers. Many of the reforms recommended by the pre-SLMC political leaders were ad hoc and resulted from random thought bubbles. It is the absence of a thoughtfully structured program that is still bedevilling the long term progress and national integration of the community. Sadly at that time such an intellectual class was too small to count, but now the situation is different.
The change of strategy by forming the SLMC, an independent political party based on ethnicity and religion, was the most populist but short sighted political move that some sections of the community undertook driven by selfish motives. ‘United we stand and divided we fall’ is an age old mantra that is always nice to listen but too difficult to put into practice. This is true of the philosophy behind SLMC and a supposed unity of the so called umma was the basis on which the original advisers of SLMC justified the party’s formation. The scattered nature of Muslim settlements in Sri Lanka, the conflicting linguistic and economic interests within the community, and even regional cultural differences were not given due consideration and was thought to disappear under an emotionally concocted political unity. In reality however, SLMC has ultimately become a party mainly for the Eastern Province Muslims and because of leadership squabbles and character assassination within the party there is currently a move to form another one. The SLMC launched its political campaign with the religious slogan “Allahu Akbar”, and resolved to fight for and win the rights of the Muslims. Nowhere in its party manifesto the leaders of the party spelt out what those unique rights for which they were going to fight and nowhere in the party’s latest conference speeches and publications was there any reference to how many of those mysterious rights has the party won for the community so far. Instead, corruption, nepotism, regionalism and personal animosities have become the bane of this party, and its narrow ethnic image and reckless religious sloganeering have added fuel to the communal fire in the country. Can the community afford this leadership? One can fool all the people sometime, some people all the time, but not all the people all the time.
The ulema of Sri Lanka like their counterparts in several parts of the world are the most influential class within the Muslim community simply because of their monopoly over religious knowledge. Although the actual quantity and quality of this knowledge is not uniform within this class the fact that the masses are virtually illiterate to read and understand the holy texts in Islam, which are written in Arabic – a language foreign to the vast majority of Sri Lankan Muslims – has bestowed upon this class a disproportionate degree of exploitative influence and power. Also, to the majority of ulema this knowledge is their chief bread winner, and therefore it is needless to stress that it is to their advantage to continue keeping the masses in a state of religious ignorance. The ulema are the chief interpreters of religion and there is no central body or institution in Sri Lanka, and for that matter anywhere in the world, that can monitor and standardise these interpretations. In Islam there is no place for monkhood or for a Church or Pope. The Ceylon Jamiyatul Ulema (CJU) is not an elected body and has no control over all the imams in the country. Each alim (singular for ulema) is a law unto themselves. Recently this class of leaders has fallen prey to powerful foreign influence. The infiltration of Wahhabi ideology accompanied by financial and other tangible perks from Saudi Arabia has turned great many of the ulema to become foot soldiers to Wahhabi fanaticism causing thereby irreparable damage to the millennium old Buddhist-Muslim tranquillity in Sri Lanka. Muslim ethnic politics combined with religious fanaticism is a recipe for disaster.
To the Muslim politicians however, the support of the ulema is crucial to enrich their vote bank. Yet, to either of these classes this shared leadership is a poisoned chalice. Is there a way out? Yes, if the secularly trained intellectuals within the community, though they are still small in number, can play an active role in exposing to the public the hollowness and vacuity of this shared leadership and come out with a program of their own and rally the support of not only the Muslim masses but even others in the wider community. These intellectuals must be able to earn their credibility by courageously speaking the truth in front of power.
Landlessness, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, domestic violence, religious fanaticism, inappropriate education and larger family size are some of the issues which will continue to pull the community backward unless some preventive measures are taken immediately. Some of these issues such as the first four mentioned above are common to all communities but the rest are more acute within the Muslim community. What are unique to the community cannot be solved by the government but must be tackled by the community itself and to tackle them one requires as first step solid facts and figures. Only the intellectual class can handle the task of research backed by solid data and analysis. After nearly twenty-five years of its existence one would have hoped that the SLMC would have recruited at the least a team of Muslim intellectuals to populate a think tank which will make facts-based recommendations for political action. Sadly, that has not happened until now and with its bitter internal power struggle may never happen in the near future.
Even after starting late the Muslim community since the 1970s has produced a nucleus of dynamic scholars and intellectuals from both genders who are progressive and nationalistic in outlook but remain unrecognized by their own community. This is the tragedy of Muslims. While business magnates, landed proprietors, religious functionaries and political charlatans are treated with respect and honour intellectuals and rationalists are disregarded as unworthy of recognition. Historically it was when the intellectuals and rationalists were given the pride of place Islam enjoyed its high noon and produced a glorious civilization. When rationalism was shunned by orthodoxy after the 12th century the decline started and continues till today. Are we witnessing the same phenomenon in tiny Sri Lanka also?
Intellectuals by virtue of their dedication to seek knowledge are not economically resourceful and to expect them to deliver a factually backed action program demands economic resources. Unless the community wakes up to this need, mobilize resources and encourage the learned to engage in productive research about problems that inhibit the welfare and tranquillity of Muslims in Sri Lanka, their community will continue to misplace their expectations and trust on an ineffectual leadership.
*Dr. Ameer Ali, School of Business and Governance, Murdoch University, Western Australia
Native Lankan / February 24, 2017
“it is now confronting a virtual existential crisis”.
Oh yeah! Only you who supported this Yahapalanaya? My friend, today, all Sri Lankans are confronting a virtual existential crisis, and do not narrow it down to Muslims only.
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Analyst / February 24, 2017
DR Ameer Ali
Isnt it a little too late to realise your mistakes??
The Mullas ,the Muslims , and the Muslim leaders including the Muslim Politicians took the shortcut ,
The short cut was the dangerous one for their community,
How ??
The Muslims became the enemies of the Tamils and started the Thoppi Changing to please the masters and the Majority community.
Why ?? Because they were used as Pawns to punish the Tamils!! Along the way they were treated lavishly !
I mean the ones rubbed shoulders, the rest of your community was ignored by your leaders.
Now you reap the rut , that s all.
Now the learned people like you realising that your community have lost the PLOT.
History of flourishing history since the 8 th Century have all gone to dogs.
Who you follow now is the Ayatollahs Of the Arab world.
The yellow Robes are against you , The Racists are against you, ever ready to burn your businesses and your Mosques.
Don’t you think learned men like you atleast acknowledges the problems your community faces is a good thing??
Living in Denial will curtail the future of your community.
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Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / February 25, 2017
[Edited out] Comments should not exceed 300 words.Please read our Comments Policy for further details.
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Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / February 26, 2017
Analyst Islam only originated 1400 years ago around the mod 7Th century, therefore Muslim Arab traders , would not have been coming to the shores of the island in the 8th century. Many of these ancient Arab traders were not Muslim but Christians. This why you get the Syria Christian community in Kerala commonly called Nasrani or Christian Mappilas.
99% of the Sri Lankan Muslims are descended from immigrant Dravdian Tamils converts from South India who only migrated to the island a few centuries ago. Just look at the author of the article, he looks typically Dravidian and Tamil nothing Arab just like the rest of the Muslim commentators here. However they all want to deny this and claim some sort of imagined ancestor ship and relationship with the few Muslim Arab traders who arrived in the island much later.
Muslims in the island created this problems for themselves.. Their elite for their own selfish political and economic gains brain washed the island’s Muslim masses to deny their actual Dravidian Tamil origin and heritage and in the name of religion worship everything Arab and claim a fake Arab heritage that only a few of them partly have.
To justify this from the word go, they had joined with Sinhalese racists and governments to kill. loot ethnically cleanse and deny justice to the non Muslim Tamils and are still doing so in the east. The recent shooting of a Tamil government official who was trying to stop large scale illegal Sinhalese and Muslim land grabs in Batticaloa. Sinhalese used these fake Arab Indian origin Tamil Muslims of Sri Lanka as one of their tools in their anti Tamil genocidal war and threw them many crumbs as rewards for their part. They are still doing so in the east and these Muslims are lapping it up. However in the rest of the island, they do not need them now and have turned against them and these Muslims who were once their allies, are now playing the victim and crying foul.
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2017
Bisthan Batcha
Yes. Succinctly put.
It is the hegemony of the Ulama and Mullahs, and the elevation of Revelation above Reason, observation and thinking that has made the Muslims backward since the 12th Century.
Western Europe reached with the Age of Reason and enlightenment in the 16th Century. Muslims need to get to the Age of Reason and Enlightenment , and marginalize the Ulamas and Mullahs.
Until the courageous Muslim intellectuals take the leadership from the Ulama and Mullahs, to lead the community, and it will continue to be downhill as before, as the Ulama and Mullahs will throw the Quran, the Hadith and the Prophetic tradition, as INTERPRETED BY THEM, at the community.
See what Ibn Rushd, Averroes, had to say about the Ulama and Mullah. They are NOT people of knowledge, they are literal interpreters. So, the Earth is spread out like a carpet, and the Sun goes around the Earth, as Joshua claimed in the Bible.
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Muslim Sri Lanka
“has, during the last two to three decades, got deliberately enmeshed in narrow ethnic politics and irrational religious fanaticism to such an extent that it is now confronting a virtual existential crisis”
Yes. Succinctly put, courtesy of Wahhabites. ( Wahhabis, Salafis, Tauhid, ISIS, ISIL, Taliban, Boko Haram etc(
It is the hegemony of the Ulama and Mullahs, and the elevation of Revelation above Reason, observation and thinking that has made the Muslims backward since the 12th Century.
Western Europe reached with the Age of Reason and enlightenment in the 16th Century. Muslims need to get to the Age of Reason and Enlightenment , and marginalize the Ulamas and Mullahs.
Until the courageous Muslim intellectuals take the leadership from the Ulama and Mullahs, to lead the community, and it will continue to be downhill as before, as the Ulama and Mullahs will throw the Quran, the Hadith and the Prophetic tradition, as INTERPRETED BY THEM, at the community.
Stupidest Muslim Vs Neil Tyson – How ideology can ruin intellectual power
Published on Nov 10, 2014
This is not a debate between some Muslim and Neil Tyson. But this video shows the thinking of some very well educated 21’st century Muslim (I don’t know he is ignorant, stupid or dishonest. But he is one for sure) and Neil Tyson speaking in a lecture about how Muslims intellectual power ruined by an ideology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyCxrL9-C84&t=194s
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Analyst / February 25, 2017
When the Muslim Leaders / Politicians continue to dance with the Devils for their own profiteering, their own communities are left in the mercy of their religious leaders.
We all know where that will lead to.
It’s like Yes Sir No Sir Three Bags Full Sir.!!!
This is the story of the Muslim Politicians.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
Comment Part 1: Problem Identification and Historic Perspective
(289 Words)
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems in Muslim Sri Lanka
“The responsibility for the prevailing crisis falls heavily on the community’s leadership, which is mostly shared by Muslim politicians and the Ulama or religious scholars. Historically and prior to independence it was the Muslim commercial class and landed gentry that monopolized community leadership, but since then because of the country’s overall political, economic and educational changes the social dominance of the business class has declined relatively to that of politicians and the Ulama. Unfortunately and seriously what is missing here is the leadership of the secularly trained Muslim intellectual class, an aspect about which l will have more to say later in this short piece.”
Thank you for succinctly identifying the problem faced by Sri Lankan Muslims, and those who are trying to assert their hegemony. Identification of the problem is 95% of the solution. Opposition to reformation of MMDA is a good example of this power-hegemony struggle.
So, what constitutes, the balance, 5%, to come up with a solution?
This understand a possible solution, you need to go back to Islamic History in the 12th Century, and Christian History in the 16th and 17th centuries to understand the problem and come up with possible challenges to this hegemony and possible solutions.
Amarasiri believes that, in the 21st century, with the advances in technology, education and globalization, there is a critical mass of Muslim Intellectuals, businessmen, teachers, and common people with common sense, who can be informed and appraised of the problem faced by the Muslims and the negative roles played by the Ulama and the politicians, who depend on the Ulama for votes.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
Comment Part 2: Hegemony of Theologians, Ulama, and Historic Perspective, and Point out Their Errors and Deficiencies, in the Interpretations.
(297 Words)
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems in Muslim Sri Lanka
Islamic Historical Conflict Between Philosophers and Theologians. Revelation Vs. Reason
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu%CA%BFtazila
Ash’ariyya and Mu’tazila: Revelation Vs. Reason
http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H052
The Mu’tazila , Its members were united in their conviction that it was necessary to give a rationally coherent account of Islamic beliefs.
Ash’ariyya – named after its founding thinker, al-Ash’ari – was the foremost theological school in Sunni Islam. It had its origin in the reaction against the excessive rationalism of the Mu’tazila. Its members insisted that reason must be subordinate to revelation. They accepted the cosmology of the Mu’tazilites but put forward a nuanced rejection of their theological principles.
The Mu’tazila originated in Basra at the beginning of the second century ah (eighth century ad). Mu’tazilites were well established in many other centres of Islamic learning, especially in Persia, and had split into two rival factions, the Basran School and the Baghdad School. Both schools flourished until the middle of the fifth century ah (eleventh century ad), and the Basran School only finally disappeared with the Mongol invasions at the beginning of the seventh century ah (thirteenth century ad). After the demise of the Mu’tazila as a distinct movement, Mu’tazilite doctrine – by now regarded as heretical by Sunnis – continued to be influential amongst the Shi’ites in Persia and the Zaydis in the Yemen.
Ash’arites from the second half of the sixth century ah (twelfth century ad) onwards, the movement adopted the language and concepts of the Islamic philosophers whose views they sought to refute. The most significant thinkers among these later Ash’arites were al-Ghazali and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
Comment Part 3: Al Ghazali to the Rescue of Theologians, Ulama, but Inn Rushs, Averores, Rebuts Al-Ghazali on 17 of 20 arguments of Al –Ghazali
(299 Words)
Ash’arites from the second half of the sixth century ah (twelfth century ad) onwards, the movement adopted the language and concepts of the Islamic philosophers whose views they sought to refute. The most significant thinkers among these later Ash’arites were al-Ghazali and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.
Theologians, Ulama hung on to Al-Ghazali as their savior of the Theology where Revelation is Above Reason, irrespective of observations and data, was advanced by Ghazali. The Rulers, the “Politician’s” sided with the Theologians, because they controlled the masses.
Sound Familiar? Sinhala Buddhist politicians tow the line of the monks. The Muslim politicians tow the lines of the Ulama and Mullah. See what happens in Wahhabi Saudi Arabia. The rulers of Papal Europe towed the line of the Popes. Crime against the Church was a crime against the State. Examples are Galileo and Bruno.
So how do you get the Muslims to get to the Age of Reason and Enlightenment, when the Ulama and Mullah are blocking it?
Do what the Europeans Astronomers, scientists, and Philosophers did. Resurrect the Scientific method and the Age of Reason, as an alternative to the Religious Theology.
So form the True Muslims of Knowledge, The Wise Muslims, Muslims with Common Sense, as opposed to the Theologians who are literalists, who lack knowledge, and cannot comprehend the “Precious Book of Knowledge” Quran, as Ibn Rushd, Averroes, said 900 years ago.
THE DECISIVE TREATISE, DETERMINING THE NATURE OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
What is the attitude of the Law to philosophy?
Thus spoke the lawyer, imam, judge, and unique scholar, Abul Wahd Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd:
http://people.uvawise.edu/philosophy/phil205/Averroes.html
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
Comment Part 4 : Al Ghazali Rebuttal by Ibn Rushd, Averores
(299 Words)
Ibn Rushd (Averroes) (1126—1198)
http://www.iep.utm.edu/ibnrushd/
Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd, better known in the Latin West as Averroes, lived during a unique period in Western intellectual history, in which interest in philosophy and theology was waning in the Muslim world and just beginning to flourish in Latin Christendom. Just fifteen years before his birth, the great critic of Islamic philosophy, al-Ghazzali (1058-1111), had died after striking a blow against Muslim Neoplatonic philosophy, particularly against the work of the philosopher Ibn Sina (Avicenna). From such bleak circumstances emerged the Spanish-Muslim philosophers, of which the jurist and physician Ibn Rushd came to be regarded as the final and most influential Muslim philosopher, especially to those who inherited the tradition of Muslim philosophy in the West.
He critically examined the alleged tension between philosophy and religion, and he challenged the anti-philosophical sentiments within the Sunni tradition sparked by al-Ghazzali.
Dr.Ameer Ali take note, and promote Rushd Philosophy.
Ibn Rushd contended that the claim of many Muslim theologians that philosophers were outside the fold of Islam had no base in scripture. His novel exegesis of seminal Quranic verses made the case for three valid “paths” of arriving at religious truths, and that philosophy was one if not the best of them, therefore its study should not be prohibited.
He also challenged Asharite, Mutazilite, Sufi, and “literalist” conceptions of God’s attributes and actions, noting the philosophical issues that arise out of their notions of occasionalism, divine speech, and explanations of the origin of the world. Ibn Rushd strived to demonstrate that without engaging religion critically and philosophically, deeper meanings of the tradition can be lost, ultimately leading to deviant and incorrect understandings of the divine.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
Comment Part 5 : Revelation Vs. Reason, Ignorance Vs. Knowledge, Theologians Vs. Philosophers
(297 Words)
Form a Group, True Muslims of Knowledge, and sideline the Ulama, as per Ibn Rushd.
This debate faith and reason, has a long history.
The topic and subject matter of debate is Muslim Leadership by Ulama in Islam, the decline of Muslims because of the Hegemony of the Theologians using Sharia.
According to Abdl Walid Ibn Rushd (Averroes), false interpretations are the root of the rise of heretical sects in Islam ( by extension Wahhabism, Salafism etc), totaling according a Prophetic tradition (Hadith 72), of which only one was destined to be saved. The debate is NOT on Mutazila, Mutzallite and Asharites, positions on the world being created in time(hadith or muhadith) must have a Creator or Orginator (Muhdith) who created in time, and the temporality of the universe(huduth).
Please Read Faith and Reason in Islam by Abdl Walid Ibn Rushd, known in European sources as Averroes, was born in Cordova, Spain, in 1126 CE. ( ISBN 1-85168-263-5). The topic and subject matter is Averroes who held controversial views about the relationship between faith and reason, arguing that religion should not be allowed to impose limits on the exercise of rational thought.
The dispute between reason and religion is far from anew phenomenon, this important book is essential reading for scholars, students, and all those interested in Islamic Philosophy, and it effect on the modern intellectual world, and cause transformation in Islam, help Muslims to get to the Age of Reason and Enlightenment, and Reform Islam, and take it away from the Ulema, Mullah and other Satan, Shaytan, Iblis, and Devil followers.
Scholar from al-Azhar: Wahhabism is a Satanic Faith, the Horn of the Devil that Muhammad Predicted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufxTUFapy1w&t=42s
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
[Edited out] Comments should not exceed 300 words.Please read our Comments Policy for further details.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali: Ibn Rushd, Avoerroes, Part 1
(299 Words)
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Muslim Sri Lanka
Will the Sri Lankan Ulama and Imams get the Muslim Intellectual to be burnt, including others Comments?
Ibn Rushd in his darkest hour
Despite his philosophical brilliance Ibn Rushd was banished and his writings burnt.
In the age of civilisational decline the political mixes with the religious, the social with the individual and the economic with the geographic.
There is often a return to superstitions in societies, the shunning of science, the supremacy of intellectual terrorism, the spread of tribal and sectarian divisions and wars, and the persecution of every free thinker to the point of exile or murder.
In all the struggles endured by free thinkers in which they were either killed or exiled, we find the same elements of decline no matter the time or place. This includes the time and place of the struggle of Abul Walid Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd (1126 -1198), or Averroes in the Latinised form of his name.
Ibn Rushd is the most capable rationalist philosopher in the history of Arab civilisation, and the best versed on the achievements of his age and the ages before him.
His various commentaries on Aristotle revived Aristotelian thought in Europe. Al-Kulliyat, a medical encyclopedia he wrote was the first of its kind and explains the role of the retina and other human organs.
He also wrote The Decisive Treatise, Determining the Nature of the Connection between Religion and Philosophy.
This book makes him the originator of the idea that Greek rational heritage does not contradict Islam and that scriptural sciences have an arena as do rational deductive sciences.
Ibn Rushd is the most capable rationalist philosopher in the history of Arab civilization.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali: Ibn Rushd, Avoerroes, Part 2
(280 Words)
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Muslim Sri Lanka
Will the Sri Lankan Ulama and Imams get the Muslim Intellectual to be burnt, including others Comments?
The reasons for the persecution of Ibn Rushd vary according to those who studied his struggle and their intellectual levels.
Some mention that his persecution was the result of influential court scholars who used religion as a business turning the ruler Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur (1184-1199) against him. They did this by making false allegations, including that Ibn Rushd has described Mansur as “king of the Berbers”.
Other reasons given for Ibn Rushd’s persecution were his personal friendship with Abu Yahya, Mansur’s ambitious brother who wanted to ascend the throne. Abu Yahya was later beheaded by Mansur accused of “befriending philosophers and harbouring heretical and deviant thoughts”.
A final reason offered was Ibn Rushd’s book The Incoherence of the Incoherence, in which he responded to the fallacies of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s The Incoherence of Philosophers. He did this despite knowing Ghazali was the master of the Almohad dynasty who were in power, and believed the earth was located between the horns of a bull.
Ibn Rushd was summoned to the Mansur’s court, publically insulted and cursed and accused of heresy. The king ordered him to be exiled along with anyone who spoke about philosophy.
Mansur also ordered that all parts of the kingdom should warn against philosophy, and philosophical books be burnt except for those dealing with medicine, mathematics and astronomy. These books were important because they help people know the time and the direction of Mecca for when they pray.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali: Ibn Rushd, Avoerroes, Part 3
(270 Words)
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Muslim Sri Lanka
Will the Sri Lankan Ulama and Imams get the Muslim Intellectual to be burnt, including others Comments?
However, when talking about the trials of a philosopher like Ibn Rushd in the 12th century it is important to remember attacks on rational science, especially logic, began in Abbasid Baghdad under caliphs who were parrots in cages in the 10th century.
Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi, the great 10th century thinker, argues in Enjoyment and Conviviality, that Abu Bishr Matta Ibn Yunus who translated Greek books was insulted in Abbasid vizier Ibn al-Furat’s court.
His attacker was the grammarian Abu Said al-Sayrafi, who argued Arabs do not need logic. What is most notable about this early attack is that the vizier considered it to be a “defence of religion and the religious”.
Andalusian society once again witnessed a rise and decline and suffered from the use of religion to justify injustice. Arab civilisation was regaining its prosperity after al-Hakam II (who ruled from 961-976), the Andalusian Umayyad caliph, took an interest in sciences and scholars and collected books from far and wide during his father’s reign and later during his own reign.
Philosophy was also flourishing and was encouraged by some rulers.
However, all of this changed when Hakam II died and his underage son Hisham II took the thrown. However, it was Hisham’s gatekeeper Almanzor who the real ruler, and he ordered the destruction of the books al-Hakam II and others, except for those focusing on mathematics and medicine of course.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali: Ibn Rushd, Avoerroes, Part 4
Ibn Rushd in his darkest hour
(254 Words)
RE: Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Muslim Sri Lanka
Will the Sri Lankan Ulama and Imams get the Muslim Intellectual to be burnt, including others Comments?
During that period, Ibn Rushd and Arab civilisation suffered two tragedies. The first happened when Ibn Rushed was exiled from Cordova to Marrakech, and his followers were persecuted to the point where they hid their knowledge for fear of being killed.
Philosophy threatens to expose political authorities and social oppression.
The second was the embargo imposed on Ibn Rushd’s enlightened philosophy that lasted for centuries.
We know the average person does not read philosophy books, let alone understand books on logic, so where did all the incitement against any enlightened thought come from?
It comes from the authorities that know through their “experts” the dangers of people basing their lives, politics and thought on reason and evidence instead of superstition.
Therefore, philosophy threatens to expose political authorities and social oppression. In addition to the authorities, incitement comes from those who are unable to reach the intellectual heights of true scholars, and who only use knowledge to further their own interests.
This group always accuses scholars of rational, deductive sciences of heresy.
References:
Ibn Rushd in his darkest hour
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/artsandculture/2015/4/9/ibn-rushd-in-his-darkest-hour
Galileo Galilee in his darkest hour
Why would anyone remember Galileo Galilee if he were not individualistic and self-assured enough to confront the ruling dogma of a geocentric universe?
https://chechar.wordpress.com/category/galileo-galilee/
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shiraz bahar / February 24, 2017
another beautyful narrative of the plight of Muslims.
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2017
shiraz bahar
“another beautyful narrative of the plight of Muslims.”
Another beautiful narrative of the plight of Muslims, courtesy of the Ulama and Mullahs, as the Ulama and Mullahs will throw the Quran, the Hadith and the Prophetic tradition, as INTERPRETED BY THEM, at the community, to maintain their Hegemony.
Example.Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, MMDA, where your bride cannot sign her own marriage contract, because she is the chattel, slave of the owner, her male father or other male guardian, NOT a woman guardian.
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The Oracle / February 24, 2017
With all respect , it is not only the Muslim community that has been led up the garden path by this regime . Let’s
start thinking and acting as a nation rather than as “communities” . Intellectuals like yourselves have to take the lead .
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Bisthan Batcha / February 24, 2017
The Ulemas : Ever since the Umma were discouraged from engaging in independent reasoning and compelled to observe blind obedience by the then Ulemas in a bid to consolidate and enhance their power over the Community, the intellectual prowess of the Muslims which was manifest in the Golden Age of Islam began to decline sharply. The growth of knowledge requires freedom to think and the shackling of this freedom has over the centuries resulted in the atrophication of the Muslim brain. The Muslims have been reduced to the role of sheep – searching and waiting for shepherds to lead the flocks – clinging desperately to the jubbas of demagogic Alims and Moulavis.
The Muslim Political Parties : The growing alienation that the Muslim voters experienced from the National Parties after the 1978 Constitution created the potential for Muslim Politicians to launch their own religious Parties. After the initial euphoria among the Muslims died down, they began to realize that these Muslim Politicians (as all other Politicians) will always ensure that their greed for power (and all the goodies that flow from it) takes precedence over the welfare of the Community.
The Muslim Civil Society : Caught between a rock and a hard place, realization is sinking in at last that the future of the Community has to be determined by the Muslim Intelligentsia. Unfortunately, there is great reluctance on the part of intellectuals to step up to the plate, since many lack the courage of their own convictions. The (almost) 8-year discussion to amend the MMDA is a brilliant example of this power struggle between the shackled and unshackled minds among the Muslims. How much louder must Muslim females scream to convey the message that “over 66 years of state-sanctioned systemic discrimination against Muslim women and girls must end”. (See : https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/activists-demand-end-to-discrimination-against-sri-lankan-women/
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2017
Bisthan Batcha
Yes. Succinctly put.
It is the hegemony of the Ulama and Mullahs, and the elevation of Revelation above Reason, observation and thinking that has made the Muslims backward since the 12th Century.
Western Europe reached with the Age of Reason and enlightenment in the 16th Century. Muslims need to get to the Age of Reason and Enlightenment , and marginalize the Ulamas and Mullahs.
Until the courageous Muslim intellectuals take the leadership from the Ulama and Mullahs, to lead the community, and it will continue to be downhill as before, as the Ulama and Mullahs will throw the Quran, the Hadith and the Prophetic tradition, as INTERPRETED BY THEM, at the community.
See what Ibn Rushd, Averroes, had to say about the Ulama and Mullah. They are NOT people of knowledge, they are literal interpreters. So, the Earth is spread out like a carpet, and the Sun goes around the Earth, as Joshua claimed in the Bible.
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srinath.gunaratne / February 24, 2017
Articles by minority writers always ends with minority!
No one has a right to write/ everyone is scared to write,
Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Sinhalese Sri Lanka?
We can have lot of articles on,
Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Tamil Sri Lanka?
And they call me a racist. Keep it up.
@Amilr Ali:
When are you going to write about,
Ineffectual Leadership, Corrupt Politics & Persisting Problems In Sri Lanka?
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Mohamed / February 24, 2017
Srinath,
He might have thought someone would say, “A thambia trying to advise us”
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Mallaiyuran / February 24, 2017
Muslim- Sinhala Yahapalanaya is accused of sitting and watching or actively using rowdies to shoot Tamil Government employees to have their jobs to be retaken and reassigned to acolytes. Now, there are too many gun incidents were in East. If Muslim leaders and writers are not coming forward to condemn this publicly and stop it, at proper time, government will turn around and put the ISIS stories on them.
Muslim leaders are still running the show very well of Milking from the one side nipples of Muslims-Sinhala Appe Anduwa. Recently Hakeem said to CV that there is no 2/3 so Constitutional change is not going to happen and CV must put up with all what the Muslim-Sinhala government wants to give. Hakeem took part many times in the entourage went to Geneva with Sinhala supporting actresses to tell in Geneva that Muslims were well cared by Muslim – Sinhala Governments, the problems was not with Old Royals but with Tamils. Muslim leaders exchanged Indian Pakistani Voting rights for MMDA. After a new Arabian culture has been nurtured under the protection of that umbrella, MMDA, now they see it is becoming as dangerous destructive law guiding Muslim through an unwanted path. Even international bodies are seeing this danger and willing to help Muslims to safely get out of it, but will be fruitful only if Muslim leaders stop Milking Politics and start sharing politics. Time to stop of thinking the Sinhala-Tamil antagonism is there forever and this udder will not dry.
Milking Muslim-Sinhala government, the hostage of its own racial agenda, is not a long term strategy. One essay – like one hand – can’t make noise. Saudi Arabia will not shoulder always. Muslim leaders like Hakeem and writers will have to change their mentality soon or become the Anduwa’s target.
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Mohamed / February 24, 2017
Muslims ever had a real leader? I rarely see a Muslim who is NOT greed and selfish. So that they don’t have
the leadership qualities.
Instead of talking about history and other nuisance in Jumma (Friday prayers), this is a good opportunity of an hour or more weekly, that should be put to betterment of the community, and talk about practical things, instead of talking about things above the sky and below the earth.
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Salma Junaideen / February 24, 2017
Where do these Ulemas get their power. They are so powerful that the politicians are scared of them. This is a fact and they block all reforms to the MMDA act.
Their chief is imposing face covering dress code which is termed Nikab on women. It is not prescribed in the Quran.
They became powerful as our politicians were looking after themselves and in the period between 2012-2015 , they wielded influence because politicians were scared to open their mouth against MR
Ulemas also went to Geneva as commanded by MR and we lost whatever little goodwill we had with the Tamils.
The more we obey the Ulemas, we will be sinning more.
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Mohamed / February 25, 2017
Salma,
“They are so powerful that the politicians are scared of them”
“Their chief is imposing face covering dress code which is termed Nikab on women. It is not prescribed in the Quran”
Above 2 statements are not true.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Mohamed
“Above 2 statements are not true.”
Is the Earth spinning on its own axis and orbiting the Sun not true? After all, Joshua in the Bible, the Catholic Church and the ancients did not think so.
Do you believe that the Earth was spread pit like a carpet , and the Sun goes around the Earth, as it rises from the East and sets in the West as promoted by the Ulama and Mullahs?
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Mohamed / February 26, 2017
Amarasiri,
Do you believe what is in your name’s initials is your biological father? What if I say it’s not true? Would you run for a DNA test?
Definitely not, and probably kick me in the butt. Because you trust your mom more than anyone else in the world, despite the fact that your mother might have lied or faked a few things few times.
Trust (Faith can be used interchangeably) is a commitment, loyalty and engagement.
I take faith to be believing something primarily because someone has a moral obligation to have it made true.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Mohamed
“Do you believe what is in your name’s initials is your biological father? What if I say it’s not true? Would you run for a DNA test?”
A is for Adam?
That is all Myth. Anybody can believe in Myths, whether true or not. They are generally harmless until the Myth holders begin to impact on others, like the Wahhabiles, Salafies, and theiir clones like ISIS.
Who was Adam? A Primate with 46 Chromosomes?
Ken Miller on Human Evolution
Uploaded on Feb 14, 2007
Dr. Ken Miller talks about the relationship between Homo sapiens and the other primates. He discusses a recent finding of the Human Genome Project which identifies the exact point of fusion of two primate chromosomes that resulted in human chromosome #2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8FfMBYCkk
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Mohamed / February 27, 2017
Amarasiri,
You mean to say that your initials is a myth? Come on..
It is not unusual or uncommon that mythical things getting scientifically proven at later times, even after centuries. You should not underestimate supernaturals and myths just because science has no clarifications ‘yet’. That is a weakness of scientists.
Why don’t you see the positive sides what myth holders have done to this world instead of seeing the negative ones? In comparison, myths have impacted much more positively than negatively.
After all, not everyone is a genius like you to go behind finding scientific facts to follow. So myths help here I guess
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Amarasiri / February 27, 2017
Mohamed
“After all, not everyone is a genius like you to go behind finding scientific facts to follow. So myths help here I guess “
Some myths are harmless. Some are very dangerous,and some a pain for the people.
Harmless Mayth: The World rests on the back odfan elephant or a turtle, and it is turtles all the way.
Dangerous Myth: Sinhala are a Lion Race.
Buddha Visited the Land of native Veddh Aethho three timers.
The Sinhala are the original inhabitant o the Land of Native Veddah Aethho.
The Butterfly Mountain was visited by Adam, Buddha and Vishnu etc.
If you drink Sulfur ( Vada Kaha ) during an eclipse of the Sun, you will become pretty.
Vada Kaha Sudiya of 1050’s
etc. etc.
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Salma Junaideen / February 28, 2017
If politicians disobey the Ulema, Ulema will and can destroy the politicians. Politicians are scared to open the mouth on Muslim Personal Law Reforms as the Ulemas had warned them. In private the politicians agree that Muslim Law must be reformed. But in public they are silent because of the Ulemas
Ulemas have a ready and a submissive audience on the Jumma day. They can easily say that politicians are against the Quran and Hadees and that will be the end of their political career.
Chief Mufthi definitely said that Nikab is “Wajib” that means compulsory. I think it is in September 2016.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2017
Salma Junaideen –
(283 Words)
“If politicians disobey the Ulema, Ulema will and can destroy the politicians. “
“Ulemas have a ready and a submissive audience on the Jumma day”
“95% of the solution is identification of the problem” Bertrand Russel, Philosopher..
Yes. You have identified the problem correctly. The problem goes back 1,200 years.
What the Ulama, Mullah and Imams can’t stand are the Philosophers. The Philosophers, shows them to be ignorant, stupid, idiots, who just parrot the Scriptures whether true or not, and treat as sources of knowledge.
So they banned philosophy, burned philosophy books and even science to some extent, and the Muslims reached the dark ages in 1,110- 1,200 CE, and still thee.
So, the Islamic Philosophy needs to be revived, and the Ulama, Mullah and Imams should be shown to be idiots. The way gradually, the support for the Ulama, Mullah and Imams can be weaned from those who have common sense. The idiots who cannot think will continue to follow the Ulama, Mullah and Imams , and they can be classified as Stupid and Idiotic Muslims who believe that the Earth is spread out like a carpet and with the Sun going around the Earth and settling in a dark pool of water.
The Europeans got oi this stupidity 400 years ago. When will the stupid Muslims get of this idiocy?
The debate between Revelation and Reason, Theologians and Philosophers continues.
So, target the Ulamas the Stupid Muslims who keeps Muslims stupid. For Ulama, is stupidity a virtue?
Philosophy threatens to expose political authorities and social oppression.
This group always accuses scholars of rational, deductive sciences of heresy.
References:
Ibn Rushd in his darkest hour
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/artsandculture/2015/4/9/ibn-rushd-in-his-darkest-hour
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ranjith(sprrw) / February 24, 2017
early success of ISIS in syria and Iraq rejoiced entire muslim community live here in this country. they thought establishment of so called caliphate in syria and iraq is imminent and they too can make Islam reign here as well killing buddhists, hindus and christian like ISIS did in syria. that was what took place here.ulamas and islamic extremists might have contributed big way to create that mindset among muslims. but they forgot the fact that buddhists monks community here protected buddhism from all the invaders. they even fought with invaders defeated them and protected buddhism and buddhist heritages. local muslims community must be thought history of this Island first. presence of Islam in this Island reported only since 14th or 15th century AD. if it is millennium old existence of mosque in somewhere should be reported by birds who flown all over the Island and sheltered at religious places in the nights. kukoo or kokila flew in 14th century. alone A32 from devinuwara to beautiful city or nallur but did not reported seeing any mosque in manner area where muslims were supposed to be landed first in this Island.
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Mohamed / February 25, 2017
Ranjith,
Islam thoroughly denounces terrorism of any kind, for any reason. ISIS is a terrorists organization.
How come Muslim community can rejoice at something that contradicts the teachings of Islam and what is said in the holy Quran?
If a person is killing or inciting violence against another innocent person in the name of religion then the person is wrong, not the religion. If this is done by a Muslim, you guys blame Islam, and the same thing is being done by your monks, with and without the support of the Govt – And that monk becomes your hero or role model, how come?
Being ignorant isn’t a crime, but that is the only justification for Islamophobia. Among people like you, there are willfully ignorant ones and the total gullible ones who easily absorb concocted stories and still think the monks can fight against invaders to save the land and heritage. Funny?
If you keep on boasting your history without seeing the future, Sri Lanka will still have to be sending our women to wash toilets of other countries where they might even end up cleaning ISIS member toilets.
Ok, close your boring history book and look into brightening the future of this nation. And that can not be achieved by you and your monks alone. It has to be done with every Sri Lankan united.
Obata Subha Dhawasak!
.
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ranjith(sprrw) / February 25, 2017
Mohamed
In my curiosity to know real meaning of holiness since my religion Buddhism and our friendly religions like hinduism and jainism do not speak on any holiness I have gone through books on the other religions specially Abrahamic religion to fulfil or erase out my curiosity. what I found was very disturbing. in those so called holy books describe holiness as violence against other religions , killing others and making that religion reign all over. what ISIS doing is exactly the things written in your so called holy book and following footstep of its author. can you just tell me anything ISIS not doing according to your holy book. hope you muslims follow same holy book that ISIS is following. if not no issue. as such I have every rights to believe you all were over rejoiced at early success of ISIS. you all response like. demanding halal foods only, trying to force others to consume same forcing all foods manufactures to be in line with halal certification, destruction and encroachment of buddhists heritages all over the country, inserting birth control drugs into foods that is sold to sinhalese, is adding to it.
yes we have very rich history here in this land. we can be proud of it and speak loudly of it. but you muslims do not have such a history to boast. you people came here as traders first then as refugees when your sultanates collapsed in south India. and servant of colonial rulers. not the request of our ancient rulers. as such your defamation of our rich history is very much understandable.
yes our monks still can fight with any body for the sake of our mother land. vietnamese monks did against super powers.
your religion is an egoism against others faith. you people want only an unknown god called Allah. believe everything is that god. nothing else.we are in rocket technological era. your primitive arabic garbages does not suit it. it should be buried.
Have a nice day friend.
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Mohamed / February 26, 2017
Salamalaikum ranjith,
Then moment I read “what ISIS doing is exactly the things written in your so called holy book and following footstep of its author” I decided that it would be worthless to argue with an “half-knowledge” – Sorry.
Probably you might have read a different version of Quran or not fully read or understood it – Try it once again get hold of the right sources that can help you.
You have a rich history? Native Veddas of the land may say it. Your ancestors are Indians (now Bengals). That is how you guys get a similar facial and bodily features and that of typical Bengali mentalities. For instance, pre-Islamic Bengalis were very indecent, barbaric and undisciplined people like what you see here even these days sometimes like son raping mom and grandmom, father raping kids and grand-kids, father killing his infant and wife for his mistress, or even wife killing her husband and kids for her paramour and there is news about even a son killing his father for just 100rupees.
So your rich history gets richer or poorer day by day is another question and probably you should question your heroes who are responsible on that section :)
Back to history of Muslims, It is unfortunate that children in Sri Lankan schools do not have historical lessons to learn and understand the historical roots of minority communities in Sri Lanka. “The initial settlement of Arab took place in Sri Lanka during the reign of the King Pandukabhaya. It was reported that the King allocated lands for the Yonas (Muslims) at Anuradhapura. This historical account was recorded in (Mahavansa). (S.G Perera. P.16, the Portuguese and Dutch Period 1505-1796).
And find more here: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/accusations-sinhala-kings-history-and-the-muslims-in-sri-lanka/
You said, “yes our monks still can fight with any body for the sake of our mother land. vietnamese monks did against super powers.
And I say, dumb fella, your motherland is our motherland as well. Maybe we can join you fight that war against the motherland.
So you guys are basically Bengali kids, with a little older history than other minorities.
And you also mentioned something like “.we are in rocket technological era” ..but LOL, but you don’t deserve to be taken into that sort of topic.
I do nderstand that majority of SL Muslims are lousy, unmannered and selfish – But that doesn’t mean you can step on them.
Salams Bro
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ranjith(sprrw) / February 27, 2017
MOHAMED
As you are muslims and follower of so called god Allah no point in arguing on our origin.you believe in creation but we believe in evolution. as such vannila aththo or bengali theory is immaterial. you may say whatever you want but truth is otherwise.I have mentioned those facts several times here as such no point in repeating.
yes your holy book say in verse 8;55 in the face of Allah all the non believers are wild beast. can you deny this.how come such narration be treated as holi narration .as such killing of them is not a crime.that is what your ISIS doing in syria with christian population.hitler did same thing with jews calling them subhuman. that remove resistance in human subconscious killing fellow human being.yo can not see those points as you muslims blindly following Allah.nothing else in your world except Allah.
yes e are in rocket technological era. that is the truth.no argument at all. but you muslims are still in very primitive garbage era.that is the difference.
I am not stepping on anybody but I am writing againsts ones who are trying to step on our heritages
king pandukabaya reserved some residential area for yonas or yemenis traders. they were pagans not muslims. first christian church built in bolawalana by arabs christians who came here and kerala as refugees looking for shelter.as muslims were killing them.do not try to overwrite history. we know our history more then you muslims.
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ranjith(sprrw) / February 27, 2017
step 2 mohamod
Bengalis are mongoloid and we are australoid. as such no comparison is possible.
pandukabaya reign in 477 BCE your present reign of Islam founded by your prophet homahod in 6th or 7th century AD. as such you are practicing what your koran taught to do. lying,lying and lying. yonas traders came collected items settled dues went back, came again did same. did not stay.you present muslims community came from south India. as refugees first batch of muslims.second batch from south east asia with dutch.as such you muslims are not descendants of yonas.you all are very recent immigrants from south india and java. mainly tamils.
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Amarasiri / February 28, 2017
ranjith(sprrw) and Mohamed
“you present muslims community came from south India. as refugees first batch of muslims.second batch from south east asia with dutch.as such you muslims are not descendants of yonas.you all are very recent immigrants from south india and java. mainly tamils. “
The fact of the ,ayye ris that both arew para, Paradeshis in the Land of native Veddha Aethho.
The Para-Sinhala, and Para-Tamils are Earlier Arrivals, and the Para-Yonas, Para-Muslim and other Para are later arrivals.
Nevertheless, they all are Para in the Land of Native Veddh Aethho, who came 30,000 years and walked to claim the Land.
Mitochondrial DNA history of Sri Lankan ethnic people:
Journal of Human Genetics 59, 28-36 (January 2014) | doi:10.1038/jhg.2013.112
Through a comparison with the mtDNA HVS-1 and part of HVS-2 of Indian database, both Tamils and Sinhalese clusters were affiliated with Indian subcontinent populations than Vedda people who are believed to be the native population of the island of Sri Lanka.
http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v59/n1/full/jhg2013112a.html
The Vedda Tribe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89NuukY32U&t=633s
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ranjith(sprrw) / March 1, 2017
Amarasiri or rabadulla or glow-warm or paraya
you have come to good point. people lived in Balangoda cave found salt as well. they lived there around forty thousand years ago. the caves in southwestern hills slop too found salt. it is believed that they exchanged salt to honey and dada mas or dried meat with people lived in south and south western coastal line. as such archaeologists believed that first hominids settlements were coastline as easy access to salt. there around twenty species of hominids evolved but only a few hominids were able to be primates of present human being. that means due to lack of salt into their bodies breeding capabilities lost. subjected to various diseases. entire stock disappeared.specially hominids settled in lands far away from sea.sodium is essential for human body. human can not salt inside their body. mother nature dictate it. if too much consumed it is led to deceases as well. balance is essential. as such vannila aththo as well as our community co existed in this land since their arrival. see Godakumbura presentation to archaeological conferences. languages evolved like in papua new guinea. for just four million 920 languages evolved. genetic affinities results you all produced can not be accepted as those are done out of criterians. as you muslims see what you are talking. when you called others paraya. all four fingers pointing towards you.
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Mohamed / March 1, 2017
Salams Ranjith,
The first mention of Arabs in SL is found in Mahavamsa or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Yonas are Arabian traders and they are the precursors of Muslim settlement after Islam was founded in 6th century AD. Unfortunately, you can’t rewrite history, just to hide your Bengali and Tamil Nadu ancestry.
Have a look at this article here https://goo.gl/zllLp2 published in Indian Express, and also in CT by ADRIJA ROYCHOWDHURY, and what she says:
“Study titled “Genetic affinities of Sri Lankan Populations”, Gautam Kumar Kshatriya found that 25.41 per cent of the genetic makeup on the Sinhalese population was contributed by the Bengalis”
Going through the readings, I further found out that 25% of Sinhalese are direct descendants of Tamil Nadu also, and no doubts how Tamil culture resembles and enriches yours. Further, there were no Sinhalese or Aryans ruled the land prior to 8th century AD. All were Hindus and Nagas.
So, your so-called ‘rich culture’, heritage etc, etc were all stolen from others, particularly Tamils? I don’t need any proof for this when I have seen what really happened during 83 riots :)
Anyway, forget the history – WHERE ARE YOU GUYS NOW IS MORE IMPORTANT?
If you have had such a rich culture and boasting heritage, you guys are seriously idiots or biologically incapable lot as Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew openly mentioned once. After several centuries, how much have you changed?
Why did Tamils become favorites of Britishers?
With all those bookworms, have you guys managed to invent a single thing, at least to scrap some coconut?
You had king in 477BCE, and now in 2017, you guys don’t seem to know how to rule a country?
I can list thousands of things here, but won’t look nice, and for the respect of some of the best Sinhalese around.
And funny enough, you’re talking about ‘rocket tech era’? You’re outdated :)
When there is something seriously wrong in your understanding of your own history, why do you try to research on Quran and other communities in improper manners? Get the facts from reliable sources before opening your traditionally betel-leave chewing mouth..he..he
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ranjith(sprrw) / March 1, 2017
mohamod
do not come up with bullshit. Dr. kastriya genetic affinity test is a bullshit. he even did not visited this land. his testing is out of criterions. we have discussed it here several times.
I have said you origin. believe it or not that is the truth.you all were south indian telugu plus karnataka plus tamils.and javanese. not yonas.
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Mohamed / March 1, 2017
Ranjith,
You’re are forcing me to believe in you seems funny. Why should I ignore Dr. Kastriya, and trust you?
Ha..ha..
I really don’t care who our ancestors are as long as I am satisfied with where we are. Tell, why don’t you like to call Bengalis your great-great-grandparents? .
With all that super rich culture and heritage, what have you got to say as your progress? Proud of your crooks? Proud of your rapists? Proud of your child rapists? Proud of petty rogues? Shopping mall snatchers? Or, contract killers? Or, those who bankrupt the Govt and waste my tax money with state jobs? Proud of country’s well managed economics? Proud of corrupt leaders?
What is the use of your rich heritage, when out of SL, what all others see is not your heritage or culture. All they see is suffering poor maids and dying refugees and illegal migrants in the middle of the seas.
Look at other countries and Arabs who came to SL to make money, and now we send our women to clean their toilets is a very good example we haven’t moved forward, rather backward. So, instead of wasting your time boasting of something that doesn’t exist or of no-use, do something productive.
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ranjith(sprrw) / March 1, 2017
mohamod
you believe what you want to believe. that is your right. I believe thing after perusal as my teacher told us to do. we are not bengalese. hominids traveled alone the beaches not by air. as such anybody going there should go through our beaches as well. even hominids went to australia should go via our beaches. no air transport available.
I do not believe Dr. kastriya;s test results as I know it is bullshit as per my knowledge.. and I teach my people our correct history..
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ranjith(sprrw) / March 1, 2017
mohamod
yonas came here much earlier. even in 2500 BCE May be before as well for cinnamon trade. that is why we can see records in pyramids on lanken cinnamon. who grown cinnomon.at that time., our community. after completion of iron age. tools were there to feel cinnamons.. later it was taken by others.. we are the first inhabitant of this Island. .
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Mohamed / March 1, 2017
True Ranjith,
But not by Sinhalese, Sinhalese appeared during 8th Century, that is what I am trying to make you understand.
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ranjith (sprrw) / March 2, 2017
Mohammad
Elu was our language. Sinhala means Elu + Park rite. Sigiriya built in 3rd or 4th century. graffiti was in Sinhalese not in any other language. to develop Sinhalese to that level that is graffiti (Kurutu gee) were written. it should take at least five hundred years. As such parkritisation of ELU started in 300 BCE. Do not talk knowing little Graffiti was written by general public not wise men or women.as such we can predict very good education system existed at that time. may be pirivena education by Buddhists monks
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ranjith (sprrw) / March 2, 2017
mohamod
in Anuradhapura excavation archaeologists found some evidences of language written in unknown scripts.apart from parkrite .that may be ELU language. scripts belong to 6th century BCE. if you compare with them scripts found in Madagascar or east timor that may be similar. I know what you are trying to highlight.that is Tamil language was used here. that is not true.if you go to Maldives you may see very similar language spoken by them. that is elu. now it is mixed with Arabic due to Islam presence there. Tamil is a derivative of proto darvadian. came up in 3rd century BCE.but anuradapura excavation tels us that separate language existed alone with parkrite. as per linguist expert like gilder ELU is the 6th century parkrite..
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Mallaiyuran / February 26, 2017
If this is done by a Muslim, you guys blame Islam, and the same thing is being done by your monks, with and without the support of the Govt – And that monk becomes your hero or role model, how come?
When Podi ayatullah or Sinhala Buddhist rowdy was killing a Tamil in pogroms he has been first burping the looted, Saiva Kadee Saappadu and says “Dosai – Vada Appitta Appa. But when a ISIS pilot sink a plane load people, he says “Allahu Akbar”. There is lot of difference between those two words. Sinhala Buddhist rowdy loot a Saiva Kadee because of his Dosa piriya. ISIS pilot sinks a plane because his hatredness to the world.
Saudi tax world poor people through oil and give that money to America fight ISIS then create Wahabi Gurus and send out them all over the world.
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Fathima / February 26, 2017
Mallaiyuran,
You mean, Sinhalese fight for greed? and Muslims for religion?
Now, can you tell me about the differences between your foreign settled ‘boat-people’ and Saudi please?
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Mallaiyuran / February 26, 2017
Sorry, I have very little to say about it because of lack of experience not having reasonable number. When Old Son Prince sent the boats with loads of my people after plucking out their lands for the fee to their service, Australian Royal Navy spotted the people in Indian and donated two warships to Old Brother Prince to bomb them in the middle of ocean. So my boat people never reached Australia.Even the Canadian Sunsea case is still not over. If you can show patience I can tell something about their claims genuinity and Canadian courts accepting their explanations.
I though I have said about Saudi “that is taxing the poor Lankaweyens and Building Wahabi Universities in the East”.
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Fathima / February 27, 2017
Saudi only sells oil, taxing is done by respective countries. You must hail Saudi for giving opportunities to so many Lankans put food on their family tables. Imagine all of them sent back and the situation here in SL?
If Wahabi universities are a threat to SL, why allow them do it? It’s an internal issue the local government must look into.
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jim softy / February 25, 2017
Dr. Ameer Ali
Each alim (singular for ulema) is a law unto themselves.
Above statement explains the major drawbak of Islam. Each mulla or who ever can interpret the quran the way they want.
So, some mosques promotes violence and Jihad against others and Islam become anti-social against other societes if they are not Islam or not from the same sect of Islam.
On ther hand, when allowed to evolve some Islamic sects are peaceful people who live in hafmony with other people.
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Fathima / February 25, 2017
“Each alim (singular for ulema) is a law unto themselves.”
“So, some mosques promotes violence and Jihad against others and Islam become anti-social against other societes if they are not Islam or not from the same sect of Islam.”
Jim Softy,
It is high time that we need to find out if you’re part of extremist elements or funded for spreading completely wrong info and hate speech
“Half-knowledge is very dangerous”. Research, learn, know enough about the subject before you spit it out with a venom-coated version.
Or is that all because of your stupidity?
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jim softy / February 26, 2017
Fathima
You are just barking. but, you did not respond to my statement.
You can search in you tibe, how some former muslims talk about Islam. Would do you say they are also half knowledge and dangerous.
anyway, your comment is typical Wahabi – type. YOU criticize me I kill you – type.
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Fathima / February 26, 2017
Jim softy,
No time bro, white flag..he..he
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Shifan Razick / February 25, 2017
Well written article and you have placed all the relevant points clearly. It is sad, Muslim community do not give enough respect for the Secularly trained Muslim intellectual class. In fact, this vacuum has been reinforced by the gullible masses who are uneducated and still dwelling on trading mentality.
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Amarasiri / February 26, 2017
Shifan Razick
“Muslim community do not give enough respect for the Secularly trained Muslim intellectual class. In fact, this vacuum has been reinforced by the gullible masses who are uneducated and still dwelling on trading mentality.”
Well stated.
If you look at Islamic Philosophy, Theology and History up to about 1,200 C, it was the dispute between the Islamic Philosophers, Intellectuals and the Theologians that was continuing most of the time.
However, due to political reasons around 1,200 CE, the Theologians prevailed, even though they were wrong. Hamid Al Ghazali was a good case, as the rescued the confused Theologians.
Ibn Rashd, the Andalusian Islamic Jurist, Scholar, Philosopher and Polymath clarified it.
The people of knowledge, who understands the knowledge contained in the “Precious Book”, Quran, are the Philosophers.
The Theologians, Ulama and Mullah are literalists, but to not understand the knowledge i contained in the “Precious Book”.
The populace are sheep, they just follow the The Theologians, Ulama and Mullah, the blind following the blind.
Net result, the Muslims are a backward community.
It is tom for the Muslim Intellectuals to form a critical mass, and reform, the was Inc Ruahd, Averroes, tried 900 years ago.
Martin Luther, reformed Catholicism, 500 years ago, and discarded the Pope.
American, French, Russian , Turkish revolutions got rid of monarchies and Caliphates.
It is high time, the Muslim Intellectuals start on this endeavor..
,
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wijelion / February 25, 2017
lolz..peacefully?? yes you had to live peacefully because numbers were low, and ofcourse the determination of the sinhalese to keep the country intact fighting the foreign invaders while the cunning muslims conspired with the invaders to take the country over little by little. Do not warp the facts that you loved to live harmoniously. you had ulterior motive of converting this country also to another bangladesh or indonesia..so please stop talking about reconciliation all that bull crap.
Cunningly crept in to strategically important places to sinhalese and bit by bit taking over, however we are aware of your plot and until the last sinhala drop of blood we will never allow muslim expansionism to take place.. thats for sure. we have stoped one cancer in the north, and stoping this virus is also not a big deal. REMEMBER.
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Kumar / February 25, 2017
wijelion, one of the idiots from the same lot,
Let’s say Muslims and Tamils leave this country.. you think you guys with such a low level of IQ, fear being part of culture, lack of capability and capacity, clerical 8 to 5 people can develop a country? I am sure you guys will then start to kill each other between ‘Uda Rata’ and ‘Pahatha Rata’ – Because, this is the typical mentality of Bangladeshi people, your ancestors.
To come out of your fear, just try to tattoo that you\re part of an animal blood, ‘Sinhalee’ or ‘kotilee’ or ‘Aliya leee’ or whatever that will help you overcome your fear.
Real issues with SL lies in your blood, that has the roots to Bangladesh where people have the same mentality as most of the Sri Lankans, including the looks
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Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / February 26, 2017
Wijelion the so called mythical Sinhale originated in the jungles of Orissa or modern day Odissha. One of the most backward states in India. Will you and the rest of the Sinhale alo return to these Jungles of Oddisha? Or to the low caste slums of Tamil Nadu from where the ancestors of most of the present day Sinahle really originated from?
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Ish / February 25, 2017
Dr Ameer Ali, I think was the advisor to PM in Australia on Muslim affiars….I can remember that you’ve stated a few years ago ‘Muslims in Sri Lanka’ should be replaced with ‘Muslims of Sri Lanka’ what a great statement.
Irrespective of political view Muslims do live in harmony with Sinhalese/Tamils for centuries…this is evident in ground level but at higher political level Muslims like segregation for mere political gains…
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Barzakhari / February 28, 2017
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Ali Mahdi / February 28, 2017
Mr. Ameer Ali, you are a paid servant of the Iranian Regime. Rhetoric such as Wahhabi/Salafi are the trade mark of degradation adopted by your masters in Qom in Iran reference to our Noble Scholars of Salafs.. So the case is the Pot calling the kettle black. You have forgot that the terrorism which is exported to South America, Yemen, Syria are not Wahhabi Salafi ,It is Iran which is guilty of exporting and encouraging terrorism. Mr. Ameer Ali and his colleagues from the East of Sri Lanka together with the notorious eastern MPs showered with Iranian money to spread an Iranian style system which has started to sprout up in the East and Polonnaruwa.and in Colombo Mustafa University to propagate hate mongering, abuse, and self inflicting blood letting bizarre rituals.
The following sites are a mus see. Sheea Iranian bizzare rituals which is totally un-islamic This is what Mr Ameer Ali and the eastern mps and Ishaq mawlaaaawi is being paid is to export to Sri Lanka
WARNING PEOPLE WITH WEAK HEART DO NOT SEE
1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7gPFAEwGs
2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnRtt83RY0w
It is the Salafi Scholars throughout the world who have time and again condemned in uncertain terms that the activities of ISIS/Al Qaeda and other terror outfit using Islam and ISIS has issued fatwa to kill all the salaf scholars and it is no secret. So Mr Ameer Ali,you should not think Muslims of Sri Lanka are not aware of your activities. The following sites are proof of the Salafi scholars terming ISIS and other terror groups:
1- http://mtws.posthaven.com/isis-is-a-terrorist-organization-explained-by-shaykh-muhammad-bin-haade
2- http://www.islamagainstextremism.com/articles/sxepqhc-salafi-scholar-abdullah-al-najmi-on-isis-and-al-nusrah.cfm
Mr Ameer Ali it is good for you to refrain from using such references as Wahhabi/Salafi. for your own good self.
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Dilawar khan / March 1, 2017
Mr Ali Mahdi, very true and appropriate. Sheea rituals such as the one I saw, is really sickening. I cannot believe my eyes until I saw what I have seen. This is sheer madness. I hope Sri Lankans in the east and Polonnaruwa do not introduce such bloody rituals. This is satanic rituals very similar to hindu rituals of the aghori sadhus. By the way the salafy scholars have been threatened by death by fatwa issued by ISIS and Al Qaeda, because these scholars have branded ISIS and Al Qaeda as Un-Islamic. Very true and correct. Dr Ameer Ali is playing to the gallery by using such degrading terms as wahhabi salafi to propel Iranian propaganda. Sri Lankan intelligence must act and put a complete stop to these dogmas of terror. ideology which was known in early days as Katti Kuttu Raathib. similar to satanic rituals of blood letting.
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