By Raashid Riza –
Raashid Riza
This article was first published in the print version of the Ceylon today on 24 July 2013 and is in response to an interview of Dr.Ameer Ali published on the Ceylon Today on 19 July 2013 titled ‘Muslims are self-alienating’.
The state of Muslims in Sri Lanka has been closely observed over the last few years. Indeed the plight of Sri Lankan Muslims has become somewhat dire; new radical Sinhalese groups like the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and the Sinhala Ravaya (SR) have hijacked Buddhism and are both committing and advocating crimes against the Muslim community. It is in such a context, that Dr. Ameer Ali’s interview was published a few days ago.
When asked if he concurs with the widely asserted notion that a peaceful Muslim minority are under threat by elements representing a hegemonic Buddhist nationalism, Dr Ali opines that after more than a hundred years of ‘rationalism’, religion is once again in the ascendency. As such, Buddhism in Sri Lanka is seeing a revival.
There are multiple loopholes in this argument and if anything it is rather febrile in the face of the main structural issues at hand. While a global revival of religion has been noted, it is important to highlight that this has manifested in an increasing of religiosity amongst people who already profess a faith rather than a marked resurgence in the numerical ratio of people claiming to subscribe to a religion. Secularism too is on the rise, with atheism becoming more numerically prominent. Therefore, what is seen is not the reversal of a status quo where the numbers of atheists is diminishing to make way for the religious; rather it is the concentration of the strengths of already set religious and or other value systems.
Attributing the rise of the Bodu Bala Sena and the Sinhala Ravaya to the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is insulting to good decent Buddhist Sri Lankans if it isn’t farcical. For example, the BBS has been acting in contravention of law and order, embracing violent means and initiating vile, organised hate campaigns against ethnic minorities and those who have stood up against their methods. If the good Doctor sees this as the birth pangs of a revivalist Buddhism in Sri Lanka, there will be many who would spring out of a kicked bush to question his sense of reason.
Further, Dr. Ali states that since the 1970’s, there has been a spread of ‘orthodox Islam’ in Sri Lanka, supposedly brought to our shores by Sri Lankan workers returning from the middle East. This argument which has been liberally thrown about by many commentators, is fast gaining traction.
Unlike the Russian Orthodox Church which is the institution of an independent Christian denomination of its own, ‘orthodox Islam’ is a Western linguistic construct which has no definition except where the West would like to use it as it sees fit. From a Western lexicon, the rigid conservatism of the Afghan Mujahideen in the 70’s for instance was a non-issue when the Soviets had to be fought; Margaret Thatcher even reportedly celebrated with some of them in Downing Street. The applicability of the phrase ‘orthodox Islam’ to the case of Sri Lankan Muslims therefore is in serious dispute.
Moreover, Dr Ali exhibits a rather futile sense of nostalgia for the state of the Muslims in the 1970’s which he uses to denigrate Lankan Muslims of today. Those who were born after the seventies were born to a different Sri Lanka and share a different identity and seek no avenue to revert to a time unheard of to them.
If the inference is that Muslims today will do well to revert to customs of the 70’s, it igoes against the epithets of any form of liberal or social democracy to want to impose the culture of a bygone era to a current generation who are a product of an entirely different time with different needs and issues. Incidentally, there is an interesting correlation where the allegation that the Muslims of the 70’s were different stem from those who left Sri Lanka domicile elsewhere in the 70’s, and therefore scrutinise Sri Lankan Muslims after a gap of a generation. The culture of Muslims today is a response to what is and what happens around them and it would be a synthetic intervention to modify that. If it is sentimentalism or nostalgia that is needed, then of course the interviewee would be forgiven if he limited himself to his harmless persuasions.
But if these nostalgic affirmations have serious political undertones, they are rather analogous in theory with the right wing loons in the US Tea Party who struggle to accept the US for the racial diversity it boasts of today, but yearn for times of yore when an all-white US bureaucratic hegemony trampled down the black communities and native Americans with impunity.
Therefore, that the Muslims seen in Sri Lanka in the 70’s were different remains only to be an innocent fact.
It is a basic anthropological ideal that societies, communities, faiths and belief systems evolve in response to the inevitable changes occurring around them. All religious and ethnic communities in Sri Lanka have responded to the changes around them, culturally or ideologically. The Tamils of Sri Lanka who were subjected to ostracism by sections of the Sinhalese majority for the last thirty years, are naturally different today than they were decades ago. The simplistic argument augmented by this commentator that the Muslims of the 70’s were somehow better, needs to be laid to rest. Things change and communities change around them, The once white America now has a Black President, it was a Conservative (not liberal) Prime Minister that pushed through legislation legalising gay marriage in Britain
Further, the majority of the Muslims of the 1970’s were either mono-lingual Tamil speakers, with a limited elite who were both Tamil and English speaking. Contrast this with today where the average Muslim is bi-lingual with the class of Muslims who are tri-lingual increasingly on the rise, thus making the Sri Lankan Muslims the least polarised and most diverse Sri Lankan community when it comes to languages. This is notwithstanding the fact that there are recognisable sections of the Sri Lankan Muslim populace who speak Malay, Arabic or Urdu in addition to the three main languages. The Muslim community therefore is linguistically the least insular of all communities
Since communal conflict in Sri Lanka has more precedent to be based on ethnicity (perhaps language related) than religion, that Dr. Ali doesn’t see the receptive position of current day Lankan Muslims vis-a-vis integration is deplorable if it isn’t laughable. Therefore, to cite ideological changes in a community over a period of thirty years, a natural development that is hard to measure or quantify and to simultaneously ignore and overlook other quantifiable socio-political development indices of the Lankan Muslim community is both biased and inaccurate.
The interviewee then goes on to making some facetious claims of how Muslims should be part of the Dalada Perahera. That they don’t take part isn’t a crime and Muslims give due credence to the event as being of national significance and its purity doesn’t have to be adulterated by Muslims taking part, unless if requested to do so, I am reluctant to believe that this was the puritarian orthodoxy that he mentioned of earlier.
Other aspects raised by Dr.Ali, include the supposed banes of Muslim schools being closed during Ramadan, thereby exercising a liberty he has to express himself at the cost of opening academically irrelevant cans of worms. I myself was educated at a Christian Missionary school in Colombo and therefore never had holidays during Ramadan, but Muslim schools being closed during Ramadan has never been an impediment to social integration.
Moreover, he highlights the fact that there are funds coming into the Muslim community from Saudi Arabia which in turn helps institutionalise a Saudi brand of ‘Intolerant Islam’. The record of the Saudi’s is nothing to be proud of, reports increasingly suggest that that oppressive regime of the Saudis with a host of other Arab states connived with the US to depose the first democratically elected President of Egypt. Therefore, the Saudi’s have little virtue to extol.
However, Sri Lanka is a democratic country underpinned by a legal system; it is not anyone’s concern what comes from where, as long as it doesn’t impinge local laws and regulations. His concerns of Saudi money coming in is akin to some Sinhala extremists crying foul that the Norwegians are funding Christian groups in Sri Lanka and importing a foreign brand of Christianity that seeks to proselytise the majority Buddhists. Of course he callously neglects to calibrate his argument by failing to recognise the dangerous development in relationships between the radical monks in Myanmar who are responsible for many violent deaths of the Rohingya and local radical monks.
The dominant image Dr. Ali seems to conjure of the Lankan Muslim community is of a conclave of black burka wearing women & bearded men donning flowing white robes, He blatantly fails to recognise the image of a non-violent resilient community, brutally uprooted from their domicile in the north by the LTTE exacerbated by the indifference of successive governments to its plight, a community hounded by a fringe of Tamil terrorists in the past and hounded by a fringe Buddhist extremists in the present, a community that has overcome discriminatory bureaucratic patterns to become highly entrepreneurial.
Very regrettably, When atrocities of the LTTE stole the image of an educated and upwardly mobile Tamil community, and when violent escapades of Buddhist extremism is distorting the pristine image of the Sinhalese, it is both whimsical and flippant of the Doctor to think that Sri Lankan Muslims are plagued by an image problem.
*Raashid Riza is the Politics & Society Editor of The Platform. He tweets on @aufidius. His articles may be accessed online at http://raashidriza.wordpress.com/
Talk direct / July 25, 2013
Well said Riza. I totally agree with you Dr Ameer Ali goes far away from True Islamic line of thinking and he wants give away all our rights as minority: He got defeated mentality: He is more worried about Buddhism rather than Muslim right: I wonder if someone has paid him money to speak on behalf of BBS. If Buddhism is in decline in SL . as it is now it is not our problem rather it is Singhalse people should think about it not Dr Ameer Ali.
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Amarasiri / July 25, 2013
Rashiid Riza,
Thanks for the rationalist point here.
The point here is separate but equal, and the freedom to practice the Myths of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism, and the maintenance of law and order by he state.
1.”Since communal conflict in Sri Lanka has more precedent to be based on ethnicity (perhaps language related) than religion, that Dr. Ali doesn’t see the receptive position of current day Lankan Muslims vis-a-vis integration is deplorable if it isn’t laughable.”
The Sinhala Buddhist Racism, was the core cause over the past 100 years. It had nothing to do with the teachings of he Enlightened Buddha, and had everything to do Monk Hegemony and Political opportunism by the politicians.
So far, despite 2,500 years, nobody has achieved Nibbana, Nirvana and Rebirth.
2. “Other aspects raised by Dr.Ali, include the supposed banes of Muslim schools being closed during Ramadan, thereby exercising a liberty he has to express himself at the cost of opening academically irrelevant cans of worms. I myself was educated at a Christian Missionary school in Colombo and therefore never had holidays during Ramadan, but Muslim schools being closed during Ramadan has never been an impediment to social integration.”
Yes, closing Muslim Schools during Ramadan makes sense. Otherwise hungry and thirsty kids cannot learn, and better they are taken care at home. There was some study conducted that found that in the Middle Est countries, the productivity drops during Ramadan.
3. However, Dr. Ali’s point about the Saree and the Hijab is correct. Hijab and Burka is NOT required for Muslim women, unless they were the Prophet’s Wives, all dead and gone now. This practice came 200 years after Islam. This is a true cultural invasion. If you look at Pakistan, still most women, wear the Salwar Kameez.
The Muslim women wore the Saree, and young women, the Salwar Kameez.
These are Wahhabi Arab Tribal cultural incursions. Many other arguments are thrown in such as prayers had to be in Arabic (like Sanskrit, Pali Latin, Hebrew etc.) claiming that otherwise the prayers will not be accepted, to keep the Mullah-Ulema-Priest-Monk Hegemony.
The BBS and Sinhala Ravaya Monks are doing the same. Keep the Monk Hegemony, this time using Buddhism.
No Wonder, religion is considered the Opium of the Masses.
Read,
Richard Dawkins: The Arrogance of Religious Persons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC58vglNOOo
Atheism is NOT a religion – Sam Harris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKNNCfyXaps
(BBC) The Story of God – Part 1: Life the Universe and Everything
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G96kWVCvEM
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Amarasiri / July 25, 2013
Rashid Reza,
Continued.
(BBC) The Story of God – Part 2: No God but God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fld6sLBJ_rM
The Story of God Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMvibwRVYNA
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John / July 26, 2013
Raashid Riza,
Excellent!,
This is exactly what I have been telling as well.
Muslims for no reason create enemy in Sinhala Buddhists who protected Muslims themselves for over 700 years.
The heading Ceylon Today was more appropriate “Muslims alienating themselves”
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Shezard / July 25, 2013
“Hijab and Burka is NOT required for Muslim women” – can you prove it through the Quran or Hadith.Without passing out dumb statements can you back it with proof from scripture.Your claims are outright stupid and laughable and you surely havent traveled to Pakistan.No one claims that all prayers have to be in Arabic.
Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are athiests and have nothing to do with Islam or Muslims in Sri Lanka.So much for you lecturing others on what you assume is correct, stop spamming the entire site with your beliefs, spamming is wrong.
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Amarasiri / July 26, 2013
Dear Shezard,
If the Pakistanis say the prayers in Urdu which they understand, instead of Arabic, they are really enlightened. You should say your prayers in Tamil, Sinhala or English as well, which you will understand and wear a Saree like your grandmothers and mothers did,and get some sunlight and free Vitamin D, and avoid getting rickets.
The scientists have been “spamming” and “educating” the World since 1543 (Copernicus and Galileo) with facts, saying that the Earth goes around the Sun, but still 22% of the Americans and perhaps an equal number of Europeans do not accept or believe that according to the NSF survey. The Head Wahhabi of Arabia also did not believe that for a long time, and even issued a Fatwa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickets
The predominant cause is a vitamin D deficiency, but lack of adequate calcium in the diet may also lead to rickets (cases of severe diarrhea and vomiting may be the cause of the deficiency)
You are trying to defend your Wahhabi, Salafi and Fundamentalist positions advanced by your Mullahs, Ulema and Clerics without sufficient support. There is no need to follow the Wahhabi Ulema’s interpretation. You can use reason. This is what Martin Luther did with the Catholic Church, discarding 5 of the 7 Sacraments and Challenged the misinterpretation of the Biblical scriptures. Just Google Martin Luther. Copernicus and Galileo also challenged the Church;s interpretation of the Heavens.
Look at Yousuf Ali and Mohamed Asad Translations of 24: 30-31,
and draw their veils over their BOSOMS, not bodies as the Wahhabis claim, in the Salafi, Wahabbi and Fundamentalist translation. Hadith, are the sayings and subject to error.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijab
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, modesty in the Qur’an concerns both men’s and women’s gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia.”[6] Although the Qur’an stresses modesty, it does not specifically require women to keep their heads or faces covered. In fact, the Qur’an never explicitly uses the term hijab in reference to body veiling in any context, instead utilizing the words khimār (خمار) and jilbāb (جلباب), not hijab. Hijab or Hejab refers to The Rules of covering up. It never references the specific item or items of clothing used to cover up.
Historical context
The term hijab is never used in the Qur’an to describe an article of clothing.[30] The only verses in the Qur’an that specifically reference women’s clothing, are those promoting modesty, instructing women to guard their private parts and throw a scarf over their bosoms in the presence of men.[30] The contemporary understanding of the hijab dates back to Hadith when the “verse of the hijab” descended upon the community in 627 C.E.[31] Now documented in Sura 33: 53 the verse states, “And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts”.[32] This verse, however, was not addressed to women in general, but exclusively to Muhammad’s wives.
As Muhammad’s influence increased, he entertained more and more visitors in the mosque, which was then his home. Often, these visitors stayed the night only feet away from his wives’ apartments. It is commonly understood that this verse was intentioned to protect his wives from these strangers.[33] During Muhammad’s lifetime no other women in the Ummah (Muslim community) observed the hijab. Instead, the term for donning the veil, darabat al-hijab, was used interchangeably with “becoming Muhammad’s wife”.[34] As stated by Muslim Scholar Reza Aslan, “The veil was neither compulsory nor widely adopted until generations after Muhammad’s death, when a large body of male scriptural and legal scholars began using their religious and political authority to regain the dominance they had lost in society as a result of the Prophet’s egalitarian reforms”.[33] Bloom and Blair also write that the Qur’an does not require women to wear veils; rather, it was a social habit picked up with the expansion of Islam. In fact, since it was impractical for working women to wear veils, “A veiled woman silently announced that her husband was rich enough to keep her idle.”[35]
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Shezard / July 26, 2013
Not only Pakistanis, any Muslim around the world can say prayers in any language he wants.
Your entire post illustrates nothing but an ignorant wikipedia wannabe scholar, you study medicine also on wikipedia?? No wonder you didnt know that Vitamin D from sunlight isnt even considered a source in nutrition, the only recommended source of Vitamin D is from dietary sources, stop spouting out rubbish.
No body called ‘the head wahhabi of Saudi Arabia’ exists so I am pretty sure neither does a fatwa or such a belief.
To come to the point after getting through your diverting nonsense, firstly the Quran and Hadith are in Arabic and religious rulings are derived from the original sources and not a translation.If your wikipedia educated mind finds it difficult to comprehend, no translation of any text would be able deliver the message intended from the original due to the complex differences that exist between languages in many ways.
Even the verse you have quoted doesnt refer to the Hijab for women at all, the verse 33:59 is the verse of Hijab for women.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Islamic ruling are derived from the Quran and Hadith, there are countless narrations about the Hijab for women which are derived from the above verse.
Its strange that you ridicule scholars(Mullah, Ulama-plural and cleric mean the same) but then quote the very same who are in fact a fringe-minority in those circles.Pick and choose where you wish, and your choice is very poor one.
You are better off actually studying medicine or religion from a university or college before commenting on those subjects.Your use of Google and wikipedia as your source is an insult to actual intellectuals.
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reviewcric / July 26, 2013
I think Mr Ali’s answers very directly to the issue that is happening in Sri Lanka right now. Its very true muslims recently have had a rise in dressing up the way saudi’s dress up and are very much more towards rigid practices. With regard to the perahara I have known many muslims who do not even go there because it is prohibited? What kind of tolerance is that?
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Its a personal choice isn’t it? If you enjoy the perehera please go. If you enjoy sports or Music by all means enjoy. Why are you complaining if someone doesn’t wish to go watch the Perahara?
Some twisted logic!
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reviewcric / July 27, 2013
Not someone doesn’t wish, some muslims arent allowed to go to perahara because it is your own saudi like culture that prohibits you from going. Read the article “muslims are self alienating. It is very interesting to read.
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Nabil / July 27, 2013
that article is a self serving article to secure his job in Australia; Dr. Ali has no standing among the Muslims and doesn’t represent the Muslim voice in Sri Lanka
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AYMAN / August 16, 2013
WHO THE HELL IS THIS “DR.” AMEER ALI .?IGNORE THE BUGGER.
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Amarasiri / August 7, 2013
Rishad Riza,
See what Some Arabs are saying.
You can’t ear Sharia. It is technology that feeds and develops with free thinking.
Arabs Have Nothing to Offer Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zxuMKP_kqg
Saudi Scholar: “The Freedom Enjoyed in the West is a Hundred Tim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B1cNz-5wvA
Reason Investigation and Revelation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDAT98eEN5Q
Neil DeGrasse Tyson – The Islamic Golden Age: Naming Rights
Published on Mar 18, 2012
Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, discusses how Islamic scholars contributed to the Islamic Golden Age and how over time independent reasoning (ijthad) lost out to modern institutionalised imitation (taqleed) present in the wider islamic society today.
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Anver Ahamed / July 25, 2013
Spot on, Riza.
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Samanthi w. / July 25, 2013
Buddhism is evidently on the decline…many working in the Middle East convertnto Islam…of course not under duress nor do they get a cheque for doing so as I have observed. Gnasara’s frolic is about a sinister plan to drum up a certsin right-wing Buddhist movement to line up around this regime…to sustain their power base. However hard they try…results will not sustain as the integrity and credibility of this strategy is false and headed towards failure and backfire..
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
You have a Sinhala name because your real father is Sinhalese Buddhist
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Suranee / July 25, 2013
I also hope that the Bodu Bala Sena and the Sinhala Ravaya will look into the harassment meted out some mothers and children living in neighborhoods by Muslim men. I have been such a victim and have add to write to the Defense Secretary for help.
When a mother asks a person to please keep the noise level down since its disturbing the peace and quite prevailing in their home and is making it difficult for her children to study is it the norm for two men to insult her by coming to her gate and using disgusting language?
I sincerely hope the Defense Secretary Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse requests the Central Environmental Authority to pass a law to prosecute anyone who makes such a ruckus in neighborhoods hence making it difficult for residents to live in peace and for children to study.
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Alan / July 25, 2013
Suranee,
You should call the police and make an investigation. It is not required to adopt the law…the law already exist.
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Suranee / July 25, 2013
Alan,
This incident began in January and we (another mother in the neighborhood and I) made an official complaint to the police via 911. The problem still persisted and I had no choice but to inform the Defense Secretary. When I informed the Defense Secretary in writing about this problem his Ministry informed the Senior DIG in the region where I live and the Senior Detective arrived at my residence and took down the statement. If such a law existed why were these men not prosecuted when the problem initially started? I strongly feel these men are doing what they are because I am a Sinhalese woman but unfortunately I cannot prove that.
All I want is for mothers and children to be safe and protected from such people who enjoy making noise whenever they feel like it even after they are asked not to. This law has to be implemented – a law which severely punishes those who are found guilty of causing psychological trauma to residents of neighborhoods through the noise and threats they make and disrupting the peace that prevails at home.
Every human being has the right to live peacefully.
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Amarasiri / July 25, 2013
Suranee,
Print out Amaasiris posts. and ask them to rebut.
Ask them to prove.
Ask from All Myth holders
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
[Edited out]
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Suranee
Is it possible that you are overreacting?
May be you don’t like them being around. If the DS sent a DIG and if you think they have dropped the matter, despite your protests, your neighbours didn’t break the law and if you are insisting they be dealt with isn’t there a disconnect?
Are we missing something? You know the answer best!
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Lanka Muslim, UK / July 25, 2013
Do not your children make noise and disturb others unless they are dumb.
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Sharia Boy / July 25, 2013
The mother , child matter is so sad. But this is a common issue irrespective of race. Actually when the mothers and children are from a minority community it is even worse.
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Safa / July 25, 2013
Dr Ameer Ali is a controversial figure in Australia and is reported to have said –
A LEADING adviser on Islam, Ameer Ali, has attacked Muslims who “blindly” follow their faith and fail to question the veracity of the Koran, saying that even Mohammed had “flaws”.
The chairman of John Howard’s Muslim advisory board yesterday warned that Islamists would continue to breed jihadis unless the Koran was “reinterpreted” for today’s society.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/prophet-not-perfect-says-islamic-scholar/story-e6frg6nf-1111112308065
These so called experts in Islam seem to be favoured by foreign governments to demonise their own people and religon and give legitimacy to their anti-Islamic policies. Given his blasphemous views on Islam his views on Sri Lankan Muslims are not a surprise.
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Amarasiri / July 25, 2013
Safa,
“A LEADING adviser on Islam, Ameer Ali, has attacked Muslims who “blindly” follow their faith and fail to question the veracity of the Koran, saying that even Mohammed had “flaws”.
This is precisely what the Wahhabis, the Salafis, and the Deobandi does.
Examples, Hijab, kill other Muslims etc. all to keep Mullah-Ulema Hegemony.
In South Asia, the Ulema do not allow women in Mosques.
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
We can name other Muslims doing un-islamic things. But, we should not Because, Islam is not a Democratic religion. It is a cult and a violent religion when interpreted by extremist people.
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
See muslims don’t like to accept that they are violent and they engage in violence and crimes in the name of Allah.
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Safa / July 26, 2013
Softy
Why dont you talk about your own people instead of running around commenting like a dog urinating on every lamp post?
A rape every 90 mts
1000 abortions a day
Fathers molesting own children
Mothers killing own children
Men raping grandmothers
Politicians raping tourist
BBS, SR, RB etc etc
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Amarasiri / July 26, 2013
Safa,
Sri Lanka, Resplendent Island, Dharmdeepaya, is a Buddhist Country following the 4 Noble Truths and 8 Noble Paths, in order to maintain the Monk-Ruler Hegemony.
This is what it takes to follow the “Sinhala Buddhism”
Q. Who killed Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike in 1959?
. Animist
2. Hindu
3. Jain
4.Jew
5.Christian
6. Zoroastrian
7. Muslim
8.Sikh
9. Maya Priest.
10. Sinhala Buddhist Monk?
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AYMAN / August 16, 2013
WHO THE HECK IS JOHN HOWARD TO TALK OF REFORM AND RE-INTERPRETING
THE QURAN.
THEY THE CHRISTIANS DID IT.
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Shezard / July 25, 2013
Very good article and response to that stupid Dr. except I disagree with this,
“The dominant image Dr. Ali seems to conjure of the Lankan Muslim community is of a conclave of black burka wearing women & bearded men donning flowing white robes, He blatantly fails to recognise the image of a non-violent resilient community”
Are you suggesting that burka clad women and bearded men are then violent and non-resilient?A good look around Sri Lanka for all the criminals would suggest otherwise.
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
Since one point is wrong his whole article is not correct. He’s just another lier who is exactly practice Quran.
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
Dr ameer Ali is not stupid. Unfortunately, In Islam other views are not tolerated. Remember what happened to SALMON RUSHDIE.
It is like that.
Buddhism is not Like that, Lord buddha encourages investigation of his dhamma and it is asked to accept only if you that it is the truth or acceptable to you. buddhism does not force it through your throat saying that those who against the Religion are enemies and therefore should face death.
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Salman Rushdie made money by hurting the feelings of 1.6 MN Muslims. You guys get worked up when a man has a tatoo similar to the gauthama Buddha. We can’t even get a band to come to Sri Lanka because they danced in front a statue.
Imagine if someone wrote a novel about him like Salman Rushdie did about Islam.
You are talking of tolerant buddhists? What bunkum
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Amarasiri / July 26, 2013
Nabil,
In Sri Lanka, they do not practiced Buddhism, as taught by Buddha.
Thus is what they practice.
1. Sihala Buddhist Racism. The Mahanama Monk Racism has infected the Sinhala people and gets in the way of an Egalitarian Society.
2. Buddhist Monk Hegemony, by the alignment of the Monk-Ruler Axis.
This is what Buddha taught.
Do not worship idols, people(monks), tress etc.
Unfortunately, that is what is practiced in Lanka. It is Mara ism.
What is Preached.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeQoeNH70fk
The Life Of The Buddha (BBC Documentary)
What is Practiced, by the Maras?.
Buddhism The Great Evil — Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNOfTGSADdY
Buddhism The Great Evil — Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcs2PSze0I
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AYMAN / August 16, 2013
WELL MILLIONS HAVE TAKEN THE BUDDHA’S ADVICE AND REJECTED IT,
THATS WHY THERE ARE ONLY 340 MILLION BUDDHISTS AS OPPOSED 1.9 BLLION MUSLIMS!!!!!!!!
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Seeni Bola / July 25, 2013
Decline or not, there’s no right to attack other religions based on that. Rather you are expected to do the opposite by showing peace and love and be a great example to the community.
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Savyasasin / July 25, 2013
As a neutral observer, I thought most points raised by Dr Ameer were valid. The gist of his arguments were directed at the self imposed isolationary practices of the muslims here. To call them nostalgic is simply a symptom of the narrow mindedness this article’s author exhibits. It also illustrates the current malaise of suppressing moderates voices , be they buddhists or muslims.
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Amarasiri / July 26, 2013
Savyasasin
“It also illustrates the current malaise of suppressing moderates voices , be they buddhists or muslims.”
Well stated.
The Wahhabis, and Salafis do not follow Islam. They follow Satan, Shaitan, Devils interpretation of Islam on order the keep and perpetuate the Mullah-Ulema Hegemony.
The BBS and Sinhala Ravaya Buddhist Monks and Somarama Monk who killed the Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike, do not follow the Enlightened Buddha’s Buddhism. They follow, Mara ism , Racism and the teachings of Buddha.
The politicians and Monks are fooling the people to maintain their Hegemony.
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
All nations have some group of decent, educated, intelligent and reputed human beings who have raised against Islam. There is no difference in Britain too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgCjLVFMXFA
The author of this post and other Muslims will never understand their religion is problem to others.
Sri Lankan Hindus, Christians and Buddhists should understand to be united to fight against Muslims and Islam in Sri Lanka. Non Sinhalese Buddhists may not like BBS, Sinhala Ravaya and Other Sinhala Buddhist organizations. But you can use them as proxies to fight against Muslims and Islam which will be more harmful than those organizations.
[Edited out]
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Lanka Muslim, UK / July 25, 2013
When one dislikes something because he cannot achieve the good from it he begins to hate it. Your situation is that.
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Point of View / July 25, 2013
Well said.
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
Just clap him like in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9NIZOvfKpc
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
Can you tell me what are the good parts of your religion ?
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Sorry Asanka, You don’t have the grey matter to understand even if we try!So why bother? :) :)
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Rod Atkins / July 25, 2013
i think some of his family memberes were done something wrong by some wicked Muslim men, so he talks againts mulims is no surpirse, I am not sure Asanka father is muslim but mother made Sinhala name so he is disturbed that his father left him while he was in the Tummy of his mother without marriage. ahahah
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
[Edited out]
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
I think you have the worst problem than me thats why you see me like that. And don’t forget you have a English sir name.
Remind that story who has 13 wives and underage wife wanted always to conquer infidels. Because he has a psychological problem. He was abused by his cousins.
Remind that person’s name.
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
Rod Atkins the christian:
There is No Satan and there is no Creator.
Creator is the you. Satan is you too because you believe that there is something permanent in this life when there is nothing to catch as permanent.
People believe that material things including the body are permanent and they try to related every thing to that hypothetical permanent things. To say the least, no one takes anything when they die. when you believe permanency in life you become evil and that is the Satan.
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Marwan / July 25, 2013
This is a good response to Dr. Ali’s freakish thinking, where Sri Lankan Muslims deserve more than what he suggests. Of course he has the right and freedom to comment on his own perceptions, but living far away from the ground reality, Dr. Ali is way off the mark. He may be better off passing opinionated judgement on Muslims living in Australia. But, even then I am sure it will be lopsided views, bordering on the ludicrous and fantasy. So much for his views on Muslims living in SL.
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
a little bit about “Muslims living in SL”
[Edited out]
The reason is when Arabic who are not inherited from royal families of Arab came to Sri Lanka they could marry Sinhalese and Tamil rejected women in the society that time. So Sri Lankan Muslims blood have all the social disgusting activities like looting from Arabic side and prostitution from Sri Lankan side.
Due to above reason they will never learn the right path.
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Remember ek ge kema?
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Marwan,
He is trying to keep his job as adviser to the Australian PM. He can do so only by having a portfolio of articles which mirror Non-Muslim Islamophobia.
he is very much like the cut throat Azver the court jester
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Rod Atkins / July 25, 2013
Budhism is going down, so the use people like Ameer Ali, i dont know who the hell he is but he is fake man who runs down his own people, but BBS and Monkey Force Ravana Balaya… one is Dogs Force, Monkey Force, sinhalese passion all are Gays… so its useless of speaking to them. Just forget :)
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
“Atkins” which is your second name is a English . You have a English sir name because your real father is a English.
May be the guy in the link below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Atkins
are u OK if I use Quran for toilet papers ?, please reply me
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Your shit still smells Ah *** sanka. You think just because you have a depraved mind we will get worked up.
Only a Sinhalese can make vile despicable remarks about another religion. If I were you I would put my head down in shame.
Well we can’t expect that from your tribe can we?
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dedy bear / July 25, 2013
Dr Razi only highlights the tamil and budhist extremism.Mahinda Rajapakshe is right as he said Sinhalese never talked about Muslim atrocities but muslims did to sinhalese exposing in media you see all around the world most terrorists are muslims Mr Razi you don’t know how much of atrocities committed by muslim extremist groups in East against tamils in Muttur, Eravoor, Kathhankudy and Batticcaloa no one is talk about the bloddy muslim terrorist. don’t tried to hide the above muslim terrorism.
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
[Edited out]
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Asanka / July 25, 2013
[Edited out]
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Dedy, List them please and then we can go to law enforcement. Trust me the police will pounce on any Muslim who breaks the law. We even have policemen who are willing to do side business for a few bucks more!
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mafia / July 25, 2013
Who the hell is this conductor ali or someone? waste of your energy Riza trying to reply to rubbish.
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cornucopia / July 25, 2013
I think there is something to be said for Dr. Ameer Ali’s position. What is the Sri Lankan Muslims’ commitment to a culture of coexistence? I think we as Muslims should take some responsibility for the backwardness of some of our community who have lost any sense of how to engage with ethnic and religious others and who seem committed to consistently ghettoizing the community. I think the particular reality of the Sri Lankan context calls for particular responses and Sri lankan Muslims have responded by systematically isolating themselves. While one cannot perhaps blame the community for that, the time is right, I think– thanks to the BBS– to have some internal reflection on it. And I dont mean this just as a question of safety and security. This is a real ethical question about our future in this country that the community must confront.
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
I agree with you. I would also ask what the Sinhalese have done to make us inclusive.
You must agree that one of the reasons for ghettos to form in any community is the perception that they are safe in numbers.
A grave mistake was made by the Sinhalese in creating communal schools. the time we schooled we had all three streams and we had Sinhala Tamil Christian and Muslim students in our school. the same school today is a 100 Sinhala Buddhist School, completely transformed with only handful of Muslim and Christian students
How do we integrate when we teach our children to segregate? We started practicing apartheid in 1956. We are reaping the benefits of those chauvinistic decisions.
Please don’t blame yourself for the mistakes of others.
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JimSofty / July 26, 2013
since 1950s, sunni – Wahabism is the Major form of Islam in Saudi Arabia. That whabism is extremist or radical It seems that that has infested Sri Lanka too.
Another point is Sri Lankan govt should not send People to work in Radical muslims countries. Because, Muslims’ major objective is fraudulent conversion and they use even the marriage to convert.
We can not say Islam has not changed because there are so many sects and muslims are killing muslims in order to protect Islam. Even In Sri Lanka muslims mosques do not give space to minor islamic sects.
Buddhism is not a religion which forces people to come and believe it and live it. Buddhism is the MOST DEMOCRATIC philosophy on earth. Because of that it allows others to live side by and it asks interested people to investigate and accept it. Even for the followers it does not give death sentence as in Islam if they do not follow buddhism. Instead buddhism explains the merits and demerits of living a spiritual life.
Buddhism is not a business as the Christianity that is practiced by Church and buddhism is not a CUlT as Islam is. ISlAM HAS BEEN CHANGED TO A GOOD RELIGION BY SOME SECTS AS THEY DID NOT INTERPRET THE QURAN PEACEFUL WAY. MOST ISLAMIC CLERICS HAS INTERPRETED QURAN SELFISHLY AND IT HAS BECOME A CULT,
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Jim,
Wahabism hasn’t the dubious record of getting on the front page of TIME for violence. Buddhism has!
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JimSofty / July 26, 2013
Rasheed rita Talks about Crimes Against ISLAM.
Most of ISLAMIC communities all over the world are criminals and they kill their own because those muslims are not from the majority islamic sects. In some other communities Muslims burn christian Churches and kill christians. when buddhists are involved see how Muslims destroy buddhist temples in Bangladesh. Even Pakistan, muslims kidnap hindu girls and marry by force in order to convert. that is how criminal muslims are all over the world.
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Please insert Sinhala Buddhist instead of Muslims and you will find the same for Sinhalese as well. Here are some statistics to ponder
5 women are raped every day 90% are underage
Highest no of widows per 1000 people
Highest per capita consumption of Alcohol
More than 275,000 people have died in violent conflict since 1970
Any you call Muslims violent?
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JimSofty / July 26, 2013
I agree with Dr. AmEER Ali. Wahabism has come to Sri Lanka since the Sri Lankan govt started sending people to Saudi Arabia. Now, it has become a Cancer in Sri Lanka. Besides, Oil money is building mosques every where saying democracy. But, when muslims have the upperhand it is only Religious fanaticism.
Muslims Religious fanaticism should be eliminated from Sri Lanka.
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Pardon me for being obtuse; can you help me understand how Islam (Wahabism) has become a cancer?
Please walk me through how it has affected your daily life.
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Selva@Malaysia / July 26, 2013
இரண்டு கேட்டன நிலை…that is the situation the SL muslims are in now.What is the point of speaking so many languages when you are ashamed to say that you are Tamil Muslims and prefer to be known as muslims just to gain political and material gains from the Sinhala majority over the years which has failed miserably.Now the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and the Sinhala Ravaya (SR) have emerged and this has disturbed the so called image of the SLM.Stand up and be called tamil muslims.
The war with the terrorists are over and the SL still has to win the hearts of the ordinary Tamils who have been “hurt” and still traumatized by the 2009 war against terror.The country called Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and all the communities must play a role for the future and progress of that country and its not going to be a easy one but all must try to do their best despite bitterness against one another.Let the past be forgotten and the Sinhalas and Tamils must learn to live and accept one another.its been 4 years and we have to stop the blame game and move on.Both sides committed mistakes and finally the civil war is over .May GOD BLESS SRI LANKA AND GIVE WISDOM TO THE PEOPLE
Selva @Malaysia
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JimSofty / July 26, 2013
Rishad rita is talking BS. buddhism is agnostic. Atheism means people not believing in a Creator. So, if he is saying Atheism is rising that means It is bad time for Islam and Christianity. Because those two are the two major religions that believes in a ALMIGHTY.
ISlam keeping it’s face because Islam believes that people leave ISLAM ARE ENEMIES OF THE RELIGIONS AND THEREFORE THE PUNISHMENT IS DEATH. Buddhism and even the Christianity is not that extremist.
Besides, Islam is highly protective it shows very highly with how they protect their women.
It is easy to live in the world Christians but not with the Muslims, particularly with Wahabis like fanatics.
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JimSofty / July 26, 2013
As Dr Ameer Ali points WAHABIS are VIOLENT Criminals and Destructive. they have destroyed Mosques and their religious places in Saudi Arabia.
Google and See these words ” Saudi destruction of holy and historical sites”.
This is muslims destroying religious places in a Orthodox Muslims country.
think If Muslims have the upperhand in Sri Lanka. It is exactly what is happening in Afghanistan, Maldive Island, Bangladesh and even in Saudi Arabia.
This is excerpt from that article.
“In 2006 we published an article about the planned Saudi destruction of the home of Prophet Muhammad, and another about the destruction of Islam’s historic sites by the Saudi’s over the past 50 years..
The current issue of Islamica magazine – the best Islamic print periodical available in English – has a series of articles on the Saudi destruction of Muslim historical sites, and the need for preservation of remaining sites in Saudi and elsewhere. (The Saudi “repair” projects in Bosnia are also a lesson in destruction of Muslim history.) Anyone who can should check with their local news stand to see if this issue is still available, or better yet, get a subscription to Islamica if you don’t already have one. Editors note: Islamica Magazine stopped publishing in 2009, and many articles are no longer available online except for those that were reprinted on other sites. In 2010 they set up a site to archive old articles and will work towards getting all the old articles online. Here are those on this topic that are now online: The destruction of the holy sites in Mecca and Medina, Irfan Ahmed -The birth and immanent death of a sacred Meccan site, Shafiq Morton – Memorializing the sacred in the Islamic civilization context, Yousef Waleed Meri
The Ottomans did an excellent job in their centuries as custodians and protected and documented historic sites, and now their meticulous care is being reversed in a short time. In fact, the Saudi’s are also destroying Ottomon history. For example, the Ajyad Fortress (Turkish: Ecyad Kalesi) was an Ottoman fort built in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia, in the late 18th century. It was destroyed by the Saudi government in 2002 for commercial development, sparking a global outcry.
History is being erased in order to accommodate ever increasing numbers of pilgrims. Over 300 sites have been destroyed in the last 50 years. 95% of the sites in Mecca have been destroyed. As few as 20 structures are left that date back to the time of the Prophet. It would seem that at this rate there won’t be much for those like Congressman Tancredo who suggested Nuking Mecca to destroy. Muslim silence over the destruction is shocking.
A Mecca conference in 2005 that criticized Israeli destruction of historic sites, and the Saudi protest of the destruction of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India would seem hypocritical.
The site where the Prophet grew up has already been demolished, a library has now been built over the house where the Prophet was born and now there are plans to demolish that to build skyscrapers.
Five of the renowned “Seven Mosques” initially built by Prophet Muhammad’s daughter and four of his “greatest Companions”: Masjid Abu Bakr, Masjid Salman al-Farsi, Masjid Umar ibn al-Khattab, Masjid Sayyida Fatima bint Rasulillah and Masjid Ali ibn Abi Talib have been demolished.
The Saudi’s have announced an award — called “Prince Sultan ibn Salman Award for Architectural Heritage” — which will be presented in three fields — research related to architectural heritage, use of architectural heritage in new designs and heritage restoration and rehabilitation. However, by the time anyone might win such an award what will be left to protect?
What we can do is at least protest any further destruction. We can contact the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC or the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission and ask them to preserve Islam’s historical sites. I am grateful that I was able to experience Hajj before this destruction began to speed up.
UPDATE February 2008
We have just published Destruction of Islamic Architectural Heritage in Saudi Arabia: A Wake-up Callby Saeed Shehabi in which he notes:
… The extremism of today’s Salafi movement has become a force of annihilation, which spares no one in its drive to dominate the Muslim world. It is closely linked to the Wahhabi movement founded by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al Wahab (1703–1792 AC). His aim was to purify Islam by returning all Muslims to what he believed were its original principles as typified by al Salaf al Şalihīn (the earliest converts to Islam). He rejected what he regarded as corruption introduced by bid‘a (innovation, reformation) and shirk (idolatry). During his lifetime, he denounced the practices of various sects of Sufism as heretical and unorthodox, such as their veneration of saints. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al Wahab revived interest in the works of an earlier scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah (661–728AH/1263–1328AC), and his disciple, Ibn al Jawziyyah (d. 1350 AC). … The Arabian Peninsula became the launching pad for the new politico-religious trend. This led to the destruction of more than 90 per cent of Islamic monuments, holy places, tombs and mausoleums. Anything that had symbolic significance unrelated to the Wahhabi school of thought was deemed “polytheistic” and faced destruction. In 1924, ‘Abd al ‘Aziz ibn Sa‘ud and his troops occupied Makkah in the region of Hejaz. Among their first actions was the destruction of al Mu’alla graveyard, which contained the grave of Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad’s wife, and that of his uncle, Abu Talib. Two years later, in 1926, Ibn Sa‘ud occupied Madinah and demolished the tombed mausoleum over the graves of several of Prophet Muhammad’s descendants, including those of his daughter, Fatimah, and his grandson, Hassan ibn ‘Ali. Since no tangible resistance to their heinous actions was mounted by Muslims, they went even further and demolished the famous Seven Mosques of Salman al Farisi, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Fatimah, ‘Ali, al Qiblatayn and al Fath. “
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
Muslims Cal Ramadan Fasting.
In reality it is Fasting during the day time and catching it up during the night time.
It is not true fasting and if it is true fasting they should not eat at all.
Ramadan is not eating during the day time and catching when the night falls.
Muslims kill animal in the name of a non-existing god.
So, every thing is FALSE -BELIEFS. There fore suits the PALI WORD MITHYAA DRUSHTI or the FALSE – VIEW OR THE FALSE BELIEFs..
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
Christians may give different names. Read and SEe there are over 38000, different christians Churches which they call denominations. Some christians follow the bible while others follow various Scrolls or old Hebrew scriptures.
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Jim softy / July 26, 2013
Read the following in order to understand how Democratic is the Interpretation of QURAN when Muslims have the upper hand.
For them the quran is the noblest and WEAK or NON-MUSLIMS HUAMNS and animals are just thrash. WHAT IS THE USE OF A RELIGION if it does not HELP or SERVE the Living beings.
“Two weeks ago, Lebanese women were compelled to recognize once again that they are left to be victims of violence in many forms — including murder — without any legislation protecting them or holding the aggressor accountable. The reason for that is the position of some clerics, who justify these views using religious convictions and concepts.
About This Article
Summary :
The death of Roula Yaacoub, a Lebanese mother of five who was beaten to death by her husband, has drawn attention to Lebanese activists’ fight to ensure women’s rights in the face of religious conservatives.
Original Title:
It’s Religiously Permissible to Beat, Rape and Kill Women in Lebanon?
Author: Jean Aziz
Posted on: July 24 2013
Translated by: Steffi Chakti
Categories : Originals Lebanon Security
Roula Yaacoub was the 24th Lebanese woman to be killed in the past three years, and whose murder has thus far gone legally unpunished. It seems that she died from torture and abuse at the hands of a suspect who is none other than her husband. Lebanese laws lack explicit articles that protect women in this regard, under the pretext of religions, which have their own personal status laws in Lebanon and prohibit any modern legislation negating their religious provisions.
Roula’s murder, which took place in the town of Halba in northern Lebanon on July 9, has brought to the forefront the issue of the draft law on protecting women from domestic violence, which has been frozen for four years now and still provokes many absurd religious stances.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/womens-rights-activists-lebanon-domestic-violence-law.html#ixzz2a5XB4L2g “
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Point of View / July 26, 2013
JimSoftly,
At last, you have managed to get an ‘erection’ – excitement is understood !
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Amarasiri / July 26, 2013
Jim Softy.
“Islamic Clerics Oppose Lebanese
Law Protecting Abused Women”
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/womens-rights-activists-lebanon-domestic-violence-law.html#ixzz2a73iJis6
This precisely shows how Religion, here Islam, is Abused by the Mullahs,Clerics and Ulema in Islam to keep and maintain their Hegemony for their own self interest. Such abuse was very minimal for the first 200 years of Islam, and coincided with the hegemony of the Clerics and Ulema, and the decline of the philosophers.
This precisely shows how Religion, Christianity, is Abused by the Priests in Christianity to keep and maintain their Hegemony for their own self interest.
This precisely shows how Religion or Philosophy , Buddhism, is Abused by the Monks in Buddhism to keep and maintain their Hegemony for their own self interest. Monk Mahanama, Killer Somarama, BBS all fall in this category.
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Nabil / July 26, 2013
Hello Leela, why don’t you post under one pseudo name?Why so many avatars? Do you suffer from MPD?
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sunkasena / July 26, 2013
Asanka
I any one can many wife no problem. but they have to be treated equally. no one can fuck and run like Buddha.you problem is different, you are a cross born for a Buddhist mother and Muslim father. some times your unknown Muslim father may be a fuck and runner like Buddha. Islam not allowed this type of activities. find your real father if he is a Muslim according to Shariah law he should stoned and killed.
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Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam / July 26, 2013
It is not about Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam, but in Sri Lanka it is about Sinhalese only wanting the country from them ethnically and religious wise want only Buddhism. This is a fact, which no one can deny based on the majority community’s actions to date from the time the country gained independence from the British in 1948.
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Amarasiri / July 26, 2013
Murali R Somasundaram, (MRS)
1. It is not the Sinhala, it is the Buddhism, the Buddhist Monks and Monk the Core Problem.
2. If the Sinhala were Animist,Jain, or even Christian, would have been peaceful.
3. Bali Indonesian, 94%, Hindu and Peaceful.
4. It is the Monk Hegemony, the Racist Monk Mahanama Myths, that has noting to do with True Buddhism, the core problem.
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newton / July 26, 2013
Muslims have more wifes but according to law it is poligamy.Why muslims given such a previledge to have more wives.Islam spread through war this is why they always engaged in violence to protect Islam.The Muslim terrorists are hiding to engage large scale war agaist Buddihists and Hindus both religions should be vigilant about this.Bodu bala sena has taken first step to protect buddism.
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Muliyawaikkal / July 26, 2013
They have more than an image problem. Wherever they are there is trouble.
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Private -thought / July 27, 2013
Women need respect and admiration. Recently, near the Immigration Office, two Muslim ladies came and sat at the table I was seated alone with their plates of food.They did not look the city type but from distant village. I opened conversation asking if they were expecting to travel for employment.A little later a young man,evidently, a brother or husband, a jovial looking fellow, came near. I asked which country they preferred to go.When I mentioned Saudi Arabia, he made a sign showing cutting the neck. We both laughed loud thereafter. Then he moved out.Next, I told the two ladies how graceful they looked in their Sarees and covered head with the saree and a light scarf.I told them that their dress blended well into our culture and attracted nothing but deep respect, an identity without disturbing the environment. Then I told them I did not like the black over all cover worn by some ladies.That did not suit our situation.What I want to stress is how graceful looking what our Muslim ladies wore in the past and some still do. They deserve admiration for maintaining an identity wihout disturbing the local environment. This remark shd not be taken as interfering with once choice and right to be independent.
In Iran, a country ruled by the clerical hierarchy, the females do not wear the balack hijab. Very few do and very rare. The Iranian ladies are the most fashionably dressed women in the world, I ever saw, whether it was in Paris or Tehran or or other cities.Once in Iran, there was competition for Hijab designing and there were various fashion models presented. The ladies there cover their head with a light scarf.The idea is not to display hair. For the rest they have deviced an overcoat like dress in different colours.At home and private parties held indoors, they throw away the covers and appear in their smart dress and form even before visitors.At weddings, private homes and sometimes in hotels,they listen to ‘bajaw’ music played by East Iranian groups.
On one occasion the former President Rafsanjani during a visit to Turkey asked his host how Turkish females were seen wearing the hejab. He said his clerics are trying to impose dress code but without success and there was resistance but you have achieved that without any pressure from the state.
Food for thought!
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mansion / July 27, 2013
when L.T.T.E WAS alive Muslims enjoyed because they have captured all the tamil speaking people should get.They go and tell the sinhalese THAT tamils are terrrorists don’t give any post to them.After L.t.t.e’s demise the tamils get the opportunity in jobs, education and tamil areas are developed.BBS RIGHTLY UNDERSTOOD WHO IS THE REAL ENEMIES OF SRI LANAK NOT THE HINDU TAMILS BUT MUSLIMS WHO GOT THE BENIFITS FROM THE WAR BY DOING DOUBLE GAME.yOU SEE the oppotunitsts politics of these muslim politicians now they get benifits from Mahinda rajapakse but very soon if rajapakse fallen down they will leave him happily and say they did for their community real opportunitist.Gota and Bodu balasena know this well.
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Abu Abdullah / August 4, 2013
The proliferation of ignorance and ignoramuses as prophesied by the last and final Messenger sent to all mankind is taking root.
Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ta’ala ‘anhu) is reported to have said I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallalahu ‘alahi wasallam) saying: The signs of the Hour are that religious knowledge will diminish, ignorance will prevail, adultery will be committed openly, women will outnumber men until there will be one man to every fifty women. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Anas (radiyallahu ta’ala ‘anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: Indeed, among the signs of the Last Hour (the Day of Resurrection) is that knowledge will be lifted, ignorance (of Deen) will take root, Alcohol will be drunk, and adultery will prevail. (Bukhari)
The worst ignorant of Muslims are the PhD’s who certainly are suffering from Permanent Head Damage and their naive carriers.
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