By Rosie Dimanno –
Rosie Dimanno
Iththbekande Saddhatissa is accused of spreading xenophobia, religious intolerance and Sinhalese domination over Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils.
The revered bhikkhu tucks in his saffron-coloured robe, offers a guest bananas and King Coconut water, smiles benignly.
Everything in this man’s disposition radiates the peaceable philosophy so widely associated with gentle Buddhism.
But Rev. Iththbekande Saddhatissa is a radical, accused of spreading xenophobia, religious intolerance and Sinhalese domination over Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils.
Read more in the Toronto Star
Thiru / January 14, 2014
Rosie Dimanno,
Don’t forget the Christians, they are under attack too by venerable Buddhist monks accompanied by Sinhala thugs as recently as yesterday!
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CT UP Yours / January 14, 2014
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Just M.E. / January 14, 2014
Rosie
Oh give us a break, you racist, shallow and ignorant dabbler in matters you know nothing about.
You Canadians treat Tamils like shit in your own country. You exploit the poor Sri Lankan Tamil refugees for their cheap labour. You make them work for less than minimum wages in menial jobs like janitorial, dish washing and factory – and sometimes in the freezing cold (-30 C temperature) in car parks, etc. You even disparage and ridicule them saying they are very “smelly” and “ugly.” You exploit their votes by pretending to support their terrorist politics. You hypocrite Canadians, you banned the LTTE in your country, and yet you allowed them to continue their illegal fundraising and arms & human smuggling to kill innocent civilians – both Tamils & Sinhalese – back here in Sri Lanka.
And Rosie, tell us how you treat the native (aboriginal) people in Canada. You Europeans, what are you doing in their country? You massacred them and took over their country. Then you spread deadly germs and slowly killed even more people. You introduced alcohol and turned them into addicts. You forcibly took away several generations of aboriginal children to “boarding schools” and sexually abused them. You didn’t allow these children to speak their language. Those who still remain are unable to fit into your “Great Canadian” society as you have destroyed their way of life. They are languishing in remote reservations without proper housing, education and other social services.
So Rosie, first expose the genocide, ethnic-cleansing and other war crimes committed by the Canadian Government and your ancestors, and the continuing cultural genocide against them even today in your country.
For your information: Though the Tamil people in Sri Lanka have problems just like many minorities all over the world, they are nowhere near the hellhole in which the native people find themselves, and the ghettos in which the third world refugees are living in your very “affluent” and “democratic” Canada.
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JimSofty / January 15, 2014
Late Pope Johan Paul visited Sri Lanka and one of his comments was that Asia to be the BATTLEGROUND OF THE NEW MILLINIUM.
So, all these propaganda are the result of those.
Read the following.
“Http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2013/07/03/time-magazine-was-wrong-burmese-nationalist-monk-wirathu-stands-vindicated/
TIME Magazine was wrong: Burmese nationalist monk Wirathu stands vindicated
Asia is tomorrow s future. Asia is still pre dominantly Buddhist. Buddhists are people internally motivated and therefore the strategy is to use media to demonize Buddhists while using the weapon of arms and ammunition with hired rebel movements to do the rest of the dirty work. Funded by Anglo-Americans and assisted by Wahhabis, various strategies are now being used to denigrate, divide and demoralize Buddhists amongst themselves and with the other communities around them. Individuals who are nationalists and able to rally public opinion become targets for rebuke “
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JimSofty / January 15, 2014
Toronto Star talks about Sri Lankan buddhist monks.
Yet, the Canadian govt when they established the new govt position of the RELIGOUS AFFAIRS CO-ORDINATOR or something, the Canadian govt DID NOT INVITE BUDDHIST REPRESENTATIVES to that opening.
That is how the Canadian Govt’s religious tolerance.
I wonder Toronto STAR FORGOT that ?
It is like Natives are treated like THRASH and talk about Human rights else where.
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Amarasiri / January 15, 2014
Dear Ms. Rosie Diamano,
“But Rev. Iththbekande Saddhatissa is a radical, accused of spreading xenophobia, religious intolerance and Sinhalese domination over Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils.”
1. He is not the only Sinhala Mahanama Buddhist Racist Monk in recent times. In Sri Lanka Buddhism is used for Sinhala (Buddhist) racism. Even before independence, the Sinhala racism showed its ugly head, courtesy of Racist Monk Mahanama, who lived in the 5th century. Read more the write up by Ms. Shamani Serasinha and the 800 odd responses it generated. It will provide you with more enlightenment as to the causes and curse of Mahanam Sinhala Buddhism.
2. The above is the core reason for the conflict between the Sinhala Buddhists and Hindu (and more recent ) Christian Tamils. The Sinhalam Buddhists racist have now added the Muslims to the Enemy List of Tamils. These have nothing to do with the teachings of Enlightened Buddha. The Politicians are getting a free ride on the Sinhala Buddhist racism resurgence.
3. Have you ever wondered why, in Sri Lanka there are hardly any Tamil Buddhists, even after 2,300 years of co-existence, whereas in India every State has a few percent Buddhists? Sinhala Mahanama Buddhist Racism?
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The Professional / January 15, 2014
“Have you ever wondered why, in Sri Lanka there are hardly any Tamil Buddhists, even after 2,300 years of co-existence, whereas in India every State has a few percent Buddhists?….”
If Tamils were to embrace Buddhism only Tamil Hindus would have considered it. Buddhism’s ultimate goal is Nibbana and for Hinduism it is Nirvana. Both are the same with a fundamental difference; non-existent state and existent divine state. When followers of Buddhism and Hinduism try to achieve the same thing described in two different languages; Pali and Sanskrit, necessity for Hindus,(Daliths of India are an exception) to become Buddhists hardly arises. What about Buddhists venerating Hindu deities?
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Ramany K / January 15, 2014
In your previous series of articles during the Northern Provincial Council election you wrote that the other two provinces (central province and North West province) were made Sinhala majority areas after Sinhalization.THIS IS GOOD ENOUGH TO SHOW HOW IGNORANT YOU PEOPLE ARE ABOUT SINHALIZATION.
In some hospitals in Toronto,you can sign boards in Tamil.Why not in Sinhala?Is it because the Tamil population in Canada is more than Sinhala population?
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / January 15, 2014
Generally when white journalists in UK,US, Canada or Australia write about Sri Lankan politics, they do so with an agenda that is not even remotely connected to ideas of compassion or feeling for the oppressed. So, this writer may interview a radical monk and paint a scene that helps achieve her ends, but it does not change the fact that her intentions are not sincere.
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Dev / January 17, 2014
“Radical Buddhists” break a few windows and make some noise. Radical Tamil Hindus however blow up buses full of schoolchildren.
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