BY R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN – The Hindu –
Salat al juma (Friday prayers) in Sri Lanka will attract attention from afar and near: today’s prayers and the sermons that follow, will determine which direction the country’s Muslim minority will take to salvage its rights. It was last Friday that a mob, comprising of Buddhist radicals, wanted a mosque demolished, because it was built in a place considered sacred by Buddhists.
Trouble is brewing in the Muslim majority areas of Sri Lanka, following the attempts to desecrate a mosque built in an area sacred to Buddhists in Dambulla, a town about 150 km north east of Colombo, and the shockingly insensitive approach of the Sri Lankan government to the issue.
Last Friday, some people in the attire of Buddhist monks, and a mob tried to force its way into a mosque that Muslim leaders say, has been in existence for over half a century. They said that it was built on sacred ground and had to be demolished. There could be no compromise on this, a section of Monks, belonging to the Jathika Hela Urumaya, a political party led by Buddhist monks, announced to the press later.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa busy with the Indian MPs delegation, and preparing for a four-day tour of South Korea, left the issue to be handled by Prime Minister D.M.Jayaratne. Following pressure from Buddhist clergy, the Prime Minister ordered the relocation of the mosque. This move was widely criticised by Muslim leaders across the country, and leaders of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, an ally of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance, had threatened to review support.
Muslims across the country observed a ‘black day’ on Thursday. In some parts of the country mass prayers were held while in the Muslim-majority parts of the Eastern Province, there was a partial closure of shops and business establishments. The moderate among the Muslims in the Eastern province came under fire, one official source in the Eastern province, familiar with the developments on Thursday, said.
The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama had called for a fast on Thursday, and said that Muslims were “deeply worried over the recent incident took place in Dambulla in which a gang stormed the Jumma Mosque of Dambulla and damaged the place on 20 April, Friday. Muslims along with peace loving citizens of Sri Lanka are fretful if this incident would negatively impact the reconciliation that has started to sprout among communities since recently.”
“We should not forget the fact that majority of the Buddhist people are peace loving, rational and fair minded people and that they do not approve such acts and therefore we should be attentive of not hurting their feelings by taking offensive course of actions such as slamming other faiths which is not fitting for true believers,” said Sheikh M. M. A. Mubarak, general secretary, All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama.
But Non Governmental Organisations, and social activists, who think that executive intervention, and not divine intervention was the need of the hour, decried the “increasing religious intolerance” and appealed to the President, and officials to take steps to arrest the trend. “We strongly urge the state to take measures to curb the growing trend of intolerance and to do its utmost to make minorities feel in every way people of this country. In the post war context this is of the utmost importance for reconciliation and peaceful co-existence. We also appeal to religious and community leaders to initiate dialogue at all possible levels so that minority communities feel secure. We pledge our support for a pluralist Sri Lankan society,” said the appeal, signed by 219 individuals and institutions, cutting across identities.
sjv chelvanayakam / April 27, 2012
BY R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN – The Hindu.. Ha the Hindu gutter rag of India..
We lankans all condem all acts of Terror by anyone.. and so is what happend in Dambulla.. But for RADHAKRISHNAN – The Hindu may i point out the incidents commited against the muslims in India.. the BABRI MASJID Demolition (16TH CENTURY MOSQUE IN Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh) WHERE INDIAS SECOND LARGEST POLITICAL PARTY AND ITS CURRENT LEADERS incited AND LED THE RACIST RADICALS TO DESTORY THE MOSQUE (HINT: bjp), THEN WHAT HAPPEND TO THE MUSLIMS AND MOSQUES IN GUJARAT iNDIA.. WHERE LEAD BY BJP MOBS MASSACRED MUSLIMS (burnt them alive) and destroyed mosques and these muslims to this day have been denied the basic rights such as education etc etc… YET… RADHAKRISHNAN – The Hindu THE MUSLIMS IN iNDIA DID NOT TAKE THE DIRECTION YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO TAKE IN SRI-LANKA.. (call to Arms).. At least the Sri-Lankan Muslims have the right to protest.. Unlike in India the Brave jawans and the BJP lead extremist will massacre them…..coolie
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Bodinayaka / April 27, 2012
What I don’t understand is when you go to Kathragama there is a Hindu Kovil and next to that there is the Muslim Masjid ( Paadu Naji Bawa Masjid ) where this guy live only by milk and then the Buddhist sthupa. They all do business very well together. Why can’t the Dambulla guys get together and do business like that?
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Nestar Rafi / January 16, 2013
Hope the following Letter will make all Sinhalese to open up their eyes to the following enlightening understanding of an erudite Sinhala Gentleman:
Dear all,
First, I would like to introduce myself that I am Hiran Gunaratne, Colombo Sri Lanka. The aim of this mail is to express my views on mails I received from ‘lakgunegroup@googlegroups.com’ which is influencing to create racism among our Sri Lankan communities. I believe that my views would bring some result on the matter I am trying to express. The whole purpose of this mail is to make you’ll to understand on very important matter which is harming us and making all of us as indecent Sri Lankan. Therefore, I kindly request all of you’ll to read this mail completely and if you wish you can share your views with me. As you’ll know we are just trying to stand ourselves as a nation after a bitterest experience of a terrible war of thirty years. The net result is, we lost thousand of good people in this country by destroying our wealth and increasing anger amongst our communities.
Now I will come to the subject what I need to discuss with you’ll. Why are we trying to start again a similar era hurting Muslims and Tamils? If you look at us as three communities Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims are the only three set of people living in this country. Our history reminds us living together in harmony. That is why we are representing one national flag for one country. Unfortunately our younger generation is totally misguided by opportunists and politicians for their survival. I am pleading, what we are trying do is nothing but fulfilling our dirty politicians and opportunists ideas. And as a good Sinhalese community we try to deteriorating our self by contributing for these evil acts of few uneducated individuals. In every society we can see good and bad people living. But we cannot blame the entire community. To handle bad action there is a legal system in our country. Apart from our Sinhalese community, Tamils and Muslims we cannot reject. They are our Sri Lankan. They do not belong any other country. If you look at, Malaysia, 60% Muslims, 20% Chinese- Buddhist and 20% Tamils. Have you’ll ever heard any ethnic problems there? See how much they are developed than us and enjoy the life. The reason is, they do everything together and respecting each other and they enjoy good life. Take Singapore, 50% Chinese, 25% Muslims, 25% Tamils. Still they respect each other’s and do well in every area. The secret is that both countries are totally against discrimination and racialism. And they respect each other identity, religion, language, culture etc. They believe the success is only if you join together as human being.
If you’ll think of war we faced, who helped us financially? Not India or China. They are only trying to grab our country. China and India not given us anything free. If they give 10 rupees they make sure to take 100 rupees from us. China gave arms to us during war time on huge money. India the same. Today India is trying grab all the good lands in Colombo for what we are suppose to pay them as loan what taken. China is taking all the good projects in our country. And they are trying to split us again with their rivals. The only countries helped us and still helping us are the Middle East countries. Not a single so call America and any European countries helped us substantially. All of us remember when UN went against us on humanitarian issues, all America and Europe countries voted against us. Ok, that is all right, what about India? Our close friend. India did not vote favor of us. Only Malaysia, Iran, Russia and other Middle-East countries voted us on favor. Today, what is our export? It is totally destroyed. Who’s responsible? Our politicians. Because of poor foreign policies and relationships and bad administration. How are we getting our foreign currency to pay back loans and our politicians to go around the world and spend million of dollars. It’s only from the salaries of our people go and work in Middle East countries. Otherwise, from where are we getting foreign currency? If Middle East countries stop our workers, that is the end of our labour export. That is the only export we have right now. All Europe, America, Japan and Australia are tightening their immigration rules to stop our people going to those countries. Only Middle-East countries are open for us to go and work and send money home. Next, who give us oil for longer credit and on low price? If oil is stop what is our plight. Only middles east countries give us oil on concession price. Iran is contributing the large part of it. I think you must know that recently Iran donated us two billion rupees of money that we are supposed to pay them on oil. They donated us that money without taking back. Pakistan is the only country who gave us technology during war. Their expertise knowledge in wars and experience shared with us to win the war. Not America and any European country. What did India give us to win the war? Who buys our tea? Majority is Middle-East countries. India and Bangladesh captured the European market. Think positively, has any Middle-East country forced us on anything like India, China and European? We are a small country without technological power. We need to have good friends around us for us to survive in these global arenas. And no powerful country would help us other than these countries I mentioned above. Your mails against Muslims and Tamils are receiving to most Sri Lankan abroad and other nations around the world. They all are rejecting your act as we are an uncivilized country. We are not opened minded and we still holding unpopular and unwanted differences amongst our people
Because we are lack of enlightenment, we try to show anger and jealousy over Muslims, Tamils or anybody, see how much wrong we are doing within our Sinhalese community. So many killings, many rape cases, unjust is everywhere, politicians put us against each other, our wealth is only amongst few families, see our legal system which is more than hundred year old and not serving for innocents. Analyse our education system, it has totally destroyed. Look at our health system; it is only a big talk. What has happened to our farmers? Why are they suicide? What are we eating? Do our majority eat at least good one meal a day? All take-away. How can we bring a healthy society in the future? All will be sick people with malnutrition. The net result is, we would not have good thinkers in our society, Muslims good at business because their religious leader, Prophet Mohammed led his life as a trader. And they go in that way. Tamils give more priority for education, hardworking and in that they are successful. We as Sinhalese blame the government from the day we got our degree from the university because government is responsible for providing us jobs. Whereas Muslims and Tamil, start at least collecting bottles and papers to start their living. And that way they become good business peoples. Don’t forget they have come up in hard way. What do we do? Without thinking on any innovative way, blaming the government that they don’t give jobs for us. Or we are jealous over successful people whether Muslims, Tamil or Sinhalese by wasting our time talking gossip around us. Don’t forget we need the international whether we like it or not. All our good and bad acts are watch by them very closely. Are we really raising our voice against the unjust happening in this country? No, we only know to do everything behind the back. (Not all, please) Please, I am repeating don’t take me wrong. This is the truth. And I kindly beg from you’ll to think about truth of this. We believe in Buddhism as our faith, but are we practising the same way? We break the main five principles every day. Can we call us as good Buddhists? No, we believe in multiple faiths like many gods. Aren’t we using our Buddhism for advantages in life? Whereas Muslims and Tamils are live with their religions to some extent. How much of liquor production in this country? It is getting doubled every year. Who drink this liquor? Only Sinhalese 95% of it. Who destroy Buddhist temples and Buddha statues? Who kills Buddhist monks? Is it Tamils or Muslims? NO we who do that. So, can we call Buddhist? See how much of unknown killing happening in this country? How much rape cases happening daily? Is our media favour of us? No, they are in the pocket of our politicians. – Talk to your inner mind (please, only those who are guilty) So, can’t we raise our voice against our own wrong doings? Why we jealous over petty thing of other communities? Can Muslims and Tamils get rid of from this country by pointing one finger at them while our three fingers pointing at us? (Please, those who know history they know what I mean) NO, they are our part of community. We need to go together than spreading these ethnically violent emails around the country and in abroad. In the international picture we have no place to stand because of our own dirty attitudes of some. We are famous in our hospitality. Is it only for foreigner? Why can’t we have that now within us? Like our parents and grandparents did? I beg you thousands times, please stop such emails that you’ll spreading against our own part of communities. That only create unrest, unpleasantness and finally we are digging our own grave by showing our barbaric qualities to the world. We destroy our own soul, character, families, society and country. Finally we are totally living against our faith. We will try to learn business from Muslims, we will try to learn hardworking from Tamils. Muslims and Tamil want to go together. But we who trying to spread anger amongst them. (Not all our Sinhalese, but few under political agendas, true Sinhalese are peaceful and good human beings) Just because they are good at hardworking and business we should not raise our voice and have jealousy over them. We should be happy to have such people in our society. We must mix our capabilities and talents to the economy of this country to develop as one nation. Otherwise we will continue to split and finally nobody would be successful.
I am not forgetting that, still our country’s society there are many good people living in and out of the country. I respect all of them. They are much opened minded, Understanding good human being. Also many good private organizations are there in our country try to treat everyone equally. At the same time sad to mention, certain private organization also executing hidden agenda on racism. Not forgetting to admire our Christian community who always choose to be very moderate. Think as an individual. Don’t get trap with politician’s tricks for short victories. Think of our future that if all three communities live together in harmony only we can enjoy good life in this country. Unfortunately most of our Buddhist leaders are also behind this materialistic world. Therefore, we can’t expect any good from them. (Only very few Buddhist monks are good but they don’t come to public, because they know what Buddha taught us).
We will STOP Jealousy!!! Live by the true faith and values in this short span of life.
Cheers and thanking you for kind consideration
Hiran
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