Fashion Bug Attack, Gota, BBS And The Anti-Muslim Hatred

March 30, 2013

Filed under: Colombo Telegrap

By Kshama Ranawana

Facebook is full of posts from Sri Lankans thanking the eight countries that voted against the United States sponsored UNHRC resolution that censured Sri Lanka on Human Rights violations. Considering the wave of anti-Muslim hatred being unleashed by the so-called patriotic forces in Sri Lanka, it's ironic that several of those that supported the country in the final vote are Muslim countries. Those who believe that Sri Lanka has been wronged need to look beyond the Sri Lanka can do no wrong ideology. The UNHRC resolution is pretty lenient, asking only for a "credible form of domestic accountability." Sri Lankans should be grateful for this watered down resolution- which indicates that the so-called "foreign interventionists" are even now willing to give the country more chances.

English Translation of the Threatening Letter of BBS

Add English Translation - A Letter drafted in BBS Letterhead to Islamic Institutions in Sri Lanka in a Threatening manner.

Hadhis of the Day.

පුද්ගලයකු නබි (සල්) තුමන් වෙත පැමිණ මෙසේ පවසා සිටියේය: අල්ලාහ්හේ දූතවරයාණනි! මට සමහර ඥාතීහූ සිටිති, මා ඔවුන් සමග මනා සම්බන්ධයක් පැවැත්වූවද ඔවුන් එය කඩා කප්පල් කරති. මා ඔවුන් සමග යහපත් අයුරින් කි‍්‍රයා කරමි, නමුත් ඔවුන් මා සමග නපුරු ලෙස කි‍්‍රයා කරති. මා ඔවුන් සමග ඉවසීමෙන් කටයුතු කරමි, නමුත් ඔවුන් මා සමග අනූවන ලෙස හැසිරෙති. එවිට නබි (සල්) තුමන් ඔබ පවසන අන්දමට ඔබ කි‍්‍රයා කළේ නම් එය ඔවුන්ගේ මුහුණේ දැවෙන අළු ගෑම හා සමානය. ඔබ මෙම යහ ගුණයෙහි පිහිටී සිටින තෙක් අල්ලාහ් නිරතුරුව ඔවුන්ට එරෙහිව ඔබට පිහිටවෙමින් සිටී” යනුවෙන් පිළිතුරු දුන්හ. (විස්තර කරන්නේ: අබූහුරෙයිරා (රලි) තුමන්, මූලාශ‍්‍රය: මුස්ලිම්).

Copy Letter on BBS letterhead recieved by Tawheed Mosque & Jamath -E- Islami Islamic Book Shop in Dematagoda, Sri Lanka

Call for Muslim Parliamentarians to Resign from the Government

Call for Muslim Parliamentarians to Resign from the Government

Wednesday, 27 March 2013 00:17 Sri Lanka Muslims

By Latheef Farook

The speech of Ven. Galagodatte  Gnanasara Thera at a public meeting in Kandy on March 17 shamed the nation and sent shudders over the spines of the island’s Muslim community.

Addressing the gathering Bodu Bala Sena Secretary Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera

asked the Sinhalese to rise against the island’s Muslims, whom he described in very derogatory terms not worthy of a monk, besides accusing Muslims of converting Buddhists into Islam and treating Sinhalese girls and boys in their establishments as slaves.

Inciting them he also asked all Sinhalese girls working for Muslim owned establishments to leave. However he had conveniently forgotten to ask Sinhalese working in the Gulf to return home!

The manner in which he expressed his hatred in his drive to provoke the Sinhalese against Muslims made one to ask whether we are living in the medieval era or in the globalized era in 2013. The irony is that this hate campaign is taking place in a country where Buddhist civilization, known for its teaching of peace, harmony and tolerance, flourished for more than 2550 years.

The tragedy is that this fascism is unfolding four years after ending the thirty year ethnic carnage which was the direct outcome of the racist policies of misguided politicians of the two major communities- Sinhalese and Tamils. Although the Muslims were not direct parties to the conflict they too suffered as a result of the war which was the direct outcome of racist policies.

 It was  against these very same  Muslims the Jathika Hela Uruma, Bodu Bala Sena, Sinhala Ravaya, JHU-BBS-SR BBS, combine started inciting Sinhalese not realizing the inherent dangers involved to the whole country.

The disgusting state of affairs was such that Muslims in and around Kandy remained in doors on March 17 and most of them observed a day long fast. Realizing the seriousness of this unwarranted provocation by a small but very well organized heavily funded and government backed group of few hundreds, large number of Sinhalese met their Muslim neighbors and friends in and around Kandy to assure them that they have nothing to do with the BBS. Some even said that “BBS which appeared from nowhere has become a source of embarrassment to Sinhalese”.

Today Muslims living in small numbers amidst predominantly Sinhalese areas spend sleepless nights fearing a July 1983 type attack on them. The deafening silence among the Sinhalese and the government’s refusal to bring these lawless elements to book is deeply disturbing and frightening.

All what the Muslims are asking the government is to stop this hooliganism and stop poisoning the minds of innocent people including children. However the government has been silent which was exploited by the JHU-BBS-SR combine to carry out   their destructive campaign.

Under such circumstance inevitably the mood among the Muslim community is that of gloom with many young families asking “where are we heading and what is the future of our children?

The JHU-BBS-SR threat remains the common topic of discussions at every Muslim gathering including funerals. With one voice they criticize Muslim politicians for their failure to raise this issue. Muslims now openly call their politicians to either stop this rising fascism which could set ablaze the nation or resign from the government.

Muslim community has lost  confidence in their parliamentarians long before the JHU-BBS SR hate Muslim campaign began in view of their failure to stand up to Muslim rights on many issues. However today the mood is nothing but anger.

Muslims fear that the present hate campaign is a conspiracy to provoke them to react to justify a violent attack on them to commemorate the centenary of 1915 Sinhala- Muslim riot perhaps also to please their suspected Israeli-Norwegian masters .

They are least bothered about the harm they are causing to the image of the Sinhala community   and the destruction to their own country. As rightly pointed out by Ven Dhambara Amila Thero, Senior Lecturer at Sri Jayawardanapura University,” these people think that the world is inside Sri Lanka though Sri Lanka is part of the world

This fear is justified by the manner in which the JHU-BBS SR combine had taken the law into their hands and become a government within government committing actions in violation of the very same Buddhist principles which they claim to profess and protect.

They openly attack mosques, destroy shrines, go on street demonstrations with posters of pigs with the Arabic word Allah on its face, posters of Holy Ka’ba with a dog on it ,doctors trying to sterilize women who went for delivery, attacking girls wearing hijab and abaya and many more. Muslim minister of justice cannot ensure justice to his own community and the country has descended to such low ebb that a Muslim woman cannot walk freely without the fear of being attacked.

This hooliganism was perpetrated under the watchful eyes of the police which refuses to arrest them stating that THERE ARE “orders from the top not to interfere”.

In this dark hour the disturbed Muslim community was given a clear message by the government. The message was that they are not wanted when state patronage was given to the inaugural ceremony of a cultural center at Galle gifted to BBS by a German, alleged to be a Jew. Perhaps the Jewish methods of saying “thank you” to BBS for successfully pitting the Sinhalese against Muslims  

This reminds the country of late President J.R.Jayawardene’s arrogant dismissal of Muslims   when he said “Muslim can stay or leave the government” when he brought the Israelis to fight the LTTE. However it didn’t take long for the country to realize that the very Israelis brought to fight LTTE trained the very same LTTE while training Sri Lankan soldiers too.  

Perhaps no lessons learnt yet.    

The outcome of Jayewardene’s arrogance was the emergence of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress which further divided the communities and contributed to where the country is today though the mistake was realized later and the National Unity Alliance was formed. Time alone will tell the political implications of the current government’s policy towards Israelis, turning blind eye to BBS hooliganism, overall Sinhalisation and the systematic sidelining of Muslims.

In fact the current unfolding disaster is not something unexpected especially with the presence of Israelis who, many suspects, have picked up the JHU-BBS-SR combine to do their dirty job of pitting Sinhalese against Muslims in Sri Lanka  

Right now the Muslim community feels that it was abandoned by the government and betrayed by their own politicians. Their appeal to the government is to contain this ethno religious fascism to avert any potential disaster which the country can ill afford. Their appeal to Muslim parliamentarians is to leave the government and stop humiliating the Muslim community.

What the JHU-BBS-SR combine refuse to understand is that the world, especially Muslims worldwide, is watching us.

Attacks on Communities and Rising Levels of Insecurity among all Citizens

Attacks on Communities and Rising Levels of Insecurity among all Citizens

Statement by Citizens for a Secure Sri Lanka (CSSL) – a network of concerned individuals of all ethnicities and religions

We, members of CSSL, who represent a cross section of the community are deeply disturbed, saddened and ashamed of the current happenings in our beloved country in the form of attacks on places of worship, Campaigns of Hate and Misinformation as well as demands for boycotting of trading establishments owned by one ethnic group. A recent study describes 65 such attacks on places of worship mostly mosques, followed by churches and a few temples, during the past 3 years.

CSSL wishes to draw the attention of the Sri Lankan public, to the fact that an environment of fear, mistrust and lack of safety is increasing in the country, not only among the Muslim community, but among all other communities as well. The fear that is created, leads to Division and this Division to ultimate and irreparable polarization and the possibility of a debilitating lack of communication and harmony. This in turn is strengthening those who wish to accelerate social violence among the citizens of this country. This hate campaign is also targeting young minds in pre schools, regular schools and the Daham Pasala. Young children are being encouraged to look with fear and suspicion at children and adults of ethnic communities, not their own.

The corrosion of hatred started by BBS  has reached every nook and corner of Sri Lanka and  has taken various forms

Our Muslim bretheren who have lived peacefully for generations, side by side with all other ethnic and religious groups have become the main target this time, through a campaign of hate speech and extreme actions by the group Bodu Bala Sena(BBS) and other similar organizations which are mushrooming. These other groups are  the Sinhala Ravaya (SR) and Ravana Balaya (RB).  This hate campaign is carried out under the guise of protecting Buddhism, the greatest and most peaceful philosophy in the world. Christians too have been attacked, though to a lesser extent and the Buddhists the least.

This insidious campaign is also being used to extract financial gain through intimidation and/or violence against Muslim traders around the country.. Besides the violence, the misinformation campaign against Muslim Trading establishments is unfair, baseless and extremely short sighted. If a business establishment belonging to any Sri Lankan is forced to shut its doors in this manner through wicked intent of boycott and stigmatising, the impact on the economy of the country is likely to be manifold. Not only does this reduce levels of revenues and taxes to the state, but also wreaks havoc in the lives of those who are employed at such establishments.

These extreme organisations also spread rumors that  Sri Lanka would be an Islamic republic, But  senior census and statistics official  disputed a claim being propagated in the country that the Muslim population is likely exceed that of the majority community. In fact the proportionate increase of the Muslim population is negligible.

Sri Lanka can ill afford another era of violence after the blood bath of the past 30 years

We also have to remember, that such attacks impact particularly on women and children of all communities, be it physical, emotional or economic. Already there are instances of violence against Muslim women on account of their dress.

If sensitivities of Buddhists or any other ethnic community have been disturbed by actions of of another, there are civilized and democratic means and processes to deal with such problems.  Some of the remedies that communities have at their disposal are dialogue, consultation with learned individuals, placing the grievance before a Conciliation Board such as the Samatha Mandalaya, complaining to the Police and if all else fails using the judicial process.  

While it is not yet clear what the real and specific grievances committed by the Muslims are, BBS and other  extremists reportedly point to Muslim terrorist groups operating in the country. A state that has beaten supposedly the world’s most powerful terrorist organization could easily crush the  so called Muslim groups if any.  By making such unfounded statements, it creates a fear among the Sinhalese and it is fear that begets violence.

The Sri Lankan State has the responsibility to ensure the protection of its citizens against  verifiable threats, of any kind.  There should be no room for any group to make such unfounded statements that are clearly intended to create antagonism between ethnic communities in the country.

The State’s dereliction of duty has been obvious, however, with regard to the attacks on Muslims and Christians . In many instances the Police have stood by, while attacks continued and CSSL has noted several accounts of the Police not entertaining complaints. This is not acceptable by any means. This amounts to a persecution of communities and are illustrative of forms of institutional violence. It is most unfortunate that up to now, the State response has been lukewarm at best, taking the form of occasional media statements about unity. There has not been any public demonstration of action to stem the tide of instigated ethnic disharmony. Rather, by its inaction there is much room to speculate as to where these aforementioned groups are obtaining support to carry out such activities.

The role played by some electronic and print media institutions also needs to be scrutinized and condemned, especially where time and space is provided only for extremist groups to indulge in one sided and inflammatory proclamations . A case in point  is that of a popular television channel which allowed the BBS the opportunity to utter false statements to the effect that the  Buddhist priests was beaten up in Chennai up by a Sri Lankan ‘Thowheed’ group. The same channel, however, did not afford the opportunity to provide a denial to this gross untruth.

While financial and other losses may be temporary,  it would take   strong and consistent efforts on the part of  the state, the private sector, religious organisations, schools and the media to unite the communities.

CSSL demands that the Government immediately commence a Campaign of Zero Tolerance against this unacceptable and injurious conduct of groups such as the BBS, SR. JHU and RB and/or any other pseudo Buddhist groups. Such a campaign should be led by the President and the Secretary of Defense with the participation of all political leaders, communities and the media. A Tribunal comprising of learned individuals who can entertain such complaints and arrive at a decision acceptable to all, would also be a creative approach in resolving conflicts.

It is our fervent hope that Sri Lanka will never witness another black July! Let us have a truly joyful and peaceful New Year 2013 and beyond.

Colombo, 25 March 2013.

Activities of Highly Civilized People..

Add caption

The valuable saying of Buddha..

Thought of the Day in Sinhala

"මතු දිනයෙහි කිසිවෙකුට සිය දෙපා සෙලවීමට හෝ අවසරය නැත, මෙම ප‍්‍රශ්නවලට පිළිතුරු සපයන තෙක්: ඔබගේ ආයූ කාලය ඔබ ගත කළේ කෙසේද? ඔබේ (කඩ වසම්) තාරුණ්‍යය ඔබ ගත කළේ කෙසේද? ඔබ ලද් දැනුමෙන් ඔබ ක‍්‍රියාකළේ කෙසේද? ඔබ මුදල් ඉපැයූවේ කෙසේද? එය වියදම් කළේ කෙසේද?" යනුවෙන් නබි (සල්) තුමන් පැවසූහ. (මූලාශ‍්‍රය: තිර්මිදි)

Swelling Ranks of Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya is Ominous Sign of Potential Religious Conflagration in the Making.

Swelling Ranks of Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya is Ominous Sign of Potential Religious Conflagration in the Making.

17 March 2013, 8:45 pm

By: Ranga Jayasuriya

Religious groups compete with each other for their constituency, just like terrorists, trade unions, or any other factions of competing ideologies do. That would perhaps explain the increasing militant activism of two controversial Buddhist groups: Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya.

On Saturday, protesters affiliated with Sinhala Ravaya stormed a house which is used as a Catholic religious centre in Nawala. They assaulted a male resident in the house in the presence of his wife and the child, accusing him of ‘defaming Buddhism.’ On Friday, a mob belonging to the same Buddhist group laid siege to another Catholic religious centre in Kahatagahapitiya, Galle.

Earlier in the week, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, in order to wade off a growing anti-Muslim propaganda, spearheaded by the monks associated with the Bodu Bala Sena, announced it would suspend the issuance of Halal Certificates. (The ACJU described the decision as a necessary sacrifice. The ACJU itself is culpable of covertly promoting a radical brand of austere, imported Salafi Islam, which is now extending its tentacles in the East. However, that should be the focus in a separate essay).

Challenging the integrity of prominent monks

The Bodu Bala Sena, which was not satisfied with the ACJU’s announcement, threatened to launch an islandwide protest in order to ‘eradicate’ halal by 31 March. The interlocutors of the Buddhist group, led by its General Secretary, Ven. Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara went a step further, challenging the integrity of some prominent Buddhist monks of liberal outlook, such as Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratne Thera. Gnanasara Thera accused those Buddhist monks had been turning a blind eye, when “the halal system came into play five-six years ago, and while Christianity was taking root in the country.”

Those interlocutors of Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya are spewing a heavy dose of religious intolerance and are acting as the Buddhist equivalent to fundamentalist mullahs in the Muslim world. Even the outward-looking autocrats in the Muslim world, ranging from Suharto to Mubarak knew how to keep a tab on Islamic extremism. Mubarak, for instance, jailed en masse the activists of Salafi groups and the Muslim brotherhood, a move, which despite its negative impact on civil liberties, could have been a necessary evil in order to wade off the country from a venomous religious radicalization, whereas the current regime in Colombo seems to be exploiting the religious extremism spread by Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya.

Endorsement

The initial indifference on the part of the government towards the Bodu Bala Sena activism has now turned into an endorsement. It was none other than the powerful Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who was the Chief Guest at the opening of Bodu Bala Sena’s Buddhist Leadership Academy, last week, in Pilana, Galle. Speaking at the event, Rajapaksa agreed with an earlier remark made by the Bodu Bala Sena Leader, Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thera that, “Some people won’t learn a lesson, if they are told lightly; therefore, it should be done severely.” That is a tacit endorsement of Bodu Bala Sena’s often violent activism and it could also explain the inaction on the part of the security apparatus and law enforcement agencies towards attacks carried out by the activists of those groups against the practitioners of other faiths.

In a previous interview with Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thera, this writer asked about the allegations that Bodu Bala Sena had the backing of the Defence Secretary. The monk, visibly angry then, replied in the negative. However, the recent appearance of the Defence Secretary at the Bodu Bala Sena organized event in Pilana would suggest otherwise.

The current regime, which has been decried by much of the civilized part of the world and its own citizens of liberal democratic disposition, derives much of its support from populist and often regressive manoeuverings, which are meant to cater to its nationalist constituency. It is this constituency that is extremely susceptible to religious radicalization, set in motion by Bodu Bala Sena’s brand of militant Buddhist activism. And this government is playing with fire; instead of intervening to reverse the trend, it is tacitly promoting it.

The current government, like many of its predecessors, is using Buddhism in order to legitimize the regime. The religious and cultural ethos had been exploited to enhance the image of the regime and its main protagonists. That partly explains the reluctance of the government to act against emerging Buddhist extremism.

However, the religious radicalization already has an impact on the government’s apparatus. Last week, a British tourist, who sported a tattoo of the Buddha on his arm, was deported on arrival at the Katunayake International Airport. Earlier, the Health Ministry sent a circular to public and private hospitals, banning irreversible birth control operations. Nowadays, the police often fail to act, and bend backward when confronted by marauding mobs of extremist Buddhist disposition. It seems the regime apparatus is not immune from the pervasive influence of emerging religious extremism.

Impact of religious
intolerance

Religious intolerance had already taken its toll on the social fabric of the country.

Sri Lanka, sadly, has a large swathe of an unhappy young population. That particular segment of the population provides a receptive audience for the preachers of religious extremism. Madrasas in Peshawar, which were the breeding grounds of the Taliban were packed with despondent youth who were groomed to be Islamic radicals by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence and mullahs in the early 90s.

The swelling ranks of the Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya is an ominous sign of a potential religious conflagration in the making. In a previous interview with the writer, Kirama Wimalajothi Thera said his association was planning to recruit 100,000 lay followers and monks within the year. The endorsement of Bodu Bala Sena by the Defence Secretary could only make things easier for Bodu Bala Sena in its recruitment drive.

The increasing activism of the two groups: Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya are also proof that both the groups are competing with each other for supporters from their receptive audience. That is pretty much the strategy of terrorist groups as well. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam pushed the threshold of violence, by carrying out massacres of Sinhala civilians and later opting for suicide terrorism in order to secure a greater support from the then hardening Tamil opinion.

While this writer does not suggest Buddhist extremist groups would push the threshold of violence as far as the LTTE did, it is obvious that these groups are also becoming rhetorical and violent. Sinhala Ravaya held a protest in front of a Muslim owned clothes store in Maharagama, days before Bodu Bala Sena held a rally in the town, known for its receptive audience for Buddhist activism. (The ultra nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya came second, ahead of the main Opposition UNP in the Maharagama electorate during the General Election of 2004.)

Sri Lanka has historically suffered from bouts of religious extremism. During the latter part of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s tenure, the country witnessed a wave of attacks carried out against Catholic churches. A grenade was also thrown at a musical show featuring Indian movie star Shah Ruk Khan. However, the then President acted decisively, ordered a series of arrests, and within weeks, then budding Buddhist radicals withdrew into their closets. The incumbent President should take a leaf from his predecessor before his indifference engulfs the country in a religious conflagration.
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Bodu Bala Sena: A Threat To Sri Lanka’s Future

Bodu Bala Sena: A Threat To Sri Lanka’s Future

19 Mar, 2013 Dinouk Colombage Colombo, Features, Identity, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Religion and faith

Goatabaya Rajapaksa ceremonially declaring open a Buddhist Leadership Academy of the Bodhu Bala Sena in Galle, via dbsjeyaraj.com

Sri Lanka’s fragile attempt of reconciliation, following the end of the thirty-year civil war, faces a potentially backbreaking obstacle. The growing Sinhala Buddhist nationalism that is the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) movement is threatening to divide an already a fractious society.

On the basis of protecting Sinhalese businessmen from the rising prices allegedly caused by Muslim businesses, the BBS movement has taken to the streets targeting the Muslim community. Having started last year with the unsubstantiated accusations against Muslims for illegally building mosques on “temple land”, Buddhist priests banded together in an attempt to demolish these structures. The authorities chose to stand idly by, and when finally forced to address the issue have to still to make a firm decision.

The anti-Muslim issue has now progressed to the BBS calling for the ban of all Halal products. According to the organisation the high cost borne by manufacturers to adopt the Halal certification is being passed on to the consumers. Furthermore, the Buddhist priests from the organisation have accused Muslim businessmen of forcing Sinhalese shops out of business.

Putting aside the debate over the Halal issue, it is clear the Bodu Bala Sena is driving Sri Lanka towards a very bleak future having just emerged from a dark past.

At first glance BBS is nothing more than a minute portion of the Sinhalese population looking to create issues; in a more detailed examination the movement draws startling comparisons to the infamous rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany.

Germany had just been defeated in World War 1 and was facing serve economic pressure from rising reparation payments imposed on them by the victorious Allied nations and the global depression. Humiliated and bankrupt the people of Germany looked to blame someone for their misfortunes. This was the perfect breeding ground for the racist Nazis to rise up and lay all the blame at the feet of the German Jews.

The Nazis blamed the Jews for having gained monetarily through Germany’s defeat in the Great War, and accused them of driving the economy down while ensuring their own financial stability.

In Sri Lanka, despite having “won” the war over the LTTE, there is a sense of resentment over the growing international pressure to hold investigations in to the conduct of the military. To add insult to injury contrary to what the government claims the economy of the country continues to falter with a rapidly increasing cost of living.

The accusations which were levelled by the Nazis against the Jews are now being mirrored by the BBS and their allegations that Muslim’s are driving the Sinhalese out of business.

Between November 9 and 10 1938 was the night of Kristallnacht (or the Night of Broken Glass), an event that saw the unhindered torment of the Jewish businesses at the hands of the Nazi SA paramilitary and civilians. The authorities did not intervene, and by the end of it the streets were covered with broken glass from the windows of Jewish shops, homes and synagogues.

Sri Lanka has already experienced its own version of Kristallnacht during the 1983 anti-Tamil riots that saw nearly a thousand Tamil civilians killed while thousands more fled the country. While the Bodu Bala Sena has not yet reached this level, the attacks on Muslim businesses such as what was seen last month at the “No Limit” store in Maharagama and the vandalism of mosques around the country are ominous signs. The inaction by the authorities, and in some case the support of the organisation by members of the government, is paving the way for further racism.

Sri Lanka on a political front has much to lose from this rising anti-Muslim sentiment. International pressure continues to grow and the government has little or no answers to defend themselves with. Last year’s US sponsored resolution was labelled by the ruling regime as an attempt to isolate the country. While it was successfully passed, Sri Lanka received the support of the Muslim nations. This time around the United Nations Human Rights Council has 15 Muslim nations and Sri Lanka cannot afford to isolate itself amongst the Muslim community.

On a financial side Sri Lanka’s faltering economy is still reliant on the income earned by maids working in the Middle East. If these countries were to ban the employment of Sri Lankan maids in lieu of the attacks on Muslims, a large source of the country’s foreign income will be halted. Furthermore these continuing attacks on the Muslim community will certainly put the Sri Lankan maids already in those regions at danger of repercussions.

Sri Lankan society lost much both in the way of culture and intelligentsia with the mass exodus of Tamils during the 1980s. For a nation that prides itself on being “multi-national”, such racist sentiment will only serve to damage its future. Nationalistic ideals fuelled by racism cost the country 30 years, unfortunately 4 years on from the end of the last conflict Sri Lanka appears to be headed down the same path.

UNHCR Resolution on Sri Lanka 2013-03-21(English)

Human Rights Council
Twenty-second session
Agenda item 2
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

22/… Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka
The Human Rights Council,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants
on Human Rights and other relevant instruments,
Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the
Council, and 5/2, on the code of conduct for special procedures mandate holders, of 18 June
2007,
Recalling also Human Rights Council resolution 19/2 of 22 March 2012 on
promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka,
Reaffirming that it is the responsibility of each State to ensure the full enjoyment of
all human rights and fundamental freedoms of its entire population,
Reaffirming also that States must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism
complies with their obligations under international law, in particular international human
rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, as applicable,
Welcoming the announcement made by the Government of Sri Lanka that elections
to the Provincial Council in the Northern Province will be held in September 2013,
Welcoming and acknowledging the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka
in rebuilding infrastructure, demining, and resettling the majority of internally displaced
persons, and noting nonetheless that considerable work lies ahead in the areas of justice,
reconciliation and the resumption of livelihoods, and stressing the importance of the full
participation of local populations, including representatives of civil society and minorities,
in these efforts,
Taking note of the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission of
Sri Lanka and its findings and recommendations, and acknowledging its possible
contribution to the process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka,
Taking note also of the national plan of action to implement the recommendations of
the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission of the Government of Sri Lanka and its
United Nations A/HRC/22/L.1/Rev.1
General Assembly Distr.: Limited
19 March 2013
Original: English

commitments as set forth in response to the findings and recommendations of the Commission,
Noting that the national plan of action does not adequately address all of the findings and constructive recommendations of the Commission,
Recalling the constructive recommendations contained in the Commission’s report, including the need to credibly investigate widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, demilitarize the north of Sri Lanka, implement impartial land dispute resolution mechanisms, re-evaluate detention policies, strengthen formerly independent civil institutions, reach a political settlement on the devolution of power to the provinces, promote and protect the right of freedom of expression for all and enact rule of law reforms,
Noting with concern that the national plan of action and the Commission’s report do not adequately address serious allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,
Expressing concern at the continuing reports of violations of human rights in Sri Lanka, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture and violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, as well as intimidation of and reprisals against human rights defenders, members of civil society and journalists, threats to judicial independence and the rule of law, and discrimination on the basis of religion or belief,
Calling upon the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfil its public commitments, including on the devolution of political authority, which is integral to reconciliation and the full enjoyment of human rights by all members of its population,
Expressing appreciation for the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka in facilitating the visit of a technical mission from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and encouraging the Government to increase its dialogue and cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner,
Noting the call made by the High Commissioner for an independent and credible international investigation into alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,
1. Welcomes the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on advice and technical assistance for the Government of Sri Lanka on promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka1 and the recommendations and conclusions contained therein, in particular on the establishment of a truth-seeking mechanism as an integral part of a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to transitional justice;
2. Encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations made in the report of the Office of the High Commissioner, and also calls upon the Government to conduct an independent and credible investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, as applicable;
3. Reiterates its call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to implement effectively the constructive recommendations made in the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, and to take all necessary additional steps to fulfil its relevant legal obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans;
4. Encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate with special procedures mandate holders and to respond formally to their outstanding requests, including by extending invitations and providing access;
5. Encourages the Office of the High Commissioner and relevant special procedures mandate holders to provide, in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka, advice and technical assistance on implementing the above-mentioned steps;
6. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner, with input from relevant special procedures mandate holders, as appropriate, to present an oral update to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-fourth session, and a comprehensive report followed by a discussion on the implementation of the present resolution at its twenty-fifth session.

UNHCR Resolution on Sri Lanka 2013-03-21 (Tamil)

Anti-Muslim feeling grips Sri Lanka

4 years after silencing the LTTE-led Tamil separatists, extremist Sinhalese Buddhists find new target to vent their ire

• By Yusra Farzan, Staff Writer
• Published: 21:30 March 22, 2013
• 

• Image Credit: EPA
• Mufti M.I.M. Rizwi, president of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, speaks while Aggamaha Panditha Venerable Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thero looks on

Ameen Mohammad sits in a corner of his clothes shop in central Colombo, Sri Lanka, poring over the company’s accounts. The numbers do not look good; business has been bleak over the last few months. He says it is because

OIC expresses concern over Sri Lanka's ethnic Tensions

OIC expresses concern over Sri Lanka's ethnic Tensions

The Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the parent body of 57 member countries, has expressed its concerns yesterday over the escalating ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka, which has affected the island’s Muslim community and its businesses sector.

The (OIC) (formerly known as the Organization of the Islamic Conference) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and strives to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslims in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

In a letter addressed to the Sri Lankan government, the OIC expressed its concerns amid increasing reports of ethnic tensions in parts of Sri Lanka particularly in the central province of Buwelikade, which has a large Muslim population.

Confirming the receipt of the letter from the OIC, an official from the Sri Lankan embassy said the communication has been referred to its Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo for necessary action.

The OIC has pointed out that it is confident that the Lankan government is taking the appropriate measures to calm the situation on the ground. The organization has also signified its willingness to explore with its Sri Lankan counterparts the possibility of extending humanitarian assistance to the affected communities, including the refugees in the northern part of the island.

In Sri Lanka, an organization called Bodu Bala Sena, (the Buddhist Power Force), is at the forefront of inciting violence against Muslims in various parts of the country. Bodu Bala Sena as well as Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a partner in the ruling coalition, allege that Muslims are a threat to Buddhism.


This organization recently launched a provocation against Muslims at Buwelikada, a small town 15 kilometers from Kandy in the Central Province. The town’s predominantly Muslim population includes small shop owners and vendors.

A group of Sinhala youth traveling in a bus initiated a quarrel with Muslims, claiming that their van had obstructed the road, which escalated into a clash causing severe injuries. The government immediately deployed units from its police special task force (STF) to bring the situation under control.

In response to the hatred campaign carried out against the Muslims by this extremist movement, the All-Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulema, (The Board of Islamic Scholars), which issues halal certification in Colombo, has conceded to limit its certification only to export oriented products. “With the withdrawal of halal certification from local products, Muslims in our country will not be able to identify halal and non-halal products,” N.M. Ameen, president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka told Arab News from Colombo.

The council’s president said the government has intervened to calm the tension, adding that the Inspector General of Police has stated that the government will not tolerate any discrimination against minorities. Muslims constitute 8 percent of Sri Lanka’s 22 million, while Buddhists make up for 80 percent of the population.

Considering the increasing violence against Muslims and their businesses, the government has appointed a ministerial committee under former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to resolve the issues between extremist group and the Muslim community.

Media Release - ACJU - March 19, 2013

Add caption

Halal Food Guide, Islamic Halal Food List, Halal/Haram ecodes, emulsifiers, E471, E120, E441, E921, E430, E470

Halal Food Guide, Islamic Halal Food List, Halal/Haram ecodes, emulsifiers, E471, E120, E441, E921, E430, E470

Population: Census expert disputes anti-Muslim claim

March 18, 2013, 10:29 pm

by Dasun Edirisinghe

A senior census and statistics official yesterday disputed a claim being propagated in the country that the Muslim population is likely exceed that of the majority community. The Sinhala population in the country is 74.9 per cent according to the Basic Population Information Report of the Census of Population and Housing 2011.

Director, Population Census and Demography Division of the Department of Census and Statistics, Indu Bandara said that according to the 2011 census, the Muslim population was 9.2 per cent and the Sinhala population was 74.9 per cent. Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils were 11.2 and 4.2 per cent respectively.

The census taken in 1981 showed that the Sinhalese accounted for 74 per cent of the population, Muslims 7 per cent, Sri Lankan Tamils 12.7 per cent and Indian Tamils 5.5 per cent.

Answering a query, at a seminar held yesterday, at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, Mrs. Bandara said that the Sinhala and Muslim populations had increased at the rate of 1.04 and 1.87 per cent respectively between 1981 and 2012, but it was not a threat to Sinhala people contrary to claims being made in some quarters to that effect.

She said it was also false to state that the Muslim population was higher than the Sinhala population within the Colombo Municipal Council area.

"There are divisional secretariats, Colombo, Timbirigasyaya I and Timbirigasyaya II, in the CMC area, but those reports were based only on the Colombo Divisional Secretary’s area," Mrs. Bandara said.

According to the latest report, the Malay, Burgher, Chetti and other minor ethnic groups increased at the rate of 0.23 percent, she said.

Sri Lanka’s population consisted of 70.2 percent Buddhists, 12.6 Hindus, 9.7 Islamists and 6.1 percent Christians, according to the census of 2012, Bandara said.

"The male population decreases year by year and the 20,263,723 total population, by 2012, was made up of 48.5% males and 51.5 females," she said, noting that the longer life expectancy of females and the migration of a large number of males in search of foreign employment could be the increase in female population.

The child population in 1981 was 35.2 percent and it had reduced to 25.8 per cent in 2012 while elderly population had increased to 12.2 per cent by 2012 from 6.6 per cent in 1981, Bandara said.

The senior official said that the working age population had increased to 62 per cent (2012) from 58.2 per cent (1981) and it was a boost to the country’s development.

MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY: PEOPLE CONVERT TO THIS RELIGION OF PEACE

           Friday March 15, 2013

Fourth response to Shenali Waduge :

MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY : People convert to 

this religion of peace

Hameed Abdul Karim

Amidst her usual racist ranting and hypothetical hyperbole that somehow Islam will subtly subdue ‘Sinhala Buddhism’ in Sri Lanka, Shenali Waduge (Daily News February, 28, 2013) challenges me to show her if there is ‘any Christian or Muslim country in the world where the State has contributed to building a Buddhist place of worship’.

What I want to know is does Shenali Waduge think that a Christian or Muslim nations’, standard or place in civilisation is to be gauged as advanced or otherwise depending on whether they had built a Buddhist temple or not. This is absolutely silly. What kind of logic is this if logic is the word I want? I know what she’s getting at. She will now tell us that the Sri Lankan government is constructing mosques for the Mithya Drusthika variety called Muslims. Well, the fact of the matter is that the government is repairing mosques and in one instance rebuilding one which was completely destroyed during the war.

If, and I say this as a Muslim, the government abandons its funding for repairing mosques, then I am sure we Muslims can raise the funds needed for this purpose. We don’t need government funding.

Shenali Waduge says that the kovil in Dubai I referred to had been demolished in 2005. This is a blatant lie as any recent Hindu visitor to Dubai will tell you. If the good editor chooses to publish Waduge’s response to this piece of mine then I request that she apologises for misleading the public not only this time but on previous occasions as well. Since I have always felt that one of the agendas of ‘Sinhala Buddhist’ supremacists is to cause rifts between all minority communities, this blatant lie is one such effort in that direction.

Christians, Tamils and Muslims continue to be harassed and all of us in minority communities, which include non-racist Sinhala Buddhists like my bosom pals Rohith Dias, Ajith Bodinagoda, Nanda Kaluthanthri, Arunika Wickremasinghe, Tissa Jayasinghe and Mahinda Hattaka to name just a few, feel like tourists who have overstayed our visas in Sri Lanka. With all this hate speech we are on pins wondering whether we’ll be kicked out once the patience, charity and goodwill of the ‘magnanimous majority community’ reaches its end.

Iconoclasm

Let me tell your readers, if not Ms. Waduge, that the Taxila institute of Asian Civilisations, under the leadership of Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Khan, of the Quaid-i-Azam University has commenced archeological excavations on a newly discovered Buddhist monastery in Badalpur. Among the exciting finds so far are remains of an assembly hall, kitchen, stores and steward rooms. A good number of antiquities dating between 1st century and 4th century CE were also discovered. So there you are Muslims are not the iconoclasts that Shenali Waduge accuses them of.

There are hundreds of Buddhist temples spread all over Malaysia. There are at least two Sinhala Buddhist temples in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and they have been repaired over and over again by the state. These two temples are run by Sri Lankan Sinhala Buddhist monks. In Kelantan where the Buddhist population is barely 3 per cent there are nearly 200 Buddhist temples. One of the temples boasts of the largest reclining statue of the Buddha in South East Asia. A noteworthy feature is that the reclining Buddha was built in the 1980s while the state of Kelantan was and continues to be governed by PAS which is an Islamic political party.

So there you have another example about Muslims not being iconoclasts. Hope your readers will get a better perspective of Muslims with this bit of information. And for sure I will be the first to say that the Taleban were iconoclasts just as much as those ‘Sinhala Buddhists’ who destroyed the Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura or those who want to destroy Daftar Jailani in Balangoda are. On the one hand we have Shenali Waduge tell us she and her fellow travellers have no scruples with ‘Sufi’ Muslims and on the other they want to destroy a Sufi shrine! Or is this an attempt to split Muslims on the lines of Sufism and Wahabism or any other ism?

Quoting Mullah Omar, like does our friend Shenali, is like quoting the head of the Bodu Bala Sena to support anyone’s arguments against Buddhism! From what I gather the BBS does not have any support from among practicing Buddhists.

Confusion confounded

I am so happy that Shenali Waduge agrees with me that there were Arabs and Persians and Yona womenfolk here before the advent of Islam. This is what I have been telling her all along, and by extension, all your readers when she accused me of distorting history to gain an advantage when I grieved over the destruction of the Sufi shrine in Anuradhapura. In her rebuttal she said there were no Muslims during the Anuradhapura era.

Now she seems to agree with me that Persians and Arabs were here before the birth of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). She seems to hate Arabs so much that she is hesitant to accept history which clearly says that they married Sinhala as well as Tamil women and as Lorna Dewaraja says the King of that time helped the Arabs get Sinhala brides.

He had advised the Arabs to ‘abduct’ Sinhala girls and helped them hide the lasses in his palace. That’s how close the Sinhala Buddhist kings and Muslims were! When the parents of the girls came to a complaining the king persuaded them to let their daughters marry the Muslims. Have a change of heart, Ms Waduge. Start loving people. It will make your life happy.

Have a look at the 1,000 rupee note issued during the J.R. Jayewardene presidency. It depicts a man wearing a cap leading an elephant. The man is a Muslim and he gifted ‘Raja’ to the Dalada Maligawa where he ‘reigned’ supreme during every Esala Perehera till he died. The name of the Muslim was Umar Lebbe Panicker and he was from Eravur. That’s how close Muslims and Sinhalese are. Why the this need to bring Muslims to heel using ‘halaal’ as a pretext? Or does Ms. Waduge see in this gesture of goodwill yet another attempt to ‘subtly subdue’ ‘Sinhala Buddhism’?

I have noticed that Shenali Waduge always refers to Muslim countries like the Maldives, Malaysia and Indonesia as ‘former Buddhist countries’ and not include India in her tirade. After all virtually the whole of India was Buddhist at one point in history. And then the Brahmins came and gradually grabbed their lost power back from the Buddhists. Is it because she doesn’t want to upset Delhi - Tel Aviv –Washington axis? Or does she not want to upset the Brahmins? Or is because hitting out at Muslims is her only pursuit in life?

Sinhala Buddhist country

I would the happiest person alive if somebody took Shenali Waduge fairly seriously and converted Sri Lanka into a Buddhist state, if it’s not one already, provided all what Gautama Buddha had preached is implemented immediately. I could go to my club and tell my Buddhist friends to stop drinking and stand outside casinos and call for their closures. Demand the state shut down its own distillery corporation also.

I could go around telling people not to drink or gamble with being accused of being an Islamic fundamentalist, but rather as one perpetuating precepts of Buddhism! Sri Lanka is reported to be one of the top most boozing nations in the world! Frankly I thought the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) would stand up against at least these two vices and have them banned by the state. But no, that didn’t happen. I was disappointed that far from campaigning to close the distilleries corporation the JHU went and voted for the casino bill! It seems the JHU is not for safeguarding Buddhism.

Their only aim was to get into Parliament and enjoy the benefits of office, like luxury cars and other perks like most politicians. They have got a bit active lately because of the competition from the BBS.

Kings

There is a general aura of piety about the kings of the past being portrayed. But they were no better than their counterparts elsewhere. There were no halos over their heads. King Pandukhabhaya had to kill eight of his uncles to come to sit himself on the throne.

Moreover, the Mahavamsa records that ‘the Sinhalese Kings of the so called ‘Great Dynasty’ (543 BC – AD 275) all but a few were weak and inept. Of the 54 kings of this dynasty, 15 ruled less than a year, 30 were killed in battle and 22 were murdered by their successors.

The dark dismal record of the early Sinhalese kings was of incessant struggle for the throne, fratricidal and parricidal slayings, conspiracies and internal strife’ (The National 

Question and the Tamil National Struggle –page 231)

During the fraternal struggle between Mayadunne and Bhuvenaka Bahu the latter sought the help of the Portuguese to defeat his ambitious brother.

The Muslims rallied round Maydunne whom they considered a national leader, because of Bahu’s treachery. Mayadunne sought the help of the leader of Calicut who sent him three Muslim generals to fight the Portuguese. The Portuguese and the Sinhalese largely supported Buhavenuka Bahu whilst the Muslims stood firm with Mayadunne. Eventually Mayadunne lost to his brother who was helped by the Portuguese. Tell me who the traitor was?

Tidbits

As a condition for surrender the Portuguese demanded that Mayadunne hand over the three foreign Muslim generals. He obliged to save his skin. The Portuguese beheaded these generals and the people of Calicut (now Khozikode) never forgave Maydaunne for his ingratitude and betrayal. Come to think of it, if the descendants of these three generals were to launch a hate campaign against the Sinhalese similar to the hysterical one that Shenalai Waduge and her fellow travellers have started against Muslims, this act of ingratitude and of betrayal by Mayadunne would be an excellent starting point!

Waduge claims that since Tamil is the mother tongue of Muslims they must have married only Tamils and not Sinhalese women. Well, the answer to that is that the seat of learning Islam at that time was in Southern India and that is how ‘Arabic’ Tamil became the lingo of the Muslims as narrated by Dr. M.A.M. Shukri in the book Muslims of Sri Lanka – Avenues to Antiquity.

Cat never in the bag

Ms. Waduge then wants me to explain the ‘Oluvil Declaration’ that the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) had made. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I am no apologist for any political party least of all the SLMC. So I kindly request her to pose her question to the SLMC’s leader. I don’t hold her responsible for the Bodu Bala Sena’s (BBS) Maharagama Declaration do I? Why then should she hold me responsible for the declarations the SLMC makes, for God’s sake?

Shenali says that M.B.M. Zubair has let the cat out of the bag when he said that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Actually and specifically it’s the fastest growing religion in the West, though there have been converts here as well as in India. I know a Roshan Madwala who is a Muslim and we all know Tilakarathe Mahanama Dilshan used to be Tuan Mohammed Dilshan. So now what can we do about these things. Such things will happen, but they are not going to change the stats. We must handle such things in a civilised way and without paranoia.

As far as Islam’ spread is concerned the cat was never in the bag. Since the day the Prophet Muhammad (pboh)proclaimed the message there have been converts to the faith every day for the past 14 centuries or so. Recent high profile converts to Islam include Indian Prof. Periyar Dasan, journalist Yvonne Ridley, Lauren Booth, the sister of Tony Blair’s wife, Hollywood film director Sean Stone, the son of the famous Jewish director Oliver Stone who had told his son ‘Allah be with you’ when he told him of his conversion.

The famous musician A.R. Rahman is also a convert to Islam. Rap and hip hop artistes from Ice group to Snoop Dogg have converted to Islam. Just yesterday (March 7, 2013) a notorious anti Muslim formerly belonging to that racist party of Geert Wilders (the Dutch version of BBS) in the Netherlands converted to Islam. His name is Arnoud Van Doorn (check the net).

Meanwhile according to an al-Jazeera story, British university reported the number of converts in the UK has nearly doubled in the last decade to about 100,000 people. Muslims need not be apologetic about the spread of Islam. From day one when the Prophet declared his divine message Islam attracted converts every day. One of the primary reasons was the simplicity of the message and its stand on social and economic equality for all without caste, colour or creed considerations, according to author Karen Armstrong. Today the number of Muslims stands at over 1.5 billion with over 300 million in the SAARC region alone.

The Prophet came more than 600 years after Jesus Christ and he was the last of the Divine messengers. Islam is today the second largest religion in the world after Christianity including Catholicism. If Catholicism and Protestantism were separated Islam would be the largest religion in the world. Islam is a culmination of all faiths, say Muslim scholars.

According to the Qur’an God almighty had sent messengers to all nations and tribes with the message of Islam, which, in its spiritual connotation means, submission to the Will of God almighty. Up until today, as far as I know, our Veddas have no graven image; neither do the Aborigines of Australia which suggests they have had some message given to them at some point of time in history.

As a Muslim I can say without being contradicted by my co-religionists, that is, that Gautama Buddha could have been a prophet of God! Shenali Waduge might have a different take.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2013/03/15/fea01.asp