” I questioned Gnanasara thera having required evidence on hand”-DILKA

Derana ‘360 weekly timely political dialogue’ has drawn a tremendous interest among a large section of viewers. The programme is presented by Dilka Samanmalee who invariably questions the guests directly about allegations made against the guests and expects the guest to justify them.

“Buddhist Blood is Boiling”-Rise of “Buddhist Terror” in Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka

(Text of Cover Story “The Face of Buddhist Terror”in July 1st 2013 TIME magazine)

by Hannah Beech

His face as still and serene as a statue’s, the Buddhist monk who has taken the title “the Burmese bin Laden” begins his sermon. Hundreds of worshippers sit before him, palms pressed together, sweat trickling down their sticky backs. On cue, the crowd chants with the man in burgundy robes, the mantras drifting through the sultry air of a temple in Mandalay, Burma’s second biggest city after Rangoon. It seems a peaceful scene, but Wirathu’s message crackles with hate. “Now is not the time for calm,” the monk intones, as he spends 90 minutes describing the many ways in which he detests the minority Muslims in this Buddhist-majority land. “Now is the time to rise up, to make your blood boil.”

The Face Of #Buddhist Terror: Sri Lanka To Ban Time Magazine

The Sri Lankan Government is likely to ban the latest edition of the Time Magazine after political Buddhist groups have taken offence at an article appearing on the news magazine’s cover, Colombo Telegraph learns.

The Bodu Bala Sena Group has lobbied the Media Ministry and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to ensure the offending issue never reaches the news stands in Sri Lanka, Media Ministry sources said.

Raising Ugly Head Of #Racism: Will #SriLanka Become Another #Myanmar?

By Latheef Farook -

A few hundred Sinhala ethno religious rabble rousers who call themselves the guardians of Buddhism and Sinhalese though they do not represent the Sinhalese community, went on a protest march last week from Kataragama to Temple Trees to get the government to ban cattle slaughter.

This seems to be the second stage of their ongoing anti Muslim campaign following the so called Halal issue which though a non issue but made it one to serve their sinister political agendas.

Sinhala-Buddhists Vs Buddhist Moderates

By Sharmini Serasinghe -

In Sri Lanka today there are two types of Buddhists- the Buddhist Moderates who identify themselves as Sri Lankans and those who identify themselves as Sinhala-Buddhists which they regard as their nationality!

As a Sri Lankan (a Sinhalese and a Buddhist by faith) I have lived and worked amidst the strange practices of Sinhala-Buddhists in Sri Lanka. As such I have observed closely what a Sinhala-Buddhist is as opposed to a Buddhist Moderate.

The following are my observations.

Trouble is brewing for Christians in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka (CAM/MNN) ―

Facing opposition from their Buddhist and Hindu neighbors, Sri Lankan Christians fear their religious rights will erode as extremist groups attempt to shut down churches in the island nation.

According to International Christian Concern's Web site, over 30 churches have been "violently attacked" in 2013 alone. Last year, the organization reported 52 incidents of Christian persecution.

Saffron marches and the Ides of September

Campaign by foot to ban cattle slaughter triggers tensions along the southern coast as the Government continues to be recalcitrant on the issue of holding provincial elections in the North with the September deadline drawing ever closer.

Last Wednesday, police officials paid a visit to the beef stall at the Bambalapitiya Market on Galle Road. They had a polite warning for the beef vendors at the market. The Sinhala Ravaya and Ravana Balaya march would pass through the Galle Road in Colombo early next week, they said, and the best way to avoid unruly incidents was for the beef stalls to shut their doors on that day.