Hundreds in Sri Lanka protest attacks in Bangladesh
Posted on October 4th, 2012
Courtesy: Xinhua
COLOMBO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ Over 1,000 people including Buddhist priests from Myanmar, Thailand and Bangladesh staged a protest march here Thursday, urging the Bangladesh government to stop oppression of Buddhist people in that country, an activist said here.
Protesters marched to the Bangladesh High Commission and handed over a petition calling for the government to protect Buddhists in the Chittagong and Chittagong Hill regions who they alleged were under attack by Muslim extremist groups.
The protest was organized by a popular Buddhist organization in Sri Lanka called the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS).
Protesters flung plastic water bottles at the embassy building when they saw an embassy official filming the demonstration. However no one was injured in the incident.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-During the last few days 19 Buddhist temples some of which are 300-500 years old and about 100 Buddha statues have been burnt down. Many top monks have been attacked and rumor has it even killed. In fear of being killed Buddhists are deserting temples,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ BBS Secretary General Venerable Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera told reporters.
He insisted that around 250 Buddhist households and shops have been vandalized in these areas and people were fleeing in fear of the extremist groups.
The priest called on the Bangladeshi government to take immediate action to protect and provide compensation for the Buddhists that have been affected by the attacks.
Government spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s attention has been drawn to these incidents and that they were ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-gravely concerned.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We will have discussions with the relevant parties to find a solution to this crisis,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ he assured but declined to comment what steps the government planned to take.
Meanwhile a prominent organization of local Muslim leaders called the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama released a statement condemning the violence in Bangladesh and calling for co-existence of different religions.
October 4th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Well done SL.
These barbarians should not be allowed to do another Nalanda.
However this is NOT a good thing to do – “protesters flung plastic water bottles at the embassy building”.
Don’t copy these terrorist tactics from them.
But once again, it is only plastic bottles and not bombs or stones.
October 4th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
What were the Guardians of the Law doing in Bangladesh when rioters burnt & looted Buddhist Temples & homes ? Was anything done to stop the riots ?
Why the Anger against a small section of Buddhist people who are peaceful & harmless ? Was it purely for looting ? What do the analysts say ?
October 4th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
In Saudi Arabia there is no Church, Synagogue, Buddhist nor Hindu Temple is allowed.Is Wahhabism (pseudo Salafism) a religion of tolerance?
It is not Iran that should be bombed…in Iran there are still Jews living there and praying in their Synagogues.
Muammar al-Gaddafi respected Christian and Jewish religions and their in Libya but USA-UK-French-Saudi-Qatari financed terrorists destroyed Churches, Synagogues recently.
Buddhist Temples have survived in Islamic countries for centuries, but they could not survive under the Wahhabism. Wahhabism provides the fundamental base for Jihadism.
Washington and London are protecting Wahhabi extremists. In Syria Christians and their Churches were safe before the Westerners began sending their Wahhabi Fanatics to kill innocent Syrian civilians.
In Bosnia and Kosovo, under the guise of “reconstruction aid”, Saudi Arabia, Kuwaiti, and other Wahhabi organizations have demolished and removed major Islamic monuments (survived attacks by Serb and Croat militias) which were created by Muslims with an Islamic culture and tradition stretching back to 14th century long before Ibn Abd al-Wahhab made his 18th century alliance with the warlord who founded the Saudi dynasty.
The Wahhabis, and the British, supported the warlord Ibn Saud and legitimized the Saudi dynasty and its struggle against the Turkey. When the House of Saud took control of the Holy Places in Arabia from the Turkey with British support they destroyed 15 centuries of Islamic heritage, including the desecration of the tombs of the wives and companions of the Holy Prophet, in the iconoclastic imposition of Wahhabism. The iconoclastic Wahhabi House of Saud turned the site of the apartments of the Prophet’s wives into a car park.
The Wahhabi-backed House of Saud took full control of the Hijaz, Mecca and Medina, in 1924 and established the modern state of Saudi Arabia, with Wahhabism as its official religion. Since then the House of Saud has promoted Wahhabism as normative Islam throughout the Islamic world. The House of Saud was consolidated on massive oil wealth and have spent huge sums of money building Wahhabi mosques, publishing Wahhabi literature and funding Wahhabi organizations world-wide. Today, with Wahhabi control of the Holy Places intact, virtually every aspect and corner of modern Islam has been penetrated by Wahhabi influence through the agency of the House of Saud.
Through the control of the Hajj – the beating heart of Islam – and through their vigorous publication and propaganda means, almost all the Muslims are infected with Wahhabism to some extent.
Present Zionist and Wahhabi doctrines foresee the fall of Iran, Belarus, and, ultimately Russia and China, after the fall of Damascus, to the combined forces of NATO and the Saudi- and Qatari-backed Wahhabis, who make up a large portion of the anti Syrian movement.
October 4th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
The same thing will hapen in about 75 years in Sri Lanka if the present trend continues. At present muslims are 10 to 12% of SL population and they have an advantage of about 2% in population growth as they do not control births.
The rest is simple arithmatic. Multiply 12 by 1.02 seventy five times and you will pass 50 which is the tipping point. This will be accellerated as muslims will intermary as their population increases. I am not againts any religion. I am against abortions by Sinhala women. This will not worry present day polititians as it is easier for them when there is not much demand for shools or other services. So the bikkus should protests against the abortion clinics as a matter of urgency if they want to protect Buddhism in this land.
October 4th, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Aloy wants to see Buddhism distroyed, not protected. Bikkhus are not there to do foolish protests, they are there to practice true Buddhism and be an exmaple to the world. Then only will the followers will grow, not by stopping abortion.
One will not become a Buddhist by birth. In the contrary, Muslims will be mostly by birth. What is the point being Buddhist for lighting lanterns during vesak and carrying out puja’s ? Buddhism will be distroyed by Buddhist, not Muslims.
NT,
How come Zionist and Wahhabi can work side by side, supporting each other ? Reason is these lunatics have no religion.
October 4th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Wahhabism in Srilanka is headquartered in Kattankudi is a new politico-religious movement that is sweeping the Eastern province of Sri Lanka with more than sixty Muslim Wahhabi organizations helping in propagating the movement throughout Sri Lanka and has raced ahead and taken control of the Jihadist and Al Fatah groups in Sri Lanka under their wings. Wahhabism is imported and planted in the midst of peace-loving Muslims in Sri Lanka, mostly through the lavish inflow of Saudi money pumped into Sri Lanka has overtaken other Islamic organizations by threats, intimidation and coercion.
Remember Colonel Lateef was gun down by the prominent Wahhabi militant `Police` Faiz in Oddamavadi. CIA introduced Wahhabism in Sri Lanka through Saudi Arabia as a means of countering the growing support for Iran and Sufism among the Sri Lankan Muslims since CIA had calculated that Wahhabism would be an effective rival theology to prevent the spread of Iranian influence in Sri Lanka. Saudi agents have successfully penetrated the Eastern province Muslims social fabric and have managed to defeat the Sufism in their game.
Clashes between Sufis and Wahhabis in Kattankudi and in Oddamavadi occured on a regular basis due to the conflict of beliefs between both schools of religious thought. In October 2004 similar clashes occurred in Kattankudi and more than 200 homes of Sufi followers were burnt down by Wahhabi Jihadists.
One of the Sufi leader Abdul Payilvan died in Colombo was buried at in Kattankudi the next day. Wahhabi Muslims observed a hartal and demanded the removal of the body from the burial grounds. Wahhabi Muslims claim Kattankudy soil is sacred and bodies belonging to those who preach views contradictory to Wahhabism should not be buried there. Wahhabists demanded that the body of Abdul Payilvan, who is from Maruthamunai in the Amparai district, should be exhumed and buried elsewhere.
Wahhabists had dug up the buried body of another Sufi Muslim from Mosque burial grounds and dumped the body on a local road as an act of protest. Kattankudi Police recovered the body, re-buried it in the original burial ground and guarded burial ground for few days.
In Kattankudi, the hatred between Wahhabis and Sufis has widened in the last few years and have grown in intensity, left many injured, and caused damage to several houses and vehicles.
Today the Wahhabists have prevailed over the Sufis and this was due to the training afforded by the House of Saud.
Faculty of Engineering of Peradeniya University educated Mustapah Abdul Rehaman and Falul Haque
manage the Wahhabi militarism in the Eastern Province. Falul Haque sent several youths for military training in Qatar. Abdul Rehaman works with Wahhabi leaders in UK and Bangladesh.
The effectiveness of the Wahhabi influence is felt in the case of Rizana Naffek the 19-year-old house maid from Muthur who was sentenced to behead by a Wahhabi Sharia Court. The Wahhabis in Sri Lanka have been have been rather subdued while the other communities have been agitating for the release of Rizana Naffek.
October 4th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
That infamous American film about Muhammad should not have been made. Muslims are just 7% (now 8%?) of Sri Lanka population. Muslims marched all over Sri Lanka shouting all type of slogans against the US and the said film. We’ve heard them saying, Muslims love their Prophet (Muhammad) more than their parents and children.
Buddhists way of life is to live and let live with other religions. So, although said film had not affected, Buddhists (70% of Sri Lankan population) they sympathised with their fellow Muslims.
Just 1% of Bangladeshis are Buddhists and 99% are Muslims. To burn and destroy religious statues of such a small minority on a flimsy allegation of one man posting a trailer of the said film in the internet is not just insane but is a clear display of intolerant character of Muslim majority. In the light of Muslims burning Buddhist temples and statues, we should ponder why they resort to such vile acts.
If only one read Koran, Hadith and Sunnah properly he would understand that there are no Muslim moderates or extremists; they are either good Muslims or bad Muslims. Good Muslims cannot pick some verses in the Koran, some elucidation of Hadith and some deed of Muhammad. They must follow all or reject all for it’s all a one divine code. So, I think it’s insane to castigate those who follow Koran, Hadith and Sunnah openly as extremists and those who follow it furtively as moderates.
Muslims believe, Allah has unlimited power and knowledge and is everywhere at the same time. And ‘Koran’ is the word of Allah that angel Gabriel got Muhammad to read. Muslims also say, Muhammad’s companions wrote ‘Hadith’ as further thoughts and utterances of Muhammad. And ‘Sunnah’ is a detailed description of Muhammad’s life and deed. Now let me copy few verses in ‘Koran’ and ‘Hadith’ for a reader to understand what I mean.
Qur’an 2:193 says; “Fight them until there is no more Al Fitnah (‘Al Fitnah’ meant Jews and Christians at the time, but in today’s context the word means all religious followers including Buddhists) and religion is only for Allah. And Qur’an 9:5 says; “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.”
Referring to Hadith, Ishaq:324 says; “Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must not have rivals.” And Ishaq:587 says; “Our onslaught will not be a weak faltering affair. We shall fight as long as we live. We will fight until you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. We will fight not caring whom we meet. We will fight whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. We have mutilated every opponent. We have driven them violently before us at the command of Allah and Islam. We will fight until our religion is established. And we will plunder them, for they must suffer disgrace.” Mind you, there are hundreds of violent verses like that.
In my opinion Muslims in Bangladesh are only following what their prophet read and as Hadith writers explained?
Leela
October 4th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
All need to study the history of spread of Islam in to deep. So you will understand that faith is spread with blood spilt, rape and murder. This happened few hundred years ago in a vast global area from Turkey, through Iran,Pakistan, Afghanistan (+central asian countries from Kazaksthan to Uzbekisthan) etc. to India.., And further to Indonesia and Malaysia as well. Now the savageous Islamic extremists are cleaning the rest in Bangladesh. Islamic extremists seems so ignorant about their shameful past. Maybe because they learn ‘the newly written world history by their own prophets..!
In that sence, it is not surprising that these people are so blind to see what is beyond with open mind, than just following the instructions of their elders. This same occurance happens now in Bangladesh.., because they are following the savagous teachings in Islam, nothing more.
(Here are few refferences ;
THIS IS ISLAM, THE SO CALLED “RELIGION OF PEACE:”
“Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them.” Koran 2:191
“Make war on the infidels living in your neighborhood.” Koran 9:123
“When opportunity arises, kill the infidels wherever you catch them.” Koran 9:5
“Any religion other than Islam is not acceptable.” Koran 3:85
“The Jews and the Christians are perverts; fight them.”… Koran 9:30
“Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam” Koran 5:33
“Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies.” Koran 22:19
“The unbelievers are stupid; urge the Muslims to fight them.” Koran 8:65
“Muslims must not take the infidels as friends.” Koran 3:28
“Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur’an.” Koran 8:12
“Muslims must muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels.” Koran 8:60)
Ultimately, this all makes Islam a burden to the peaceful world as it had been for all these hundreds of years for the former Buddhist nations I mentioned before, who lived with peace and mind fullness.
October 5th, 2012 at 1:13 am
Demogrphics by Wikipedia shows for 1989 estimates a percentage of 7.42 for Moors and 0.84 for others which include a good percentage of Malays( all of them are muslims). We are now 23 years after that. So the current muslim population should be more than 10%. I have seen this somewhere but unable to quote.
October 5th, 2012 at 5:13 am
ALL acts of Religious Violence resulting in loss of life & property, coming from any group, should carry extreme punishments such as confiscation of property, passports, voting rights, etc. together imprisonment, together with high media exposure to show who did what to deserve such severe penalties.
That may be the only Protection and deterrent left to Others to protect their lives and property linked to religions, whatever the other religions are.
In the case of a minority religion such as the Buddhists who lost property in Bangladesh, they ought to have recourse to the UN for justice, if justice is not meted out in Bangladesh itself.
October 5th, 2012 at 5:25 am
Re number of Children per family : China limits one child per family. May be each country could limit the number of children per family (two ?) too plus ban polygamy.
Unless timely Laws are proposed and written into the Constitution of each country for the protection of all of its citizens, we will face man made disasters of monumental proportions.
October 5th, 2012 at 6:15 am
More on limiting the number of children per family : this could be done by voluntary tubal ligation & vasectomy. Or enforced tubal ligation & vasectomy at the birth of, say, second child. Governments could offer monetary rewards (no individual tax for a lifetime, free housing, minimal rent housing, etc.) for voluntary ligation & vasectomy.
It is not a pleasant task to limit human beings, but human beings may be given to tendencies of self destruction and destruction of others, if allowed to run rampant using religion as an excuse to do so. If our destructive tendencies are not contained, n the end, like the proverbial lemmings, we will all go over the cliff.
October 5th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
For the last fourteen centuries Islam has been subjected to anti-pluralist, exclusivist and interpretations in order to advance political and religious hegemonic goals.
In December 2011, over 300 members of Indonesian Shiite community were displaced when a Wahhabi mob of 500 attacked and burned houses, a boarding school, and a place of worship.
40 years old Indonesian Shiite leader Ali Murtadha (Tajul Muluk) was charged on March 16, 2012 specifically, of informing his students that the contemporary Quran all Muslims now study was not the original “sacralized” text.
Prosecutors in Indonesia — that bastion of contemporary Islamic tolerance and moderation — insisted upon a four-year prison term for Ali Murtadha, under Article 156 and Article 335 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, which penalizes “blasphemy.” Ali Murtadha was not provoking inter-faith conflict, but only practicing Shiite. If the Prosecutors in Indonesia wished to find Ali Murtadha guilty of blasphemy, it would have to declare Shiite deviant throughout Indonesia.
Ali Murtadha’s prosecution epitomizes contemporary Islamdom’s consistent, utter rejection of basic freedom of speech, even in a much-ballyhooed “tolerant” Islamic society. This liberty-crushing suppression of free speech — in accord with Wahhabi totalitarian sharia — is exercised with particular vehemence regarding any questions about Islam’s origins, even when such queries comport with major aspects of the pious Muslim narrative, not to mention objective textual discoveries.
The plight of Indonesian Shiite leader Ali Murtadha is pathognomonic of Islam’s stultifying affliction: the angry, doctrinaire suppression of open, critical inquiry and self-examination. Until Muslim societies especially Wahhabis allow such inquiries to proceed unencumbered, they will remain in their ossified medieval fortresses, devoid of basic freedoms, or even the fundamental awareness of why those freedoms represent the quintessence of human nobility.
October 5th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Barbaric polygamy MUST be banned in SL. It is too uncivilised for SL.
October 5th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
SL always gave EQUAL status to women which means one man = one woman in marriage too.
October 5th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Lorenzo, Fran,
You found the solution for protecting the state religion- ban polygamy, limit number of children per family. I hope the legislators will take action.