Shenali D. Waduge, SRI LANKA

The Christian Inquisition in Europe, Goa and other parts of the Portuguese Empire of Asia including Sri Lanka, goes down in history as one of the most horrible crimes against humanity. The Inquisition launched by the Vatican, Catholic Church, civil authorities of Spain and Portugal paved the way for a brutal legal system in most parts of Europe that lasted for over 600 years. There was neither a Rule of Law, nor respect for Human Rights nor religious tolerance in Europe during the period of the Inquisition. Heretics were burned at the stake for merely refusing to believe Christian dogma. 

In no other part of the civilized world did such brutality on such a massive scale and consistently for 600 years take place. No amount of European or Christian propaganda to the contrary will be able to erase this stark truth of savage conduct. Much of the world’s noble values e.g.  religious freedom, tolerance, respect for human and animal rights, reverence for all forms of life, acceptance of difference of opinion, peaceful co –existence between human and animal, Social order on Dharmic principles, decision making through dialogue and consensus, non – violence (Ahimsa) and the like are all products of Eastern wisdom.    

The state of mind that launched the Inquisition is the same state of mind that fashioned European policies and conduct resulting in plundering colonialism, crusades, transatlantic slave trade and enslavement of black, brown and yellow people, total extermination of native races such as the Australian Aborgines, Red Indians (North America), Mayas and Incas (South America), various communities of Black Africans that were illegally transported to the new world,  opium trade in China, and the Indian and Jewish Holocaust. 

 This is shameful conduct of the highest order for which there is no appropriate language to describe. The crimes are compounded by a lack of genuine atonement, apologies, and suitable compensation to victims and descendants of victims. The clash of civilizations will continue so long as this enormous debt remains unpaid. It will not be forgotten however much one side wants to do so. Scores have to be settled.     

 Inquisitorial Mindset

An Inquisitorial mindset still governs the Christian West.  At the UNHRC vote on March 22, 2012 the US and European Union (all Christian countries) sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka was adopted with 24 countries voting for the resolution and 15 against it. Eight countries abstained from voting.

 An analysis of the voting pattern at Geneva shows that the overwhelming majority of countries that voted against Sri Lanka were predominantly Christian countries (with exceptions like India, a largely Hindu nation, but governed by a Christian led Congress whose leader Sonia Gandhi (Italian born Roman Catholic) is heavily influenced by the dictates of the Vatican, and a few African countries subject to blackmail of withdrawal of foreign aid and technical assistance). Eighteen (18) of the 24 countries that voted against Sri Lanka belong to the Christian civilization and a large majority of them are from the Christian bloc of European nations.

 A similar pattern of voting was repeated in the UNHRC vote against Sri Lanka sponsored by Christian nations (USA and EU) held in March 2013.  Quite a number of the movers and co – sponsors of the Resolution against Sri Lanka are former colonial countries that had suppressed the basic liberties of the indigenous people of Asia, Africa and America (both North and South) in the most barbaric fashion for over 500 years, and were never called upon by international criminal law to account for their colonial crimes.

 Religious Discrimination at the UN

 Since the inception of the UN in 1945 all holders of the high office of UN Secretary – General to date have been Christians bar one i.e. Burmese U. Thant (Buddhist). No Muslim, No Hindu, No Jain have ever been offered that position despite the requirement under the UN Charter rules for rotation of incumbents based on different  civilizational backgrounds. The present incumbent Ban Ki Moon is an ardent Church going Christian fiercely loyal to the global mission of the Christian Church and its self – declared object of world conquest and domination.    

 The Christian West has no qualms of conscience or self – doubt  in manipulating international institutions and international law principles  for their  ‘self-benefit ‘ and ‘self – advancement’, while remaining indifferent to the concerns and rights of non-European people. This fact has been well analysed by the former Indian diplomat and scholar, Dr. K.M. Panikkar in his ground breaking book ‘Asia and Western Domination – A Survey of the Vasco De Gama Epoch of Asian History 1498 – 1945, published in 1953.

 Dubious Doctrine of Different Rights for Blacks and Whites

Panikkar says that western colonial powers were reluctant to recognise that doctrines of international law applied outside Europe or that European nations had any moral obligations when dealing with Asian people. Panikkar avers that this doctrine of different rights (which made a mockery of the concepts of Human Rights and Rule of Law) persisted to the very end of western colonial domination and was a prime cause of Europe’s ultimate failure in Asia.

Hugo Grotius, Dutch jurist, was basically an imperialist. He never questioned or challenged the equity or moral validity of Dutch Colonialism which ravaged Indonesia, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and several other parts of the world. He was a supporter of colonial adventures and always assumed that Jus Gentium rules (law of nations or international law) applied only between Christian nations of Europe, and other races, peoples and nations (outside Europe) had no right to invoke these international law principles. 

In 2012 Sri Lanka was crucified at the UNHRC. In 2013 Sri Lanka was again crucified at the UNHRC. The crime Sri Lanka committed was to take a national decision and eliminate a terrorist movement. For defying West’s orders Sri Lanka was taken to the stake twice. The inquisition against Sri Lanka is not over. In 2014 too Sri Lanka is being dragged once more gagged and cornered by UN ‘rights’ ‘freedoms’ and terminologies that keep Sri Lanka from raising her voice in defense. The relentless venom of vengeance for going against Western rule of law is why Sri Lanka is facing the torture methods no different to the ecclesiastical court set up by the Roman Catholic Church meting out brutal punishments to those who differed.

We are disappointed with India in the manner it has forsaken its rich Hindu heritage to go behind the US, the same can be said of Japan and South Korea. There was no moral authority during the Inquisition and there is no moral authority now in the manner the West is functioning using the UN as its hobby horse. All the international laws have been designed to suit the West and western cultures, thinking and norms. Every new term being used replaces all concepts that existed previously and have all to do with maintaining Western superiority over non-whites.

 Beware of the West

It is high time that Asians and Africans realized that the leaders of the West are no sincere friends. They are out to corner us, bring us down and ruin us. There is no such thing as credible institutions, their so called inquiries are nothing but inquisitions and the new ‘witness protection’ systems subtly being introduced are to ensure their rule prevails unchallenged.

That status quo can change if and when non – white countries realize this invidious game plan and come forward to say ‘no’ and demand a reversal to the criminalities taking place under the bogey of transparency and human rights. 

 If the country belongs to us we must claim it as ours and resist incursions otherwise we will be treated like the unfortunate Australian aborigines who failed to put up a proper fight to defend their land when the British arrived and claimed ownership to Aborginal land.  The colonial principle loudly proclaimed then and even now is that ‘If you fail to defend the land from a foreign intruder you forfeit the right to claim the land as yours’.  

In Sri Lanka our ancestors, except for the treacherous Sepoys and Lascoreens, fought gallantly and protected this nation from our enemies i.e. foreign conquerors, for over 300 years – we need to do the same. We must never give up. This is the message we need to take to the world.