Shenali Waduge

Everybody looked forward to the Rally for Unity a vigil held in Colombo on 28 April 2013 to oppose hate speech. The event was marred and exposed by the reporting of BBC`s Charles Haviland who showed the hypocrisy of the entire exercise About 500 people have marched through the centre of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, protesting against a recent wave of ethnic hatred which has seen hardline Buddhists targeting the Muslim minority . So if the theme in arranging a unity rally was to target one group (without the possible knowledge of the participants) what can we really say about who are inciting hate speech ? Finger pointing at the majority Sinhala Buddhists is nothing uncommon in Colombo. It happens all the time.

Buddhism bashing is the favourite pass time of the English language press and their favored columnists, international news agencies e.g. BBC, and minority led lobby groups who cant wait to put a spin to every article against the majority Buddhists. The columns of the daily and week end newspapers bear witness to it. These new rallies and vigils which are heavily funded from overseas show the efforts being taken to reduce the space and territory of the people belonging to the older culture in the Buddhist hinterland and exert enough public opinion for the Government to turn the other cheek and bring in legislation against the majority Buddhists.

These covert schemes have thankfully raised awareness amongst the Sinhala Buddhists who are now no longer prepared to idle and wait on the sidelines.

However, Buddhist protests are construed as hate speech, while the same groups ignore the hate speech well integrated in the religious texts of Abrahamic religions that spur their followers to view Sri Lanka as another trophy to be won like the Maldives, Indonesia and South Korea, all of which countries were once a upon a time Buddhist.

The world has had enough of hate. It is hate that is destroying man and his habitat all over the world. There are endless entities all assuming to end hate but their efforts have proven futile. From the time we are born our upbringing through the values taught in the home, the learning given in schools and the religious texts to which we are subject to develop people into thinking and acting as they do. Given the importance of learning in the early years of our lives the place of religious texts that create divide and dissent plays a major role in determining the root causes to most of the hate that prevails today.

While the Buddhist texts does not have a single line to hate another or to fight against another neither does the Bhagawad Gita. However, both the Bible and the Koran are guilty in this respect and whatever excuses made the fact that between these 2 religions the hate for others have clearly shown by the wars and conflicts that have taken place through history. It is these two religions that not only are responsible for wars and conflicts but the hate they have against each other are affecting the entire world.

http://www.defendproclaimthefaith.org/blog_koran_hate_speech.htm /The Koran Directly Attacks Christianity

The Crusades (Holy Land, Europe from 1095 to 1291 between Islam and Christians killing 3million)

Thirty Years War (Holy Roman Empire from 1618 to 1648 between Protestants and Catholics killing an estimated 11million)

French Wars of Religion (France from 1562 to 1598 between Protestants and Catholics killing an estimated 4million)

Nigerian Civil War (Nigeria from 1967 to 1970 between Islam and Christians killing 3million)

Second Sudanese Civil War (Sudan from 1983 to 2005 between Islam and Christians killing 2million)

Lebanese Civil War (Lebanon from 1975 to 1990 between Sunni, Shiite and Christians killing 250,000 people)

Shenali Waduge