World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) must strive to be on par with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and World Council of Churches
Posted on September 23rd, 2016
Shenali D Waduge
Colonial rule was about takeover of nations, conversion of people and plunder of resources. Fast forward to the 21st century has the objectives of the former colonial countries in the West changed? If colonials were Western Christian invaders today we have a competition between Islam and the Church for supremacy. The only nations that have not taken over completely are the majority Buddhist and Hindu countries. Therefore, while theosophical discussions and debates on theoretical Buddhism can be put to another day, the most pressing need of the hour for the Buddhist world is to identify the challenges, incursions and prepare a strategic plan to meet them without behaving like ostriches.
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) are to meet again in South Korea from Sept. 26 -30, 2016 for its 28th General Conference. While previous agenda items have been on ‘intercultural’ and ‘inter-religious’ dialogue it is time to wake up to the fact that these are smokescreens floated by the two competing religions to bring Buddhism and Hinduism on par where they are the minority and once that is achieved by virtue of their global influence take over and dictate the agenda. The Majority Buddhist and Hindu nations agreeing to dilute their historical status to the same level will eventually end up in expunging the place that their religions historically held. South Korea is an excellent example of Christian Evangelicalism reducing the once majority Buddhist population into a religious minority within a span of a lifetime while Maldives is another example of Islam wiping out the Buddhist heritage totally. These two examples should suffice to ring alarm bells of the likely scenario awaiting the handful of remaining Theravada Buddhist countries.
It is important that the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) take stock of the dual importance of first identifying and meeting the incursions taking place while also promoting the virtues of Buddhism as against the violence that Abhramic religions promote. The Western leaders all openly align with their commitment to Christianity while at the same time having no conscience about dropping bombs or sending drones where unarmed civilians are getting killed, injured and displaced. Buddhists in Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Korea have not forgotten the bombs that fell on them nor the identity of the parties that bombed them thereby committing some of the most horrific crimes against humanity in the last decades. The Day of Accountability for crimes committed against innocent Buddhists by the western colonial powers is yet to come.
Similarly, the Islamic terror cults are all carrying out terror quoting from the Quran. Other than in self-defense Buddhists have never waged a single war of conquest in the name of their religion neither have they invaded nations to forcibly convert natives with sword/gun.
It is also important for the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) to take stock of why the West is pivoting towards Buddhism and Asia, and why those born into Buddhism who are mostly poverty stricken are being converted to Christianity/Islam as a result of the better life being promised. These are unethical practices no doubt but there is a problem and the problem is that those leaving Buddhism do so not because they want to but because other religions are offering them relief for their poverty. These are factors that the Buddhists meeting at International Conferences need to address immediately.
In a world where cruelty towards animals and the animalistic instincts of man combined with the vagaries of the fast-paced competitive capitalist lifestyle is draining out humans, the Buddhist world must come out with new Buddhist economic structures and peaceful Buddhist value systems that can salvage the situation.
It is also a good time to address the profane cultures and value systems that are ruining the youth primarily as a thirst for profits by parties creating all sorts of nuances to draw innocent victims to their fold.
One of the most important factors that the WFB forum need to realize is that a very deep seated systematic effort is being made to destroy Buddhist cultural heritage – with the ICC recently declaring the distortion of history and destruction of cultural property as a war crime, countries where Buddhist artefacts, sites etc are under threat must be tabulated and through the forum presented globally demanding action. A global voice is what we Buddhists need. One country meekly putting their threats to the world will not suffice when the culprits come from the two religions competing with each other to dominate the world.
Some of the incursions that Sri Lanka currently faces are listed below:
· In a majority Buddhist country the historic place of Buddhism is being challenged by non-Buddhists,
· Christian-controlled media demonizing Buddhists/Buddhism
· Demands for one law for all to be replaced by minority religious laws making a mockery of the sacrosanct principle ‘ Equality before the law’
· Minority-religious banking methods all with long term plans
· Demand for mono-ethnic conclave independence
· Minority politicians not representing interests of the country but only their minorities& thereby creating injustices and unfair treatment
· Influencing weak government officials and acquiring and making incursions into sacred Buddhist sites
· Minority politicians ruining environment by destroying natural forests for settlement of their minorities
· Mushrooming madrassas and evangelical churches – brainwashing people
· Foreign funding via Churches and Mosques to buy land at whatever price
· Concerted effort to remove the historical place afforded to Buddhism in a new Constitution being created to respond to demands of the minorities plus the geopolitical agenda of foreign parties
· Demands for removal of Sinhala Buddhist settlements and calls to destroy the Buddhist architecture of historical Buddhist sites
· Demands for minority religious new trends to be applied to all – halal
· Free flow of missionaries – Islam and Christian to increase their flocks
These are only a handful of examples that needs to have strong statements by a global Buddhist voice – in the absence of such every day the Buddhist space is shrinking and there would be no requirement for any Buddhist forum or gathering if those that are meeting in South Korea play ignorance to the threats and stick to discussing only Buddhist theology.
The subject of protection and preservation of Buddhism must be given more emphasis at World Buddhist Conferences than topics with hidden agendas such as ‘ inter – faith harmony’ and ‘peace building’. These are all cosmetic exercises to trap followers of Eastern Dharmic religions while plans are afoot to remove the Buddhist identity of historic Buddhist countries that still contain over 70% Buddhists in the general population. The sanctity of the Maha Bodhi Temple at Buddha Gaya must be maintained without any qualification. The Govt. of India must ensure that the peaceful environment in the vicinity of the Maha Bodhi Temple continues and is not compromised by caving in to unreasonable demands of non – Buddhists.
It is time the Buddhists of the World put their heads together to confront the crisis facing the Buddhist world.
Shenali D Waduge
September 25th, 2016 at 9:19 am
All the major religions in the world use Buddhism’s non-violence approach to destroy it. Catholic, mussies etc.
have powerful, rich organisations to protect their religions. They spend billions and billions to promote, propagate
their religions. Buddhism doesn’t have these sort of organisations. So these organisations are rampant in countries
like Sri Lanka. They know with their numbers rapidly increasing, with impotent governments their job is so easy.
In Sri Lanka a bunch of traitors ruling today with traitor chief die hard catholic token Buddhist pol pot ponil
wickramaSinhalakiller at the helm. They know Sri Lanka can be overwhelmed within a short time. Just one look
at spineless maru (hora) sira is enough. With his nivata hinawa, Sri Lanka is at the mercy from these religious
zealots.
September 25th, 2016 at 12:07 pm
Yes, Indeed Shenali,
Conning a PLIABLE Yamapalanaya GoSL into promising and making commitments (See ARTICLE #1 below) on more and more devolution and removal of Army camps through public demonstrations by Tamils (see ARTICLE #2 below), and orchestrated visits and the CARROT and the STICK pronouncements by an unending stream of Western leaders and UN officials is ONE of the methods now being deployed by Tamil Nationalist Separatists to gain their DEFUNCT Eelam.
The Deshad-drohi Sinhala Buddhists who joined the Tamil Separatists, Christian Missionary Evangelists, and die-hard Wahabbi Muslims attempting to ignite a Crusader War as in Lebanon, are ALL TRYING to WEAKEN and UNDERMINE the Sinhala Buddhist majority fighting desperately to hang onto their ONLY ancestral homeland.
OF ALL OF THESE enemies of Sri Lanka, none are MORE VILE & DESPICABLE than the Sinhala Buddhists Dhrohiyas who swallowed the chanted mantra of “corruption, corruption, corruption, and lack of “human rights” and “democracy” by Western supporters of Separatists, their paid NGO fifth columns, and the Christian Churches to TOPPLE the UPFA GoSL led by Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It is these GULLIBLE, GREEDY and TREACHEROUS FOOLS who enabled the TRADITIONAL ENEMIES of the Sinhala Buddhists to prevail in Sri Lanka, reversing the victory that ended a 30-year struggle to eradicate terrorism and reunify the nation, and begin to reintroduce a NeoColonial Government with DIVIDE AND RULE as principle of governance.
In ARTICLE #2 they announce a POLICY of returning land to defeated separatists OUSTING the victorious Army from its critical BASES, while in ARTICLE #3 they state announce a CONTRARY POLICY that “extremist separatism” will not be TOLERATED! MERE WORDS without ACTION by a treacherous Yamapalanaya!
If WORDS are to be believed, why is Wigneswaran STILL FREE and Chief Minister, busily UNDERMINING Sri Lanka at every opportunity? WHY? Why has he not BEEN IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED, PROSECUTED and IMPRISONED for TREASON?
It is all just a confusing barrage of contradictory and deceitful words to MOLLIFY & PLACATE the Sinhala Buddhist into supine inaction until the CONSTITUTION is AMENDED to PERMANENTLY DIVIDE the Nation into separate Bantustans, and PERMANENTLY SUBJUGATE the Sinhala Budhhist to the will of the MINORITIES, and PERMANENTLY BLOCKING ALL AVENUES to restoring the PRIMACY of the Sinhala Buddhist Community through legislative BARRIERS!
They are GIVING AWAY our Motherland to ALL SEPARATISTS …. ethnic, linguistic, religious ….. one piece at a time, PRESUMABLY in search of a COMMUNAL PEACE which will NEVER BE REALIZED through BRIBING unrepentant separatists in the name of RECONCILIATION! There should NEVER BE RECONCILIATION with the EELAMISTS; NEVER! Just as there is NO ACCEPTANCE of Nazism by the West, there must NEVER be RECONCILIATYION with Tamil Separatists, because their goals are INHERENTLY EVIL and INIMICAL to the STABILITY and SURVIVAL of Sri Lanka as a peaceful haven for ALL of its people, irrespective of community.
Sri Lankan Tamils have CONSISTENTLY shown themselves to be UNTRUSTWORTHY and INCAPABLE of LIVING in AMITY as equal citizens of a unitary Sri Lanka, and therefore, should NEVER BE EMPOWERED or TRUSTED to share any significant power. Their perspective is CLEAR: What is ours is SOLELY ours, what is yours is for us to SHARE equally! That policy must NEVER be accepted! Sri Lanka must be for every citizen to enjoy, benefit from and serve equally; not PIECE-BY-SEPARATE-PIECE but as a SINGLE WHOLE!
What the Yamapalanaya GoSL is forgetting is that through the ANNALS of the STORIED HISTORY of the Sinhala Buddhist people, we have NEVER BEEN PERMANENTLY SUBJUGATED, and NEVER WILL IN THE FUTURE AS WELL!
Having ONCE AGAIN BEEN REMINDED and SEEN how the MINORITIES BEHAVE when they FALL INTO THE ILLUSION of having the UPPER HAND, the NEXT Patriotic GoSL that will replace the Yamapalanaya GoSL WILL NOT ABIDE by these ILLEGALLY ENACTED LAWS and RULES.
The new GoSL will ACT FIRMLY & DECISIVELY to recreate a government OF the MAJORITY of the People of Sri Lanka, BY the MAJORITY of the people of Sri Lanka, FOR the MAJORITY of the people of Sri Lanka, with LEGAL SAFEGUARDS against REGIME CHANGES orchestrated by Sri Lanka’s FOREIGN and INTERNAL ENEMIES!
Greedy people are never satiated by one piece of cake; they always want more!
Read the RISE UP TAMILS demonstration organized in Jaffna by that Arch-Demagogue and UNGRATEFUL TRAITOR Wigneswaran. This is the TIP OF THE ICEBERG of renewed COMMUNAL separatist activities hidden under the guise of a DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.
ARTICLE #1:
Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka stage mass protest demanding speedy solutions to their issues
Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 08:33 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 24, Colombo: Thousands of Tamils in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province staged a mass protest in Jaffna today demanding solutions to their issues.
The march and a rally led by Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran was organized by the Tamil Makkal National Front to highlight issues faced by the community, PTI reported.
“It has been seven years since the war ended. Tamil people are yet to receive reasonable solutions to their grievances,” the Chief Minister was quoted as saying.
The demonstrators asked the government to halt Sinhala majority settlements and stop building Buddhist religious shrines in Tamil areas, return of the Tamil civilian lands held for military purposes, release of Tamil political prisoners and assistance in tracing missing people.
Analysts said this was the first time the northerners took part in a public gathering of this scale since Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena took over in January last year.
Businesses remained shut in the Jaffna town in solidarity while the organizers estimated that about 10,000 people from both North and East attended the rally.
The main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance, shunned the demonstration.
“The TNA pledged Tamils a federal solution at the last election. So the Tamils can be only happy with a federal solution by merging the north and east,” TNA lawmaker Dharmalingam Siddathan said.
ARTICLE #2:
Return of lands pivotal for resettling IDPs: National Policy
SundayTimes.lk
September 25, 2016
The Government has adopted a national policy on the war-displaced, which acknowledges that one of the major obstacles to providing them with durable solutions for a return to normal life, is occupation of land by the military and police.
The policy calls on the Ministry of Defence to coordinate with the Ministry of Law and Order, to accurately map out all land that is or was owned, claimed or used by civilians, and is currently occupied by any of the three forces or police. These should be returned to civilian use and ownership urgently, unless the State determines that it is required for public purpose, it holds.
Such purpose–be it national security or development–should be carefully scrutinised, including to ascertain whether no alternative land could be found. This would also mean releasing land used by the military for non-security reasons, including agricultural production, tourist enterprises or recreation.
The ‘National Policy on Durable Solutions for Conflict-Affected Displacement’, written over the past year by the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, has been approved by Cabinet. Other impediments to resettling people include lands being claimed by Government departments and authorities, as well as conflicting land claims and disputes, it says.
At the start of drafting, a majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) had returned to their places of origin. But there were still over 40,000 in the country and more than 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees in India and elsewhere. There were also others who were resettled but, continuing to struggle.
In some cases, Government departments and authorities have demarcated lands for State use, that were formerly owned and occupied by persons now in displacement, without consulting district and provincial officials or adequately informing those affected. Among them are the Forest, Wildlife and Archaeology Departments, and the Mahaweli and Urban Development Authorities. The policy calls for a transparent review and, where possible, for the restoration of such lands to their rightful owners.
There are lingering cases in the North and East of land claims and disputes, especially those relating to State land, that need to be resolved. The policy urges immediate measures to resolve them, “so as to avoid their festering and exacerbation, particularly those that are between communities”.
The policy also highlights the plight of IDPs and refugees who never owned land or, who were made landless by the conflict. They need a solution, it says, particularly if the last remaining welfare centres are to be closed down. There are around 3,000 IDPs in camps in the Jaffna District. Landlessness also affects persons currently occupying land of displaced persons or, encroaching on State land and can be legally evicted.
Decisions and actions need to be taken to address problems of refugees attempting to return. This includes information campaigns to refugee communities abroad; facilitating the provision of key identification documents; assisting refugees to transport goods and personal possessions acquired in exile; ensuring that returnees will be eligible to receive the same types of assistance available to IDP returnees; ensuring that educational and professional qualifications earned abroad are recognized where applicable, including for school admission requirements; and that, security screening programmes are conducted without undue delays.
The Government is encouraged to set out a comprehensive policy for reparations relating to loss, including compensation for persons killed, missing or disabled, and for economic losses, ensuring recognition of the issue of displacement and its impact. Eligibility for such reparations or compensation packages should include persons who worked in conflict-affected areas.
ARTICLE #3:
Sri Lankan government will not yield to extremism in the North – State Defense Minister
Sun, Sep 25, 2016, 09:42 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 25, Colombo: The government will be receptive to the issues of the Tamil people in the North and East and work towards finding solutions but will not yield to the extremism, Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said.
Referring to the Ezhuka Tamil (Rise Up Tamils!) protest march and rally held in Jaffna yesterday by the Tamil People’s Council led by the Chief Minister of Northern Province C. V. Wigneswaran, State Minister Wijewardene said the government will not agree to remove Army camps in the Northern Province as the extremist Tamil groups demand.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Junior Cadet Training Course at the National Cadet Corps (NCC) training center in Rantambe on Sunday the State Minister stressed that the government will not reconsider withdrawing the military from the North.
Referring to the demand made by the protesters to remove army camps from the North, the State Minister said the government wanted to preserve peace and ethnic coexistence and when it is taking utmost efforts to establish reconciliation among the races and religions, such extremist activities cannot be accepted. The government will ignore the voices of extremism as it completes its plans, the Minister said.
“We would like to stress that, the government will not remove our Army camps,” he said. “Whatever the demand the protesters come up with, the government will go ahead with its reconciliation process.”
State Minister Wijewardene stressed that despite the obstacles created by the extremists the government will not falter in the face of their shouts and return in the correct path it has taken for peace and reconciliation.
In a separate statement, the UPFA General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the government strongly condemns the statement made by Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, at the rally yesterday.
Meanwhile, scholarly and far sighted independent Tamil observers, writer Sivarasa Karunagaran and researchers Rajan Hoole and Ahilan Kadirgamar, have viewed the Chief Minister’s rally as more of an attempt to gain power and position in Tamil nationalist politics rather than a genuine attempt to find a realistic and sustainable solution to the Tamil question.
They have expressed fear that the extremist demands made without thinking through the consequences will be destructive and hurt the Tamil cause as in the past.