The OIC announces solidarity with the Muslims in Sri Lanka, who will show solidarity with the Sinhala Buddhists?
Posted on June 7th, 2017
Shenali D Waduge
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has issued a statement pledging solidarity with the Sri Lankan Muslims. The announcement comes in the backdrop of a wave of terror attacks unfolding globally. Islamic terror is striking UK, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world where Western law enforcement are taking stern actions yet the same extremism happening in the Asian hemisphere finds Western envoys taking the side of the Islamic groups. In the light of these scenarios we really have to question the position of the Buddhist associations who are acting as ostriches. In the least they should tabulate the grievances of the Buddhists taking place globally. In the absence of no institutional backing for Buddhists and their grievances their ancient history is being marked for annihilation and replacement.
This is the message from the OIC Secretary General http://www.oic-oci.org/upload/islamophobia/2016/9th_islamophobia_annual_report_en.pdf – the 9th observatory report covering May 2015-September 2016.
From the opinion of the Muslims, they have a podium to list out what they feel to be grievances against them. That is only one side of the version. Why is it that the other side is never portrayed?
Is it not time that a pro-active Buddhist entity representing the Buddhist world emerged to put on record the wave of incursions Buddhists are suffering too? It is because of this essential other version that international bodies are using the only reports available to hound and denigrate Buddhists.
The Dalai Lama is not representative of the Buddhist world – he is dependent on America which uses him to embarrass China which has tarnished his credibility and integrity. Having not spoken a word when Buddhist places of worship had been attacked the Dalai Lama is not accepted by Buddhist majority countries as representing their grievances.
Similarly, why should we need to depend on people of other faiths coming forward to defend Buddhism when we have Buddhist leaders – politicians, heads of Buddhist associations/organizations, Maha Sangha etc tasked to that job? Why are they not coming forward to defend Buddhists/Buddhism? Why are they watching the denigration taking place through well planned and well-funded programs? Not even a single statement is being issued by them.
How many Muslims have been killed by Sinhalese? What about all the Muslims killed by LTTE during 30 years of terror? Why are the Muslims not taking cudgels against the West? Who are killing Muslims in the Middle East? Who are bombing and droning Muslim countries and completely destroying all that they have protected with pride? Kit O’Connell claims 4million Muslims have been killed as a result of US-NATO wars while the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center – the United States government organization reported in 2011 that Muslims are the victims of Between 82 and 97% of Terrorism-Related Fatalities”
When half of all mosques have been attacked in the UK since 9/11 and when 91 mosques have been attacked in Germany in 2016 alone, a single isolated incident in Sri Lanka gets EU and non-EN envoys to show solidarity and issue statements which are politically intentioned to prepare people for the newest wave of troubles unless the people are smart enough to recognize what the scheme is all about.
The Sinhalese are not going to Muslim countries and bombing them to the Stone Age. Finger pointing if any should be to the countries that are responsible for millions and millions of deaths without cherry picking isolated cases to blow issues out of proportion simply because there are parties that seek to benefit by creating chaos in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has accommodated minorities as no other majority has not even European countries that boast of human rights can produce a record of what Sri Lanka has offered to the minorities. It is good for the minorities to take stock of these realities and appreciate what they enjoy.
Media in Sri Lanka must take the blame for any tensions that are being manufactured and rolled out between Sinhalese & Muslims of late by the unfair manner it is reporting while politicians will prostitute themselves for votes.
The basis of any situation of any criminal act must be to take action against the wrong doers and the wrong doing.
The silence and inaction of authorities with regard to incursions in Muhudu Maha Vihara, the Kuragala sacred sites, the falsification of deeds, the attempts to build mosques higher than the Dalada Maligawa, the subtle manner ethno-religious ghetto areas are being created and in turn influencing others to change residence, the demands for one religious groups eating habits to rule over the majority, the settlements inside Wilpattu forests…all these should have been dealt and nipped in the bud because these were all against the supposed peaceful coexistence and one law for all that is being projected. These are areas that need to be factually highlighted and presented just like how the OIC is regularly coming out with annual reports giving their side of the story.
The actions and not the reaction that has to be dealt with. It is the actions that create the reaction.
The messenger highlighting the actions cannot be demonized by focusing attention away from the message which is what the modus operandi is whenever Buddhist grievances are highlighted. If those tasked to protect and preserve Buddhist heritage of Sri Lanka did their job, there would be no room or need to have others coming as spokespersons for Buddhist grievances especially if they are being promoted and used with hidden intent which ultimately does no service to Buddhism/Buddhist grievances at all.
A government that is put together by groups of leaders holding extreme demands and views will naturally be in no position to take stands boldly. With a questionable vision to protect the heritage of Sri Lanka, immense pressures is being brought upon the government politically to compromise the place of Buddhism in exchange for their survival. Therefore, it is at this juncture that the UN International Vesak Day (Mahanuwara Declaration) becomes poignant wherein the first two points must be immediately fast-tracked into reality to create a powerful Buddhist entity that would be on par with the OIC and the World Council of Churches.
- In realizing the long felt need to have an aligned organization among Buddhist Communities underpinned by solidarity, solemn initiatives shall be taken to form such an organization with minimum delay in furtherance of our objectives and aspirations based on values and principles of the teachings of the Buddha.
- In consideration of the challenges faced by Buddhist communities all over the world plausible methodology shall be evolved to address and encounter them as one community.
https://www.news.lk/fetures/item/16727-the-kandy-mahanuwara-declaration
It is therefore time that Sri Lanka’s Buddhist associations and Buddhist leaders if they are any (not the cosmetic ones pretending to be Buddhists for votes only) come forward to seriously address issues in Sri Lanka and show solidarity with the remaining majority Buddhist nations like Myanmar and Thailand who are also undergoing unprecedented pressures all of which are attempting to usurp the historical place these countries give to Buddhism while at the other end these countries are geopolitical important.
All that is asked is that the truth is factually presented devoid of the gains issued to some and the agendas upon which the incursions are part of.
Ideally, China must take lead role in leading the Buddhist world just as it is good for Pakistan to steer the Muslim world, with the traditional friendship that China-Pakistan and Sri Lanka hold, many of the issues can be effectively resolved sans petty politics.
Shenali D Waduge
June 7th, 2017 at 10:53 pm
QATAR MONEY!
Remember JASSIM CITY in Wilpattu built with QATAR money?
We need a new alliance of China, SL, Thailand, Burma and Israel.
June 8th, 2017 at 12:07 am
These Konakapala mussies don’t understand they are going on the wrong road. They put up their bum up five
times a day and fire rockets from back sides. It will make a lot of good for these brain washed mussies if they read Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Human life wasn’t created by divine intervention. It started from most primitive form and developed to be 2 legged creatures, with brains (some without brains) over millions of years.
The whole world accept this truth without a shadow of doubt. No creator, no messenger (why you need messages
when humans are capable of putting a man on the moon, can make unimaginably complex machines etc. obviously
they can figure out good and bad if they wanted to), no emails, no tweets etc. etc. Simple as that. Unfortunately money and fear keep them going on the wrong path. With god comes fear saying he will punish wrong doers. Then he can’t be a good man plus he himself accumulate sins by punishing billions of people. So there is a contradiction. Imagine he acumulate all the sins in the world by punishing baddies he is going to lose his job. This god business does make sense? When his intervention badly needed during WW1
and WW2 where millions of people died he was nowhere to be seen. Now in this konakapalas’ land syria, afganisthan, pakesthan, libya, iraq etc. etc. millions of mussies dying/died. Still nowhere to be seen.
Lord Buddha’s Buddhism shows the way. But non believers don’t want to know since there is no god to punish. The
sad truth is money ruling world only true religion getting destroyed by these unreligions!
June 8th, 2017 at 11:35 am
Thank you, Shenali, for your many articles re present day truths.
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Sri Lankan Buddhists must unite the entire Country through PATRIOTISM.
PATRIOTISM must be taught at school level to all of Lanka’s children.
First, the Country must be led by PATRIOTIC leaders.
June 8th, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Media in Sri Lanka must take the blame for any tensions that are being manufactured and rolled out between Sinhalese & Muslims of late by the unfair manner it is reporting while politicians will prostitute themselves for votes.
WELL SAID SW!
Look how SINGHALA politicians prostitute themselves FAR MORE than Tamil and Muslim politicians!!
TNA and CWC politicians NEVER prostitute themselves BEGGING for votes from Singhalese and Muslims.
ACMC and SLMC politicians NEVER prostitute themselves BEGGING for votes from Tamils and Singhalese.
BUT UNP, SLFP, SLPP and UPFA politicians prostitute themselves BEGGING for votes from Tamils and Muslims!!
Shame on them!
This is why everyone washes their hands off to the heads of Singhalese.
INTER ETHNIC VOTE BEGGING by Singhala politicians must stop.