Dear U Grant,

Your support to Buddhist fundamentalists ostensibly to combat other fundamentalists would be hilariously funny if only it didn’t have such a corrosive effect on the very society you seem to so cherish!

Regards
GTBP

Dear Serendipitious87,

“But can you prove that there is state patronage of Buddhist extremism?” Are you unaware that the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence inaugerated a newly built BBS-led Buddhist Leadership Academy in Galle on 9 March 2013?
Would you also ask for proof of state patronage if the DefSec had opened up a new Wahabi mosque that was intolerant of other religions and that went around destroying Buddhist temples and churches with impunity?
The argument you put forward (in various forums) trying to equate some form of mythical “Muslim extremism” (same quotes as J Fernando) in Sri Lanka with the very real and damaging BBS/RB violence on Muslims, Christians and even Buddhists themselves, is simply unadulterated obfuscation!
I’m interested to see how you will respond to Mr. Who’s response below.
Regards
GTBP

I appreciate your ideas and thank you for understanding the situation very well. This is a good point that you have understood ,where you have clarified the battle between Muslims in and out side the country to point out what they are really doing around the world , which is a very good exposure by a Muslim gentlemen . We all know what happened in Iraq and what is happening now . As some Muslims say if they are really united and generous to each other ,why do they firstly fight as Sunny and Shia ? Why rich Arabs cannot help to poor Muslims living around the world . So, there isn’t any thing that people has been said , don’t you think so ?
And if I come back to the crisis that we have in Sri lanka that is quite clear that what we face now what has been planted between us by certain extremists belong to both religions . Do you believe that 83 riots were carried out by majority singhalese, ? No at all , those who involved with riots were all singhala mobs and few extremists . But it was not singhalese interest which was proven lately .therefore we agree that every religion and race has extreme group of people , what we have to realise is to live as much as away from them and their motivations .
Thank you .

Everyone seems to have a free hand in Sri Lanka to engage in extremism and violence, maybe because this is due to the weak to non-existent implementation of the law.

For example, who has been brought to justice for the killings that took place at the Beruwala mosque? For the Sufi mosques attacked in Kattankudy/Kalmunai? For the graves that have been dug up? For the beating of Muslim girls who apparently watched pornography at an internet café? Who has been brought to justice for the harassment of the Shias and Sufis in Eastern Sri Lanka at the hand of certain Sunni Muslim groups?

Perhaps you do not “recall” these attacks because they are not put on the front page of newspapers, and because many Muslims themselves prefer to let these incidents slide because to discuss them would be to ‘air dirty linen’ in public, so to speak.

As a Sri Lankan Muslim, I would like to address some of the points you raise in your reply.

// As you may well know, there has been a palpable increase in Muslim fundamentalism in Sri Lanka over the last decade or so. An austere, more Saudi Arabian strain of Islam has begun to creep into Sri Lankan society and this is very visible and noticeable to non-Muslims (via dress forms, demand for halal certification, use of the Arabic language, proliferation of mosques, ‘ghettoization’) //

Let’s suppose for a moment what you say is true. Are you implying Muslims cannot practice a new strain of Islam without discrimination from Sinhala extremists? As long as Muslims don’t do some thing illegal or harmful to the society, who is to say what version of Islam muslims can practice or not. This sounds exactly like what the Sinhalese extremists are saying, i.e., we cannot co-exist unless you exist the way we want you to exist.

But anyways, unless you can justify each of the claims, your statement remains a gross generalization. There is some influence from Saudi flavor of Islam, but the examples you cite are not necessarily results of this influence.

If there is an increase in wearing American style denim jeans among Sinhalese, you wouldn’t say the whole package of Americanism is creeping into Sinhalese society. When it comes to dress and fashion, muslims around the world get “inspirations” from the Arab world as well as from the west. This doesn’t mean the change dress code is due to a change in religious understanding. Covering up the entire body has always been a practice among practicing muslim women in Sri Lanka and Indian sub continent. Same goes to segregation of events. These are not new things due to Saudi influence.

Demand of ‘halalness’ (Islamically permissible status) of food was always demanded by the practicing muslims. Although BBS’s BS has widely demonized halal certification there is one and only one reason why businesses make use of the certificate. And that is to make their products more competitive both in terms of reach and price. There is no correlation between halal certification and saudi flavor of Islam. Also Muslims would be happy to have any labeling method as long as it clearly demonstrates no non-permissible additives are in the product. It would be prudent to note that the modern production methods may include animal derived ingredients in what seems to be vegetarian food. (e.g. biscuits, chocolates)

You mention ‘use of Arabic language’ to be some sort of indication that fundamentalism has crept into Sri Lankan Islam? The holy book of Islam is in Arabic, and any muslim who has even rudimentary learning in Islam will know enough arabic to perform their most basic religious actions. Incorporating Arabic in daily life of Muslims regardless of their origin has been going on since inception of the religion itself.

Proliferation of mosques and ghettoization needs to be explored. If there is truly a case of over building of mosques, this needs to be addressed in a civilized and legal manner. Ghettoization usually occurs when a group of people feel they are under a threat or excluded. Calling it a product of fundamentalist Islam is really counter productive.

// It must be said that the first signs of recent hostility towards Muslims did not emanate from Buddhists but rather from various different Muslim sects that have found their home in the island. The first to find
themselves in the crosshairs, so to speak, were the Sufis and the followers of “traditional Islam” in Sri Lanka, who are regarded as following a wrong brand of Islam by the Salafi/Wahhabi/Thowheed folks. //

How many such incidents has been there? I vaguely remember two. There hasn’t been such incidents since then. It would be safe to say such incidents were truly isolated. But extremist Budhhists would have us believe that there are “evil” Wahhabi lurking behind every tree. Attacks by extremist Buddhists on the other hand is ongoing and the count is currently 69. (see http://groundviews.org/2013/09/07/disarming-the-juggernaut-of-religious-intolerance-in-sri-lanka for details)
By the way, the “traditional Islam” as you call it also uphold covering of body, gender segregation and eating halal food.

//The truth is, there have been more acts of violence and harassment carried out on Muslims in Sri Lanka by Muslims themselves, rather than by any other group in the island.//

Where are the evidence? Reports?

Even during 2009 genocide of 146,000 Tamils, Muslim leader Hakeem was going around the world lying about it. Now he is saying that he is satisfied with Muslim attack investigations without charges.

Even now Tamil Muslims are not engaging with Tamils and the powerful Tamil diaspora. Instead of talking about uniting minorities, massaging Rajabakse family legs is suggested as escape strategy.