| by Victor
Cherubim
( November 30,
2012, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) A massive gathering of Sri Lankan Buddhists
has been called to assemble at Navinna Raja Maha Vihara, Maharagama on 30
November 2012, to protest among other issues against the arrest in
Saudi Arabia of a Sri Lankan male Buddhist domestic aid worker who is on death row for
practicing his religion, the fourth Buddhist Sri Lankan youth to be beheaded.
This campaign
called “Uprising in 12” according to sources has been organised by the Buddhist
Defence League. Besides this rally is also urging Buddhists to petition to save
the ancient Buddhist shrines, including Dambulla Raja Maha Vihara among others
and to give pride of place for heritage development.
A wave of unrest
is becoming apparent with mosques and madrasses being moved all over the island
from Dambulla to Dehiwela, with little prior consultation and acceptance. Observers
feel this growing tension is further exacerbated by the strict adherence to
sharia law, where Buddhists are unable to practice their religion, pay
obeisance to Lord Buddha as domestics abroad.
A poster
campaign has been staged and orchestrated, over many months in Badulla, Matale,
Kandy and Colombo, leading to this mass assembly at Maharagama, not to rouse
ant-Muslim sentiment but to rally public opinion.
Muslims
meanwhile state at first they witnessed perpetrated attacks by thugs and
hooligans attacking their places of worship, with impunity and scant protection
by the security services to maintain law and order. Other incidents against them
in recent times include abductions of Muslim women and children, attacks on
vulnerable Muslims in villages by “Grease Yakkas,” particularly
during the month of Ramzan. As this phenomenon was eradicated, an ongoing campaign
against the slaughter of “hallal certified meat “has commenced.
Religious
tolerance, a hallmark between both Sinhala and Tamil speaking Muslims and the majority Sinhala
Buddhists has eroded further over recent months, so that many fear the balance
is upset and could lead to civil unrest against innocent Muslims in Sri Lanka.
As this animosity
gathers momentum, Muslim leaders in Sri Lanka and abroad, have gone on the
defensive. They have appealed to the government to bring calm. Some Muslim
leaders have pleaded with the Government to seek pardon and obtain the release
of the victim awaiting death sentence in Saudi Arabia.
Sri Lanka Government
has also sent deputations to Saudi Arabia to officially negotiate an appeal for
pardon and clemency. Muslims in the Government too have appealed for calm, to
allay fears, before the anger spills over into violence.
The Government
has recourse to quiet diplomacy to contain this problem both at home and
abroad.
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