Mosque and Town Hall, Colombo 7
Muslims are the new minority. Mostly ignored during the war years, now this population is drawing the ire of Sinhalese nationalists, and the results are pretty scary. Recently monks protested outside the No Limit clothing shop in Maharagama. That brand has long been attacked for having Tamil language calendars (which I think they did, it’s not a crime) and with vile rumors of giving out candy that makes Sinhalese infertile and rewarding Muslim (male) employees for marrying Sinhalese. This is all the ignorant cultural subconscious saying that Muslims are outbreeding ‘us’ and they’re bad, but it can have very serious results.
I was talking to Halik about this. We both agreed that this sort of anti-Muslim behavior is racist and bad for the country and generally rude. I, however, also tried to understand where the racism was coming from. And it’s not just from the Sinhalese, I was talking to a local government candidate in Batticaloa years back and she said it was really difficult to get Muslims and Tamils to run together on the same electoral slate. A friend selling land there said that the Tamil neighbors asked him to sell to a Sinhalese if he must, but not to a Tamil. So why do Muslims draw such wide antipathy?
Partly, I daresay mostly, it’s because of ignorance. I’m not anti-Muslim because I have Muslim friends and have eaten in their houses and understand that they’re not trying to make me infertile. If I didn’t know Muslims then I suppose I could pin my insecurities on them. I was also telling Halik that it doesn’t help that many Muslims keep to their own communities, especially Muslim women. However, that’s still no excuse for racism, at all.
Sadly, one of Mahinda’s responses to this rising racism is saying that most non-Buddhists are worshiping on land given by Buddhists and that no-Buddhists are racist. Which is… not helpful.
You would think that people have learned the dangers of communalism, but racism persists, now against Muslims. Not only No Limit, there are groups complaining about halal food and even saying that certifying bodies support terrorism and other nonsense. This is all dangerous nonse and it needs to stop. Everybody just needs to eat some wattalapan, remember that we’re all neighbors and chill.
Brand Sri Lanka? What would you say to a Sinhalese who doesn’t support the SL cricket team i.e. me. What kind of bullshitery is this? I’ a Christian Sinhalese and I don’t care to “integrate” into a community of self-righteous, high horse riding idiots i.e. “Sinhala Buddhists” or extremists as they’d be called anywhere else in the world.
Maybe it’s not the minorities that are pulling this country down? Ever stop to think what that implication means hmmm?
@realist
Oh no. I usually reserve the term moron for people like you, who either are sore losers who attack me simply because they lost an argument, or people can’t understand something simple like elementary statistics, or people who talk about a “Copenhagen consistent histories interpretation of Quantum Mechanics that majority of those who studied physics believe” (jeez. Where’s your fellow moron the way of the dodo?). Simply diagreeing with me is not enough to win the privilege of being called a moron by me.
Sharangra,
“Why is that? Why does this religion inspire such antipathy unlike any other religion?”
Three main reasons. First is the suspicion of The Other that seems to be part of basic human instinct and that we have yet to overcome. Second is that many parts of the world have inherited certain specific prejudices from the colonial experience, and they are reinforced by our exposure to the Western media. The third is that political frustrations in the post-colonial Middle East have given rise to obnoxious fundamentalist ideologies that have seaped into the larger worldwide Muslim community.
“They over-breed everyone in [Indonesia and Malaysia]…”
I have found no evidence to suggest that this is how these populations became majority Muslim.
“Do you think that the country becoming Islam is good?”
Unlike you I consider this to be neither an imminent nor inevitable possibility. Nor do I believe that fundamentalism and radicalization are necessarily unique or permanent characteristics of Muslim populations. I believe that radicalization can occur in any religious community that nurses a sense of grievance, including my own (I’m a Buddhist). I think it is radicalized religion that poses a threat to country and civilization, rather than any specific religion per se.
“Buddhism having such power is bad enough. Islam having similar amount of power is just plain Orwellian.”
And yet there are Muslim-majority countries that are, in many ways, more liberal, secular and progressive than our own. Turkey and Indonesia come immediately to mind. Malaysia has its issues, but it’s far from being some theo-Orwellian nightmare.
“I just want to say that Islamic country would severely screw up the concept of personal liberty, freedom of expression, and pretty much everything else that Enlightenment created. Don’t you agree?”
Here’s what I honestly think. Predominantly peasant agrarian societies (such as our own) do not greatly value personal liberty, freedom of expression or other enlightenment notions (such as the separation of church and state). The political/social/intellectual regime that derives from them will therefore be of an illiberal nature, and Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka provides as good an example of this as any.
“[Secularization] is my plan too, except we haven’t really been very successful at doing that, have we? If anything, this country became more religious after Soma Thero.”
Urbanization, economic modernization, and the maturing of the emerging middle class will do the job. Have patience. You aim to be an immortal after all… In the meantime, we have to be vigilant about attempts to turn back the clock, and this ludicrous campaign against Muslims strikes me as being just that.
Dinuka, I’m sorry, but if we’re into sweeping generalizations now, then I’d have to say that for self-righteous, high-horse-riding bullshitery it is you who must take the crown. The record will show that this idea of Christian supremacy has created far bigger problems for the world than the (admittedly oafish) Sinhala-Buddhists ever have. Go ahead and support some Christian team if you must, but please, spare us the sanctimony. They may be lily-white on the outside, but they’re made from the same dirt as the rest of us.
Xenophobic, not homophobic I made a mistake there. You called for violence against people in this country. After 30 years of bloodshed if you are dared to make such a statement, you should really be hunted down and arrested. I wonder why the security apparatus are still hesitant on people like you who fuel the bodu bala fools. I hope you would get some sanity and intelligence for the sake of my country. After all what have you been doing all these years? There was a war against separatism and why couldn’t you go to the front lines and fight? Only key board warriors?
All the ethnicities in SL are racist to an extent. We as a country have not even started to deal with racism and stereotypes as a problem. We need to remove racism from SL and make people understand racism is inherently bad and looked down upon. If that is your perception about muslim men it is your problem and it is wrong to generalize a whole community based on few experiences. I have seen many Sinhala people with that qualities as well as very good natured muslims. Does the 1983 black July make the whole Sinhala people xenophobic and racist?
Don’t talk as an authority over Sinhala Buddhists. I am a Buddhist and I do not share your view. And there are many like me. The problem with Buddhists in my camp is many are reluctant to even argue with you because it is so tiresome and see it as unproductive. They are with the mind set, ‘munta kiala wadak na’. I don’t deny that but I think it is high time we as Sinhalese meet Buddhist extremism head on because it is destroying SL and Sinhala community from within.
“If you want to make this about buddhism vs christinanity we can do that too. Bring it you ponce.”
How did you think that I am Christian? Do you think that I criticize you because I am not Buddhist? Seriously you are out of your mind. If you want a Sinhala Buddhists vs Sinhala Christians thing, it just show how poor you are in intellect. Do you want divisions among Sinhala people? Idiot. You are the least suitable person to lead we Sinhalese let along represent. Do you really think you are achieving anything by insulting muslims? All your BB fellows and its supporters need to get your heads examined very soon.
I hate it to break it to you Dinuka but if you are a Christian Sinhalese then you’re already part of a community of self-righteous, high horse riding, fundamentalist idiots. To be honest, I have never met a more self-obsessed group of people with such an inflated sense of superiority in the island (I think it must stem partly from the days when these folk were running the island alongside the colonials, and partly from the exclusivity ideology of Christianity). When it comes to twattery, the Sinhala Anglicans take the cake, followed by sections of the Sinhala Catholics.
The Sinhala Christians need the Sinhala Buddhists much more than the Sinhala Buddhists need the Sinhala Christians. On their own the Sinhala Christians are an significant minority outnumbered by the Tamil Hindus, Muslims and even the Tamil Christians. At most Sinhala Christians represent 3-4% of the Sri Lankan population. However, their small numbers do not seem to have an effect on the arrogance of many of its members (as displayed by the likes of Dinuka). Short man syndrome perhaps.
Whether you like it or not, the country is called “Sri Lanka”. Any citizen must subscribe to it – otherwise you may be living in SL but not really Sri Lankan. I never said to subscribe to Singhala identity.
Another way to put it, if you are an ex-Sri Lankan now migrated to Australia (and become an Aussie citizen), you must embrace Australian culture, their values and their way of life. Not bitch about it and still remain a citizen there (which most ex-Sri Lankan seem to love to do) – just love it or leave it.
As for the cricket team, cheering for the team you like is one thing. Heck I even cheer for Aussies when they play Poms. But cheering Pak just because you like the religion (believe me there are people who do that) is something else.
PS: I am not a Buddhist either.
such/anakinsky/ben/………,
This is nothing about anyone being dependant on another one. It is abt making divisions. u idiot!
Interesting though SHOCKING website… be warned about the pics.
++++
This homepage is dedicated to spreading information about jihad on Buddhists. It collects sourced examples on Muslim hatred and violence against Buddhists and Buddhism world wide.
Buddhism in Islam
Just as all other non-Muslim groups, Buddhists are considered infidels in Islam. But contrary to Judaism and Christianity, Buddhists do not have a god and nor do they share parts of the old testament with Muslims. While Jews and Christians are allowed to live in Muslim societies, as long as they pay the jizya (Islamic term for protection money), Buddhists only have two choices according to Islam: Converting to Islam or being killed.
This is why Buddhists are highest on Islam’s death list.
Islamic jihad
Muslims are waging jihad against people – Muslims and non-Muslims – all over the world. Since September 11th 2001, Muslims have conducted more than 17.000 violent and usually deadly attacks. Research shows that in average every 5th minute, a Christian is killed by a Muslim for being Christian.
http://www.jihadonbuddhists.org/
i said sinhalese. the fact that you pointed out his religion proves every point i made about you and your ilk.
gentlemen, ladies, i rest my case :)
Why isn’t my comment appearing here?
Rajiva,
I like the three reasons you’ve given for as to why Islam inspires such bad feelings in others. But I think the first two don’t matter much. The doesn’t matter because it doesn’t explain why Islam, and not something else. It’s just a general fact about human nature. The second one is good, except I don’t think it matters as much as you’d want to believe. Nevertheless, it’s a good point and I accept that. The third one is dead on. The only problem with that is the use of the term post-colonial. What are trying to say, that obnoxious fundamentalist ideologies didn’t exist in the Middle East in the pre-colonial era? Nonsense. Middle East has always been a war zone, and a good deal of it was because they had a prophet who thought it was a good idea to behead all infidels, execute apostates, and martyr for Islam. They’ve always been a ridiculously hardcore religious people, and while Christians and Jews managed to become modern, they just didn’t, so we still have Muslim men doing the same things they’ve been doing for more than thousand years, like killing infidels and subjugating women.
//Unlike you I consider this to be neither an imminent nor inevitable possibility. //
Oh no. I don’t think it’s imminent. It’d take about 400 years for the number of Muslims surpass the number of Buddhists. But yes, I think it’s inevitable if no one does anything. In the last thirty years, from 1981 census to 2011 census, Muslims grew by more than 65% and Buddhists grew by less than 40%. So here’s my point. They are indeed overbreeding the Buddhists. Buddhists are not paranoid in this regard. You are not paranoid when what you believe is true. Now, it’ll take a long time for the country to become an Islamic theocracy, but that’s not the point. The fact that their population grows faster relative to the growth of other populations means that their influence too is getting stronger and stronger. So it becomes harder and harder to actually stop the country from becoming Islamic. It might take four hundred years for the country to become an Islamic theocracy. But it’ll become a half-Islamic theocrcy in two hundred years, and quater-Islamic theocracy in hundred years (just trying to make my point clear).
//Nor do I believe that fundamentalism and radicalization are necessarily unique or permanent characteristics of Muslim populations.//
Be that as it may, answer this. There is a Muslim and a Tamil. Who is most likely to threaten you with death if you insulted their gods?
//I believe that radicalization can occur in any religious community that nurses a sense of grievance//
Radicalization? What radicalization? Are you saying Osama Bin Laden was a radical? That’s just nonsense. They have a book that they think is holy because it contains the world of god. If you read that book literally, it is pretty clear you should indeed go about killing infidels, martyring and so on. So is it radical to take the word of god literally? Nonsense. Men like Osama have been there for thousands of years. It’s not as if the guy was entirely created by CIA.
//And yet there are Muslim-majority countries that are, in many ways, more liberal, secular and progressive than our own//
I agree. But if Sri Lanka indeed becomes an Islamic country, what do you think is more likely? That it’d become more like Turkey or Pakistan? My bet is on Pakistan. More importantly, why’d you take that risk?
//Here’s what I honestly think. Predominantly peasant agrarian societies (such as our own) do not greatly value personal liberty, freedom of expression or other enlightenment notions //
I agree, although I think that being agrarian has nothing to do with it. No, lot of what’s wrong with countries like ours is that we are not direct descendants of Enlightenment. We got the Enlightenment ideal from colonists. We never came up with ideas ourselves. We never really fought to win them. So yeah, we’re in deep shit. Nonetheless, this is hardly against an argument against what I’m saying. I never said Buddhists are champions of Enlgihtenment. I will say that Buddhists are generally more liberal than Muslims. I mean, there are 100% Muslim countries in the world. What other religion has done that?
//Urbanization, economic modernization, and the maturing of the emerging middle class will do the job.//
The new socialist movement, the post-moderns and all, they are exactly against all that. The old socialists lost the game on logical, empirical and rational grounds, so they changed the rules of the game. They started to say logic, science and all that was just social constructs. There’s no absolute truth. Science is no different from whatever charlatan tells about the world. They are all just narratives and so on. Some of them, the environmentalist type, are anti-industrialization too. Too much wealth is bad, so free market is bad.
Islam believes in an absolute truth. But it is indeed part of that group. It is the single biggest threat to modernity. See the fact is, compared to four hundred years ago, we are urbanized, we are economically modernized, we indeed have a large middle class. But still, this religious nonsense is going on. So let’s see (gee, I really have to start working on how to become immortal).
RT @indica: No Limit To Anti-Muslim Nonsense: rising racism against the other Sri Lankan minority http://t.co/515x2C7U
LOL at Sharanga’s hysteria over Muslims outnumbering Buddhists in another 400 years.
Ok I’ll give you that. Cheering for a team based on religion is stupid but the fact of the matter is if we don’t have the freedom to cheer for whoever we want to for whatever reason then there’s something fundamentally wrong with that democracy.
The right to criticize is paramount in any democracy and THAT is what is being squashed in this country. Maybe if the majority of this country accepted the fact that there is more to this nation than just Sinhala Buddhism then maybe the minorities won’t feel so marginalized and will WANT to integrate more. Unfortunately the minorities are made to feel like second class citizens in their own god damned county.
rajivmw has misunderstood me and AnakinSky just comes off as an asshat but the fact of the matter is as a SRI LANKAN I’m not made to feel like one because I’m not Buddhist and don’t want to tow this govts line of this being a Buddhist country and the rest should just be lucky to be left alive. This is not how a nation should operate in this century but if that’s the path you want to take then you’ll get no help from me and it’s not because I’m a Christian it’s because I refuse to bow down to extremism in one form or another.
Christians ARE an insufferable lot but nothing is perfect, just like how not all Buddhists in this country are great people or how not all Muslims are saints. But picking the retarded actions of a minority and blowing it out of proportion is not helping anyone either. Why Oh why can’t we all see each other as SRI LANKANS but insist on dividing people based on religion, language, ancestry?
lol, at shammi and the rest of the club of morons for not realizing 400 years is not a lot of time, and the fact that Muslims don’t have to outnumber anyone for the country to become Islamic. They are not that big on democracy.
LOL again at what comes across as Sharanga’s envy of the Muslims’ potency at breeding and his paranoia concerning their ability to turn the country in to an Islamic state, even as a minority. What a moron to worry about improbable things like this and not realise that all it takes is a minor natural disaster to wipe him off the face of the earth in an instant, and put paid to his dreams of immortality.
I’m not a racists and i have muslim friends too.But this video will give you and over view of the issue in Spain.Similar thing happening here it seems.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjYeubTpVvE
Lol back at shammi. Just becuase something takes 400 years to happen doesn’t mean it is a low probability event. When they are growing at 65% per thirty years while others grow less than 40%, given no artificial controlling, them becoming the majority is a near certainty.
As for me getting wiped off by a natural disaster, I’m well aware of existential risks to me, and existential risks to humanity. My question is, when you’re talking about improbable events, do you even know what a prediction market is?
LOL, Sharanga. Who needs statistical theory when common sense is enough to tell you that a greaat many factors could influence and determine the nature of a society 400 years hence, and not just the rate of increase of followers of one religion? The more I hear of your little fears, the funnier it gets.
Would recommend that you learn a little about islam first:
http://blog.ted.com/2012/12/03/6-fascinating-talks-on-better-understanding-islam/
In case you don’t have time for all 6, then start with this talk by a jewish lady’s view on islam.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lesley_hazelton_on_reading_the_koran.html
And while all you racists out there go about hysterically spreading ‘islamaphobia’, please don’t do it in my name. Buddhism has nothing to do with hatred for the haves of this world. your hatred for muslims (moors, malays, borahs, memons, and -yes – sinahala muslims) stems from your sheer jealousy and lack of inner peace – lack of nirvana. I pity you.
// Why Oh why can’t we all see each other as SRI LANKANS but insist on dividing people based on religion, language, ancestry? //
This is exactly my point. Sri Lankan identity is not extremism. There may be a few on each side trying to instigate it, but that is to be expected but the authorities must stamp down on such nonsense. “Integrate” to a Sri Lankan identity, not Singhala, Tamil, Muslim or any other identity….
http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/09/04/fea02.asp
The Government gives tacit support to these people. The law turns a blind eye so they are encouraged and continue. Enforce the law, arrest and prosecute people for trespass, assault arson and the problem will abate.
My mistake. Sach, dude, dont lie, you are neither Sinhalese nor a Buddhist. lol. Its plain to see. And actually I’m not extremist. Just plain annoyed is all. To my mind the recent rise in Buddhist extremism mirrors the rise of muslim extremism in SL. For instance everything is Halal these days. Food, paint brushes, soap you name it. Thats 10% of the population dictating terms to 90% of the population. Halal certificates cost lakhs of rupees renewable each year. Where does this money go? To fund more muslim extremism of course. While the Tamils and Sinhala were busy fighting a stupid 30 year war your (muslim) people where doing the clever thing and quietly tightening your grip on the economy. Smart move dude. But its not check mate yet, not by a long way.
My mistake. Sach, dude, dont lie, you are neither Sinhalese nor a Buddhist. lol. Its plain to see. And actually I’m not extremist. Just plain annoyed is all. To my mind the recent rise in Buddhist extremism mirrors the rise of muslim extremism in SL. For instance everything is Halal these days. Food, paint brushes, soap you name it. Thats 10% of the population dictating terms to 90% of the population. Halal certificates cost lakhs of rupees renewable each year. Where does this money go? To fund more muslim extremism of course. While the Tamils and Sinhala were busy fighting a stupid 30 year war your (muslim) people where doing the clever thing and quietly tightening your grip on the economy. Smart move dude. But its not check mate yet, not by a long way.
Actually that was in responce to a later comment by you.
kp
2013-01-24 01:36:21
and dont make this about ‘sinhalese’. the sinhala christians want no part of this,
I too rest my case.
Preceding all this in Jan last year (2012) there was a campaign (Facebook, SMS Blogs) to get Muslims to boycott Perera and Sons one of the largest Restaurant and Catering chains in Sri Lanka.
http://aadhilnet.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-perera-sons-doesnt-let-acju-inside.html
http://aadhilnet.blogspot.com/2012/01/perera-sons-and-sms-about-fats-of-pigs.html
The campaign is still continuing. There is a daily/weekly forwarding of shops/brands to boycott because either they have refused a halal certificate or do not have one.
i don’t think the bbs’s problem is the halal factor.i think they are suffering from a serious case of islamaphobia and they have also got ants in their pants. they would love nothing better than to pick a fight with muslims and start a civil war. and i also have a feeling that they are not going to end here. they would go out of the way to give the muslims hell. thanks to liberal minded sri lankans like you, i think they are not going to succeed!
Well, I do hope they take further action against things like having the azan blaring out five times a day from the neighbourhood mosque, and Muslim fundamentalism.