(Colombo) In China, Muslims just do not get their way and they are kept under a very large boot by the communist government. In Burma, the locals have taken to attacking Muslims, resulting in a huge population move. And now it seems that Muslims have become targets in Sri Lanka.
There is a growing anti-Muslim campaign by Sri Lankan nationalist groups who consider Muslims, who make up nine percent of the island nation’s 20 million population, to be a threat to the political and economic well-being of the 70 percent ethnic Sinhalese-Buddhists.
In Thailand’s four southernmost provinces, where Muslims are in a majority, an Islamic led insurgency has cost at least 5,000 lives since 2004. In fighting the Muslim insurgents, the Thai army has become inextricably bound up with Buddhist monks. Temples are used as army bases and “soldier monks” are said to operate. Armed all-Buddhist self-defence groups exist as well. For their part, Muslim insurgents have specifically killed Buddhist monks.
The thing is, all of the above (other than Muslims) are predominately Buddhists who I always believed were the real religion of peace. Now, the question we should be all be asking is, what has transpired to turn these peaceful people against the followers of Islam?
There is a growing anti-Muslim campaign by Sri Lankan nationalist groups who consider Muslims, who make up nine percent of the island nation’s 20 million population, to be a threat to the political and economic well-being of the 70 percent ethnic Sinhalese-Buddhists.
In Thailand’s four southernmost provinces, where Muslims are in a majority, an Islamic led insurgency has cost at least 5,000 lives since 2004. In fighting the Muslim insurgents, the Thai army has become inextricably bound up with Buddhist monks. Temples are used as army bases and “soldier monks” are said to operate. Armed all-Buddhist self-defence groups exist as well. For their part, Muslim insurgents have specifically killed Buddhist monks.
The thing is, all of the above (other than Muslims) are predominately Buddhists who I always believed were the real religion of peace. Now, the question we should be all be asking is, what has transpired to turn these peaceful people against the followers of Islam?
