Page 2 of 4

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:57 pm
by Viscid
mikenz66 wrote:
Viscid wrote:So far relations between Muslims and Buddhists in Sri Lanka have been rather peaceful. I suppose it was inevitable that tensions between the two would rise.
Do you mean they have been peaceful since the civil war stopped?

Mike
I thought that the tension was between the Tamils and the Muslims, not the Sinhalese and the Muslims, which seems to be the case here. (?)

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:58 pm
by cooran
Hello all,

The OP is about a single instance of a group of people led by one monk removing a shrine constructed by Muslims in a country that has just ended a long civl war.

Interaction is different all over the world.

In Brisbane, there is a large Muslim population, and their Eid festival is well attended by people of all religions. I've attended weddings of my Muslim friends, and meet regularly for coffee and chat. Just as I do with my Buddhist friends, just as I do with my Christian friends.

In the same way that most Buddhists are open-minded and intent on wholesome practice - so are the majority of Muslims in the world.

with metta
Chris

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:19 pm
by Mawkish1983
:focus: ?

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:19 pm
by daverupa
I had intended the discussion to revolve around a Buddhist response to a monk acting in this way. The Muslim component is quite beside the point, and the emerging tit-for-tat mentality in some posts is quite embarrassing.

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:21 pm
by Mawkish1983
Agreed :focus: ?

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:38 pm
by mikenz66
daverupa wrote:I had intended the discussion to revolve around a Buddhist response to a monk acting in this way. The Muslim component is quite beside the point, and the emerging tit-for-tat mentality in some posts is quite embarrassing.
Yes, it would be helpful to focus on the specifics of the incident.

However, to clarify:
Viscid wrote: I thought that the tension was between the Tamils and the Muslims, not the Sinhalese and the Muslims, which seems to be the case here. (?)
The civil war was between Tamils and Sinhalese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So it was between people predominantly Hinudu and predominantly Buddhist. But I don't think religion had anything to do with it.

On the other hand, the fact that there was a civil war it not an insignificant part of recent Sri Lankan history.

:anjali:
Mike

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:50 pm
by Viscid
mikenz66 wrote:The civil war was between Tamils and Sinhalese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Yeah I know that, but you'll also see that there was tension between the Muslims and the Tamils:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_ ... ce_by_LTTE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But until these stories recently, relations between Sinhalese and Muslims have been without much incident.

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:56 pm
by mikenz66
Thanks for the clarification Viscid.

:anjali:
Mike

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:18 pm
by Viscid
David N. Snyder wrote:
Therefore contact (between religions) is good.[24] One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others... And the fruit of this is that one's own religion grows and the Dhamma is illuminated also.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el386.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Great quote, David.

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:35 pm
by NDat
The first lesson from the Buddha is the Fourth Noble Truths. However, we often forget it when something "wrong" happen. How sad!

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 12:48 am
by Dissanayake
This is a blatant lie of Barefaced Broadcasting Cooperation. BBC again does its usual distortion and spinning of facts and presentation of half truths. Without having pre conclusions of Sri Lanka, I ask intelligent readers to take a note following facts and then decide upon you yourself. At the outset I swear we Buddhists have no animosity towards Muslims and we tolerate every religion in Sri Lanka.

There is a court order to remove all the unauthorized structures from Anuradhapura Sacred City area (World Heritage city). The rule here is no new construction can be done in the UNESCO world heritage sites. That is why some of the new Buddhist structures were removed this year. The only exception was this new Muslim shrine. It is totally a lie that this structure was 300 years old. Everybody can see it is a new structure constructed in recent past.

Its boundaries are demarcated by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. From the beginning of this year all the unauthorized structures were removed by the authorities. Even buildings constructed for Buddhist pilgrims to take rest and spend night were removed from limits enforced by the Archaeological Department. Some parts of the Buddhist Monks University in Anuradhapura were also removed. But this unauthorized so-called Muslim shrine did not obey this ruling.

Therefore, some Buddhist organizations complained about it to authorities. A Sri Lankan court gave a ruling to remove it. Archaeological Department advised Muslim clergy to remove this structure they themselves. Muslim clergy of this unauthorized structure did not heed to any of these warnings.

BBC pretends that it does not know any of these warnings and court orders. BBC simply wants to discredit Sri Lanka. During the past few weeks, news about court rulings and Archaeological Department warnings were in the media. But BBC shows it does not hear or read any of these. It is pathetic biased reporting.

At the end, villagers got together to remove this structure, because Buddhists can just look aside when their archaeological monuments are vandalised by other extreme religious groups. I do not blame all Muslims. A few small extreme groups who are funded by a Middle East country have popped up recently. They are responsible for this invasion. They had already vandalized several important Buddhist archaeological sites (e.g. Digavaapi temple, Muhudu Maha Viharaya). These invaders have destroyed several historical rock inscriptions dating about 2000 years. Some have blasted these rocks and used them for house constructions.

This has now become a trend, a kind of invasion leading to ultimate destruction of the original Buddhist archaeological sites in Sri Lanka. First they construct small shrine in Buddhist sites and then it is expanded with money flowing from Arabian countries. They do the constructions while burring or constructing exactly on top of the Archaeological monuments.

I am asking simple question from people who are ready to bash Sri Lanka in her every turn.

Will Muslims allow Buddhists to build a Buddhist temple in the heart of Mecca? It is same principle apply here. They have not only prohibited even a small construction related to other religions in their soils but also they have prohibited taking even a small Buddhist or any other religious statue into their country. TA good example of their intolerance is complete destruction of Bahamian Statues in Afghanistan.

But Buddhists will not behave like that. In fact Muslims can build their shrines in other areas in Sri Lanka. Buddhists will not obstruct such works. There are thousands of Muslim and other religious shrines everywhere in Sri Lanka. Nobody should construct ones shrines on top of other religious locations.

It is shame politicians like Anura Dissanayake fuel this false propaganda of the LTTE supporters.

No wonder that the JVP is going to reject from Sri Lankans for its leaders cowardice double game.

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:56 am
by chownah
Dissanayake,
I'm very glad that you have posted here. I have been looking for some internet links to try to get more facts about what has happened but have found nothing. Can you provide any internet links which might help us understand what has happened?
chownah

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:20 am
by pilgrim
I just returned from a week's trip in Sri Lanka and can vouch for mush of what Dissanayake wrote. There are numerous Muslim (and Christian) shrines everywhere, even built at road junctions. Sri Lankans are very tolerant of other faiths, perhaps even too tolerant. I remember I was at a temple and in the midst of my personal worship, being interupted by the Muslim azan blared out from a nearby lounspeaker.

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:09 am
by morning mist
pilgrim wrote:I just returned from a week's trip in Sri Lanka and can vouch for mush of what Dissanayake wrote. There are numerous Muslim (and Christian) shrines everywhere, even built at road junctions. Sri Lankans are very tolerant of other faiths, perhaps even too tolerant. I remember I was at a temple and in the midst of my personal worship, being interupted by the Muslim azan blared out from a nearby lounspeaker.
Are Buddhist and Christian allowed to have monasteries or churches in the Maldives as they do in Sri Lanka ? If no then is this double standard acceptable ?

Re: Sri Lanka Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:18 am
by DNS
morning mist wrote: Are Buddhist and Christian allowed to have monasteries or churches in the Maldives as they do in Sri Lanka ? If no then is this double standard acceptable ?
When I was in Bodh Gaya, I heard the Muslim call to prayer over the loud speaker from the mosques and couldn't help think the same thing: how many Buddhist temples, churches or synagogues are there in Mecca?

But two wrongs don't make a right, as the saying goes. As Buddhists, we don't need to become variations of intolerance found among others.