Shameful Easter Bombings In Sri Lanka — BUT I Will Not Jump To Conclusions.
From the U.K. “Daily Mail”. Click to ENLARGE and read here. Link to original below. Google for plenty more.
Click to ENLARGE. From the “Daily Mail’ article above.
Just a FEW of my adoptive father’s 55+ books.
Google ‘Ananda Guruge‘ if you want to check out his Buddhist bona fides.
I have been railing against religious violence in Sri Lanka for YEARS.
Click to images to access original post.
To say that this Easter bombing saddens & distresses I does not even come close to genuinely capturing my disapprobation.
This is SO anathema to the happy multi-ethnic & multi-religious Ceylon ( only as of the 1970s) that I grew up in, 1953 to 1967.
My adoptive family was as Buddhist as you could get. Check out some of my father’s Buddhist books shown above and Google him. He was a Buddhist scholar, ACTIVIST and, alas, also one of the original architects of the ‘Buddhism First‘ precept for Ceylon. But, he was as open-minded when it came to religion as one could be. My SURROGATE FATHER, my adoptive mother’s brother-in-law, with whom I spent nearly as much time as with my family — and who influenced me more than any other man — was a practicing Baptist. My ‘father’ never had any issues with that. We celebrated Easter and Christmas, at my surrogate father’s rather fancy house with abandon replete with all the best goodies that money could get in Ceylon — imported ham, lamb, cakes etc. My surrogate father, who was a lawyer, and his wife, who as the Assistant Principal at Royal College (Sri Lanka’s premier boys school) were rich — and had no kids, bar I.
In addition, we had more Christians on my “mother’s” side; she one of 9. One of her brother’s was married to a Catholic as had one of her sisters. We were a CLOSE family — multi-religious. Nobody cared about who was who. We all mucked into to each other’s holidays.
My “Father’s” best friend, who he met with near daily, was a prominent muslim. Never an issue. Our neighbors, that my “mother” genuinely treated as part of her family, were Tamil Catholics. They were at our house, without fail, every day.
So, I grew up in an environment where religion had no ‘color’ or ‘race’. It was just like a name. Made no difference.
This is why this religious violence disturbs me so.
All that said, I refuse to jump to conclusions as to who perpetrated this horrendous series of crimes. The last TWO bombings, which were of private houses, puzzles me.
Though I am NO LONGER a Sri Lankan (in terms of citizenship or affinity) I do know, alas, the mentality of my brethren. We can be a devilishly devious, unscrupulous, ruthless bunch of bastards.
These bombings, I hate to say it as such, were ‘genius’. It has created the PERFECT TSUNAMI.
We now can have a circular firing squad, consisting of Buddhists, Christians and Muslims, each taking pot shots at the other. READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
This was geared to cause political, social and ECONOMIC upheaval. It will, of course, decimate the burgeoning tourist trade. That will have far reaching knock-on effects.
Not good.
But, please do NOT jump to conclusions.
It is not always the usual suspects.
Sri Lankan politicians are ruthless to a level that others will never comprehend.
Read Between The Line!
Related Posts:
Check Category ‘Sri Lanka’.
Buddhist On Muslim Violence Erupts In Sri Lanka (Again) — Just As I Have Warned.
From the BBC. Click to ENLARGE and get the gist here. Google for more. The BBC is at: bbc.com
Click to images to access original post.
As the above posts show I have been very concerned about this since 2014. There are more posts and IF you are interested, please search on “Sri Lanka Buddhists” & “Myanmar“.
The hardline Sri Lankan Buddhists have been itching for this ‘fight’. They want to emulate what is happening in Myanmar (née Burma) and the poor Rohingya.
This is Trump style Nationalism Sri Lanka-style. A Buddhist state with no other religions. Unlikely to happen BUT the Sri Lankan Buddhists will be eager and happy to spill as much blood as possible to try and make that happen.
This is the Buddhist version of the Crusades. Pacificity be damned. They THINK they are doing “Buddha’s” work. I hate to admit this BUT most of US Sri Lankan Buddhists are NOT that bright! That is the crux of the problem. Stupidity and ignorance.
I ceased to be a Buddhist 46-years ago, and a Sri Lankan 35-years ago.
Yes, my adoptive father bears SOME BLAME for some of this. But, here is the supreme irony. In the 1950s & 1960s, when this rabid Buddhist revor was still in its embryonic state, his BEST FRIEND was a Muslim, Senator A. M. A. Aziz. How my adoptive father, who became more and more like Trump as he grew older, would reconcile what is happening in Ceylon with his relationship with Senator A. M. A. Aziz would be fascinating to study. Being the poser he was, to his death, he would rationalize it. But, never in my eyes.
This is so sad.
I really would like the International Cricket Council (ICC) to intervene. Because after sex and violence, Sri Lankan Buddhist love their cricket. A boycott of Sri Lanka, in terms of cricket, would stop any violence in its tracks.
Last Google Doodles:
Check Category ‘Sri Lanka’.
Pope Francis In Myanmar Comes Across As A Partisan, Gutless Wimp!
Click to ENLARGE. From the “Washington Post” coverage.
Access to the transcript of the entire SHORT speech from the Vatican. Click image to access.
The KEY passage from the speech above. He even skirts mentioning RELIGION. How poor.
There are times to be diplomatic and then there are times when one has to stand up against egregious crimes against humanity. In that Pope Francis failed miserably and demonstrated why he will always be an ineffective, pedestrian pope — and never reach the GREATNESS shown by the likes of John XXIII, Pius X, John Paul II or even Benedict XV (15, not 16).
The pope has — and had — absolutely nothing to lose. He only answers to God, and one hopes God would not have minded him talking out against genocide — BUT then again you would think God should be able to do something about it directly. C’est la vie.
Less than 1% of Myanmar’s population, if that, is Catholic — though they have a newly minted cardinal and about 22 bishops.
The pope could have been more forceful and emphatic. What they are doing to the Rohingya is dead wrong. The pope lost some of his credibility and moral authority by delivering this flaccid speech — and he didn’t have much of either to begin with.
Ahh! To have again have a good pope. Maybe the next one after this rather pale imitation of a pope.
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Appears That Some Buddhists In Sri Lanka Are Eager To Emulate What Happened In Myanmar (Née Burma).
Click to ENLARGE and read here.
From “Green Left“ — Click for original.
From Facebook.
From Facebook.
I have been warning you about this for years. One examples (and click image to access the post on this blog):
I really HOPE I am dead wrong on this!
I am just going by what little I have seen on over the last 72-hours (and all of it has been in Sinhalese) and my general knowledge of where so many Sri Lankan Buddhists stand on this.
This would be a grave humanitarian crisis and another blot in Sri Lanka’s copybook.
What would really make a refugee crisis dire is that Sri Lanka — unlike Myanmar — is an Island. The only way to flee the country is across water. Thinks small boats …
Not good.
The intolerance by the Buddhists makes me sad. Growing up in Ceylon (the prior name of Sri Lanka) we prided ourselves of being a extremely tolerant multireligious, multiethnic society. Not so any more.
So, I am hoping that my fears will be unfounded.
So, I have given some of YOU a heads up. Of course I will keep you posted.
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++++ Check Category ‘Religion’.
**** Search on ‘Burma’ & ‘Buddhism’.
The Dalai Lama Should Go On A Hunger Strike To End Refugee Crisis In Myanmar (Née Burma).
Click to access BBC coverage from today.
Click to access “Huff Post” coverage from yesterday.
Click to access CNN coverage from yesterday.
‘We’ all know that this crisis was architected and engineered by Burma’s hardline Buddhists. This has been coming to a head for years.
I have been warning you about this for years. Just two examples (and click image to access the post on this blog):
** ** ** ** **
Well it is time for the Dalai Lama to ACT. Words, especially from him, are cheap and mundane.
Mahatma Gandhi would have gone on a hunger strikes, without hesitation, demanding a STOP to the violence. And it would work.
It is about time the Dalai Lama stopped raking in his celebrity money and did something constructive to shape/help Buddhism — given that he has the Western World hoodwinked that he represents Buddhists. So, come on Dalai Lama. Be a MAN.
[Yes, there is a very good reason he would NOT dare go on a hunger strike for this cause or any other. He is NO Mahatma Gandhi. ‘They’ would just let him die!]
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**** Search on ‘Burma’ & ‘Buddhism’.
Emboldened, Extremist Sri Lankan Buddhist Come Up With A List Of DEMANDS!
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by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
Θ Myanmar Buddhist dictate population control.
Θ All Buddhists should be ashamed re. Myanmar.
Θ Extremist Buddhist violence … Θ Appeal to all Buddhists
Θ Curb Buddhist extremists … Θ Curbing the Extremists
∠∠ Buddhists can be funny. ∠∠ Buddha’s descendants.
∠∠ Blaming earthquake on animal sacrifice.
++++ Check Category ‘Sri Lanka’ & ‘Buddhism’ for more posts >>>>
I got these DEMANDS in an e-mail, from Sri Lanka, yesterday.
This is just an extract to demonstrate the kind of thing that they are after.
This would be LAUGHABLE if not for the fact that these folks are deadly serious and will kill for this! Never mind Buddhism’s so called pacificity. That is long forgotten now.
1. Protecting the status of the Sinhala Buddhist majority that built the Sinhale nation
- Recognise Sri Lanka as a predominantly Buddhist country and uphold the Sinhala Buddhist civilization and its ethos constitutionally and legally. (for over 2600 years Buddhism was State religion invited by royal invitation and the compassionate nature of Buddhism ensured treatment of all citizens and even visitors with compassion).
- Secure the foremost status of Buddhism and foster Buddhism both within and outside the country while ensuring the right to freedom of religious practice for all other religions (right to practice religion does not entitle the head offices of these religions to strategically change the pre- existing and current religious and cultural landscape of Sri Lanka to create one where their religion becomes majority with time).
- Follow 70-30 representation – Majority Sinhala Buddhists must be assured of representation at all levels of Government, Legislature, Executive, Judiciary etc. and across all systems, that reflects the 70% demographic ratio of Sinhala Buddhists in the country while only 30% of places in any system should be allocated to religious and ethnic minorities. Allocation of time for public service by MPs must be according to ethnic ratio.
- Allocation of housing (flats/housing schemes) & any state allocation to be based on the ethnic ratio of the country – 70% to Sinhalese & 30% to minorities to be divided at their discretion
Strive towards establishing a compassionate society in Sri Lanka which is all inclusive, protects all living beings and encourages peaceful co–existence between man and animal (a noble call no one can take objection to).
Protection of the rights of Sinhala Buddhists in particular the lower income groups and addressing their grievances on a priority basis. Tamils will have India to provide aid, Muslims have over 50 Muslim nations to provide aid, Christians/Catholics have Western Christian nations & Vatican – Sinhala Buddhists have only the State that built the nation. - No ethnic ghettos allowed anywhere in Sri Lanka to prevent potential uprisings in the future based on sectarian ideologies and separatist identities.
… … ….
2. Protecting heritage, history and natural environment
- Declare Buddhist heritage sites as National Heritage sites providing both State protection and funds for preservation. But an end to attempts to eliminate national heritage/history via bogey of multiculturalis/multifaith and internationalism
- No other religion that can with evidence claim to have existed prior to 2600 Buddhist history can demand joint-heritage claim status. Stop well planned moves to identify and declare historic Buddhist sites as multi faith sites e.g. Sri Pada. Kataragama, Dambulla etc.
- Moratorium on construction of new places of religious worship via foreign funds coming from sources out to create ethnic/religious tension combined with their imperial expansion ideologies
- Introduce anti-conversion (i.e., missionary) bill and ensure foreign-funded conversion of Buddhists and Hindus are legally dealt with.
- Foremost place to Buddhism via Article 9 must require Buddha Sasana Minitry to task panels to regularly produce reports covering media distortions/other manipulations by western funded-NGOs(content analysis of current media to denigrate Buddhists), incursions of heritage areas/sites, brainwashing of children towards multiculturalism/multifaith in an effort to get them to abandon their links to heritage and denationalize them. Christianity has $170billion / Wahhabi slam has $87billion to promote their faith worldwide.
… … ….
3. Language
- Sinhala to be only official language of Sri Lanka.
- Tamil to be secondary language and English link language.
- Mandatory for all citizens to speak and write basic Sinhalese.
4. Rights of citizens
- Equal land rights & ownership in any part of Sri Lanka for its citizens. No law should deny the right of citizen to purchase land & live in any part of Sri Lanka (this will address current demands for only Tamil land/only Muslim land while Tamils and Muslims secure right to live in all parts of Sri Lanka while Sinhalese will not have right to land or right to live in North or East.
- Foreign service and other public service must include briefings on the pre-colonial history and the real patriots/heroes of Sri Lanka
There is more ….
But this should give YOU a good idea as to what they are DEMANDING.
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Darker Side Of Sri Lanka Buddhism, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) — The BBC.
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by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
Θ Myanmar population control by Buddhists.
Θ All Buddhists should be ashamed re. Myanmar.
Θ Extremist Buddhist violence … Θ Appeal to all Buddhists
Θ Curb Buddhist extremists … Θ Curbing the Extremists
∠∠ Buddhists can be funny. ∠∠ Buddha’s descendants.
∠∠ Blaming earthquake on animal sacrifice.
++++ Check Category ‘Sri Lanka’ & ‘Buddhism’ for more posts >>>>
Click here to access very good BBC original by Colombo-based Charles Haviland.
This extremist Buddhists muck-stirring, ably spurred on by unscrupulous hard-line Buddhist monks, this opportunistic yellow-robed reprobate, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, the chief culprit, have become totally out-of-control in Burma and Sri Lanka.
His statement, above, that “white people created all of the problems” is pure unadulterated TRIP. This is the ignorant Sri Lanka rhetoric ‘of late‘. I am NOT white, never have been and never will be. I was born brown in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Though I left Ceylon in 1967, a week ahead of my 14th birthday, I had already made up my mind that the “whites”, Europeans, had GOT us to where we were. My adoptive mother, as I have often stated, was an out-and-out Anglophile. I just assumed that my adoptive father, who did VERY well from the education he got under the British, felt the same way. It was only 20 years ago, when I was reading his first nonfiction book, that I found out that he claimed to be vehemently anti-British.
IF NOT for the whites there probably would be
no Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
IF NOT for the whites ‘we’ would all be (heaven forbid) circumcised, praying 5 times a day, observing Ramadan and a growing bloody beards! [Yes, of course, we have Muslims in Sri Lanka and as I pointed out in this post my adoptive father, who, at least on the surface, supported BBS, was best friends, inseparable, with a prominent Muslim, who he talked with, if not met, every day!] So don’t get this wrong. All I am saying is that Buddhists who spout this tripe about the whites forget that it was the British that made sure that the Buddhists remained a majority on the Island.
IF not for the whites we would not have had, in the mid-1900s, the health system, the education system, the transport system and governance that ENABLED the extremist Buddhists of today to have the platform they have.
I am NO LONGER a Buddhist either. No, I am NOT a Catholic either — despite being an avid papal historian who again is writing a book about popes now that my first book on orgasms is out.
I do NOT believe in any religion. I do not believe in life after death. Simple as that. So I have NO axe to grind.
It is JUST that, given the unprecedented exposure I had to Buddhism and Buddhist monks while growing up (because of my adoptive father’s involvement with the ‘movement’), I KNOW that Buddhism is not a religion of violence.
Buddhism should NOT have a Darker Side.
Simple as that.
This is my adoptive father, in 2014, a few months ahead of his death, endorsing Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara and the BBS. I only became aware of the , when a relative forwarded the link, a couple of months after his death. He and I had not been close for decades. We were very different people with radically different views and values. I eschewed religion when I was 18 (and formed an inordinate fondness for white females). He was extremely religious and did not fully appreciate my preferences — though to be fair to him he never interfered or told me to change. And contrary to what many think, especially those in the family, he was actually rather PROUD that I was writing ‘scholarly’ books about popes! Despite his foibles there was one constant in his life. He was an academic to the core and appreciated academic pursuits — even if they were outside of his value-system. Plus, he had made a point of meeting with John Paul II multiple times — exploiting his credentials as an ambassador.
Four years prior to his death, when we were STILL on speaking terms, I asked him — verbally and via e-mail — to speak out about the extreme Buddhist movement in Sri Lanka and in particular the GARBAGE that they were trying to propagate that the Buddha was born in Sri Lanka. He admitted to me that HE KNEW that this was WRONG but he was unwilling to say so publicly. And that in a nutshell sums up why we could NOT get along and why I was never his son. I have to stand up and speak for or against the things I believe in and things that are important to me. Hence this post, hence this blog. Yes, I was never a diplomat or a politician.
Anywho … here is the video. In a way it cracked me up. It epitomized why we could not get along. Something else about this video that is spooky. Watch it. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara TOWERS over him as he speaks. It looks like an HOSTAGE video and some have commented on that aspect. I love some of the comments that have been posted on YouTube. Anywho, you make up your own mind. And PLEASE remember you cannot pick your parents and to make it worse I am adopted. [I am as it happens a Ceylon version of the “Other Son“.] But that is life.
Click to access this hard to believe YouTube video — and PLEASE remember YOU can’t chose your parents (and I am adopted to boot).
The comments that follow this video, by and large, reflect my feelings. When I first encountered this video it was the comments that sustained me. Click to ENLARGE and read.
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