Category Archives: plural society

January 27, 2016 · 10:07 am

Riaz Hassan’s Survey of Islamophobia in Australia

Meredith Booth, in The Australian, 20 January 2016, with headline ” One in 10 Australians are “highly Islamophobic” and have a fear or dread of Muslims, a University of South Australia study has found”

Riaz Hassan said the survey was the first “pulse” taken of Australians’ perceptions.

The University’s International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding has surveyed 1000 Australians, finding 10 per cent of people had negative or ­hostile attitudes towards Muslims, with the elderly, less educated and those with a poor attitude towards migrants more likely to hold such views. The level of worry about terrorism in Australia had a strong influence on their views, the report, provided to The Australian, said. Riaz Hassan said the survey was the first “pulse” taken of ­Australians’ perceptions towards one of the country’s most diverse religious communities and he hoped more research would be done to gauge shifts in attitudes. Continue reading →

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January 26, 2016 · 6:30 am

An Islamic Intellectual slashes Muslim Extremism and All Forms of Fascism in Lanka

Hsfeel FariszHafeel Farisz, courtesy of the Daily Mirror, 26 January 2016. where the title is  “Sinha-Ley, Muslims and fascism“ …. http://www.dailymirror.lk/104155/sinha-ley-muslims-and-fascism

I am not a Sinha-Ley Muslim. Won’t ever be. I had no problem with the concept of being a Sinhala-Muslim during my childhood. In-fact I often used to think Ven. Mahinda Thera included us — the minorities, in his poems and Anagarika Dharmapala in his, what I assumed were, anti colonialist speeches.

sinhaley M

That was why, during many of the Sinhala speech contests I took part in as a teenager, I chose the topic ‘Jaathiyata Diridun Lak Doo Puthun’ or a deviant close to it. I remember ending them with the poem. “Be iwasannata Be iwasannata ammeni pembara Lanka Ma sitha ginnehi loo lunu men pupuranneya kopa vikaren E sanasannata Sinhala Ley athi Sinhala kolleku ayyo Dan upadinnema nadda Upulwan dev rajune Laka Rakna”

All the while thinking, we also fit the criteria of a ‘ Sinhala Ley athi Sinhala kollek’. Continue reading →

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January 24, 2016 · 6:52 am

Watch Out. The Sinha-Le Campaign gathers Momentum

SinhaLe SINHALE BADGE …. OR “The island nation of SINHALE” as it was phrased in the email circular I received

These images are just what the Tamil extremists wanted… and want. So, as indicated in other posts, we see the two poles stirring each other. It would seem to be a repetition of  a process some of us witnessed in the late 1950s and thereafter. Or is it? There are, surely, some differences? ….even frightening differences? I invite readers to present their thoughts on this point. Michael Roberts

SIHALE CAMPAIGN 1  Continue reading →

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Filed under Bodu Bala Sena, fundamentalism, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, language policies, life stories, LTTE, nationalism, plural society, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, racist thinking, Rajapaksa regime, religiosity, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, trauma, vengeance, violence of language, world affairs, zealotry

January 21, 2016 · 4:26 am

Lanka’s Pluralist Society faces Sinhala Chauvinist Threat

Sudha Ramachandran, 20 January 2016, courtesy of Asia Times News & Features, where the title reads “Sri Lanka’s pluralist ethnic fabric under threat as anti-Muslim drive gains pace”

An intimidating slogan ‘Sinha le,’ literally lion’s blood in Sinhala, the language of the majority of Sri Lankans, has triggered fear among the island’s Muslims.

Muslims in Sri Lanka are on edge as the ‘Sinha le’ campaign is gathering momentum

The slogan was first seen spray-painted on the gates of Muslim homes in Nugegoda, a suburb of the capital, Colombo. Since then it has appeared as wall graffiti in other parts of the city as well as on stickers and posters on private and public vehicles. The ‘Sinha le’ campaign is gathering momentum in social media too. Continue reading →

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January 18, 2016 · 2:06 pm

Reverberating Currents of Sinhala Extremism Amidst Other Developments Today

JEHANJehan Perera of the National Peace Council, whose preferred title is as follows: “Non-Stop Attempts to use Ethnic Nationalism as a Political Strategy”

The participation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and visiting British Minister Hugo Swire at the Thai Pongal celebration in Jaffna is an indication of the special attention that is being given to the northern polity by the government. The top leaders of the government have been making frequent visits to the north in a way that is unprecedented. During the years of the war it was dangerous for government leaders to visit the north as they were vulnerable to being attacked by the LTTE and other militant groups. But even prior to the war there was reluctance on the part of leaders of government to visit the north. Neville Jayaweera, in his memoirs of his time as a civil servant who dealt with the north five decades ago, writes about the petty manner in which the government leaders of those years turned down opportunities to visit the north. In contrast, President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe are frequent travelers to the north.Maithri-Jaffna-23-march-2015An Event in 2015-Courtesy of C’bo Telegraph

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January 2, 2016 · 11:22 am

Usman Khawaja’s Islamic Faith keeps him Sane and Grounded

cate_mcgregorCate Mcgregor, in The Australian, 31 December 2015, where the title is “Usman Khawaja opens up about his Muslim faith and cricket”

At times this summer, Usman Khawaja has reminded me of Eng­land’s David Gower at the peak of his majestic power. Both these gifted left-handers often attracted the adjective “languid” to describe the ridiculous ease, and abundant time, with which they played their shots. Like Gower, Khawaja looks improbably boyish, even vulnerable, stripped of the gladiatorial batting paraphernalia of the modern Test cricketer. He looks even younger and more boyish when his face breaks into a self-deprecating grin. This is not an infrequent occurrence despite the sensitive and ­serious topic we are discussing at the Australian team’s hotel on the morning after the Melbourne Test match. AA-KHAWAJA 2 Khawaja’s faith has been a source of comfort during difficult times in both his cricket career and life –Pic from  Aaron Francis

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December 31, 2015 · 6:31 am

Everyday Issues in Democratic Parliamentary Politics … Now in Sri Lanka

ONE. Michael Roberts: Democratic procedures in plural societies, whether in the West or the East, invariably seem to spawn a proliferation of parties and/or factions. These factions and minute parties can imperil the democratic process by generating instability and even rendering instability into a permanent feature of the political order during some moments in a country’s history. This sort of development was one factor that enabled the Nationalist Socialist Party to rise to power in the Weimar Republic; while Mussolini’s rise to power was also encouraged by such fragmentation. Given the several parties/factions in Sri Lanka’s present polity amidst the sometimes intractable issues arising from a spatial distribution of three ethnic communities — where “Muslim” constitutes a “religio-ethnic group” (embracing the Yon but not the Ja) when set alongside the categories “SL Tamil,” “Malaiyaha  Tamil” and “Sinhala” — the creation ofa new constitution needs to address this problem.

TWO. Press Release from TNA, 30 December 2015: “TNA and SLMC leaders held 1st Round of talks aimed at realizing the aspirations of the Tamil and Muslim people in the proposed new constitutional arrangements. These discussions will continue.” TNA + mUuslim 12 Continue reading →

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December 29, 2015 · 12:37 am

Jetwing Hotels break New Ground in the Jaffna Peninsula

Himal Kotelawala, courtesy of Daily FT, 13 November 2015, http://www.ft.lk/article/495869/Jetwing-Jaffna-to-jump-start-northern-economy,… where the title is “Jetwing Jaffna to jump-start northern economy“

The Jaffna peninsula is set to get its first-ever star class hotel, as Jetwing Hotels and Mercantile Merchant Banking Ltd. (MMBL) together near completion of Jetwing Jaffna, a Rs. 1 billion 3+ star hotel with 54 rooms and two suites, expected to generate employment and various other opportunities to the local populace starting January 2016. Yarl Hotels Ltd., a company set up solely to oversee the project, is scheduled to go public as soon as operations begin, at a price that has yet to be determined. With the official opening of the hotel little more than a month away, the Daily FT caught up with senior businessman and Yarl Hotels Independent Director/Chairman Rajan Asirwatham on the projected economic dividends of the hotel for the hitherto neglected people of an entire province ravaged by nearly three decades of war.

ASIRWATAHN--JETWING HOTEL Jetwing Jaffna Continue reading →

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December 27, 2015 · 1:53 pm

Sri Lanka as a Travel Destination Today – Mark Mobius

Mark Mobius, 16 December 2015, at http://mobius.blog.franklintempleton.com/2015/12/16/travels-in-sri-lanka-the-tourist-trade/

Sri Lanka has a fascinating history with one of the first written references to the island made in the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, which mentions how Lanka was created by the divine sculptor for the Lord of Wealth. The first recorded kingdom, the Anuradhapura Kingdom, was established in 380 BC. Buddhism arrived in the country around 250 BC and continues to be the dominant religion, affecting many areas of life in Sri Lanka today. I recently visited the country again and, as always, was impressed with its beauty, its dedication to the environment and its friendly people. I encourage travelers to check out Sri Lanka, which has much to offer tourists including warm weather, expansive beaches, and an interesting heritage with many cultural attractions. My team and I weren’t there to simply soak up the sun and sights—we toured the country with an eye on potential investment opportunities. In this first part of a two-part blog, I explore the country, examine the infrastructure and talk to people on the ground—and in the air.

mOBIUS 22 Continue reading →

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December 22, 2015 · 12:30 am

Featuring Sujit Suvisundaram’s ISLANDED and Other Works

Radhika Coomaraswamy, in The Daily News, 22 December 2015, where the title reads “Original interpretation of historical fact, backed by detailed evidence, perceptive insights”

Let me say that ISLANDED by Sujit Sivasunderam is a seminal work. It is an original interpretation of historical fact, backed by detailed evidence and perceptive insights. It also questions received wisdom, entrenched narratives and the way we think about our country and ourselves. For over a century now, colonialism for Sri Lankans has always been seen as a terrible period of subjugation and oppression. As Frantz Fanon so forcefully argued, the psychological disempowerment coming from colonial exploitation and racism had not only submerged aspects of our culture, denigrated our self-respect but also destroyed our sense of being.

ISLANDED SUJIT 22 Sujit Suvisundaram…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRokQbarKzM

This has therefore always led to a black and white narrative on colonialism accompanied with a great deal of anger- and perhaps rightfully so. As a result, we were never ready to look at the possible intricacies and nuances of the colonial experience. I wonder even today whether we have found the self-confidence to do it thoughtfully and without rancour.

Sujit Sivasunderam in this book ISLANDED is perhaps the first to make this attempt. He does so, not only by presenting new theories of colonial interaction, but by analyzing in detail the political and non political aspects of the colonial encounter- from the mixing of peoples, trade, archaeology, land, science and what he terms the “publics”.

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