May 10, 2019 · 12:57 am

Sharpening Politico-Religious Divisions in Sri Lanka

Dear Rohan,

Your thoughtful note has provoked this set of comments — comments that range far and wide. I will. of course, welcome your reactions and hope that others will chip in with both comments and data.  Michael

One:  Note this segment in Ameer Ali’s important essay: ” The Islamist creep was manifested in several ways. For example, the cry Allahu Akbar announced the opening and close of every public gathering organised under the banner of SLMC. Quotations from the Holy Quran and the Prophet’s Hadiths added a tone of religiosity to political speeches. Even hand clapping in some instances was substituted by shouting Allahu Akbar to appreciate a speaker’s oratory.”  One can speculate that Ameer Ali is writing as a Sri Lankan Australian first and a Muslim second ….. But the point is the inside information conveyed by that observation — data which our Muslim MPs and others have not conveyed to their non-Muslim colleagues — perhaps not having grasped the implications of Wahhabism for inter-communal life in Sri Lanka.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, atrocities, communal relations, cultural transmission, historical interpretation, Islamic fundamentalism, jihad, landscape wondrous, life stories, martyrdom, Muslims in Lanka, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, religiosity, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, suicide bombing, terrorism, the imaginary and the real, unusual people, vengeance, women in ethnic conflcits, world events & processes, zealotry

May 9, 2019 · 3:16 pm

Missing the Boat. How Religio-Political Divisions have Deepened

A Letter from Rohan De Soysa in Colombo to Michael Roberts in Adelaide, 9th May 2019

I’d like to suggest a different angle. We have a Minister for Buddhist religious affairs, another for Hindu religious affairs, yet another for Muslim religious affairs and still another for Christian religious affairs.  Then there are Governors for the various provinces: Eastern Province, Western Province, Northern Province, Southern Province etc.  They have been provided deputy ministers, offices, staff, bodyguards, cell phones and vehicles, etc.

Should they not monitor and observe any untoward teachings and undesirable tendencies in what comes under their purview, namely places of worship and education, catering to their specialized religions? Why did they not do so? Isn’t it about time they did?

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under accountability, arab regimes, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, discrimination, disparagement, economic processes, education, electoral structures, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Islamic fundamentalism, island economy, jihad, landscape wondrous, language policies, legal issues, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, Muslims in Lanka, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, religiosity, security, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes

May 9, 2019 · 10:52 am

Jericoacoara National Park in Brazil

Jericoacoara National Park …. in Brazil, located in the municipality of Jijoca de Jericoacoara, state of Ceará. On its seashore is located the famous Jericoacoara Beach….. https://www.bing.com/search?q=Jericoacoara+national+park+Brazil

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under landscape wondrous, tourism, travelogue

May 9, 2019 · 10:05 am

Political Intolerance on the Rise. Fostered by Social Media

Chris Kenny, in The Australian, 8 May 2019, where the title runs “Egg attack on Morrison hints at rotten state of public debate”

The Albury egging was so pathetic it didn’t even crack the egg. But there would have been milliseconds of sharp concern and shambolic reactions, with one woman knocked to the ground, that ruined what otherwise would have been a terrific event for the Country Women’s Association. And while they will be outwardly phlegmatic, Scott Morrison, his staff and the Australian Federal Police close personal protection officers will be — pardon the pun — walking on eggshells for a while.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, atrocities, Australian culture, australian media, cultural transmission, electoral structures, heritage, historical interpretation, legal issues, life stories, news fabrication, performance, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, security, self-reflexivity, taking the piss, tolerance, trauma, truth as casualty of war, zealotry

May 8, 2019 · 3:45 pm

Intelligence Network Failures in Sri Lanka

Siri Hewawitharana, in Asian Tribune, May 2019, with this title “SL Death Cult and Political Corruption that created this monster”

I present a few details re the SL state security apparatus during the war period some details about the major work that started after the war with the goal of creating better defenses for the SL state

There were many engineering talents helping SL military with signal, satellite and other cyber warfare work during Eelam War IV. Gotabaya was instrumental in installing a single command structure for all 3 services and the police. In fact, he also asked me to help with the Army Research and Development group by servicing a suitable command structure and product development.

… a caricature that is not Hewa’s but one introduced by The Editor, Thuppahi to attract attention to this article. See note at end

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, arab regimes, atrocities, conspiracies, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Islamic fundamentalism, island economy, jihad, landscape wondrous, life stories, military strategy, Muslims in Lanka, patriotism, sri lankan society, terrorism, unusual people, world events & processes, zealotry

May 8, 2019 · 9:55 am

Ultimate Loyalties: Sri Lankan Muslims in Lanka but beyond the Nation

Rajeewa Jayaweera in a Comment that responds toa QUERY from Michael O’Leary addressed to Ameer Ali

Michael, If one contributes to the absurd theory, [that] only those who returned from Saudi Arabia make up the radicalized elements in the Muslim community in SL; there is no sensible and meaningful answer to O” Leary’s question.

If however, one can look beyond the theory of “Peace-loving Muslim Community,” it would be easier to understand. Those who went to Saudi Arabia were mostly from the impoverished segment of Muslim society. They worked as housemaids, laborers, etc. and had nil to minimal educational qualifications. Many returned radicalized in a manner of speaking. Women who covered their heads when they left returned covering their faces. Those who did not adhere strictly to praying five times a day earlier would not dream of missing a single prayer session after their return. Watching movies, even musicals became taboo after their return. Continue reading →

11 Comments

Filed under accountability, arab regimes, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, disparagement, economic processes, education, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Islamic fundamentalism, island economy, jihad, life stories, Muslims in Lanka, patriotism, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, terrorism, unusual people, vengeance, working class conditions, world events & processes, zealotry

May 8, 2019 · 6:02 am

Shihara Farook assails Extremism. A Biography and Counter-Current of Significance

Shihara Farook

After three days of crying and being angry I am going to start speaking my heart to all of you. You are free to share this as much as you want and with whom you want. I was born a Sri Lankan Muslim in a town called Gampola very near Kandy Sri Lanka. I was born into a multilingual household and have been trilingual from birth. In that town we had a Muslim majority. There were several mosques and my very large extended family lived sprawled all over the town.

Irfadha Muzammil ….. from https://www.yamu.lk/blog/contemporary-powerhouse-women-in-sri-lanka

At pre school age I was sent to a preschool in a local church . I observed the nuns quietly (Leon Chan and I were friends there as tiny tots) the nuns preferred to call me Fathima as it was a name of a Christian saint as well. They were peaceful kind and so calm! I had the most wonderful time of my life there! They ran an orphanage had some rabbits and made us all smile .

Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under accountability, communal relations, democratic measures, female empowerment, Indian traditions, landscape wondrous, life stories, patriotism, politIcal discourse, reconciliation, security, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, tolerance, unusual people, welfare & philanthophy, women in ethnic conflcits, world events & processes

May 7, 2019 · 2:39 pm

Satha and De Saram: Batsmen Par Excellence who went to Jail

Nicholas Brookes, in CRICKET MONTHLY, 6 May 2019, where the title is “The story of De Saram and Satha: batting geniuses who went to jail”

Two of Sri Lanka’s greatest batsmen had memorable lives, but they have been nearly forgotten today  Ask any sports fan what it takes for a player to reach the pinnacle of their game and you’ll get the same tired answers. Talent. Temperament. Determination. But sporting greatness also relies on factors more arcane. Like luck. Or opportunity. Being in the right place at the right time. Just imagine if Pelé had been born in Bombay or if Gavaskar had grown up in Brazil. Where would they be now?
Satha found not guilty –and here seen with his lawyer Colvin R de Silva
FC de Saram and Mahadevan Sathasivam are the greatest Sri Lankan cricketers of the pre-Test era. They were born three years apart, and in their heyday either would have walked into any international side. Yet, de Saram played only 40 first-class games and Sathasivam a measly 11. Both captained their nation and their club rivalry captivated Colombo. They are quite possibly the best batsmen you’ve never heard of.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, conspiracies, cricket for amity, cultural transmission, ethnicity, historical interpretation, legal issues, life stories, performance, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, Sri Lankan cricket, unusual people

May 6, 2019 · 4:43 pm

How Extremisms have fed off Each Other in Sri Lanka, 1950s-to-2019 …. and still proceeding

Ameer  Ali, in Colombo Telegraph, 6 May 2019 where the title runs “Anatomy Of An Islamist Infamy – II”

It takes two hands to clap and make a noise, and what a deadly noise did Sri Lankans hear during that fatal Easter Sunday? In the first part of this analysis the Muslim leadership hand was identified and discussed. This second part looks at the hand of governments that governed this country since independence and how they laid the remainder of the bricks that paved the bloody road. 

Politicisation of Buddhism  

Long before Ashraf and his SLMC allowed Islamism creep into Muslim politics, Bandaranaike (SWRD) politicised Buddhism to win his electoral battle against the UNP.  His landslide victory at the 1956 General Elections to which he harnessed the support of Buddhist monks, Ayurvedic physicians and village school teachers demonstrated the political potential of Buddhism in changing governments in Sri Lanka, which even made American CIA to politicise Buddhism in South East Asia to fight against the rise of communism (Eugene Ford, Cold War Monks, 2017). While SWRD won the elections and lost his life at the hands of a Buddhist monk the Americans harnessed Buddhism and lost the fight against communism in Vietnam and Cambodia.      Sri Lankans, Let Us Arise as ONE

Sri Lanka Muslim Civil Society was organized a “Rise up for Solidarity – Humanity Beyond Religion one Nation one Country at Colombo 7 Independence Squire-04th May | Picture by Ashraff. A. Samad

15 Comments

Filed under accountability, communal relations, conspiracies, democratic measures, economic processes, electoral structures, ethnicity, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Islamic fundamentalism, language policies, life stories, nationalism, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, power politics

May 6, 2019 · 3:53 pm

How the Jihadi Terror could aid USA’s Power Plays in the Indian Ocean

Lasanda Kurukulasuriya, in Island, 6 May 2019, where the title is “IS terror in Sri Lanka: Govt dissimulates, as West consolidates”

“Even as the US fights Islamic terrorism, it is accused at other times of using IS as an asset. Analyst Saeed Naqvi in a comment on the Easter Sunday attacks published in The Economic Times, refers to a New York Times interview with Barack Obama, where the then US president admitted to having delayed bombing IS when it reared its head in Iraq, so as to put pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki to sign a SOFA agreement. “In other words, ISIS was an American asset at that juncture,” Naqvi noted. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, arab regimes, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, Indian Ocean politics, Islamic fundamentalism, landscape wondrous, life stories, Muslims in Lanka, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, terrorism, transport and communications, truth as casualty of war, world events & processes