April 22, 2019 · 8:21 am

Nirupama’s Incisive Appraisal identifies Islamic Jihadist Patterns in Easter Sunday Terror

Nirupama Subramanium, in Indian Express, 22 April 2019 **

With 13 arrests so far, and more likely, for the horrific bombings in Sri Lanka on Sunday that killed more than 200 people, the Sri Lankan government’s investigations are pointing to the involvement of a jihadist organisation in the attacks. One of those arrested from the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, where one of the eight attacks took place, had been reported missing six months ago by his family.

The last two of the eight incidents were suicide bombings which took place when security personnel were about to arrest suspects. Police, however, have not named any jihadist group.

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April 22, 2019 · 12:55 am

Ivan Amarasinghe slaps the BBC for Misleading Aspersions

21st April 2019

Director General, British Broadcasting Corporation,  BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA

cc. Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Prime Minister <mayt@parliament.uk> ………  Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Opposition ……..<jeremy.corbyn.mp@parliament.uk>………Rt Hon. the Lord Naseby <amnaseby@btinternet.com>

Dear Sir

Misleading information and racially biased innuendoes by the BBC on the Sri Lankan Bombing Incidents today

As a peace loving Sri Lankan Sinhala and a Buddhist domiciled in the United Kingdom, it was with great sadness and dismay that I listened to the surreptitious, covert and even overt underpinnings of implied accusations on the majority Sinhala Buddhist community by your BBC  news presenters and the reporters on the above subject.

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April 22, 2019 · 12:36 am

Hands Across the Faiths at a Moment of Islamic Extremism

A NOTE from a Friend in London

“I have just come back from the temple as a special Pooja was organised to express sympathy and remembrance of the victims of the Church attacks. Aside from the remembrance prayers (Gaathas) a Maithri Bhaavanaa was conducted to remember the victims. The Monk then gave a sermon on the fast encroaching eye for eye culture and advised the devotees to refrain from that culture and stick to the Buddhist principles of non-violence and turn the other cheek and that the meek shall inherit the Earth (which Jesus preached as well).

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April 22, 2019 · 12:14 am

Katuwapitiya Church Scenes …. Easter Sunday aftermath

Daily Mirror Pictures, 22 April 2019 under title “Easter Sunday Terror”

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April 21, 2019 · 9:42 am

Anti-Christian Zealotry in Sri Lanka- Dangerous Signs

Ruki Fernando, in Sunday Observer, 21 April 2019, where the title is “Christians and Religious Freedoms under Fire” **

From February 3 to April 14 this year, across Sri Lanka, there has been some sort of disruption against a Christian worship service every Sunday – on 11 successive Sundays to be specific.Christians in Sri Lanka suffer violations of their right to religion and belief regularly, but most incidents do not make it to the news – or even to the Twittersphere. But the attack on the Methodist Church Centre in Anuradhapura, last Sunday, which was also Palm Sunday, a day of religious significance for Christians, was widely reported because of the forthright personal testimony and determined efforts of the President of the Methodist Conference, Bishop Asiri Perera, who had experienced the attack first hand.

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April 21, 2019 · 6:14 am

The Japanese Air Raid on Ceylon, Easter 1942

    Jayantha Somasundaram,  courtesy of Colombo Telegraph, 18 April 2019, where the title is  “The Most Dangerous Moment”

“British Prime Minister Winston Churchill considered the most dangerous moment of the Second World War, and the one which caused him the greatest alarm, was when news was received that the Japanese Fleet was heading for Ceylon.” –The Most Dangerous Moment by Michael Tomlinson (1976) William Kimber, London.

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April 21, 2019 · 4:50 am

Amarasingham’s Study of Sri Lankan Tamil Activism in Canada

 

Pain, Pride, and Politics: Social Movement Activism and the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Canada …. As a product of Geographies of Justice and Social Transformation Series) Paperback – September 15, 2015

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April 21, 2019 · 3:47 am

CR de Silva’s Appraisal & Report on Amarasingam’s Study of Tamil Activists in Canada

Chandra R. de Silva:  “Report on Amarnath Amarasingam’s Pain, Pride and Politics: Sri Lankan Tamil Activism in Canada“ — being a Reader’s Confidential Review of a Book Mss sent in response toa request from the publishers …. a book that has since appeared in print as  under the imprint of the University of Georgia Press (2015)

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April 18, 2019 · 9:48 am

A Welcome Spike in Sri Lanka’s Exports in 2019

DAILY FT News Item, 18 April 2019, with title “Exports off to a positive start in 2019″

  • 7.5% growth propels second consecutive month of $ 1 b plus performance
  • Industrial exports mainly contributed to growth of export earnings, driven by textiles and garments, rubber products, machinery and mechanical appliances and food, beverages and tobacco
  • Agricultural exports earnings grew YoY for first time since Feb 2018, due to growth in coconut, seafood, vegetables, unmanufactured tobacco exports
  • CB and Govt. measures apply brakes on imports to dip for third consecutive month by 17.8% to $ 1.65 b
  • Trade deficit shrinks to $ 617 m in Jan, compared to $ 701 m in Dec 2018 and $ 1.05 b in Jan 2018

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April 18, 2019 · 2:10 am

Vincent Dubois at the Organ at Notre Dame Cathedral, December 2017

Leon Keegal

Having this beautiful historic building  so much in mind now after the devastating fire, I thought you may appreciate this superb improvisation by Vincent Dubois at the conclusion of a service at the Cathedral. The French organists are renowned for their improvisations, and this one is amazing – what incredible footwork, and observe how he uses his right leg several times to engage the foot pistons to alter registration and also the expression pedals to alter the volume during his playing. At the start of this video there is some brief vision of interior of the cathedral and that  part of the building (at the crossing where the altar is situated) which would have sustained the most damage; the spire would have been directly above this space.  Incidentally, Dubois’ performance brought my gifted late maternal Uncle Irving Herft to mind. He was a great organist at St Paul’s Church, Kynsey Road, Colombo in Sri Lanka for many years, and he was also exceptionally good at improvisation.

Vincent Dubois aux Grandes Orgues Notre-Dame-de-Paris 2017-9: Sortie improvisée

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