Rally to mobilize public support against anti-Muslim campaigns in Sri Lanka

Rally to mobilize public support against anti-Muslim campaigns in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: ARAB NEWS
Monday 25 March 2013

Last Update 25 March 2013 12:05 am
Sri Lankan traders and business organizations will stage a peaceful protest today urging the government to take immediate actions to stop anti-Muslim campaigns, maintain law and order and promote communal harmony.

The nationwide protest is organized by Muslim Rights Organization (MRO) to mobilize public support against hate campaigns carried out by Bodu Bala Sena, an extremist Buddhist group, and Jathika Hela Urumaya, a party in the ruling coalition.

The Muslim community in Sri Lanka has appealed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to act against extremist Buddhists who have been leading campaigns to inculcate fear and hatred against Muslims.

“These extremist groups have been using the traditional media, social media, public meetings, posters, leaflets, and the circulation of rumors and misinformation insulting Muslims to inculcate a sense of fear and hatred of Muslims among Sinhalese,” said New Mexico Ameen, head of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka.

“They are using abusive language when referring to our religious practices and publicly calling for a boycott of businesses run by Muslims,” Ameen said in a letter to the president.

Last week, Bodu Bala Sena called for the demolition of a 10th century mosque in Kuragala. The call comes shortly after the group campaigned against halal food in Sri Lanka, forcing Muslims to abandon halal logo to help ease tension with the Buddhist majority.

Muslims have urged the president to publicly condemn the hate campaign of the Buddhist extremists. They have also called for defending equal rights for all citizens in the country as well as instructing the police to take necessary action to stop incidents of harassment against minorities and their
businesses.

The Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed concerns over increasing reports of anti-Muslim violence in the island state.

In June, some 200 demonstrators led by dozens of Buddhist monks converged on a small Islamic center in Colombo’s suburb of Dehiwala.

Throwing stones and rotten meat over the center’s gate, protesters shouted slogans demanding its closure.

“We have experienced a steady drop in sales since January after Bodu Bala Sena had put up posters around the country telling people not to shop at our stores because our company is Muslim-owned. They threaten to take violent action against people who purchase things from Muslim shops,” said a
Muslim trader.

BBS: Sri Lanka is not a multiracial or multi-religious country but a Sinhala Budhist country.

BBS insists Lanka not multiracial
 March 24, 2013
The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) says Sri Lanka is not a multiracial or multi-religious country but a Sinhala Budhist country.




Speaking at the Bodu Bala Sena convention in Panadura this evening, the venerable Medagoda Abayathissa thero urged the Sinhalese to protect the nation and not let other races or religions to take over.

The monk also urged Sinhalese families to have at least 5-6 children so that the Sinhalese  Buddhist population grows in order to protect the Sinhala race and Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, the venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara thera said that the country should be ready to rally against Christian and Muslim extremist groups operating in the country.

He insisted that the Bodu Bala Sena does not have issues with Muslims and Tamils as a whole. However he said that Muslim women should not be allowed to wear the Niqab in Sri Lanka.

The venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara thera also said that all stores should close on Poya Days, including Muslim stores, so that all Buddhist employees working in those organisations can go to the Temple instead of work.

“We have now become the police of this nation. We must help the police arrest people bringing down heroin in Sri Lanka,” he added.

He also said that the Ministry of Defence had given an assurance that the halal issue will be resolved.

However he warned that if the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) goes against its commitments to the Ministry of Defence and the Buddhist clergy then the Bodu Bala Sena will take appropriate action.

The venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara thera also insisted that the Bodu Bala Sena has not done anything wrong to call for their arrest.

He also slammed Sri Lanka’s foreign service, particularly the appointment of a former Muslim Minister as the High Commissioner to Singapore.

The venerable Medagoda Abayathissa thero, meanwhile, discouraged Sinhalese families from watching the movie ‘Sri Sidhartha’ which is currently screening in Colombo and cinemas around the country.

The monk said that the movie gives the wrong impression about Buddhism and so the Bodu Bala Sena will take measures to ban the film.

The venerable Medagoda Abayathissa thero said that Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) were behind the funding of the movie.

Another monk speaking at the convention in Panadura said that a Bodu Bala Sena ringing tone on Mobitel phones, if downloaded, will be used to fund the Bodu Bala Sena organisation. (Colombo Gazette)

Report by Easwaran Rutnam
http://colombogazette.com/2013/03/24/bbs-insists-lanka-not-multiracial/

இல்லாத வடக்கு மாகாணசபைக்கு, தேர்தல் நடத்த இயலாது: தேர்தல் ஆணையாளர்!!

இந்திய அமெரிக்க சிங்களம் காப்பு ஐ.நா.தீர்மானம்

`` Welcoming the announcement by the Government of Sri Lanka to hold elections to the Provincial Council in the Northern Province in September 2013,
 

 Welcoming and acknowledging the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka in rebuilding infrastructure, demining, resettling the majority of internally displaced persons, and noting nonetheless that considerable work lies ahead in the areas of justice, reconciliation and resumption of livelihoods, and stressing the importance of the full participation of local populations, including representatives of civil society and minorities, in these efforts,

Taking note of the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission of Sri Lanka and its findings and recommendations, and acknowledging its possible contribution to the process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka,``

======================================================================

Elections Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya

 

இல்லாத வடக்கு மாகாணசபைக்கு, தேர்தல் நடத்த இயலாது:

தேர்தல் ஆணையாளர்!

No NPC, so no polls: Commissioner!

 

Monday, 25 March 2013 08:37

 

The Elections Department stated that elections in the Northern Province  could not be held as the Northern Provincial Council was yet to be constituted by the  President.

The Department said despite the government finalising plans to hold the Northern  Provincial Council Elections they were unable to begin the election process as the  Northern Provincial Council did not exist.

Elections Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya said  that after the de-merger of  the North- Eastern Province in 2006, only the Eastern Provincial Council had been  gazetted when the elections for the province were to be held.

 

“The Eastern Provincial Council was gazetted and the President then ordered the  Elections Department to hold elections in the province - the same procedure should be  followed in the Northern Province but we have not received our orders as yet,” the  Elections Commissioner said. 

 

He further stated that the whole election procedure would take three months and if  elections were to be held in September they would have to receive the Presidential  order by May. 

 

Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) commenting on the government’s decision  to hold elections in the Northern Province said the elections for the province had  been delayed under the ruse of resettling Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s).

 

TNA MP, M. A Sumanthiran said the government had held a Presidential and General  election three years ago and he saw no reason as to why a Provincial Council election  needed to be postponed.  “Resettlement is not yet complete but if they can hold two  major elections during this time, then

why not this?” he questioned.

During an interview to the Hindu Newspaper in India last year, President Mahinda  Rajapakse stated that elections for the Northern Province were to be held in September  this year. Taking note of this statement, the recently passed US backed resolution  against Sri Lanka at the United Nations

Human Rights Council (UNHCR) had welcomed the  government’s decision to hold elections in the Northern Province. (Nabeela Hussain)

 

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/27148-no-npc-so-no-polls-commissioner-.html

அமெரிக்காவின் ஐ.நா.தீர்மானம் ஈழத்தமிழருக்கான மாபெரும் துரோகமே! கழகம் முழக்கம்!!