Muslim extremism in Sri Lanka: Some reflections

by A Sri Lankan-Jan 26, 2019

Jan 26, 2019

I would like to pen down a few sentences about these incidents. I will be objective on this issue. I know well many people will try to make politics out of it. Even Donald Trump would make politics out of these incidents that took place in some remote villages in Sri Lanka. I do not justify what these radicals have done. I fully abhor and detest what they have done.

Why did these radicals do this? Who radicalise them? What are the interior motives of those who radicalised these young people? Are there any conspiracy theories behind this radicalization? Did someone do this to tarnish good name of Muslim community in Sri Lanka? Are there any political hands behind this incident? Why did they do this right now? Did some groups do this to discredit some other groups? Likewise, so many questions come into my mind about this incident? It is said Muslim community in Sri Lanka is a peaceful community and yet, how and why did this group emerge in Sri Lanka? Personally, I believe this is a set up some people in Sri Lanka to discredit Muslim community or to harm Muslim community in the name of so-called war on terror.

          It would be wrong to generalise this issue. Never in 1000 years of Muslim history in Sri Lanka any Muslim group wanted to harm any Buddhist statue. Even when Taliban vandalised some of old statutes in Afghanistan Sri Lankan Muslims condemned it so, it would be wrong to say that this is done with the approval of any Muslim group or any Islamic groups in Sri Lanka. I would like to point out some political dimension of so-called war on terror. Today, everything has been politicised and everything is seen from political perspective. The terms such as terrorism, radicalism, Islamophobia have been used subjectively. War on terror has killed millions of innocents. Poor people in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan were being killed in the name of war on terror. The term terrorism has not yet, been defined even by UN. Because, this term is a subjective term. It has been used by different people in different meanings. Politicians have used this term to kill their opponents. Look what takes place in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the name of terrorism how many innocent people have been killed. In Burma, in the name of terrorism one Million innocent Muslims were chased out. Unfortunately, by so called Buddhist country. It is unfortunate to see that Buddhism has been used by these radicals to kill innocent people in Burma. We need to read Sri Lankan incidents in this wider context. No Muslim group will dare to do this. I wonder if all these incidents have been done deliberately by some people with some hidden agenda to tarnish a good name of Muslim community in Sri Lanka. I wonder if some political elements in Sri Lanka too try to use religion to gain some political mileages.

          It is a duty of Muslim community to identify this group and find out who did this and why did they do it? I do not blame these young boys. But I blame those who indoctrinate them and those who brain washed them. Almost all Islamic groups in Sri Lanka know well that we are living as a second minority community in Sri Lanka. We all know our limits and limitations. No sound person will dare to make such attacks on Buddhist statues. No sound person will dare to create a tension between Muslim and Sinhalese community in Sri Lanka? No sound person will dare to anger the majority community in Sri Lanka in this way of damaging their sacred places. So, all what this small group of people have done is wrong. No religion would agree with what they have done. Yet, I doubt that anyone would have done it without any external support.

        All Islamic groups have been working peacefully in Sri Lanka. Most of them are peaceful people.  Many of them are promoting peace and community harmony. Most of them are engaged in charitable works. Most of them support and help good humanitarian works. |For Instance, Sri Lankan Jamathe Islame has been contributing for many humanitarian projects and charitable works. It has done so many medical camps, eye clinics, blood donation clinics, charitable projects. It is reported JVP and Jamathe-Islame have done more charitable and community welfare projects than many other political parties. It is reported that JVP and JI has done more social welfare works during and after Tsunami than any other groups. There is no doubt these welfare organizations and Islamic groups do a lot of good works and yet, some extremism and radicalism intrude into minds of some young people in all groups. Jamath has been calling people into moderation in all their actions and faith. They have been calling people for moral and ethical development They have been educating youth to devote time and energy for nation building process. They have been promoting peace and social harmony among communities. They have been working with many Sinhalese religious leaders to promote peace and harmony in Sri Lanka.

    I think that these youths are innocent. but they may have been indoctrinated. They have been brain washed by radical ideologies? How on earth do these radicals pile up arms in a coconut garden? What a stupid thing is this? Have not they seen what happened to the ruthless groups such as ISIS, Taliban and LTTE? It does not make any sense to do such a thing in Sri Lanka? It is beyond any human logics and rationalism to do this. Why did they do this? It has been puzzling me since Mawanella incident? It has been shocking me why did they do it? we have been living with Sinhalese community peacefully for the last one thousand year. Yet, no sound Muslim dared to do this? Why did these radicals do this? Yet, I’m still in a shock to accept that this has been done by these youth without any external support. Did they do this for money? Did they do this for politics? Did they do this for any other reason? It is very much clear that Islam promote pluralism and yet, why did they do this? There is no completion in Islam. All Islamic groups know this basic fact. So, I cannot image that these youths have done this.

                  Islam teaches moderation in our faith, behaviours and actions. We should not follow any extreme form of faith and rituals. 99.9% of Sri Lankan Muslims are moderate people in their faith and actions. They do not fellow any extreme form of Islam at all. Yet, extreme form of Islam was imported to Sri Lanka via some ultra-radical Salafi groups and even many of them today are following moderate path of Islam? I think that Sri Lankan intelligence services are cleave enough to investigate this incident objectively. Without giving any room to make politics out it. It is an internal issue and there is no connection or affiliation with any foreign groups. So, they must treat this incident as a local matter. I think that these radicals must be rehabilitated like any other groups. To teach a moderate form of Islam in our schools we must have a cohesive and comprehensive syllabus in RE to meet local needs of our communities in Sri Lanka. I would argue a comparative religious education at all levels is a must today in Sri Lanka. Teach our children about all 4 religions so that they will know about others and live in peace.  I notice that due to misunderstanding we create a lot of problems among people of different faiths. To avoid this type of religious conflict we must teach all children 4 religions in Sri Lanka. Will politicians do this? Will policy makers in education listen to this?