Are the Muslims falling asleep ? – Bisthan Batcha

June 29, 2013

The question is being asked in various for a as to whether the Muslims in Sri Lanka, who were subjected to mental trauma and physical harassment in the recent past by the actions of certain racist Groups, have now deemed it to be ‘safe’ once again for Sri Lankan Muslims. Have the Muslims slipped into a state of complacency ? Do they believe that it was just a passing storm which has now lost it’s sting ?

When the anti-Muslim diatribe of the Bodhu Bala Sena reached it’s zenith, coupled with the apparent apathy on the part of the State, many Muslims were of the opinion that there were just two reasonable courses of action that the members of the Community could take.

Option 1 : To maintain a low profile and keep one’s head down until the whole thing blows over

Option 2 : To directly counter the threats and allegations made against the Muslims

The key problem with Option 1 is the complete lack of control over the unfolding events. The Muslims had no idea about the nature, content or duration of the vicious attacks they were subjected to or whether such attacks will ever end or whether the attacks will become a part of the social fabric of this Country in the future. An alarming signal in this regard, which many may have missed due to it’s ‘low noise’, was that many Buddhists who expressed outrage at the behaviour of the BBS nevertheless ended their criticism by saying “…. But there is an element of truth in what the BBS are saying, no ?” (Kiyana ekey aththakuth thiyanawa, ne ?)

The main failing of Option 2, which may have escaped even it’s protagonists, is that in attempting to counter the allegations of the BBS, many Commentators were becoming emotional and actually launching tirades against the BBS – which after all is an Organization of Buddhist Clergy. When a group of Religious Leaders is under attack, it is almost a reflex action on the part of the Laity to defend the group – whether or not they agree with the words and deeds of the members of that religious group. In fact it was reported in one Web article that the BBS felt that “the halaal issue had strengthened the Buddhist community”. Let us not forget that when the ACJU was at the receiving end of various unsubstantiated allegations regarding the halaal issue, most Muslims (including the anti-ACJU groups) found themselves defending the actions of the ACJU. Therefore there is a strong possibility of the anti-Muslim feeling becoming more hardened and more widespread if Option 2 is adopted.

Does this then mean that there is no course of action that the Sri Lankan Muslims could take to overcome the threat to their physical and mental well-being posed by such racist groups as the Bodhu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya ?

Actually, there is a third option which, unfortunately, has not received the attention that it deserves. This involves the strategy of Identifying and Neutralizing the Concerns and Apprehensions that the Buddhist Community may have regarding the Beliefs and Practices of Muslims in Sri Lanka. The most important feature of this Strategy is that it is Proactive (Acting before a situation becomes a source of confrontation or crisis) in nature and therefore very much under the control of the Muslims – unlike Option 2 which is of a Reactive (Solving matters as they arise) type.

However, the most regrettable feature of this entire episode is the utter failure on the part of the Sri Lankan Muslims to focus strongly and sharply on what unites them as a Community and not to dwell on their differences. This failure has had many cascading effects – the major disappointment being the non-emergence of any kind of ‘Group’ to provide leadership and direction to the Muslims in these times of trials and tribulations. We are told that there is an attempt to form a Consultative Committee. We are told of various informal multi-ethnic Groups that are working ‘quietly’ behind the scenes to resolve the growing ill-feelings between the two Communities.

When other concerned Muslims hear and read of such developments they are left with a sense of not wanting to upset the apple-cart by initiating some form of action or dialogue of their own. The absence of proper Leadership at this crucial juncture in the history of the Sri Lankan Muslims is the single most important reason for the perceived Inaction and Disinterest on the part of Muslims at this point in time.

My Muslim Brothers and Sisters would do well to take a leaf off the book of the BBS when it comes to goal-setting, planning and implementing strategies for the benefit of their Community. The BBS identified their Target Group, they identified a Single Issue and they successfully sold the benefits of their Idea to large segments of the Buddhist Community. We too need such a Leadership, but consisting not of Politicians or of the Ulemas, but of respected Members of Muslim Civil Society who are capable of winning the trust of the Ummah because of their standing in the Community. We need a Leadership that can persuade the Ummah to look not just at the ‘dots’, but rather at the Big Picture obtained by connecting the dots.

Are the Muslims of Sri Lanka able to put aside their differences and to focus on the urgent need to introduce measures to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the members of their Community in the years ahead ? Are the Muslims able to empathize with their Buddhist Brothers and Sisters to the extent that they of their own volition change patterns of their behaviour which cause concern and apprehension to the Majority Community ? Or do the Muslims feel that they alone are entitled to the right of being angry and offended ?

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