Extremism in East: Balanced, evidence-based approach is necessary

The goal should be to prevent extremism from all sides while fostering national unity and social harmony

This is a defining moment for all Sri Lankans. The way each community responds will determine whether the country moves toward peace or further division. The Muslim community must be strategic, patient, and united, while the Sinhala, Tamil, and Christian communities must reject hate and stand for justice. Only through mutual understanding, responsible action, and fair governance can Sri Lanka overcome its cycles of communal tensions

This is a delicate and serious situation that requires a balanced and proactive approach from multiple stakeholders, including the Muslim community, the Government, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement. Here’s how each can respond:

1. What should the Muslim community do?

• Engage in dialogue and transparency: Community leaders and scholars should openly address concerns about extremism, reaffirming their commitment to peaceful coexistence.
• Condemn extremism and hate speech: Publicly disassociate from any form of radical ideology while also calling out hate speech against Muslims.
• Strengthen interfaith relationships: Build alliances with other religious communities and civil society organisations to promote understanding and counter misinformation.
• Encourage responsible media engagement: Advocate for fair media representation and counter negative portrayals through fact-based narratives on social media and public platforms.
• Monitor and report threats: If there are concerns about extremist ideologies within the community, responsible members should work with religious leaders to counter them and, if necessary, report them to authorities. 

2. What should the Government of Sri Lanka do?

Ensure balanced communication: Officials should avoid inflammatory statements that stigmatise any community and instead promote national unity.

Engage with religious leaders and civil society: Establish formal dialogue mechanisms with Muslim religious eaders to address concerns and prevent misinformation.

Enforce laws fairly: The Government must ensure that anti-extremism efforts do not disproportionately target any one group while failing to address hate speech from other factions.

Support community-led initiatives: Encourage grassroots efforts that promote peace and counter extremism through education and awareness campaigns.

nEnsure safety during Ramadan: Provide security for religious gatherings and reassure the Muslim community that their rights and safety are protected.

3. What should intelligence agencies do?

nDistinguish between ideology and extremism: Investigate groups like Sahabi Tareeqa with factual assessments rather than assumptions, ensuring religious beliefs are not automatically equated with extremism.

nMonitor all forms of extremism: Extremism is not limited to one community. Agencies should track both Islamic and Buddhist extremist groups to ensure a fair and effective counter-extremism strategy.

• Disrupt hate networks: Identify and monitor individuals and groups that incite communal violence, irrespective of their religious or political background.

• Work with community informants: Establish trust with moderate Muslim leaders to gain credible intelligence and prevent alienation.
• Implement deradicalisation programs: Work on educational and community-based approaches to counter extremist recruitment rather than relying solely on punitive measures.

4. What should law enforcement agencies do?

• Prevent biased enforcement: Ensure investigations and arrests are based on evidence rather than religious or ethnic profiling.
• Enforce hate speech laws impartially: Prosecute individuals who incite violence or hatred, whether they belong to extremist Buddhist or Islamic groups.
• Provide security without intimidation: Increase security presence around mosques and Muslim-majority areas during Ramadan, but in a way that does not create fear among worshippers.
• Encourage community policing: Foster trust with Muslim communities through open forums and liaison officers rather than treating them as suspects.
• Act swiftly against provocations: If different individuals or groups are inciting tensions, authorities should take legal action to prevent communal violence.44

How should the Muslim community respond? 

The Muslim community in Sri Lanka has endured significant challenges in recent years, including being unfairly targeted, facing discrimination, and experiencing communal violence. Given this history, the community must adopt a strategic, measured, and proactive approach:

1. Remain calm and avoid reactionary responses

• Do not fall into provocations by extremist elements.
• Encourage patience and wisdom, particularly during Ramadan, a time for spiritual reflection.

2. Strengthen internal unity and responsible leadership

• Community leaders should take charge in guiding members toward non-violent, constructive responses.
• Engage with youth, ensuring they do not get influenced by fringe elements or react emotionally.

3.Engage in constructive dialogue

• Initiate discussions with the Government, civil society, and religious organisations to express concerns.
• Advocate for fair treatment without being defensive or confrontational.

4. Demonstrate commitment to national unity

• Make clear that the Muslim community is part of the nation and committed to peace.

Actively participate in interfaith programs to build trust with other communities.

5. Counter misinformation and extremism

• Clearly reject and disassociate from any form of extremism within or outside the community.
• Use media and social platforms to educate the public on the true teachings of Islam, emphasising peace and coexistence.

6. Seek legal protection and awareness

• Work with legal experts to ensure the community’s rights are protected.
• Report hate speech and discrimination through legal channels instead of reacting emotionally.

 How should the majority Sinhala community, Christians, and Tamils respond?

Sri Lanka’s non-Muslim communities have a crucial role in ensuring that tensions do not escalate and that peace is maintained. Each group must act responsibly to prevent further division.

 

. Sinhala Buddhist community

Recognise that not all Muslims are extremists, just as not all Sinhalese or Buddhists support groups like Bodu Bala Sena.

• Reject hate speech and misinformation spread by extremist monks and media outlets.
• Support efforts for interfaith harmony and prevent Buddhist extremism from taking root.
• Encourage fair treatment, ensuring that Muslims are not unfairly targeted by authorities or society.

2. Christian community

• Avoid collective blame on Muslims for the Easter Sunday attacks. Recognise that the vast majority of Muslims condemned those incidents.
• Support justice based on facts, ensuring that investigations do not turn into a tool for discrimination.
• Promote Christian-Muslim dialogue, given the historical ties and shared experiences of both communities.

 3. Tamil community

• Tamil Muslims and Tamil Hindus should work together to prevent divisions among them.
• The Tamil community, having faced persecution in the past, should stand against any form of communal oppression.
• Support the rights of all minority groups, recognising that justice for one group strengthens justice for all. 

What should print, electronic, and social media do?

 Media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and either easing or escalating tensions. Responsible journalism and ethical reporting are essential to prevent communal discord.

Responsibilities of media outlets:

• Ensure fact-based reporting: News agencies should verify information before publishing and avoid sensationalism that could fuel fear or misunderstanding.
• Avoid stereotyping and generalisation: Media should refrain from associating an entire community with extremism and instead focus on individual accountability based on evidence.

• Promote balanced discourse: Provide a platform for voices from all communities to express their concerns and perspectives in a constructive manner.
• Counter hate speech: Media should actively challenge narratives that incite violence or spread misinformation, whether from extremist groups or politicians.
• Educate the public: Publish and broadcast content that promotes interfaith understanding and explains the diversity within religious communities.

 Responsibilities of social media platforms and users:

• Monitor and remove harmful content: Social media companies should enforce community guidelines by taking down hate speech, misinformation, and incitement to violence.
• Encourage responsible discussions: Influencers and community leaders should use their platforms to calm tensions rather than spread panic or bias.
• Promote fact-checking initiatives: Encourage independent fact-checking organisations to verify viral claims before they spread further.
• Report harmful content: Users should report hate speech, misinformation, and inflammatory posts to prevent digital platforms from becoming tools for communal violence.
• Engage in counter-narratives: Responsible users and organisations should use social media to challenge extremist ideologies and promote peace-building messages.
• Media has immense power in shaping narratives and public perception. Ethical journalism and responsible social media use can prevent unnecessary panic and misinformation. By upholding these responsibilities, the media can contribute to national unity rather than deepen divisions.

Conclusion 

A balanced, evidence-based approach is necessary to prevent the situation from escalating. The Muslim community must take an active role in addressing concerns, the Government should ensure fair governance, intelligence agencies must act strategically, and law enforcement must maintain peace without deepening divisions. The goal should be to prevent extremism from all sides while fostering national unity and social harmony.

This is a defining moment for all Sri Lankans. The way each community responds will determine whether the country moves toward peace or further division. The Muslim community must be strategic, patient, and united, while the Sinhala, Tamil, and Christian communities must reject hate and stand for justice. Only through mutual understanding, responsible action, and fair governance can Sri Lanka overcome its cycles of communal tensions.

(The writer served in the Police Department for 38 years, is the former Head of Counter Terrorism – State Intelligence Service, served as Consultant to the Financial Crime Investigation Division for four years after his retirement, and is the former First Secretary Defence – Embassy of Sri Lanka, Thailand.)