Response to BBS’s latest outburst

Thursday, 3 July 2014 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reference the front page headline of Daily FT of 2 July titled ‘BBS vows to continue the fight against “Muslim extremism”’. Being Buddhists, we are surprised how a very small group of extremists and their destructive opinions as well as offensive rhetoric receives so much prominence and coverage. The Lord Buddha has always rejected extremism and discrimination against caste, class, race, religion or faith. If the BBS has even the slightest respect for Buddhist philosophy or principles, they should reject all forms of extremism and show tolerance towards all irrespective of whether they are Buddhist, Christian, Hindu or Muslim. Our main concern as Buddhists in Sri Lanka, where the majority are the followers of Theravada Buddhism, is the emergence of any form of religious or racist extremism and supremacist ideology. This trend has been noticed mostly since the 1990s culminating in tiny groups of purists alienating themselves from the other communities and propagating such a doctrine. The ugly images of these supremacists and extremists have succeeded only in tarnishing the image of their own religions that they claim to be protecting and promoting. We have recently noticed the emergence of violent, uncivilised behaviour from young immature Buddhist monks among the undergraduates in the streets of Colombo. Even more appalling behaviour has been seen by the leader of the BBS, whose behaviour and antics in public have sent shockwaves among the vast majority of Buddhist monks who are far more disciplined and spiritual. The solution to the current problems lies with leadership that should come from the more mature, intelligent and sensible traditional Buddhist monks who need to work closely with similarly inclined leaders of the Muslim, Christian and Hindu religions to gradually dispel the extremisms of all forms from all religious practices in Sri Lanka. Let’s restore the equilibrium that existed until recently among Buddhists, Catholics, other Christians, Hindus and Muslims which ensured harmonious co-existence throughout Sri Lanka.

Siriwardena, Colombo.