Muslim Bashing Posted on April 4th, 2020

Chanaka Bandarage

Muslim bashing is fashionable in Sri Lanka.

Muslim bashing is considered politically correct in Sri Lanka.

Muslims are a minority in this country. They comprised less than 10% of the population.

Muslims congregate in groups. They wear garments that are specific to them. They live within closely knitted communities. They help each other out. They give priority to their religion and religious customs.

These characteristics have made them the envy of the Sinhalese.

There are many other reasons for enmity.

The rapid rise in the Muslim population has alarmed the Sinhalese. This has caused insecurity within the Sinhalese.

It is the Sinhalese who preached its people to produce fewer children (‘Punchi Pavula Raththaran’). Sinhalese do not run commerce as successfully as the Muslims (Muslims run their commerce exceptionally well). Many Sinhalese like to patronise Muslim shops because they receive good/friendly treatment.

The crux of the argument is that the Sinhalese have failed to realise that Muslims have never demanded a separate state in Sri Lanka. During the war, they provided men to our war efforts. Some of them sacrificed their lives and limbs for the country. Upon hearing Prabhakaran’s death, Muslim homes prepared Kiribath. They were overjoyed; sang and danced with the Sinhalese. Muslims are willing to learn the Sinhalese language and send their children to study in Sinhala medium schools.

Those who attack Muslims are dumbfounded about the racism engineered by Tamils against the Sinhalese in the North and the East.

The biggest threat to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is Tamil separatism. But, there is no discourse about this in the country. Sinhalese conveniently ignore the racism they encounter in the hands of the Tamils in the North and the East. This writer has written about them.

It seems that the Sinhalese have taken Tamil racism for granted. They tolerate the nonsense that the Tamil Separatists practice against them in the North and the East. It seems they have given up interest in the North and the East (1/3 of the country). Very few Sinhalese even travel to these provinces and show the areas to their children.

There is the saying that one cannot smoke out the real enemy until they truly identify them.

Again, the real enemy is the Tamil Separatists who have not given up their claim to carve out a separate nation for themselves in the North and East of Sri Lanka. That is why they constantly ill-treat the Sinhalese who live there (albeit a very few). They stop new Sinhalese from settling in the North and the East.

Since the dawn of this century (21st), periodic conflicts/tension have propped up between the Sinhalese and Muslims. Troubles have arisen due to the alleged Muslim land grabs in the East (eg Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Dheegavapiya, etc) and in Balangoda (Kuragala).

Most of these disputes could have been amicably settled, unfortunately, the recent governments have been slack.  Rather than solving the problems (eg nipping them in the bud), the governments have sometimes worked to exacerbate them. The governments mollycoddled certain clergy who had spread nothing else but ethnic disharmony/ethnic hatred.

In the past two decades, the Sinhalese have started to dislike Muslims more and more.  Certain Muslim activities have also contributed to this; they themselves have helped in the creation of the bad perception. Some examples include disobeying laws by  Muslim youth in the East, wearing of the niqab in public by Muslim women (even after the Easter bombings).  There are stories that some Muslims have been arrogant towards the Sinhalese.

In recent riots against the Muslims, their homes and shops were attacked in a systemic way. The attacks in Aluthhgama, Ginthota, Digana, Pujapitiya etc showed well organized/well-coordinated attacks.  Several innocent Muslim civilians died in these riots. The tension between the two communities came to the ultimate height when in April last year a group of radical Muslim youth attacked Sri Lankan Christian churches and 5-star hotels. More than 250 innocent lives were lost including foreign tourists.

Now, accusations are being made that Muslims may be deliberately spreading Corona among the country’s masses. This is a stupid and sometimes a hilarious accusation. To spread Corona deliberately, one needs to first infect the virus themselves.  Who would do that?  Also, how can they only choose the Sinhalese to spread the virus?

There had been false allegations that some Muslim shops were giving Sinhalese women sweet toffees that cause them infertile.  Anyone with a science knowledge knows that such methods do not work.

When the Sinhalese break curfew and misbehave, no one talks.  A small misdeed by a Muslim is highlighted as a major offense. In Social media, Muslims are constantly depicted in derogatory ways. People use obscene language to attack Muslims.

The writer states that the Muslim leaders’ demand that Muslims who die from Corona should be allowed to be buried in accordance with the Muslim religious customs is unfair and unreasonable. Even in Europe (eg Italy and Spain) Muslims who die from Corona are subjected to normal cremations.

We Sinhalese have made huge accusations against the Muslims. Some of them seem reasonable. But, we being the majority need to be more sensitive and careful; we must stop continuously pushing them ‘into the corner’. We do not want them to take up arms/forming their own ‘LTTE’.  The last thing we want is the Eastern radical Muslims ganging up with N/E Tamil Separatists.  But this is a possibility. If that happens, it will be Sri Lanka starting another civil war. We certainly do not want that.