Muslim Issues

Bodu Bala Sena protest (File Photo) The above was the anguished and rather alarming cry that emanated a few weeks ago from Cabinet Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem. That a minister, of justice at that and leader of the preeminent Muslim political party had to make a plea for an end to ethno-religious hate mongering in …

The West, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia all have their own angles in the conflict—but Salafism and anarchy may be the big winners. "The American Conservative" —  The tale of what is going on in Syria reads something like this: an insurgency active since March 2011 has been funded and armed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar and allowed to operate out …

A calculated propaganda stunt engineered by the Sri Lankan Ethno-Religious Fascist movement ”Bodhu Bala Sena” (BBS) in Colombo city against Muslims engaged in the meat trade ended in a fiasco on Friday March 1st 2013. The neo-fascist Bodhu Bala Sena storm troopers were compelled to call off “Operation Dematagoda” a few hours after commencing it amidst great fanfare and publicity …

Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, ‘The monk is our …

The Bodu Bala Sena, which is an organization that seeks to protect the rights of the Buddhist majority, has issued a ten point manifesto directed against Muslim religious practices that they claim are impinging on the rights of non-Muslims. Chief amongst these is the issuance of Halal certification of consumer products for a fee. A recent public rally in the …

Border guards in Bangladesh refuse entry to Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Migration is one factor that can contribute to polarising communities. Credit: Anurup Titu/IPS UNITED NATIONS, Feb 25 2013 (IPS) – Amidst the rising tide of racial and religious intolerance worldwide – including xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia – the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) will meet in the Austrian capital …