Moderates to the fore

Monday, 6 May 2019 00:00 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

As Sri Lanka adjusts to a new normal after the Easter Sunday attacks, the public remains concerned about national security and political actions taken to deal with the aftermath of the suicide bombings. Several steps have been taken and others proposed by the Government, and it is imperative and future measures do not harm the coexistence and communal harmony while fostering national security. 

At a glance it would seem that people should give up their rights and freedoms in order to promote national security. But in a functioning democracy, it should be possible for national security to be maintained while protecting people’s basic rights. These rights should not be bartered away so that only national security takes precedence. Respected personalities in the past two weeks have suggested that national security was compromised because people became complacent after the end of the conflict and no steps were taken to consider and counter new threats.Yet this did not happen because there were more freedoms but because certain segments of institutions, including politicians, failed to do their duty – not because the average public chose, after a prolonged war, to live in an environment where their rights are protected. Generalising blame in this situation is an unwise thing to do as entire communities can end up getting swept up in a blame game for things they were not responsible for. It is now clear that dealing with terrorism will be a long-term responsibility. This calls for more allegiance to law and order, transparency, and stronger independent institutions that are not undermined by political influence. For decades Sri Lanka has struggled to crack down on corruption and hold wrongdoers, especially politically affiliated stakeholders, accountable. This needs to stop. Communities need to actively work to establishing a moderate platform for religious and cultural exchange, and this has to be done across all ethnicities to foster harmony. 

In 2017, the Ministry of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs looked at whether a national examination could be conducted for Arabic colleges based on a unified syllabus under the Examinations Department. An expert committee was appointed but the plan did not reach fruition. Just two years later a weekend report described how 1,669 Madrasas and 317 Arabic colleges teaching Islamic traditions and customs have mushroomed countrywide. Obviously not all of these are used to spread extremist ideologies, but there are concerns that the seeping Arabisation of the Muslim communities could be a concern. There is concern that funds flowing into the country are not being monitored properly, and Muslim organisations have warned that social media could be used for indoctrination. Not only in the Muslim community but even among Buddhists hate speech is becoming more common and organisations like the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) remain problematic. Open display of racist behaviour has become the new norm and this is terrifying. There is now heightened danger that BBS could gain more influence from the Easter Sunday attacks and ongoing security fears. To make matters worse, the Government is openly championing laws that could be more draconian in the name of national security. 

These are uncomfortable topics that many people tend to fight shy of because of the deeper impacts they can have on Sri Lanka’s inter-communal social connections. It is absolutely essential that the moderates of all communities work together to stand against the threat of terror and cooperate to encourage moderation within their different communities. These stakeholders deserve the support of the Government and the rest of the public because they embody the best hope for Sri Lanka to move forward from this tragedy. 

 

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