End to extremism

Tuesday, 22 January 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

IT is said that peace is defined as the short space of time between two wars. Tragically, the first signs of this are becoming reality in Sri Lanka, with the Government needing to take swift and decisive steps to ensure that another ethnic standoff does not curse the country for decades to come.

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem, who is also the Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), has voiced alarm at what he terms as Buddhist extremist elements working to create ethnic tensions in the country.

His call comes after hundreds of people headed by Buddhist monks marched in the Maharagama town over the weekend against a popular clothing store owned by a Muslim businessman. Similar hate campaigns urging the Sinhalese, the country’s majority ethnic group, to boycott Muslim products and businesses has been spreading via email and Facebook.

Extremist elements have also been using the “Halal” certification as a symbol of Islamism and using it as a front for protests against Muslims. These insidious campaigns have been slowly seeping through the country with very little being done by either the Government or its law enforcement arms to quell the rising tide of sectarian standoff.

In a statement to the media, Hakeem pointed out that Sri Lanka was emerging from a three-decade war caused by ethnic issues between Sinhalese and Tamils, thus it was important to preserve racial harmony. He also criticised the Police for not taking steps to stop provocations by the extremist elements.

Hakeem also stressed that law and order must be enforced to nip ethnic protests in the bud, pointing out that the Government is duty-bound to protect all communities equally, including the weak and the vulnerable. He also warned that ignoring extremism would result in Sri Lanka being further isolated by the international community. All these are valid points that need serious consideration.

Following the release of the latest census data, many people came to the realisation that the Muslim population is larger than initially thought, spreading through areas that have been traditionally considered Sinhalese. With this idea came the insecurity of dividing limited resources among a growing population. Add religion into the mix and it becomes a tension-riddled, nationalistic, and bigoted redefinition of identity. Such a sensitive interplay of emotions and events need to be handled carefully, but with an emphasis on fairness, rule of law, and inclusivity.

Having bled through three decades of war, another cannot be allowed to begin. It is time to educate ourselves and the future generation of the deep historical links that the Muslims have with Sri Lanka and how the populations have lived together, mostly in peace, for the better part of a thousand years. In fact the Mahawansa mentions Muslims living in Anuradhapura during the time of the ancient Sinhala kings, with trade providing a lasting link with this once resplendent isle.

It is time to remember that Sinhalese, Muslims, and Tamils are all part of the human race. To gather together so that the mistakes of the past do not curse Sri Lanka’s future. It is time for rule of law and justice to triumph. It is time to prove that we are better than we were.