Muslims protest Gaza attacks

Thursday, 14 August 2014 01:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Muslims in Colombo marched against Israeli attacks on Gaza on Wednesday (13 August) despite a Court order banning the demonstration after an extreme Sinhala Buddhist organisation warned it would disrupt the march.

Tension has been simmering between the country’s majority Buddhists and minority Muslim community for months, after Sinhala organisations led by Buddhist monks, began a campaign against what they call ‘Muslim extremism’. Nearly 500 Muslims carried placards that denounced Israel and the West for not stopping attacks on Gaza. Their march was blocked by Police before it could reach a group of Sinhala extremists further down the road. The Sinhala extremists said they opposed protests against Israel as it supported the Government during the 25-year conflict against minority Tamil rebels, which ended in May 2009.