Implications And Ramifications Of The Attack On The Masjidul Khaira Mosque
May 1, 2012
Ajit Rupasinghe
On 20th April 2012- Friday, a mob of some 2,000 led by Buddhist priests occupied and ransacked the Masjidul Khaira Mosque, obstructing those engaged in prayer. Even the police and the Special Task Force could not prevent the mayhem. The attack was carried out on the grounds that the mosque had been constructed on a site designated as a sacred Buddhist area. A firebomb had been blasted the day before, without, however , causing any casualties. This attack follows another attack against a Moslem mosque in Anuradhapura, last September, by a mob led by Buddhist priests, and by the series of attacks against Christian, Hindu and Islamic religious institutions elsewhere in the country- all with impunity. By Monday, the Minister for Religious Affairs had given the order for the Mosque and a Hindu Kovil in the vicinity to be demolished and asked that they be relocated elsewhere. As of now, the President has not stated anything in this regard, attesting to his complicity in this decision. This has been decided in spite of the fact that the Mosque had been in existence since 1964,where Islamic devotees had regularly practiced their religion. Read More