Monks & Buddhists have never been extremists-MR MONDAY, 03 JUNE 2013  President Mahinda Rajapaksas aid the country’s Buddhists had never indulged in extremism. Speaking at an event in Nagollagama on Sunday evening, the President said, “Maha sangha and Buddhists have never been extremists.” Recalling the massacre of Buddhist monks by the LTTE 26 years ago in Aranthalawa, the President said, “Such incidents must be commemorated to remind us of the brutality of terrorism. But not to spread anger and take revenge. These were the types of terrorist acts we suffered for over 30 years.” The president further said that maha Sangha and Buddhists are always explorers of the truth. He also said that Maha Sangha have always been committed to safeguard the motherland and the principals of Buddhism throughout the history. Sri Lanka Monk Self-Immolation Highlights Anti-Muslim Sentiment By J. S. Tissainayagam -May 28, 2013  J.S. Tissainayagam The suicide by a Buddhist monk who set himself on fire in Sri Lanka to protest the slaughter of cattle has been hailed as an act of great self-sacrifice and compared to acts of self-immolation by Tibetan Buddhist monks protesting China’s repression in Tibet. Nothing could be more ill-informed. In fact, it is one more step by Sri Lanka’s chauvinist Sinhala-Buddhists to undermine the Muslim political base. The monk, Bowatte Indraratne, who had been campaigning against the Muslim halal method of slaughtering animals, was also a politician. He was a former elected member of a local government body representing the extreme Buddhist political party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU). JHU’s leader Champika Ranawaka lost no time in exploiting the incident to advance the party’s agenda. He said the government should bring in legislation to ban the slaughter of cattle, and religious conversion. Christians have come under pressure from Buddhists for proselytising, a charge they deny.                    Read More Dalai Lama pleads with Buddhist monks to end deadly attacks on Muslims in Burma and Sri Lanka Religious leader asks monks to intervene in anti-Islam violence Dalai Lama condemned attacks on Muslims in Myanmar and Burma Hundreds dead and more than 135,000 displaced in Myanmar this year Buddhist groups have attacked businesses owned by Muslims Tibetan Buddhist addressed issue in speech at University of Maryland By SARA MALM The Dalai Lama has reached out to monks in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, imploring them to end recent violence towards Muslims in their countries The Buddhist spiritual leader blamed those of his own religion for recent violent attacks in south Asia, while giving a speech at the University of Maryland. Hundreds have died and more than 135,000 people have fled their homes in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in the past year's brutal assaults.Full Story>>> Protestors threaten 'rotten eggs for IPL cricketers' WEDNESDAY, 03 APRIL 2013 ‘Ravana Balaya’ members including Buddhist monks held a protest rally outside Sri Lanka Cricket office today vowing to “take action against the cricketers who are prostituting themselves for money”. Some 200 members gathered there chanted slogans against the Sri Lankan cricketers who are participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL). “These cricketers have prostituted themselves for Jayalalithaa’s money. We respect those who refused to bow down to money power,” the organisation’s secretary Iththakande Saddathissa Thera said. Five monks were allowed to enter the SLC office and hold discussions with SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga. “Nishantha was aggressive, but we can be more aggressive. We have good medicine for aggression. The day will soon arrive when the very same hands that applauded the cricketers are used to throw rotten eggs at them,” the monk said.( Lahiru Pothmulla) BBS condemns the attack FRIDAY, 29 MARCH 2013 The Bodu Bala Sena organization (BBS) today while condemning the attack on the Pepiliyana Fashion Bug warehouse on Thursday evening, called for the arrest of all persons involved with the incident irrelevant of their status. BBS Secretary, Ven. Galaboda Aththey Gnanasara thera speaking at a media briefing organized yesterday described the events that transpired on Thursday evening as ‘barbaric’ and ‘unpleasant’ and as actions organized by extremists to disrupt the Sinhala Buddhist revival movement initiated by them. He said if such incidents are allowed to continue scot-free, it would pave way to a recurrence of the 1983 black July riots.  “We learnt through various media reports that several monks had also accompanied the attackers. We urge the IGP to take action against all individuals involved with the incident, even if they are men of cloth. However, we also know that quite a number of non-Buddhists have guised themselves BBS insists Lanka not multiracial March 24, 2013 The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) says Sri Lanka is not a multiracial or multi-religious country but a Sinhala Buddhist country. Speaking at the Bodu Bala Sena convention in Panadura this evening, the venerable Medagoda Abayathissa thero urged the Sinhalese to protect the nation and not let other races or religions to take over. The monk also urged Sinhalese families to have at least 5-6 children so that the Sinhalese  Buddhist population grows in order to protect the Sinhala race and Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, the venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara thera said that the country should be ready to rally against Christian and Muslim extremist groups operating in the country. He insisted that the Bodu Bala Sena does not have issues with Muslims and Tamils as a whole. However he said that Muslim women should not be allowed to wear the Niqab in Sri Lanka. The venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara thera also said that all stores should close on Poya Days, including Muslim stores, so that all Buddhist employees working in those organisations can go to the Temple instead of work. “We have now become the police of this nation. We must help the police arrest people bringing down heroin in Sri Lanka,” he added. He also said that the Ministry of Defence had given an assurance that the halal issue will be resolved. However he warned that if the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) goes against its commitments to the Ministry of Defence and the Buddhist clergy then the Bodu Bala Sena will take appropriate action. The venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara thera also insisted that the Bodu Bala Sena has not done anything wrong to call for their arrest. He also slammed Sri Lanka’s foreign service, particularly the appointment of a former Muslim Minister as the High Commissioner to Singapore. The venerable Medagoda Abayathissa thero, meanwhile, discouraged Sinhalese families from watching the movie ‘Sri Sidhartha’ which is currently screening in Colombo and cinemas around the country. The monk said that the movie gives the wrong impression about Buddhism and so the Bodu Bala Sena will take measures to ban the film. The venerable Medagoda Abayathissa thero said that Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) were behind the funding of the movie. Another monk speaking at the convention in Panadura said that a Bodu Bala Sena ringing tone on Mobitel phones, if downloaded, will be used to fund the Bodu Bala Sena organisation. (Colombo Gazette) Report by Easwaran Rutnam