| by Tisaranee Gunasekara
“Most of what I see happening in this country is against the teaching of Lord Buddha… That means either the people have not understood the teaching or they are purposely insulting the teachings of Lord Buddha.” - MHM Ashraff
( March 2, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Independent Sri Lanka experienced her first outburst of anti-Muslim violence in April 2001, in Mawanella . Police apathy and political machinations turned an ordinary difference into a mini-religious conflict. But the psychological climate, in which everyday economic disaffections, political rivalries and business competitions could be transformed into religious-divides, was, in the main, authored by Rev. Gangodawila Soma Thero.
