Every Sri Lankan Should Be A Jihadi

By Muhammed Fazl -July 10, 2014

Muhammed Fazl

Be they political leaders or men in robes, if a non-believer understands it as a concept of terror, then it would only expose their ignorance and fear of the fastest growing religion in the world. Considering the recent events, my attitude arising from my steadfastness in my Islamic faith would be far more harmless compared to the lethal tactics of the ruling class and their politicized armed forces using monks in suppressing my right to practice my faith in this isle where I was born!

To begin with, it was NEVER an issue of a clash of religions in this country. In the past, losing Buddhist adherents to other faiths never created any problems to any community nor did Lord Buddha prohibit his disciples from believing in another scripture in any of his teachings. And it makes me wonder why the present day ‘flag bearers’ of Buddhism force the noble teachings on people and admonish them when they become non-believers. With no spiritual or divine figure to hold its adherents accountable for their actions, I question the authority of existing high priests and the validity of their judgments when they themselves are held hostage by a gang of thieving and a murderous kind. My observation originates from the deafening silence of the Maha Sangha on the present state of affairs of this country when it is seen as all but right even by a blind man.

While it is no secret that high priests do enjoy a cushy and luxurious lifestyle, the blind followers need to do a lot of soul searching when the ‘most venerable’ of Buddhism are allowed to act on the contrary to the basic teachings of Lord Buddha. In this context, one should be able to question the decisions of misguided Buddhist monks seeking leadership positions amongst the ignorant faithful. Failure to do so would erode centuries old noble practices and possibly the faith itself may face a gradual extinction as well.Read More