Ban On Social Media Helps Cover-Up Mob Violence Against Muslims
Latheef Farook
The ban on social media only helped the government to cover up its failure to prevent racist attacks on Muslims in central hills and the destruction of their properties and livelihood. Despite advance knowledge from intelligence reports of the planned carnage, the government miserably failed to stop the attacks.
These racist mercenaries, of suspected local and foreign anti-Muslim forces, caused billions of rupees of destruction to Muslim owned properties in and around Digana, Teldeniya, Akurana, Galaha, Katugastota, Menikhinna, Ambettene, Pujapitiya and surrounding areas in the central hills.
These attacks were so sudden and fierce that the Muslims just could not do anything to save their properties and even belongings.
Affected Muslims were overnight deprived of their livelihood and thrown into streets. The question is why, what crime did the Muslims do to deserve this and where is the government which is duty bound to protect all its citizen?
The mainstream media often dominated by journalists of racist mindsets serve various anti-Muslim forces. Yet the media in general gave wide coverage to the carnage during the first week and highlighted the senseless carnage.
However since the beginning of the second week mainstream media began to accuse Muslim victims of extremism and suspected of trying to cover up madness of a relatively small group.
After the second week electronic media has virtually ignored these attacks and the destruction.
When organized mobs attacked Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga Town during Rajapaksa government, local media virtually imposed a blackout. They were exposed and woke up when the international media gave wide coverage with vivid details.
However during the recent anti-Muslim violence in Digana and other areas the local media did a reasonably good job. The international media described recent violence as crimes committed by Buddhist extremists though Buddhists have nothing to do with it.
An Arab friend of mine from the gulf called me to find out what was going on asked “what is wrong with the Sinhalese who are always attacking minorities?” I had to explain that this was not a problem between Buddhists and Muslims. I told him that Buddhist monks stayed inside mosques last week until the Friday is over. Buddhist monks have also joined the armed forces in renovating destroyed properties.
His next questions were what is the government doing? Why can’t the government punish perpetrators and maintain law and order? This is the shameful state of affairs under so called good governance.
When these attacks on Muslims began more than a year ago delegation after delegation met president, prime minister and all others involved and appealed to them to stop these attacks.
However all these appeals fell on deaf ears. This provided protection for hooligans. Had the government enforced law and brought culprits to book this disaster against Muslims and the country in general could have been averted.
Many suspect this as a strategy to divert the country’s attention from the political mess the government is in. It was the same old UNP-SLFP game to remain in power or to gain power at any cost.
The mob came in buses, Lorries and vans, three wheel drives and motor bikes. They first broke opened closed shops with hammers and other heavy equipment, emptied almost everything before setting fire to buildings while the Muslim owner’s helplessly watched crying. They took food items and distributed to the mob to eat.
In some areas people were informed by their Sinhalese neighbors of the attacks in advance. Muslims took their families to the nearby jungle where they were hiding in fear without food or water. While they were in the jungle the mob broke open their houses and took out everything, destroyed furniture and all electrical items.
