Walpola Rahula’s Bhiksuvage Urumaya (The Heritage of the Bhikkhu), published in 1946 envisaged a new kind of monk, cultured in both Buddhism and modernity, and socially and politically activist. The public discussion and the social effect that ensued had the positive result of empowering the monk, but unfortunately that empowered monk had also imbibed a narrow conception of society and polity, that of Sinhala Buddhist hegemony, a conception that eventually placed the country on the path of ruin. The defining political flowering of which the empowerment of the monk was part was the general election of 1956, in which the monks also played a significant role.
A striking fact of this context was that the monks were unprepared and unqualified to play the role they were empowered to by Rahula’s classic. It liberated the monks from obligations of ritual duty, but these monks had neither the knowledge nor the training nor the ethical commitment to use that freedom in the service of the general good. With the opening of the Pirivena universities, a large number of young monks received an education of sorts, but it was not an education that equipped them with the necessary wherewithal to perform the needed national task. This lack of fit between empowerment and preparedness led these monks in two different but not always mutually exclusive directions: (1) engaging in financially and/or politically profitable activity and (2) embracing Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism. Thus, it was to the decline rather than enrichment of the society that this young, educated, and empowered generation of monks contributed.
In this dismal scene, there were a handful of monks who were commendable in their selfless commitment to social amelioration. The brightest star among these dedicated, responsible monks was the Venerable Madoluvave Sobhita. When I, as a student of contemporary Buddhism, first met the Venerable Sobhita in the late 1970s, he was still in a mood of mild elation at the nationalist victory of 1956. It is however to his lasting credit, both as a social observer and activist, that he had the truly Buddhist understanding and compassion to gradually notice the damage that 1956 brought to the country, a damage reflected in the chain reaction starting with Sinhala Only and leading to anti Tamil pogroms, the massacres by and of the youth of both the north and the south, the rise of private armies and the related collapse law and order, the rise of a violent and fraudulent political culture, and in general, the pervasive malaise epitomized by the Rajapaksa rule. The Venerable Sobhita had both the intellect and the moral courage to move away from the Cintana Parisad, the ideological core of the ultra Sinhala right wing Jatika Cintanaya.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) today came out strongly against statements that the Attorney General should be summoned before Parliament over the Avant Garde issue.
"Whilst the legislative supremacy of parliament is respected, summoning persons before parliament to explain the legitimacy of their official acts for which there can be recourse to other alternative legitimate mechanisms could seriously undermine the independence and integrity required of such public functionaries and result in the office itself being the subject of public ridicule," a statement by the bar Association President Geoffrey Alagaratnam said.
It said that levelling unfair and unfounded allegations are inconsistent with legitimate criticism and can only lead to an erosion of the credibility of the institutions or offices in which such persons function.
Excerpts of the statement:
The Bar association of Sri Lanka (BASL), notes with concern the spate of and growing vilification and personal attacks on the members of the judiciary and on the Attorney General and officers of the said Department which has been given wide publicity in the media. It is the right of the public to objectively criticize the actions of judicial officers and public officers in a functioning democracy.
It is also the right of citizens in challenge such action an appropriate forum. However it is important that such criticism not be based on allegations which are unfounded, without any basis and which unfairly attribute personal motives to public functionaries for their actions, in such a manner that they are unable to respond to the same.
The BASL is also concerned that as was previously contemplated against the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (Bribery Commission) that there have been suggestions that the Attorney General be summoned to parliament in connection with orders or decisions related to the functions of his office. The BASL also notes that It is important for the judiciary and the Attorney General’s Department to take note of the fact that over a period of time there has been a serious erosion of public confidence in institutions administering justice.
It is the duty of all concerned including judges and officers of the Attorney General’s Department as well as members of the unofficial Bar, to help restore public confidence in these institutions.
(Lanka-e-News- 10.Nov.2015, 8.30PM) The lackeys of president Maithripala Sirisena who were sent to investigate the illicit transactions and deals of Avant Garde Co. are instead on the sly trying to take those businesses into their hands , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.
It is learnt the president transferred his defense secretary , and replaced him with Karunadasa Hettiarachi (who is not in the Public administrative service ) , a school mate of the president , in order to entrust this business slyly to his friends.
The investigation into the Avant Garde business has by now gone so far and beyond ,that it has transformed into a political mudslinging campaign with the knowledge and on the drectives of the president , who is aiming at killing two birds with one stone, it is reported.
Through these machinations , one aim is to make the UNP unpopular and the masses get disillusioned with it at the upcoming provincial council (PC) elections , and thereby pave the way for SLFP victory. The other aim is : to chase out the lucrative Avant Garde Co. earning huge profits through supplying security to foreign vessels , and entrust the business to his henchmen.
Already , Kili Maharaja the notorious unscrupulous businesman cum stooge of the president has commenced a business in the name of Maritime security , and with a view to take over Avant Garde business ,had made an application to the defense secretary .
A company belonging to Arjuna Ranatunge had also made an application. Another minister owning 7 fishing crafts very close to the president too is moving heaven and earth to take over the business, it is learnt.
At the recent meeting of the government MPs group meeting ,Arjuna Ranatunge spoke like a purtian as though none can match his clean slate. Arjuna who does not utter a word regarding his brother Nishantha Ranatunge’s colossal frauds and malpractices which even the Guinness book of records cannot accommodate - they are so sordid and putrid that even the name Guinness will be soiled if those enter the records. Despite this glaring backdrop, Arjuna is seeking to take that business of providing security to vessels through camouflages and subterfuges.
The COPE report exposed the deceit of Nishantha Ranatunge , the brother of Arjuna who signed the same agreement as cricket board chairman and also as the CEO of the CSN channel thereby representing both parties to the same agreement – this racket beats all records in the Guinness book ! That ‘unique’ agreement related to the granting of cricket telecasting rights to the CSN. Arjuna is not only deaf but even blind in regard to this record breaking corruption and racket of his brother .A deaf and blind person is much less dangerous than the one who pretends to be deaf and blind.
A minister who demanded a sum of Rs. 300 million during the last general election as of right from Avant Garde , and was not successful in that direction , has also put his hand into the pie ; he is engaged in the process of making the Avant Garde business look a demonic operation
The ministers who are speaking for Avant Garde that is providing security to ships as well as the ministers speaking against it are only in pursuit of their ulterior motives providing ‘fuel’ to the companies that are pursuing selfish self seeking agendas to take over the supply of security to ships , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division. A ‘red leader’ of an opposition political party best known for his villainy is now parading as a hero exploiting the circumstances to fulfill his contractual obligations towards Kili Maharaja , it is learnt.
The relevant voice tapes are in the possession of Lanka e news inside information division. We shall be revealing them in the near future.
Meanwhile Minister of law and order , Thilak Marapone who resigned in order not to soil the name of the government holding a media briefing yesterday , revealed an intriguing story…..
He said , even at this moment Avant Garde is engaged in providing security to ships, and he is making this exposure with full responsibility. 30 times a day ,in these ships , the Navy and with the assistance of Rakna Lakna Co. ,weapons are carried to and fro. These operations are being carried on even right now , he asserted.
The Galle foreshore police is situated just about 100 meters away from this floating armory . Hence it is a crucial question whether they hitherto pretended that they did not know, and suddenly conducted a raid , just to score plus points.
The minister went on to say , the media slung mud at him most viciously , and because he did not wish to be maligned , he decided to resign. Hence the media should not mudsling.
There was a turnover of 18 % each in respect of Rakna Lanka Co . and the Navy from Avant Garde Co. and that in cash is about US dollars 3.8 million per month, Marapone disclosed.
The weapons in this floating armory belong to companies in Britain , America and New Zealand . However they are weapons that have been certified by the SL government , and therefore legal. This has been exposed by him , and the affairs of the armory are duly being carried out even today because of this, Marapone pointed out.
No matter what , the investigations pertaining to Avant Garde Co. is already in progress ,and at today’s special cabinet meeting , the president had stated he is going to bring the investigation under him. Knowledgeable sources are of the view that this is a prelude to entrust the provision of security to vessels to his henchmen and stooges.
Bringing the investigation under the executive president by no means constitutes much hyped good governance .In fact the people were opposed to this executive presidency precisely because it paves the way for subterfuges and subterranean activities sans transparency. Hence what ought to be done is , make the investigation independent by giving it over to the CID, FCID and Bribery commission , rather than the executive president taking it over .
It is significant to note that Lanka e news always first with news and best with the views , were the first to post the report on this Avant Garde floating armory – mind you three years ago
--------------------------- by (2015-11-10 15:52:05)
The proposals for reform of labor laws of the country is a Trojan horse of the Employers, says the Ceylon Federation of Labour.
Issuing a statement the CFL today said; “the National Workers Charter reaffirmed Sri Lankan’s commitment to the ideals and principles enshrined in the Declaration of Philadelphia and to the Conventions and Recommendations of the ILO. The CFL is of the firm opinion that any reform of labour law should be contemplated within this framework and no other. The CFL shall oppose with whatever mean available to it any and all attempts to dismantle the existing labour law regime that gives some measure of protection to our workers who have to work to live on a periodic wage.”
We publish below the statement in full;
The Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) is aware of proposals for reform of labor laws of the country prepared by a team of former Supreme Court Judges with willing collaborators from the trade unions and other so-called technical experts who have all had the support of the ILO in this exercise.
The CFL categorically state that the entire process that entailed the procedure that was followed in formulating the proposals is much flawed in that the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), a tripartite body responsible to attend to such tasks has had no intimation of this aspect of the project of the ILO. It is our firm belief that an international body such as the ILO built on the principles of tripartism would not venture into such an exercise without the expressed request from either the government, the employer or trade union. From the invitation letter sent by the Ministry of Labour convening the workshop held on 2nd November it is clear that the matter of labour reforms has been hatched as far back as 2010 gathering momentum in March 2015. How come this subject never been mentioned in the deliberations of the NLAC all these years? Read More
2015-11-11 Missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda's wife Sandya on Tuesday declined to reveal the outcome of the meeting with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances saying that the UN official asked her not to reveal anything to the media. Ms. Eknaligoda said the UN official asked her not to reveal anything to the media because there would be a public event about that. “The UN officials do not like me to reveal what was discussed or happened today. They said that they wanted to safeguard the visiting team. What we did was to tell them our grievances. They have got an opportunity to visit Sri Lanka since 1999. We should help them to carry out their duties,” she said. Ms. Eknaligoda said if she revealed the outcome of the meeting, she would find it difficult to work with them. She said she had few issues with regard to her husband’s case including that of private lawyers representing the army even though the Attorney General claimed that the army did not disturb the case. Another woman named Mayuri Inoka Jayasinghe from Anuradhapura who lost her husband said that not only Eknaligoda’s and Thajudeen’s cases should be investigated but also the disappearances of her husband should also be investigated.(Indika Sri Aravinda)
Issuing a statement with the headline The Public Perception of Governance in Government is Not Goodthe Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) says that there is a growing public perception that all politicians are the same and that “deals’ will always be struck”, If this situation is not reversed zthe gains of January and August 2015 could be fatally compromised and reforms in general needlessly de-railed’ the statemetn further says.
The full statement: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is disturbed and condemns two reported recent incidents adversely impacting governance – the Police attack on the Diploma students and what transpired in Parliament over the Avant Garde investigation.
In the case of the former, CPA unreservedly condemns the Police attack. In any functioning democracy it is the responsibility of the Police to protect citizens exercising their fundamental rights rather than brutally attack them in actions reminiscent of the recent authoritarian dispensation. Was it the case that orders were given to the Police to use force in the manner they did and by whom or was the Police acting on its own accord and reverting to what may have been orders and/or standard operating procedures sanctioned by the previous regime? CPA notes that there are a number of investigations ordered into the attack including by the Prime Minister and the Human Rights Commission. We believe that these investigations should be brought to a thorough and speedy conclusion, the reports made public and those responsible brought to justice without fear or favour.
The second incident relates to the debate in Parliament on the Avant Garde case and the defence of that organization by none other than the Minister for Law and Order as well as adverse criticism by him of the role of the Police in the investigation – an institution under his purview. In addition, there was the statement by the Minister of Justice to the effect that he acted to prevent the arrest of the former Secretary of Defence in this regard. There are accusations pertaining to the interference in this investigation by another minister as well. Media reports state that following the debate in Parliament there was further, intense discussion of the issue at Cabinet with some ministers threatening to resign over the statements made in parliament by their colleagues. The Cabinet will meet yet again regarding it.
The issue at stake in the investigation is as to whether there are grounds for prosecution in this case and under which law, thereby determining as to whether prosecution should be criminal or civil. The Attorney General has opined that there is no case that can be filed under the Fire Arms Ordinance or the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The two ministers concur. Most importantly though at the heart of what transpired is the issue of the declared conflict of interest on the part of the Minister for Law and Order who appeared for Avant Garde before he took up his ministerial portfolio, his use of parliamentary time and privilege to defend his former client and his criticism of the Police. His statement in Parliament smacks of a cavalier disregard for conflict of interest as a key and integral element of governance in government and flies brazenly in the face of any pretension of fostering a political culture of governance since the historic election of January this year and its reinforcement seven months later in August.
CPA calls for the resignation of the Minister of Law and Order and a clear public statement, without delay, from the Minister of Justice as to what precisely his role was in the investigation.
The citizens of this country voted twice to reject the previous dispensation and its wanton and systematic erosion of governance in government. Almost a year now since the election of President Sirisena in January, there is a cynicism abroad that those at the helm of the establishment of governance in government are wanting in terms of either willingness and/or ability, that all politicians are the same and that “deals’ will always be struck. Were this perception allowed to become widespread in the absence of government action to reverse it through renewed, demonstrable commitment to governance and declared “zero” tolerance of corruption, the gains of January and August 2015 could be fatally compromised and reforms in general needlessly de-railed. The government is responsible for this situation. Not the opposition.
Swift and decisive action is needed. Perception matters in politics. Principle always does. The balance of political power could shift and quickly, not because the previous dispensation and its torch bearers in active politics are looking good and providing an attractive alternative, but because the government is too soon appearing to be wanting on principle and performance.
– Press statement released by CPA/ 9 November 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka:
More than 80 Sri Lankan companies having export and import relations with Thailand had applied pursuant to an invitation through the Chamber of Commerce, Export Development Board and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority to accompany president Maithripala Sirisena during his tour of recent Thailand.
However, international trade minister Malik Samarawickrama had chosen companies of his friends at his own free will and without any basis. Some of the companies selected by him are not having any trade relation with Thailand. The minister chose the below-mentioned friends and companies owned by them.
1. Jith Gunaratne – John Keells Holdings Plc. 2. Harry Jayawardena – Aitken Spence Plc. 3. Suresh K. Shah – Carsons 4. Samantha Ranatunga – CIC Holdings 5. Malinga de Fonseka Arsekularatne – Hemas Holdings 6. Mukthar Marikkar – Mac Frostair Industries 7. Andrew Fernando – Mac Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. 8. Dhammika Perera – Valibal 9. Jeevantha Wijesekara – Asia Holdings Lanka 10. Sanath Marasinghe – Dutch Lanka Entertainment 11. L.G.N.Y. Abeytunga – Serendibus International 12. Hashan Rangana Rajapakse – ITN System Design 13. Primal Fernando – Silver Shore Holdings 14. Wijekoon – Dulux
Accordingly, Malik’s friends had gone to Thailand at the expense of taxpayers to the Sri Lankan government, enjoyed luxuries and returned. However, the companies that should definitely have been included had been dropped as they had not personal dealings with Malik. By now, 30 such companies have written to the presidential secretariat. The president has strongly criticized this authoritarian act by the international trade minister.
A few days ago, we posted an article which said that the president boycotted the ‘Sri Lanka Night’ that had to be held under his patronage during this tour. The president has ordered his secretaries to immediately inquire into both matters and report to him.
These businessmen had been taken to Thailand without the knowledge of the foreign affairs ministry either.
Representatives of nearly 90 Thai companies having trade relations with Sri Lankan companies had expected to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts, but the minister’s act had denied them the opportunity. BOI chairman advocate Upul Jayasuriya, EDB direct general Malwatte and SLTDA’s Paddy Withana had addressed the Thai businessmen.
The once good governance champion and current President Maithripala Sirisena is becoming the reincarnation of despot Mahinda Rajapaksa. His 90 Million expenses bill for his New York visit and the entourage of 60 to Thailand are just the beginning of a planeload that would accompany the President in his next sojourn, fully paid by the taxpayers of Sri Lanka. Sirisena’s infidelity of his pledges in the run up to the January 15 Presidential election is a reminder of the first days of the Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency.
The disgusting mug shots are back, and now it’s that of President Maithripala Sirisena who is beginning to blush from every lamppost and television screen. The 80ft cutouts are the only missing paraphernalia. Will they appear soon?
Sirisena, it is believed to have demanded from his men in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that posters and banners were put up to welcome him from his triumphant visit to New York where the international community elevated the President Sirisena of Sri Lanka to the top of the Moringa oleifera tree, known popularly as drumstick or Murunga tree to achieve their goals of ensuring the demands of the global Tamil Diaspora. This call by the Tamil Diaspora and the International community was totally rejected by the previous Rajapaksa administration, hence their incarceration to the dark hole of the United Nations. If it is a diplomatic coup that Sri Lanka achieved in New York, was it the work of Maithripala Sirisena and the SLFP or was it the sweat of the United National Party government? The only thing he did not do was to get off the aircraft and kiss the tarmac as was done by Mahinda Rajapaksa, when he returned to the country after our gallant forces finished off the world’s ruthless menace, the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam. Read More
(Lanka-e-News -10.Nov.2015, 8.00PM) Sri Lanka is deeply concerned about recent developments in the Maldives and events that have impacted on Sri Lanka, including the recent arrest of two Sri Lankan nationals in the Maldives, the questionable removal of a Maldivian social media activist who was in possession of a valid Sri Lankan visa, the stabbing of a Maldivian national in Sri Lanka, as well as the state of emergency that has been declared in the Maldives and the impeachment of the Vice-President.
Sri Lanka is also concerned by the impact of the State of Emergency on the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of the Maldives and urges the Government of the Maldives to uphold the commitments it has made – including as a member of the Commonwealth and signatory to the Commonwealth Charter – to the universal and Commonwealth values of democracy and the rule of law.
Having endured similar challenges in its recent past, the new Sri Lankan Government is committed to the principles of democracy, good governance and the rule of law. We also believe that the right to dissent is an integral part of a functioning democracy. Unlike the previous regime in Sri Lanka which silenced dissenting voices in the guise of fighting terrorism, the new administration is committed to the fundamentals of democracy.
It is in this context that the Government finds it deeply disturbing that Sri Lanka, a country which has always maintained the closest friendly relations with the Maldives is being used to initiate questionable action against political and social media activists. Sri Lanka encourages the Government of the Maldives to ensure that recent developments are not allowed to escalate into a source of regional instability.
Sri Lanka hopes that the Maldives will take steps to end the state of emergency, initiate measures to respect and protect freedom of expression and ensure that recent developments will not reverse Maldives' hard-won democratic achievements.
It is unfortunate that the appointment of Manoj Warnapala as the Counsellor at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London has turned into a mud sliding exercise. Although it is a foreign office blunder appointing a duel national to a diplomatic post, the slandering extend towards ones personal life. It is not new to the Sri Lankan community in the UK of political appointments the past. The majority of the Sri Lankan community is not concerned of such appointments except for the post of the High Commissioner. All three predecessors of Warnapala's post were Rajapaksha appointees and no one bothered about them. The only concern of the community is whether he is capable of handling the responsibilities of his employment. Warnapala is a lawyer by profession and seems that he has direct contacts to the higher authorities in Sri Lanka. As a country with the administration based on politics it is an additional qualification I assume.
It is said that Warnapalas left Sri Lanka for UK for a better life. Please give me one example of who did not.
The Bank of England is the biggest and most important financial institution in the UK. The Governor of it is a Canadian. He holds a Canadian passport. He is running the UK economy better than his British predecessors. No matter where you come from, the efficiency, honesty and integrity matters.
I think it is time to move forward and let Warnapala handle his official duties with a peaceful mind. If he fails then the concerned few has a point to pursue.
A 10-minute video showing an Israeli security interrogation of a 13-year-old Palestinian was leaked to local Palestinian media on Monday.
The video, in which the interrogator is seen yelling at Ahmad Manasra and repeatedly accusing him of attempted murder, has provoked a strong response from Palestinians, many of whom took to social media to express everything from horror at the treatment to respect for what they termed the teen's endurance under tough questioning. The video has also sparked outrage from human rights groups who insist that the case has been politicised and human rights norms pertaining to the treatment of minors are not being followed.
Manasra was arrested on 12 October after allegedly taking part in a stabbing attack with his cousin, 15-year-old Hassan Manasra, in the Jewish settlement of Pisgat Zeev in East Jerusalem.
Two Israelis were injured in the attack. Hassan was shot dead at the scene by police, with Israeli media claiming that Manasra was run over by a car as he tried to run away.
A video of him lying on the ground bleeding, as a crowd of Israelis onlookers shouted abuse - spitting at him and yelling for him to die - quickly went viral.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later caused controversy by saying that the teenager had been executed by Israeli security forces, although the Israeli authorities quickly denied this and released images of Manasra lying in a hospital bed at the Hadasseh University Medical Centre in Ein Karem, Jerusalem.
Israeli NGO Physicians for Human Rights criticised the move at the time, arguing in a statement that the Israeli government’s decision to publish photographs of Manasra were purely political.
“The fact that it is a photo of a minor in custody who was photographed without his parents’ permission" is a violation of juvenile law and privacy laws, the statement said.
“Even more disturbing, is that reportedly the instructions [to publish the photo] came directly from the office of the health minister [Yaakov Litzman] and that the picture itself was distributed by the Prime Minister’s Office.”
On 30 October, the district court in Jerusalem charged Manasra with two counts of attempted murder. By law, he cannot be imprisoned until he turns 14 but the prosecution denied his family’s request that he be released for house arrest until then, and Manasra is currently being held in a closed facility.
In initial testimony, not seen in the video, Manasra denies his involvement, claiming that it was his cousin who stabbed the two victims and saying that he hates the sight of blood.
In the subsequent filmed interrogation, which could not be independently verified by Middle East Eye, the interrogator is seen playing good cop, bad cop. The first clip shows the interrogator screaming at Manasra, insulting and swearing at him, before asking him questions about his motives in the attack.
“I’m going to show you a video that proves you’re lying. Shut up!” the interrogator says.
Manasra then tries to respond before being cut off.
"Shut up! You are a liar! After you stabbed them, you ran after them holding a knife like this!" the interrogator continues, pretending to brandish a knife with his hand.
In the next clip, the interrogator assumes a composed, even friendly, demeanour, and calmly tells Manasra what he has been charged with. When he tells the teenager that he has also been charged with helping the enemy during war, the statement clearly confuses Manasra.
“What war?” he asks. “What do I have to do with a war?”
The following clip shows the interrogator yelling again, while pointing at alleged footage of the incident.
The visibly distressed Manasra tries to counter by saying that he and his cousin were not in that specific street, but the interrogator repeatedly shouts over him.
Eventually, Manasra starts repeatedly hitting his face, screaming that he cannot remember anything from that day, while interrogator continues to shout back at him to remember.
“I don’t remember, not one thing. For God’s sake believe me!” he says. “I woke up the next day at four. There was a blow to my head. I don’t remember! What is happening to me?”
“Everything you have said is true,” he says. “According to the video you’ve shown me, it’s true. But I don’t remember. That’s it. I’ll admit that I’ve done it, what more do you want from me?”
Leah Tsemel, Manasra’s lawyer, told Middle East Eye that behaviour of the interrogator who is quizzing a minor is inappropriate. She has called for an investigation into the case.
Under international law, a child cannot be interrogated without the presence of his parents or guardian. According to Tareq Barghouth, Manasra's other lawyer, he has not been in contact with his family since the day of the attack and is being held in a juvenile facility in the Galilee.
Barghouth previously told local Palestinian media that the teenager had been verbally and psychologically abused by Israeli prison officials.
“They threatened that they will kill him, demolish his house, and imprison him,” Barghouth said. “They spit on him. One of the officials opened his Skype with his girlfriend, and she also began swearing at him over Skype.”
Barghouth maintains Manasra’s innocence, saying that despite the fact that he held a knife on the day in question, it was his cousin Hassan that stabbed the Israelis.
Tsemel also told MEE that she was considering legal action against the Israeli media companies that published Manasra’s image.
The date of the video is not known, nor is it clear which party - whether the Israeli government or someone else - is responsible for the leaking of the footage.
However, Amani Dayif a Physicians for Human Rights staff member, told Middle East Eye that the Israeli law for the protection of children criminalises the dissemination of footage that is detrimental to the child.
“Any published content that might harm a child is illegal and completely forbidden,” Dayif said.
In a brief interview, Manasra's parents expressed their disbelief that their son would carry out such an act.
"A 13-year-old child can't stab properly," his father said. "He does not have the physical nor the mental strength to do so. It's all lies [from Israel]."
Palestinians
inspect the home of the Ghassan Abu Jamal after it was punitively
demolished by the Israeli army in East Jerusalem’s Jabal al-Mukabir
neighborhood, 6 October.
In the past few weeks, both Russia and the United States have escalated their military campaigns against the Islamic State. As the brutal jihadist group continues to wreak havoc in Syria and Iraq, Foreign Policy’sPeace Channel, a partnership with the United States Institute of Peace, asked Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now, and United States Institute of Peace acting Vice President Manal Omar, one of the foremost voices on peace and Islam, to debate what is behind this newest breed of extremism and how can it be defeated. In the age of al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and Boko Haram, is there a link between the violence these groups perpetrate and the faith they profess? (Read Manal Omar’s piecehere.)
“I WANT this to be the last coup. However, the power of the army would not be reduced. This is because the army has always taken care of this country,” Thailand’s latest coup maker General Prayut Chan-ocha told Channel News Asia earlier this year. His happy, democratic dream, however, seems unlikely, as Thailand’s coup-laden history suggests.
In this dismal scene, there were a handful of monks who were commendable in their selfless commitment to social amelioration. The brightest star among these dedicated, responsible monks was the Venerable Madoluvave Sobhita. When I, as a student of contemporary Buddhism, first met the Venerable Sobhita in the late 1970s, he was still in a mood of mild elation at the nationalist victory of 1956. It is however to his lasting credit, both as a social observer and activist, that he had the truly Buddhist understanding and compassion to gradually notice the damage that 1956 brought to the country, a damage reflected in the chain reaction starting with Sinhala Only and leading to anti Tamil pogroms, the massacres by and of the youth of both the north and the south, the rise of private armies and the related collapse law and order, the rise of a violent and fraudulent political culture, and in general, the pervasive malaise epitomized by the Rajapaksa rule. The Venerable Sobhita had both the intellect and the moral courage to move away from the Cintana Parisad, the ideological core of the ultra Sinhala right wing Jatika Cintanaya.
