Rauff Hakeem Vs Yellow Robed Terrorism
Muslim Congress leader, Minister of Justice, Rauff Hakeem is reported to have said at a public meeting at Kalmunai last Sunday that President Mahinda Rajapaksa should defeat ‘yellow robe terrorism’ just as he had defeated other forms of terrorism. This had caused much concern among certain sections of the Buddhists particularly among the Sangha. However, Hakeem on Friday apologised for his comments.
Certainly all forms of terrorism should be defeated and uprooted irrespective of the colour of the robes: yellow, white, black or even colourless such as the deadly al- Qaeda variety. Reports of his speech do not indicate that he had referred to any specific instances of terrorism but certainly there have been instances of disputes between Muslims and Buddhists which had threatened to erupt in violence but fortunately were contained.
One such incident which received wide publicity was an incident in Dambulla in April this year, where a mob involving a Buddhist monk had threatened a Mosque in the precincts of the Dambulla Rangiri Vihare, a place of historic significance to Buddhists. Buddhists are still demanding that the Mosque be shifted out from the present location but Muslims say that it had been in existence for many decades. The issue has yet not been sorted out and the dispute lingers on.
Some such religious disputes cannot be resolved even for millennia such as the issue of the Ayodhya Temple in Faisalabad between Hindus and Muslims or the Temple on the Mount in Jerusalem between Jews and Muslims. But when issues are not as great they should be resolved by the powers that be if they are not to rumble on and break out into bouts of violence.
Sri Lankan Buddhist monks have often been accused by minority communities, both religious and racial, of violating their fundamental rights in the interests of Buddhism. Buddhist monks however do not shy away from the fact that they have been the guardians of Buddhism throughout the history of this country, have been advisors to ruling monarchs and still assume the right of directing the heads of state of democratic Sri Lanka. This has been accepted by all Sinhalese rulers of modern Sri Lanka – if not for historical traditions at least for winning elections, since it is presumed that Buddhist monks do still exert considerable influence over the electorate. The involvement of Buddhist monks in issues where Sinhalese and Buddhist rights are involved – the majority of Sinhalese being Buddhists – is the basis for Rauff Hakeem’s statement, ‘Yellow Robe Terrorism’.
The Eastern Province is the only province where there is a fair ethnic balance between the three communities and the only province where the Muslims have a sizeable political clout. Moves are now being made by Buddhists to re-establish places of historic worship which were lost when the region was controlled by the LTTE. Reclaiming of land by Buddhist temples often in thickly populated Muslim areas is the basis of disputes between the two communities.
The SLMC which Hakeem leads was established to give the Eastern Province Muslims a voice in mainstream politics. Now with provincial council elections round the corner, Hakeem has to prove himself as the leader of his party. He has pulled the SLMC out of the UPFA coalition – only for the Eastern Province elections – while retaining his cabinet portfolio and is fighting for Muslim rights by calling upon the President to end ‘Yellow Robe Terrorism’.
Buddhist monks will attempt to justify their involvement in Eastern Province disputes by citing their historic role in protecting the rights of the Sinhalese and Buddhists. They will also cite the special place accorded to Buddhism in the 1972 Constitution. But in these contemporary times, where it is accepted that Sri Lanka is a multilingual, multiracial and multi religious society can those rights which go back even beyond the beginning of the Christian Era be recognised by law?
Certainly, if the monks are terrorising Muslims, immediate action should be taken by President Rajapaksa himself. But Rajapaksa has shown much reluctance to take any action that Sinhalese or Buddhists will consider to be inimical to them. Hakeem should have made public, specific instances of ‘Yellow Robe Terrorism’ for President Rajapaksa to investigate and act upon. Mere public pronouncement in the throes of an election campaign is not sufficient.
On the other hand what Hakeem has claimed, is political dynamite. He is a cabinet minister and the Minister of Justice at that. His statement can exacerbate Buddhist-Muslim relations which at present are not on very steady ground. Can President Rajapaksa, so conscious about maintaining social and political stability ignore such an incendiary statement?
Most Sri Lankan Buddhists are not in favour of monks dabbling in politics even though they have been at it for millennia. It took almost six decades for a political party of monks to be elected to parliament. The latest move is by a UNP member Wijedasa Rajapakse to move a resolution in parliament calling for a ban on monks contestin parliamentary elections.
A Buddhist monk takes to the robes forsaking all worldly pleasures and seeking deliverance from suffering through Samsara. Certainly not to capture political power through the sanctity of the yellow robe and enjoy all political perks.
Founders of great religions did not envisage the formation of religious sects that would capture political power and rule mighty empires. Religion has been the instrument for gaining political power as evident from history of many powerful nations. In Sri Lanka, post Independence politics saw politicians trying to exploit Buddhist priesthood but now priesthood is dictating to politicians. Can the Rajapaksa regime take on the Buddhist priesthood if it is clear they are at fault?
We wait to see the outcome of Rauff Hakeem’s battle with Yellow Robe Terrorism and the support he gets from his all powerful President.
what happened to ashraf may happen to this lad. Its yellow robe country and accidents can happen.
Where was that wicked Allah then except ptotecting this lad? Muslims may take power of Sri lanka by producing more and more children in future. But Buddhists can fight! We are not ready to accept what happent to Afganishtan Buddhism and what happaned to monks of Nalanda university in India. Half of the Buddhism was intentionally destroyed by Muslims. The power of the nature would bring them the consequences.
Sagara I am happy that you know about the Muslim cunning way of destroying Srilankan Buddhism,yes first by producing many children..then by buying land.
They are a paracite destroying world peace. Let us unite against them in protecting our Srilankan heritage.
Yes,Even you Killed Thousands and thousands of Innocent tamils in non tamil areas during riots in 1970′s and 1983.The history have proved that you are nothing but savages,always wants to Pick up a fight.either with other ethnic groups or killing within .
Buddha (an Indian Hindu) will be insulted by people like you destroying his nobel teachings.
Destroying places of worship is not the way to protect Buddhism but rather by behaving humanely as possible.
When Arab traders who once came to SL and made a dreadful decision to Marry these SEELAWATHIES,KUSUMAWATHIES,BOLAWATHIES AND HUKANAWATHIES was a biggest mistake.
You think your Brain have knowledge like a “Sagarayaka Wage” not even size of mustered. Rather Insulting the faith and accusing Muslims and get out of your family planning business you start producing more and more children’s. Muslims all over world peace disturb by the Zionist on the Palestine course, that lead 9/11 you fist understand that. JHU is a party history of split without a unity.
In Sri Lanka Buddhism is being destroyed by the Buddhists themselves. More and more Buddhists are aping western culture, in dress modes, consumption of liquor even in homes in the presence of their children, which is against Buddhist principles. There are several cases of Buddhist Monks being involved in child abuse, rapes and other crimes. Also a report says that the number of Buddhist Monks giving-up the robe to seek material fortunes are on the increase and in 2011 alone around 200 Monks have given-up robes. So the Buddhists need to enter into a process of self-criticism to find whether they or on the right path or not and take corrective measures. This would be a wiser move than blaming the Muslims and others.
Sagara,You mean only Muslims can produce children and the Cocks of the other communities are non Functional? what an idiotic brain.If the stupidity is a crimes you will get a life sentence.
As Correctly Pointed out that Yellow Robe guys have been badly spoit by the Politicians over the years.These free eating Monsters should be made to earn for their living and lead a normal and decent Life.
@Concerned,,,,,,,
Honourable to die as a true lion than to die as a coward.Mr Ashraff was a true gentlemen and a fearless person.Death will eventually come to all humans living in this planet including George Bush
@Tuan
Ha, Ha thats a nice one…..SEELAWATHIES,KUSUMAWATHIES,BOLAWATHIES AND HUKANAWATHIES . Im still laughing.
Correct..though.
This country belongs to yellow robes, not Al Quida terrorists……Hey, idiots of the Sunday Leader, do you think for a second that Mahinda is going to speak up against the buddhist clergy? You monkeys are almost as delusional as Lasantha…….
What Sri lanka faces is an invasion by the hand clapping, all singing and dancing, speaking-in-tongues fundamental christian groups that are represented by those at your ‘pattare’. We know they pour money in to you and conducted Lasantha Wickramatunga’s funeral.
‘Yellow robes’ have historically defended the Buddha sasana of this country against such rogues and they will continue to play that role.
So you will have your knickers knotted until you stop eating their s–t.
HP
Gobsmak! you are so off the point. hahaha. If you fail to understand, this article is about the remark RH made re the B.clergy. What relavance has the (quote) “hand clapping, all singing and dancing, speaking-in-tongues fundamental christian” (unquote) with this article?
Oh Banda!
May God bless you AND all the awesome “hand clapping, all singing and dancing, speaking-in-tongues fundamental christians” of Sri Lanka!
Happy day hatrick!
We need another Sir John Kotelawala to keep this yellow robed terrorists in their place.
This is not well-written article. It looks like a writing something taking from here and there. None of these writers have proved that majority of Sri lankans are against their view. If historical facts, archaeological monumnets are not not valid enough to accpet the history of Sri Lanka, then show us a country where we could go and destroy or live in a area where true historical sites of other religions still exist. Are you implying that history is not enough to make laws and only the living of people in a are is important? Does this suggest that Sinhalese Buddhist majority can destroy Mosques where there is minority is Muslims? If people want peace all we like it. But if some people want to say give everything to Muslims as they wish to keep the religious harmany in the world, we say you keep that peace and there we value fighting against loosing our heritage until last breath is gone!
Buddhism was accorded a special place by the Sinhala kings. The British agreed to continue this in the convention signed by the British and the Adhigars in 1815. So what the constitution of 1972 did was nothing new.
P.A.Samaraweera
Does not matter what religion or faith a priest practices, if he she chose to terrorize the general public and play politics to gain upper hand. Then they have stopped become priest. They are plain terrorist no matter what color their robe is. Let us be civilized and admit it.
through out modern history of Sri Lanka there is enough proof to show it is the Buddhist monks holding the country to ransom.
If we have a brave leader he will say enough is enough unless the fellow is a self serving politician or no balls ponx&ya.
We really dont know who is the real hero of Sri Lanka who got rid of LTTE is it Mahinda or Sarath Fonseka. I am sure the true leader will show us taking the right decision with regards to yellow robe terror.
My salute to Rauf Hakeem he had the balls to call a spade a spade. If USA can call Iran a terrorist country mainly because it is run by the clergy, it shows how evil a country can be if we give the powers to the clergy. They go crazy with power. My only prayer let the people in rural lanka get proper education and see the real evil doings of the yellow robed terrorist. We will have truly a peaceful country.
Long Live Sri Lanka
Muslims are disturbing the world peace everywhere.
Don;t blame the Maha sanga.This is a Buddhist country.You destroyed systematically Buddhist countries,now try to do the same in Sri Lanka too.
What is wrong with Islam,can’t you incorperate to a country which has a system.
Before living for your terrerist religion, live as a Srilankan.Your muslim countries are at war with each other, and In the name of religion saudi produces terrerists,to the world. Now you try to destroy peace in ours.It is not right muslims don;t respect other religious.
The Leader Editor is waiting to write anything against the Sinhal Buddhists as she is a non sinhala and non Buddhist. The crux of her editorial is white washing Hakeem who sat along with maniac prabhakaran at the same table with Tiger flag in back and front and talking about Yellow robe terrorism. How about theTaliban Muslims destroying a world heritage Buddhas Statues in Btahmin and did you or your papers say condemning the dreadful act? Did the Muslim leaders made any comments about It? Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhala Buddhists and not to Tamils, Muslims, Christians and the new breed of Evangelists.
If you speak of media freedom, I hope you will have guts to publish my comments.
The truth is, in the country the worst and most hilarious religious leaders are the yellow robe ganayos. They are a disgrace to Buddism. JHU is like a ‘toddy joint’. Ganayos behaving like genuine goons. We hear daily basis that one of these so called monks are involved somehow with Paedophiles, Kudu dealers, Rapists, Treasure Chiefs, Drunkards, Adultary, Molestration etc. We never hear any other religious leaders involved in such cases. President will not stop this for many different reasons. The monks are taken the law in their hands thanks to this president.
If the Buddhists think that this is what the Buddhism’ is, then you dont need anyone else to secretly undermine or destroy this philosophy, you are doing it yourself with your silence and by protecting majority of the rogue ‘ganayaos’ Thats an immense contribution for eleminate Buddhism from this land.
Rawf Hakim was darn right. I dont see anything wrong in what he had said.
As usual the Sunday Leader is doing the normal Criticism of the Sinhalese. Panduka is making a Catholic analysis of Buddhism. Catholics wanted a divided Sri Lanka and that is their aim. And that was why the Bishop of Mannar gave full support to LTTE. Sri Lanka is politically, ideologically, morally and philosophically a Buddhist country.
P.A.Samaraweera, Melbourne
Panduka, your name suggest that you are a Sinhalese.
I do not know what your Religion is. But, you sound more like another ‘BORN AGAIN’.
You have no right to call a Yellow Robed person by any name. The Yellow Robe is sacred to we Buddhists as much as the white kiosk is to the Catholics.
The Sinhala buddhists who are drunk with power and arrogance after their defeat of the LTTE are foolishly whipping up anti Muslim violence. They will regret this for a long time to come as a violent strife between the two will be islandwide and is likely to have the support of violent external Muslim forces. These Sinhala Buddhist troublemakers are playing with fire.
the sinhala Buddhists MUST consider the protection of its religion as a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT..just as the people of the Muslim majority countries fight for!!
I totally agree with Panduka. Srilankan Monks only troubled this counrty. Who killed SWRD. I have few Singal friends who follow religion but this monks 5% are thugs and spoilng the religion and country. Are all these Srilankas are blind?
Who the hell are you to pass judgement?
The sunday leader article ‘The mad men of Dambulla’ is a proof of exsitance of yellow robe terrorism. Damn the coward hakeem who apologised having said that
Almost fifty years ago the yellow robes killed a precious son of the soil. an internationally recognized leader and an inimitable orator. Sri Lanka had not seen any leader of the caliber of SWRD Bandaranayake., a precious life so brutally silenced. As a Muslim I am concerned about the safety and security of Brother Rauf Hakeem. He should not engage in this kind of populist demagoguery so fashionable during elections, instead he should posture engagement and meaningful dialogue. There is nothing violent about Buddhism just as there is nothing violent about Islam. Parochial understanding, political agendas and self aggrandizement has encroached our once noble thoughts. Its inevitable and predictable that corruption reins supreme today and will continue to rein until it destroys us all.
I am a practicing buddhist who strive hard to live according to buddhist principals. However iIam compelled to agree with Mr.RH on’ yellow robed terrorisim “specially after seeing the way the buddhsts monks behaved during the Dambulla incident. Their behavior was completety in contrary to the word of the Enlightened One who advocated tolelence and non violence. I would say that the they behaved like yellow robed hooligans. They defiled the samctity of the yellow robe which is revered by the lay buddhists. . According to the Vinya pitakaya[code of conduct for themonks] even discussing about state matters leave alone dabbling in politics is taboo. In the buddha's time friendly discussions were held between Buddhist monks and followers of the other sects.Sadly the type of buddhism practiced by the majority of monks and laymen in sri lanka is a kind which promotes racism and hatred towards other religions. Let us all live in harmony in keeping with the pristine Dhamma preached by the Compassionate one!
Buddhist Monks plotted, shot and killed late Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandranayake, a worthy leader; the Monks joined in violent demonstrations protesting against the Paddy Lands Act then proposed by Mr. Philip Gunawardena (The Agriculture Minister) to limit agriculture land owning by a few individuals and organisations and to distribute them to the farmers who toiled on the fields; the Monks against led violent demonstrations to protest against the Banda-Chelva Pact and the Dudley-Chelva Pact (which were agreed-upon to solve Tamil grievances) which leading to the thirty-year old conflict and blood-shed; the Monks were in the JVP (it was called and terrorist organisation) in 1971 and in 1987-89 when hundreds of killing of innocent people took place; the Monks were involved in attacking Christian churches; the latest now, the Monks are attacking Muslim M.osques and Hindu Temples (even stealing statues) with one Monk lifting his robe and exposing his genitals towards the Mosque; several Monks are found to be involved in child abuse, rape and other crimes, they do it even in foreign countries they live. So what do you call these Monks?
The Best way to protect the good name of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is to create a tribunal by the Sangha and disrobe immediately any hooligan found guilty of doing any act against the teaching of Lord Buddha.
the same should apply for clergy of other faiths as well. they should be barred from involving in politics. Let them concentrate on the spiritual side of the nation.
If they are so interested in politics then let them come out of priesthood and stand for election like any tom dick and harry. or should I say banda, sarath or andarey
Somarama’s (hope he is not the one who fired the shots on late Mr. Bandaranaike) suggestion is a sensible one. Thanks to him.
To the people of sunday leader. please moderate the comments in your news articles. freedom of speech is not making discriminatory derogatory distasteful remarks on religions or races or cultures or even individuals unless its fair and true.
Sir Oliver Gunatilleke once advised the late SWRD.Bandaranaike to keep those
yellow robed monks away from politics, but he didn’t listen and got shot.
Those monks have done so much of damage to Buddhism and the country than anyone else. They should be kept in the correct place,that was temple only and not
in any political area. Today’s monks are just punks, most of them !
Tip Cut Terrorism is worse than the other Terorrism as they don’t have a picture of what they belive with out a Face.
Could be very soon yellow robed army batalion not to preach and practice Buddhas teaching but to erradicate all other religion that prevail in that land .Aim is to create mono-religion, mono-race, which is already unleased on tamils , in the process against muslims and very soon against christians.
There will be yellow robed prime-minister ,yellow robed army general (chief of staff) , even yellow robed chief justice. Rauff Hakeem will soon wear yellow robe to safeguard his ministrial post which he will not give up that post.. Listen man ! this is buddhist country therefore they can kill and molest tamil girls and women , kick tamil babies with their boots . Gotabaya will be replaced by a mong to unleash further genocide.
This yellow yellow man of the Rangiri is not a monk but a buisinessman. He was also behind the Kandalama incident. It is a shame that President MR visited that temple most recently with an MP called Lakshman Perera. We are waiting to see the future incidents very carefully.
Buddhist monks are destroying Buddhism.
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137812/william-mcgowan/buddhists-behaving-badly