Post Conflict challenges for Sri Lanka - a Buddhist Muslim dilemma

On 18 May 2009, the prolonged separatist conflict in Sri Lanka between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) came to an end with the death of the LTTE Leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran (VP).

The demise of the LTTE, one of most ruthless terrorist groups in the world signalled the conclusion of one of the most turbulent periods of Sri Lanka’s history. The LTTE had been a powerful military force, and had controlled territory running a civil administration in the north and east of Sri Lanka for many years.   The Muslims in particular had suffered at the hands of the LTTE in the late eighties and early nineties with the mosque massacres in the east of the country and being expelled from the north. Thus its end symbolized an opening of a window of opportunity, albeit with some uncertainty, for the country’s future, in terms of trust building and reconciliation between increasingly suspicious and polarized communities.  

The 28 year old conflict extenuated already fragile cracks between the different ethnic groups, along faith lines, such that identity was strengthened not only by an insecurity of religious affiliation but a religious affiliation that is borne from a sense of the ‘other’ who is not only someone of a different ethnicity but someone of a different religion. Like many post-colonial societies, Sri Lanka drew on pre-colonial culture, including religion, to form a national identity after gaining independence.  These post colonial identities subsequently contributed to the conflict and have been abused and manipulated by the political elites to justify certain actions. This insecurity of identity has been felt on all sides, but the Sinhala Buddhist, who form the majority of the population, exhibit the most extreme of strains.     In particular the ideological strand of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka has undergone a massive change and reinterpretation of its doctrines not only as a result of the conflict, but also by the political and social climate which has resulted in the steady growth of political activism on the part of a new generation of Buddhist monks.  This  means that the Sinhala Buddhist has become more militant, violent and ultimately intolerant towards other ethnicities and religions, largely led by the clergy.  The past three and a half years has seen a rise of violence against religious sites and members of religious communities, with a number of incidents including mob attacks on places of worship; robberies and vandalism; the killing of clergy; protests against communities and the proliferation of hate speech on social media, the internet and via the audio – visual media.   In particular once again it seems to be the Muslim community that is the  main target from both a commercial, social and religious perspective with some high profile cases such as the attack on a mosque in Dambulla in Sri Lanka in 2012.  In addition there have been many more incidents that have received little or no attention, either locally or internationally.  Of the accounted reports, there are 65 cases of attacks on places of religious worship with all the minority religious communities bearing the brunt of  the violence, the majority being from the Christian community (mostly against the non-traditional churches accused of forced conversion); Buddhist temples from the non Theravada sect; Hindu places of worship and the Muslim community.  At the front of this coordinated hate campaign is   an extreme Sinhalese Buddhist organisation called Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS), enjoying tacit support from the Government.   This  rising anti Muslim rhetoric over the last few years have involved public meetings, the distribution of pamphlets and articles in mainstream Sinhala and English papers which have ‘borrowed’ rhetoric being used globally to demonise and stereotype Muslims (especially by Islamophobes in the west).   There are also rumours that on a recent visit to the USA, the BBS were scheduled to have met Pamela Geller as well.

It is an irony that this anti Muslim movement are  oblivious to the lived experience of the Sri Lankan Muslim society which has over 1000 years of coexistence in the country and contributing at all levels of the State.  However it is clear that the movement is aimed at hitting the Muslim community in areas that aim to ‘decrease’ their visibility and thereby the ‘threat’ to Sinhala identity and ultimately Sri Lanka (in the eyes of the protagonists).  By declaring Sri Lanka as a ‘Sinhala only’ country, those perpetrating this mindless rhetoric of Sinhala supremacism presuppose the acceptance of Sri Lanka as a land sacred to Buddhism with Sinhala Buddhists as its chosen people. According to this vision, minorities, including Sinhala Christians are not co-owners or even guests (because guests have to be given certain privileges and rights) but they are second class serfs (untouchables) who should thank the benevolent majority for being given the chance to live there.  In so doing, these organisations have completely rewritten the rich history of a country whose mosaic is made up of different ethnicities, faith and culture. They have chosen to rewrite a history of the accumulation of unfinished business, the piling up of debts and the stacking up of fortunes and misfortunes.  Whilst it is true that Sri Lanka is the only place in which there are Sinhalese and where the Sinhalese language is spoken, this doesn’t equate to ownership of the island solely by one race or another nor does it speak of the rich inter mingling of all races and faiths that influence much of Sri Lankan culture, food, art and music today.  It also does a huge disservice to the Buddhist way of life which is about peace, tranquillity and tolerance of others.  Declaring Sri Lanka Buddhist doesn’t preclude it from having minorities of other faiths and ethnicities coexisting with equal rights.

Of course, questions need to be also asked of the Muslim community in terms of their isolationist attitudes which have led to large misperceptions about them and their practices.  Despite a history of coexistence, the past 30 years have seen more communities living in parallel to each other.  The BBS movement have brought to the fore basic ignorance about the rituals and  practice of Muslims.  In addition the inability of the community to define a home grown organic identity and instead adopting more of an identity similar to that found in the Middle East caused a lot more questions.  One such question that the Muslim community will have to discuss and deliberate on is the whole issue of a national identity vs. religious obligations.  Their commitment to the process of reconciliation of Sri Lanka should not be questioned at the expense of their identity.

The Muslim issue in particular adds an additional significant challenge to Sri Lanka’s external relationships especially as in the recent and distant past; it has been the Muslim world which has been supportive of the country on the international sphere.  In addition, with the significant amount of income coming from Sri Lankans employed in the Middle East, the destination for Sri Lankan exports and Middle East tourism, the challenges faced by the Muslim community will only serve to deteriorate Sri Lanka’s international standing even further.

Thus for Sri Lanka to move forward, it will need to have some serious deliberations on the path it chooses to take.  The Muslim community themselves have a role to play in this, but will have to exorcise some internal demons as well.

The Spirit of Giving

What is it about religious holidays or disasters that ignite a spirit of charitable giving within humanity?  Is it the reminder of one’s own mortality in the wake of others dying  as a result of a calamity or the seasonal awakening of a conscience that is set in a rip van winkle like snooze the year round, that prompts people to give?  Nevertheless, one can draw a correlation between the amount and frequency people give and the time of the year, be it Christmas, Eid or any other holidays or any disaster that strikes as has been evident in recent years by the tsunami and numerous earthquakes and cyclones.  Whatever the reason, the motivation is still the same. It is done so that the donor feels an inner level of self satisfaction that help has been given out of sympathy to the helpless.

I have been reminded of this increasingly as a result of what has happened in the last couple of weeks.  With the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China, the humanitarian organisations have been in full swing hoping to raise money for two ‘politically difficult’ situations.  Nevertheless, people not swayed by political concerns have been moved to donate.  The other incident which has come to my mind is the recent vesak holidays in Sri Lanka.  Billed as the last long weekend for a while in Sri Lanka (notorious for its numerous public holidays), it was supposed to be a time of great celebration (which is always welcome) with lots of lanterns and the provision of Dhansala, which can best be described as the provision of free food to the public.  Literally in every nook and cranny, a  stall is set up and people give away food to passers by.  Stop at a traffic light and you are bound to be approached  by someone bringing something to eat.  People’s generosity knows no bounds…..

This year’s vesak was a little bit subdued.  Whilst many would argue that the ongoing security situation (not helped by the bomb that went off on the Friday before the Vesak weekend) contributed it was evident that something else was wrong.  This was evident from the Dhansala that was being served.  Traditionally it is rice and some accompaniments that is served.  However this time, there was a variation from the 2 minute Maggi noodles, to soup to fruits, anything but rice.

‘You see rice is expensive and the cost of cooking gas has gone up and so we can not do these as we used to’, a Dhansala stall holder ruefully remarked to me, reflecting the pinch that many ordinary people are feeling in terms of cost of living increases and rising food prices.

As the ‘silent tsunami’ (as it has been called by the world bank) slowly engulfs us, many people in Sri Lanka will not realise their plight until they are struck.  Whilst it is the poor and the most vulnerable that will be the first to suffer, no one is immune from the rising prices.  Yet in a country such as Sri Lanka which has blessed natural resources, the mere fact that food still has to be imported is a wonder

Yet the worrying part is how little this is of concern for people.  Much more than any other issue is the issue of food security which should be gripping people.  The mere fact that some people are going to bed hungry whilst others have plenty to eat is from all spiritual teachings a crime.

There are still weddings taking place in grand hotels and exclusive dinners that are being held where food is being wasted and thrown without any concern for the value and worth of what is put on the plate.  There are still people who insist on eating rice three times a day because they want to.  Such apathy to problems is reflected from the very top as well as can be seen from the acceptance of rice by Sri Lanka from Myanmar even after the cyclone had struck Myanmar robbing the country of vital rice stocks.

At times such as this, there is a need for dialogue and discussion on how collectively people can respond to this globally emerging crisis.  People need to be thinking of the short, medium and long terms in the case of addressing vulnerability.  Many countries have started food banks to address this issue, whilst others are talking about supporting better agricultural practices and addressing trade.  The key point is that Sri Lanka has been slow in starting or realising this point

Sri Lanka may still be a long way off from the food related riots that have gripped other parts of the world, but it may not be soon far from the handing out of dry rations which has so far been confined to parts of the country which have suffered from disaster.