It has now become absolutely clear, that what took place at Aluthgama/Beruwela should be seen as a Government-backed anti-Muslim pogrom

Aluthgama carnage

Sri Lanka Muslims have to turn to  the most effective instrument available: the international community 

Sri Lankan Muslims at the cross roads 09 –  by Izeth Hussain

The present article and my earlier ones of July 5 and 12 are meant to constitute a unity, focusing on the questions of what really the Aluthgama/Beruwela outrages signify, and what action can be taken by the Muslims to safeguard their lives and their legitimate interests. I concluded my last article by arguing that the Muslims should, in order to safeguard their legitimate interests, turn to the Government, even though it is carrying out an anti-Muslim project, and also have recourse to the civil society.

'Fascists' in saffron robes? The rise of Sri Lanka's Buddhist ultra-nationalists

 Tim Hume, CNN

•     The Bodu Bala Sena is blamed by many for inciting religious riots that left 3 Muslims dead
•     A month on, a monk who gave an inflammatory speech before the riots has not been charged
•     Observers say it appears the group is operating with impunity, fueling the fears of minorities
•     An ultra-nationalist Buddhist group has been campaigning against Muslims in Sri Lanka

The BBS: A catalyst for a Buddhist Muslim conflict in Sri Lanka

Harim Peiris

The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Sri Lanka’s catalyst for opening up a new Buddhist verses Muslim conflict, perhaps due to boredom now that a thirty year civil war has ended, follows more by design than accident a classic military strategy of an escalation or advancement and then a tactical retreat due to over reach. Immediately after the previous attacks as well, whether in Dambula or Nugegoda, there was silence for awhile and similarly after the anti Muslim events of "Dark June 2014", there has been a steady denial both by the state security establishment and the extremist perpetrators of responsibility for the violence, the former denying connivance and the latter denying instigation. Both want to blame a spontaneous mob.

Aluthgama anti Muslim violence: Vital questions that need be answered

''There are a number of vital questions, not limited to who organized the mobs; who provided them the weaponry, powerful flashlights and fuel for the burning and in some cases the intoxicants; who provided them who provided the lorries and vans to loot entire households of furniture, and warehouses and shops of goods; who pointed out Muslim houses and other properties, that need to be inquired into and answered. It is also imperative to examine the role of the police and the STF, especially given the eye-witness accounts of these State forces watching and not taking action to stop the rioting and looting.''

One month after the anti-muslim violence in Aluthgama-Statement by Secretariat for Muslims

June 16, 2014

Attacks on Muslims in Asian states including Sri Lanka, denounced by WAMY

RIYADH: Ghazanfar Ali Khan

The attack on Muslims in Sri Lanka, China and Myanmar by extremist Buddhists and religious fanatics backed by governments is a matter of “serious concern” for the Muslim world and international community, said Saleh S. Al-Wohaibi, chief of the Riyadh-based World Assembly of Muslim Youth (), here Wednesday.

He voiced deep concern over the systematic persecution of innocent Muslim minorities in these three countries.

An eye witness account of anti Muslim violence in Aluthgama by a member of Parliament

Burned ( Dinouk Kolambage)

''I witnessed what happened. After the procession when the rioting began I called the police stations that administer the areas. When I called the Matugama police station, they told me that the OIC was not in. The Welipanna police told me that they had only one vehicle and didn’t have personnel.
 Other police stations were silent. When all this happened the police were made to act deaf and blind. The Police have consistently acted deaf and blind to the actions of Gnanasara Thera leading up to this violence'' -  UNP MP PalithaThewarapperum

Sri Lanka: The art of mishandling policy; From Aluthgama, to asylum seekers, NGOs, the Govt. wallows in (negative) publicity

President in trouble ( AFP)

Ranga Jayasuriya
There is something strange in this government. It is wallowing in negative publicity. The sequence of events during the last couple of weeks has given it a steady supply of negative publicity which would prop up its already grim reputation. First, it lets loose a motley group of Sinhala Buddhist ultra nationalist groups such as Bodu Bala Sena, Sinhala Ravaya, Ravana Balaya and so on. Then, the marauding mobs and youth instigated by hate filled sermons, went on rampage in Aluthgama, triggering a sectarian confrontation – the first major clash between the Sinhalese and Muslims since 1915.

A ‘bigger project’ at work to cripple the Sri Lankan Muslim community economically and ‘put them in their place.’

Hakeem at Aluthgama

Not even ‘sufficient remorse’ from Govt for Aluthgama riots says Hakeem

Nearly a month after the worst religious violence Sri Lanka has seen in decades, Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem has warned of a ‘virtual holocaust’ against the country’s Muslim community unless Islamophobia and hate speech by radical monks were nipped in the bud. Minister Hakeem, who also heads the country’s largest Muslim Party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, told foreign correspondents yesterday that there was a ‘bigger project’ at work to cripple the Sri Lankan Muslim community economically and ‘put them in their place.’

If the anti-Muslim campaign does not have the backing of the majority of the Sinhalese people, where does the evident power of the BBS come from?

BBS violence ( Vikalpa)

Sri Lankan Muslims at the cross roads – 7 By Izeth Hussain

The focus of the present article and of the previous one is on what the Aluthgama/Beruwela outrages really signify, and what action can be taken by our Muslims to safeguard their lives and their legitimate interests. I concluded my last one by pointing out that the anti-Muslim campaign does not have the backing of the mass of the Sinhalese people. Indeed, the indications are that the majority of the Sinhalese Buddhists view the BBS and other extremist groups with utter disgust.

Sri Lanka Muslim leader warns of radicalisation after riots

Refugees of Aluthgama (Vikalpa)

AFP / Sri Lanka's most senior Muslim politician Friday warned that his government's failure to restrain Buddhist monks accused of sparking religious hate attacks will foment Islamic extremism and threaten security. Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem said he had been under intense pressure from supporters to quit President Mahinda Rajapakse's coalition after it failed to prevent last month's deadly religious violence.

Muslim Ministers Condemn Claims Of Terrorism And Extremism In SL

Issuing a joint statement a short while ago five Muslim ministers of the government have refuted claims of terrorist and extremist groups within the Muslim community of Sri Lanka. Five ministers of the ruling party namely Rauff Hakeem, A H M Fowzie, Rishad Bathiudeen, Basheer Segu Dawood and A L M Athaullah have signed the letter on behalf of the Muslim community. In the statement they added that such unfounded attributions would only add more salt to the wound. In the joint statement they claimed that vested interests are behind such propaganda, bent on scene in Sri Lanka, the emergence of terrorism.

Sri Lanka: Where does the power of the BBS come from: Political or Sanga establishment ?

(AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

July ’83 and June ‘14:  SL Muslims at the cross roads – 6 By Izeth Hussain

Whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first drive mad. – Greek saying

There has been much thinking, writing, and discussion on the Aluthgama/Beruwela outrages, so that we can now try to draw conclusions with some measure of confidence about what those outrages really signify. There seems to be a fairly widespread notion that July ’83 and June ’14 constitute two great divides in Sinhalese/minority relations, with the difference that that in 1983 the outrages were of course much worse. Both divides had behind them two common factors: an excess of drunken power compounded by ethnolunacy in the two Governments of the time.

No action on 284 complaints to the special (religious) police unit made by Azath Sally

Azath Salley

Australian PM can witness peacefulness if he visits Darga Town - Salley

Leader of the National Unity Front, Azath Salley today claimed that the government is afraid it will lose its voter base if the Pope visits the war-affected Northern Province, during his scheduled visit to Sri Lanka. The Central Provincial Council member made these comments during a press conference in Colombo today, which was also attended by UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera and former Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara.

Club de Madrid calls to stop clashes between Muslims and Sinhalese in Aluthgama & Beruwala

The Club de Madrid has been following with deep preoccupation the recent clashes between Muslims and Sinhalese in Aluthgama & Beruwala as part of what seems to be another manifestation of religious intolerance.  The Club de Madrid has been warning for many years of the dangers of ignoring the build up of intergroup tension and even its encouragement by some in leadership positions in some parts of the world, and it is saddening the lesson has not been learnt and situations like this continue to arise.

Denying responsibility for Alutgama violence will not suffice

Gota: Denying responsibility

 Jehan Perera

Addressing members of the national advisory committee to the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration, Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara gave substance to the conviction of those who believe in the prospects for peaceful coexistence and harmony within Sri Lanka's multi ethnic and multi religious society. He said that a majority of MPs of the government were opposed of the actions of the extremist groups that had engaged in anti-Muslim activities.

Aluthgama anti-Muslim riots:The conduct of Police, STF and even Doctors were questionable

A gun shot in Aluthgama

Fact -Finding Mission Report by a Womens Collective to Areas in South Sri Lanka That Were Affected by Anti-Muslim Violence.

On the 15th of June 2014 ethnic riots took place in Aluthgama following a rally organized by the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), a Buddhist fundamentalist organization. Even though the police and state officials had been informed of the potential of the rally to turn violent, no steps were taken to stop the same, instead a large number of police and Special Task Forces (STF) personnel were deployed in the area.

Fathima Thahir,the Family Owned Provision Store in Battaramulla and a Rock Flung in the Dark.

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Fathima Thahir is a Muslim woman in her forties who manages a small provision store owned by her family in the Colombo suburb of Battaramulla. The store “Fathima Stores”was named after her by her father who founded it in 1949 long before Battaramulla experienced the current scale of urban development.”Fathima Stores” on 192 Main Street is the only Muslim owned shop in the vicinity and is well-known for selling bulath/vettrilai/betel.

Muslim Council wants India to explain its position on ' Muslim Terror' groups in Sri Lanka

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has written to the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo asking him to explain the position of the Indian Government on reports of the existence of Muslim terror groups in Sri Lanka. In the latter which was released to the media today, the President of the Muslim Council N.M. Ameen says Indian and local media reports indicating that India is concerned over the presence of such groups in Sri Lanka will contribute to the hate campaign against Muslims in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: Boru Bala Sena’s Great Lie stands exposed.

Aluthgama set on fire by BBS

Don Manu

Talking as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and he couldn’t say boo to a goose, the Bodu Bala Sena chief, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara on Wednesday tells the waiting media after emerging from the CID headquarters in Fort, where he and his clan had been summoned to give a statement regarding the June 15 Aluthgama incident in which three Muslims were murdered and 77 seriously injured, that they dutifully obeyed the summons for ‘no one is above the law’

U.N. Chief Urges Sri Lanka to Protect Muslims Under Attack

Sri Lanka Muslims protest

Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS  (IPS) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Sri Lankan government to “take necessary measures” to prevent any further attacks against minority Muslims in the country. He said the secretary-general recalls the Human Rights Council resolution of March 2014, which urges the government of Sri Lanka to investigate alleged attacks on members of religious minority groups and to take steps to prevent such attacks in the future.