ICC Note:
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is urging the Sri Lankan government to protect against the threat posed by Sinhala Buddhist nationalists and safeguard Sri Lanka’s religious pluralism.
4/27/2012 Sri Lanka (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) – Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is urging the Sri Lankan government to protect against the threat posed by Sinhala Buddhist nationalists and safeguard Sri Lanka’s religious pluralism, following the attack on a mosque in Dambulla carried out by a large mob led by Buddhist monks on 20 April.
The assailants stormed the mosque, claiming it was illegal because it stood in a designated area sacred to Buddhists. The mosque was evacuated, Friday prayers were cancelled, and police sealed the building. News reports suggest that crude petrol bombs had been thrown at the mosque the previous night, causing minor damages. The mob also called for the demolition of a Hindu temple being built in the zone.
Video footage from the time of the incident shows monks stirring up tensions along ethno-religious lines, with one declaring “a victory for those who love the race, have Sinhala blood, and are Buddhists”. Another monk disrobed and exposed himself to the mosque, in a sign of disrespect, and others were involved in physical violence.
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