The monks cannot escape responsibility
The terrorist ensured that he got his money’s worth of the Shah Rukh Khan concert before lobbing a grenade onto the VIP area and killing two Sri Lankans. That terrorist also ensured that Sri Lanka will begin to be counted as a ‘dangerous’ place again.
The Buddhist monks who had protested against the show were pacified after Khan personally apologised for the perceived insensitivity, but the genie they had released refused to go back into the bottle. At this time it is not yet clear who the terrorist was, or what he was motivated by — and it may even turn out that instead of being a sympathiser of the monks’ cause, he may have been an opportunist seeking to achieve other political ends at the monks’ cost. Either way, this act of terrorism has ultimately damaged the Sri Lanka’s developing good-news story.
Whether or not the Buddhist establishment was behind the terrorist attack, it must share the responsibility for having unleashed a wave of dangerous intolerance.
Related Link: Sonu Nigam’s explosive performance in Pakistan earlier this year
Update:Raditha Dissanayake, a Sri Lankan blogger writes:
Around 7% of the countries population believed that they are more equal than other Sri Lankans, and decided that the monks who promised to take away some of the most fundamental of human rights should be voted to parliament. The monks promised to protect and foster buddhism, unfortunately buddhism needs to be protected from these ayatollahs in yellow robes and not by them.
These same monks lead the aggetation against the concert that was held on saturday. Though they were quick to distance themselves from the bomb throwing incidence and even to denounce it, the blame lies square at their feet.
A robed hand may not have thrown the bomb. It’s even possible that it was thrown by a party with vested interests out to tarnish their image. But the monks laid the foundation for the bombing by their campaign against the concert because it falls on the first death anniversary of the late Soma Thera.
Well the date is indeed the first death anniversary according to the Christian calendar but certainly not according to the Buddhist calendar. So it seems the monks who want to take away your right to convert to another religion may have converted to Christianity. [It’s Happening]
why should any “buddhist establishment” be blamed for the grenade attack- no one has been identified yet. the buddhist quite rightly agitated against the show- would india have a mega blast on the first death aniversary of Ghandi? Soma Thera was more than Ghandi for us Sri Lankans- perhaps your article and the death of Soma Thera had somthing in common- both were done by some half-baked jealous christian. Go back to burning witches (or buddhists?)- or better still, why not call your website “god.com”. that would be appropriate
Heshan,
There is only one point in your tirade that warrants a response — why the Buddhist establishment cannot escape responsibility. Here’s the answer.