Sri Lankans can make this land a paradise:

Promoting harmony is everyone's responsibility - Terrorism expert

By Manjula Fernando

Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore Prof. Rohan Gunaratna who specialises in terrorism, fundamentalism and religious extremism, says Sri Lanka must immediately pass laws to counter emerging threats from religious and communal extremism.

“The greatest challenge to Sri Lanka after the state dismantled the LTTE is communalism in the north and sectarianism in the south. “

“In the larger national and strategic interest of building the Sri Lankan identity the Government should stop registering parties based on religion and race.” He opined the continued existence of BBS, SLMC, JHU, TNA and a few others is unhealthy to promote a unified Sri Lanka identity.

Q: As an international terrorism expert with unparalleled knowledge on religious extremism, how do you connect the dots on the incidents that occurred in Aluthgama, Beruwala and Welipenna areas during the last few days?

A: The timely intervention of Sri Lankan security forces prevented another riot like July 1983. The Government should keep a watchful eye on communal and religious extremists and take firm action against those who disrupt the hard won peace. It is foolish and certainly it is not freedom, to permit hate and rumour mongers to play communal and sectarian politics.

Violence is a vicious by product of ideological extremism. If society and state permit BBS, TNA or other anti national groups to promote suspicion, prejudice, anger and hate, those indoctrinated will engage in violence. No group or individual should be permitted by law to insult another person because of his or her religion, ethnicity or language. As current laws are unable to deal with ethnic and religious entrepreneurs, President Mahinda Rajapaksa should formulate a Harmony Act to criminalise hate speech. There is no better time to pass this legislation and empower the guardians of the law to act.

Q: Could there have been a hidden hand behind the sudden provocation of people as claimed by certain observers?

A: Unlike in India where the creation of ethnolinguistic states encourage division, Sri Lankans must not follow the Indian model. Sri Lankans have lived side by side, inter -married and coexisted as brothers and sisters for centuries. There is natural harmony between communities in this small island. It is politicians that seek to ‘racialise’ and ‘reliogise’ communities for their personal and narrow political gains.

To pre-empt making of another July 1983, Sri Lankan leaders should adopt a two pronged strategy: promote harmony and investigate, charge and prosecute those who disrupt racial and religious harmony. In keeping with the nation's social fabric, character and spirit, Sri Lankans should discourage politics based on religion and race and encourage national parties. If the objective of Sri Lankans is to promote a one-Sri Lankan identity, the continued existence of BBS, SLMC, JHU, TNA and a few others is unhealthy. In the larger national and strategic interest of building the Sri Lankan identity, they should develop a national character. To start with, government should stop registering parties based on religion and race. Religion, culture and language can be preserved through associations but not be brought into politics! Ethnic and religious passions are incendiary and can destroy a nation!

Q: Can the violence in Beruwala be equated with the situation in Myanmar. Some of the international media did report a similarity between the two incidents?

A: Western sensational media will project only tragic events like the incidents of Beruwala and Aluthgama. The Western media is ignorant of Asia will also draw parallel between Rakhine state of Myanmar and Beruwala-Aluthgama areas of Sri Lanka. Western funded NGOs with an agenda will produce reports that will ‘mis-characterise’ the reality and give a distorted picture. They are no comparison but it could lead to that unless both government and their community partners take the existing and emerging threat seriously.

Q: The tensions between the Sinhalese and the Muslim communities have been festering and communities who once lived together or who, more or less, still enjoy comradeship, are being pulled apart. How alarming is this situation and how should the authorities deal with this problem?

A: Like the previous generation of power hungry leaders attempted to break up Sri Lanka along ethnic lines, the country cannot afford another set of misguided politicians playing cheap politics. Recovering from one protracted conflict, Sri Lanka cannot afford another protracted conflict along religious lines. I would recommend all Sri Lankans to watch Invectus and reflect on the spirit of a true Sri Lankan voice:

Promoting harmony by bringing diverse ethnic and religious communities together is an art Sri Lankan leaders do not know. Leaders have failed to understand and respond to post conflict environment by passing a law against racial and religious incitement and hate.

Promoting harmony should be the responsibility of everyone. (A) Under corporate social responsibility, the private sector must create Harmony Centres in every district to influence the public. (B) The NGOs should train the media to refrain from publishing inflammatory pictures and unverified news (as was the case recently). (C) The Government should train its officials including security forces personnel to resolve current and emerging community disputes.

Building inter ethnic and inter religious understanding is the responsibility of everyone. Security forces alone cannot do it. Lee Kwan Yew said: “No amount of troops would stop the trouble if there was real hatred between the different communities, it is impossible for every household to be guarded and the decisive factor would be dependent upon goodwill between neighbours”.

I was gravely disappointed when a prominent religious leader said if the government fails to promote reconciliation they will. Maintaining law and order, punish spoilers of peace and creating the structures to preserve harmony is the primary responsibility of government but its community partners have an equal responsibility. Community leaders must look beyond Aluthgama and Beruwala.

Security forces can restore law and order but not rebuild damaged relations. They can facilitate harmony but community leaders should form inter ethnic and inter religious committees to start the reconciliation process.

Q: Which are the Western Embassies that issued visas to BBS ?

A: The BBS drew its ideology not from the preachings of the Buddha nor from traditional Sri Lankan or Sinhala roots. The BBS ideology is based on the right wing British National Party (BNP), French Le Pen, Indian Shiv Sena and Burmese Wirathu. These groups have damaged the peace and harmony in those countries. By law, communal and sectarian parties that deepen and thrive on differences should be placed under watch and charges filed whenever they incite and spread hate.

Q: The negative publicity that the country gained internationally as the incident unfolded was unprecedented even though the incident was a far cry from what we are witnessing in Iraq, Pakistan or Nigeria. Your comments?

A: LTTE fronts such as the Global Tamil Form quickly exploited the issue and released a statement. Some western embassies too released statements ironically from the very countries that issued visas for BBS leaders to travel and raise funds.

The Tamil extremists such as TNA and Sinhala extremists such as BBS are the same. They are two sides of the same coin or the exact opposite of each other. The do not love Sri Lanka and they will play music to the emotions of their communities until another riot destroys multi- generational friendships.

Q: What sort of an impact will this negative publicity have on the rising tensions?

A: As terrorists and extremists exploit mainstream and social media to disrupt harmony, the Government should respond decisively. Both ‘ideality’ and reality needs to be addressed but more the ‘ideality’ than reality.

In addition to ground reality, the Sri Lankan Muslim public perceptions needs to be addressed, through media and social media.

The strategy to be adopted by the Government at the highest level and using strategic platforms to fight back. The first step is to reorganise the education system where its products become blind to ethnic and religious differences.

It should now become mandatory to admit to schools and universities, students of other ethnicities and religions and teach inter-cultural understanding and comparative religion.

One of the premier educational institutions, Ananda College should admit non Sinhala Buddhists and play matches with schools in the North. Other schools should be mandated by law to follow suit. In addition to learning comparative religion, creating Harmony Clubs in every school to promote inter-ethnic and inte-religious relationships is paramount.

Q: It's been just five years, since a ruthless war with terrorism, fought for 30 long years was successfully concluded eliminating LTTE military leadership. Are we witnessing another conflict of a similar nature taking shape?

A: Sri Lankans can make or break this land. By thinking Sri Lankan, Sri Lankans can make this land a paradise or by instilling racialism and religious fanaticism make it a hell. Do we need a country of hate and sorrow or of beauty and smiles? Must we be like India, Pakistan or Afghanistan, where riots and attacks are frequent and annual occurrences?

The greatest challenge to Sri Lanka after the state dismantled the LTTE is communalism in the north and sectarianism in the south. Without wishing the problem will go away and burying the head in the sand, Government and their community partners should deal with BBS type groups in the south and TNA and TNPF in the north.

Government should pass a Harmony Act making it unlawful to spread hate both in real and cyber space. All Sri Lankans leaders should demonstrate statesmanship and not confine themselves to rhetoric.

Without neglecting their responsibilities, religious leaders must issue codes of conduct for their clergy.

All Sri Lankan leaders should provide leadership not only to their community but to all Sri Lankans to create a harmonious Sri Lanka. If any one community advocates only for his or her narrow community, that community will not progress.

All Sri Lankans should work for society irrespective of the narrow divisions of ethnicity and religion.

Arousing racial and religious passions took the country back 30 years and the fallout of the recent incident is a setback to Sri Lanka. Rather than be trapped in communal and sectarian rhetoric, every Sri Lankan should work to build a national spirit, and a common national aim.

Without still living in the pre-May 2009 mindset, there should be a different outlook instilling leadership at all levels to build a one-country.

Q: Multiplying Prayer Centres in cities that interfere with people's daily lives with their loud way of practising religion, are increasingly becoming an issue of contention between Muslims and other communities, in particular Sinhalese. For instance a high rise prayer centre (temple road) adjoining Ananda College, a premier Buddhist school is causing annoyance and disturbance to school activities. How can such issues be dealt with by the Government?

A: Muslims of Sri Lanka was a model community until recently. Their contribution to defeating terrorism and restoring stability in Sri Lanka is stellar.

The Commanding Officer of the Sri Lankan Special Forces Colonel Fazly Laphir and the Commanding Officer of Sri Lankan Military Intelligence Corp were from the Sri Lankan Muslim community. These brilliant and courageous Muslim leaders gave their lives to build a harmonious Sri Lanka. Historically, Sri Lankan Muslims followed traditions whether in appearance or dress, education or outlook. With the patrol dollars, traditional Islam in Sri Lanka is under the influence of the Arab World.

The Muslims have started to dress like Middle Easterners and practice a version of Islam not compatible with multiethnic and multireligious societies. Sri Lankan Muslim leaders should reflect on these recent developments.

Sri Lankan Muslim leaders should encourage traditional Islam and not an exported “foreign” version incompatible with Sri Lankan society and values.