Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2018/02/28

The Sri Lankan Government has stepped in to diffuse tensions between the minority Muslims and the majority Sinhalese Buddhists in the East of the country.

Cultural and religious differences among some Asian community’s seem to be reaching a point of no return.

Violent attacks by Buddhist extremists caused damaged to several Muslim owned shops and a mosque on Sunday.

This reportedly happened after hard line Buddhist groups accused Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam while also accused of vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.

According to the Asian Population Barometer (APB), Muslims make up around 9 percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 21 million while Buddhists make up about 70 percent and Hindus about 13 percent.

200 Buddhist extremists attacked a mosque in Ampara, Sri Lanka.

(h/t DOAM) pic.twitter.com/Z6VBwsqfnQ

— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) February 27, 2018

Radio Islam made contact with Sri Lankan Islamic Scholar and Imaam – Shaikh Fazil, who told us that tensions erupted after Buddhists accused Muslims of spiking the food they were eating.

“They incited that Muslims were putting some sort of medicine in the food to feed the Buddhist so that their population can decrease, so they believe this is done to kill their population, it was a rumour that was spread.”

Sh Fazil says this sparked outrage, which the Buddhist used as ammunition to destroy masjids, Qur’aans, homes and shops owned by Muslims.

“Alhmadulillah, there’s no tention now, the situation is under control, the Buddhist community was misguided by some evil element.” 

Last year, The United Nations criticised Sri Lanka last year for slow progress in addressing war crimes and human rights abuses.