By Tariq A. Al-Maeena
In response to my column on May 2 on the impending crisis in Sri Lanka as a result of the demand by Buddhist nationals to demolish or remove a mosque in Dambulla, a reader wanted to know whether I had written on this issue only because I am a Muslim and by inference the matter is of concern to me.
He wondered if I would be so quick to react if other faiths were being attacked, citing the bombing of a church in Alexandra, Egypt almost a year and a half ago. It happened during a midnight mass on New Year’s Eve at a church in Alexandria. A powerful bomb was set off killing 21 people in the blast mostly followers of the Coptic faith. The powerful explosion was reportedly set off by a suicide bomber who had prepared his grim New Year package with nails and ball bearings which tore through a crowd of churchgoers as they left the church. In addition to the dead, the blast wounded 79 others and caused havoc in the neighborhood.
By Dr. Sulaiman Rifai, Naleemi (London)
In this series of articles I will Insha Allah try to gauge the communal relationship between Muslim and Non-Muslim communities in Srilanka in recent times. The primary objective of this article is not to make division between communities rather to bridge the gap in deteriorating communal relationship between different communities. A multicultural nation like Srilanka should maintain a strong sense of social interactions between communities in the greater interest of country and each community. Srilankan Muslim community as a matter of priority of Islamic obligations should play a vital role in this nation building process. Away from all dogmatic and sectarian differences, the entire Srilankan Muslim community should work hand in hand to enhance communal harmony and peace in this country.