The cold-blooded mob lynching of Sri Lankan factory manager Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana in Sialkot, Pakistan, has sent shockwaves around the world. As explained lucidly by veteran Pakistani journalist Zahid Hussain in an article published in our sister paper the Daily News yesterday, this horrific killing is the result of the growing threat of religious extremism that has engulfed Pakistan in recent years. Hate based on religious extremism knows no bounds and usually results in tragedy. Religious fundamentalism has grown in recent years and is not necessarily limited to those who distort the teachings and texts of the Islamic faith. There have been several incidents where Muslims have been attacked by far-right activists, including the attack on Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Sri Lanka itself experienced the terrible consequences of religious indoctrination and hate speech in April 2019 when fanatical suicide bombers inspired by the ISIS terrorist group blew themselves up at several Churches and five-star hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa on Easter Sunday. The radicalisation of the bombers by online hate speech and several foreign preachers ultimately resulted in the deaths of over 250 innocent people, with more than 500 injured. While the investigations into this tragic incident are still ongoing, there is no doubt that religious fanaticism and fundamentalism played a part.
It is somewhat ironic that the youth, who should be shorn of the myopic views held by their forefathers on race and religion and open to a wider worldview, have embraced these ideas even more strongly. Even in the case of the Sialkot incident, most of the mob members were teenagers and youth. Experts have warned that youth belonging to all religions are vulnerable to be influenced by extremist ideals espoused by preachers, politicians and other popular figures. This is a dangerous trend that can take the world towards an even darker chapter as these youth are the leaders of tomorrow.
Recent developments on the world stage have also emboldened extremist and terrorist groups across the world. The victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan has led to the somewhat unfortunate conclusion among some groups that extremism pays rich dividends. In fact, international security and terrorism expert Prof. Rohan Gunaratne alluded to this during his speech at the recent Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Abu Dhabi, saying the Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan and its apparent victory over “Western powers” may have emboldened extremist groups in Pakistan and elsewhere. It could have had a bearing on the tragic events in Sialkot, he has said.
The rise of terrorism, religious extremism and ethno-religious intolerance is a dangerous development. Even more worryingly, some are trying to downplay the consequences of such intolerance. A senior Government Minister in Pakistan said words to the effect that the Sialkot youth got carried away in the heat of the moment. This callous remark attracted widespread condemnation both in Pakistan and abroad, but it shows that some in the highest echelons of power subscribe to ideas that could encourage extremists. This extends to the likes of the far-right rulers of Poland and Hungary and the White Supremacists in the US, whose dislike of “the other” is palpable.
Just as in the case of the Sialkot lynching, practically the whole world condemned the grisly killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white Police Officer in the US. The recent deaths of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and the English Channel remind us that the world is indeed a cruel place if you have a different skin colour or if you are from a poor country. The world is full of barriers based on poverty, race, religion and skin colour. Such intolerance is based on the belief that some are superior to others.
Here in Sri Lanka too, such ideas have gained ground in recent years. Although Sri Lanka is primarily identified as being a Buddhist nation, Sri Lankans of all faiths and communities have co-existed for centuries, even during the period of Colonial rule. Political and community leaders of all faiths and communities were in the vanguard of the independence movement. It was only after independence that power-hungry politicians exploited racial and religious sensibilities to gain more votes from their respective communities. This ultimately resulted in a terrorist battle that dragged on for 30 long years, claiming thousands of precious lives.
It is, therefore, rather unfortunate that sinister attempts are still being made by certain groups to inflame ethno-religious passions here. In this context, we must all be grateful to the Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, leaders of political parties and civil society leaders for urging calm and restraint in the aftermath of the Sialkot incident and to the general public for heeding that call. Otherwise, we would also have been tainted in the same way as the Sialkot mob. The above segments must now amplify this message of tolerance and patience and ensure that Sri Lanka never again witnesses ethno-religious tensions.
The proposed new Constitution, which is now being formulated, as well as the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on One Country One Law will hopefully create a future when such tensions will exist no more, where all Sri Lankans will be able to live peacefully sans ethic, religious, caste and other differences. Even politics should not be a barrier to such peaceful co-existence. It is time for all of us to think of ourselves as Sri Lankans first and foremost, whilst still preserving and following our religious, linguistic and cultural traditions. That is the kind of future that our future generations should inherit in the decades to come.