Unite and lead

The following article is my attempt to summarise and put things in perspective for fellow Sri Lankan’s to understand regarding the current situation in Sri Lanka. I am not a supporter of any political view and my intention is to create awareness to avoid our mother Sri Lanka to be used as a land for any form of extremism. I have included some of my own ideas on the way forward and also included some points taken from published articles by various scholars both in local and international media.

Background

All religions in the world are based on ideas and principles, which were shared by great prophets a few thousand years ago. As human beings existing in the world today, none of us were present when those leaders lived in this world and preached the great ideas.

What we believe is what was passed down to us, probably for generations by religious leaders such as clergies, priests, etc. family, friends, teachers, colleagues, etc. in addition to the various writings by various authors 200-300 years post the death of those great teachers.

As individuals, people, we trust the interpretation of those words or interpretations by the current scholars and priests representing each religion. Ideally, all these, to a rational mind should raise questions of credibility. We trust that one must be very wise and mindful in believing these interpretations and following them, especially when those teachings go against basic human ethics and morals.

At the same time, we must keep in mind the fact that one cannot argue whether one’s religious teaching is 100 percent authentic. However, the core essence of every religion is that it promotes humanity, compassion, kindness and security and never hatred.

In today’s world we see that greed to gain power, wealth and control has led countries and nations to believe in the ‘divide and rule’ concept. This of course has been the fact throughout the history. The developed nations manipulate the smaller developing counties, divide them in order to achieve the country’s ‘personal’ gain.

There is a school of thought that the USA’S invasion into Iraq in 2003 led to the creation of ISIS, which was at least believed to be the trigger point for radical ideas to become well organised. It was later proven that the reasons placed by the US justifying this invasion were all invalid and the ulterior motive was that the US wanted cheap access to the Iraqi oil.

This is believed to be the beginning of what we experience today. Many innocent people were killed and tortured. The whole world now lives in fear because of ISIS extremist terrorism. The saddest truth is that politicians have started using this scenario to their advantage for their person gain, maintain political power and secure their future within the Sri Lankan political sphere. They don’t place any value for human lives and the loss of it, which is extremely sad.

Why do people become extremists?

Extremism is when someone has beliefs that most people think are unreasonable. Violent extremism is when a person or a group resorts to fear, terror and violence to achieve an ideological, political or social change.

It is indeed a recognised fact that every culture or religion is different. When a community or individuals are unfairly harassed and hurt for being different, having different faiths or having a different culture, they naturally flock up with their own kind. When hate is filled in our minds then it is very easy to be manipulated and exaggerate situations and actions by the ‘enemies’.

The USA’S detention camp Bucca is said to be the radicalisation centre for fighters who became the ISIS leaders. They all had one thought in common; they hated Americans for ruining their country (and the other nations who supported the invasion). Using the weaknesses of people to gain advantage, obtain information or brainwash them was a well-known war strategy. It was easy to convince the angry Iraqis in the camp to join the radical movement against the ‘non-muslims’ and make them believe in misinterpreted and outdated words of the Holy Quran.

Another major triggering point as to why people become extremists is that the politicians promote and create divisions within communities to create unrest and thereby create a platform for them to continue and gain power. In any society or a country there could be a group of people who could easily get caught for this and later they become selfsustain, create their own ideologies and become extremists.

When an ideology is strongly believed by a group of people they work systematically to convert and radicalise others. In some instances, we have seen Islam extremists use very young children as young as seven years as suicide bombers. All children are born with a clean mind and are easy to plant ideas in them.

It is unfortunate that some people plant extreme violent ideas in them instead of love and compassion. Unlike physical training, to manipulate people, large training centres are not necessary, a small gathering and meetings with persistence teaching will accomplish this. Taking advantage of the oppressed minds of vulnerable people a few extremists highlighted certain phrases from the Holy Quran and misinterpreted them to suit their ideology.

People in any religion can be manipulated through various interpretations, however establishing ideologies to the extent of killing human lives for the purpose of attaining higher spiritual status is not a principle of other mainline religions.

Is this healthy for a developing society?

Extremism of any kind is a threat to a healthy society, which coexists with tolerance and acceptance, especially when it involves violence. The incidents that took place in recent weeks in Sri Lanka uncovered a much larger problem that has been growing underneath the surface. This needs to be addressed wisely and thoroughly so that no more innocent people will die for political agendas and extreme ideologies. Innocent people are divided and enraged with hate, which will only benefit a few corrupted groups of people with the intention of personal gain.

We, all Sri Lankans (Sinhalese, Tamil, Burger, Christian, Catholic, Muslim and Buddhist alike) together with people from many other countries have become pawns of a much larger political game. We are fooled by the political leaders, who misguide us to channel our anger and frustration elsewhere, not where it really belongs. As a result, radicalised extremists kill each other and teach their children to hate fellow human beings and worst of all, innocent people live in fear. It is time to realise what really is happening and act with wisdom.

In the current religious and national landscape in Sri Lanka, we must be conscious that we do not push the rational people and categorise them wrongly, as this might create a similar situation like in Iraq, Pakistan, which will only worsen the existing problem. Everyone has a right to believe in and follow their religion peacefully, which most Sri Lankans do and experience. Their needs and dreams are simple. Most people in any religion merely want to have a career, raise their children in a good society and live peacefully.

We need to get back to normalcy

We cannot progress forward as a multiethnic country if we discriminate and judge everyone who believes in one faith by the very few who are deluded. We have to stand together as Sri Lankans, One Sri Lanka against extreme ideologies, harmful political agendas and educate people to be tolerant and understanding of our differences. It is this difference that makes the country beautiful. We have to embrace all faiths and cultures and together we must fight extremism.

In any religious practice there cannot be a compromise for living peacefully with people from different faiths or cultures, especially because we live in a global society and multiethnic country. We must create a nation where everyone can come under one Sri Lankan flag with pride and dignity. Respect, trust and acceptance is the key for any progressive society.

Sri Lanka as a nation, which yearn to progress in to the future, we can implement little changes to create long-lasting peace and harmony in the country. We, people of Sri Lanka, have to come together and work together in order for any positive and effective change to happen.

What can we do? Spread positivity

As a community, society, we all must make a pledge immediately not to spread hatred or insults to other religions. It is unfair to be misled and attack someone’s faith and beliefs based on the acts of a few individuals. It will only create further separation between Sri Lankans.

It is time to stand together, not divided. We, Sri Lankans, have a right to be different as it enriches our culture but we will not tolerate being disrespected or insulted. We must learn to treat everyone with dignity, the same way we want others to treat us.

For this purpose, all religious leaders must come forward to help people heal and create harmony. Buddhist, Christian/catholic, Hindu and Muslim priests in each area must get together and work together to develop understanding and acceptance among people and give confidence and hope for them to live together in unity. This is essential at this crucial hour.

Equality

The government and politicians have to stop addressing Sri Lankans as different communities. We don’t need to be segregated as Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslims or Burghers. We are Sri Lankans and we want to be treated equally and it is our fundamental right. As Sri Lankans we should allow all religious beliefs, which does not challenge or create a threat to basic humanity.

Restructure government authorities to create a more inclusive society; for example, the ministries that oversee different religions can be abolished and be brought under one common ministry. This should be comprised of learned individuals from all faiths to look after all religious affairs in the country. Change all kinds of documents and forms used in government departments to exclude the need to mention religion or ethnicity.

Identification of individuals should be limited to the country of origin, only as Sri Lankans. Every ministry should have employees who can converse at least Sinhala and Tamil languages, which are the official languages used in the country. This will ensure that everyone is served effectively and more importantly equally. Individuals who can converse in both languages should be rewarded with remuneration incentives. This not only acts as a motivator but also helps encourage others to follow suit.

One education system

All schools, universities and other educational institutes to be regulated under one ministry, so that all Sri Lankans follow a common education system, a system where it is mandatory for every child to learn all main languages in Sri Lanka. This will help us understand each other better and respect the differences.

It was also said that the extreme ISIS followers were conducting meetings and distributing CDS for a long time. If we all had the ability to understand them and had knowledge of what they were talking about, maybe this story would have had a different ending. At least after lessons learnt after the war with the LTTE, we would assume the government should have monitored these groups and understand what they promote. Unfortunately, 253 innocent people had to die for us to realise the mistakes of the politicians and that we should have paid more attention to what was really going on in our own backyard.

It is important that we talk to our children about the incidents taking place with the intention of planting basic human ethics in them. They will be tomorrow’s adults and political leaders. Therefore, they need to be taught wisdom. Only by educating our children we can achieve lasting peace in the country.

A common legal system

Sri Lanka needs a strong legal system which is common to every citizen. It should also be made mandatory that Sri Lankan should learn the laws of the land and obey them. For this to be implemented, a committee needs to be appointed with individuals who are well experienced and knowledgeable in the relevant fields to suggest and pass the relevant laws. Eg: Security experts to oversee passing of laws to govern terrorist acts.

Stop differential rules and practices based on religions and a common mode of law be applicable at every institution. For example, if one has to attend prayers in the temple/church/ kovil/mosque, during official working hours they will apply for leave for the time away from office so that we create a fair environment for everyone.

Deradicalisation and coming together as ‘One Sri Lanka’

The government has to consult with professionals and launch a deradicalisation programme. This has to be a delivered nationwide though educational and informational sessions covering all religions and all communities. We are all Sri Lankans; we are all human beings and we have to learn to respect others irrespective of the religious faith or the language we speak.

One simple truth has to be understood by everyone. This is the fact that there are extremists in every religion. In the past, we have seen extremists in every single community in Sri Lanka. As long as we have the idea that our religion or language is better than others we cannot live in harmony for a long time.

Unity will then not be sustainable. There will be someone, a politician, an organisation or a country that will try or want to exploit that vulnerability, that weakness. We need to change the mentality of all people to be more compassionate and to be able to treat everyone equally. To guide people in this direction a strong political leadership is essential. At least the religious leaders must come forward and constantly talk to people and guide them on the right path.

Power of wisdom

We need to see the situation as it is and think twice before taking any action. Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers – irrespective of our race and religion, we are all in the same boat. We are manipulated and controlled by the men and women in ‘power’. It’s time to wake up and understand this. It is time to stop the violence and stop fulfilling someone else’s agenda.

It is time that we realise this has happened several times in the history of our country and today we are being fooled them yet again. It is us who have created an environment for these extremist to establish in our beautiful land as amid the chaos we create, it is easy for them to come forward with their own agendas and even implement their radical thoughts to a preoccupied society.

The most unfortunate of all is that our politicians supporting extremists in order to gain higher number of votes or monetary benefits. If as the population of the country we do not wake up now and stand up for ourselves, it will be us who will be suffering, living in fear and the country will be at a standstill. Like a rugby ball in a game, we will be passed on from to one political party to another, just to be fooled and used for ever.

Conclusion

Human beings love their lives. It is therefore not easy or natural for someone to go out and risk their lives to fight a war. However, their innocence is taken for granted and manipulated for the benefit of a few. Their minds are such that when detestation is forced, together with high levels of manipulation, radicalisation forced into the minds. In this instance, in Sri Lanka, our religious differences were used negatively to ensure that destruction was created – just for the benefit of a few.

This is not new to us. Sri Lanka has experienced this for decades. When the leadership is weak and corrupt and their personal gain is the main focus rather than country’s welfare, the people are more prone to manipulation. The poor public is therefore bombarded with the wrong ideologies and this persuades them to fight against each other.

At this crucial junction of the country, we should remember what we have gone through in the past; Black July, JVP riots, three decades long civil war with the LTTE, etc. During these bloody time periods even those who were not engaged directly in battle, developed hatred against other cultures, religions and races. This is what is expected even now by the extremists and politicians.

Every time we were misled by one political group in to hate and divide us in to groups, another political party came in to power using our votes by promising that they save us and the country. We believed them, only to realise years later we were fooled again. It’s high time we change this cycle, this time with a permanent solution.

As fellow Sri Lankans, we need to be united and lead this common cause to develop a footprint to our country to greater heights and achieve sustainable growth and peace. If we don’t stand together, then all those politicians and corrupt individuals or extremists will use our innocence and ignorance to gain undue advantage. This is a vicious cycle that can be stopped only if we act with wisdom and rise above our differences.

We are Sri Lankans. This is our Island of Paradise. Our war should not be against religions and cultures but against the politico-religious extremism. Our fight is to protect the rights of the innocent and create an environment that our children can grow and live happily.

We, as One Sri Lanka, should create a human chain to spring out of the well, from the shoes of any political agendas and only promote, spread humanity and humility. This is the only formula which will ensure sustainable peace resulting in a better country and thereby a safer and better world. (A philanthropist and all-island Justice of Peace, Indunil Fernando was also appointed as Asian Chair and President of the Sri Lankan Chapter of a leading humanitarian organisation and was bestowed the title of ‘Samasri Deshakeerthi’ by The United Organisation of all Communities. He is also a renowned management professional with over 22 years’ experience across multiple industries and business verticals, especially within the telecommunications industry. He can be contacted at linkedin.com/ in/indunil-fernando)

WE HAVE TO STAND TOGETHER AS SRI LANKANS, ONE SRI LANKA AGAINST EXTREME IDEOLOGIES, HARMFUL POLITICAL AGENDAS AND EDUCATE PEOPLE TO BE TOLERANT AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR DIFFERENCES. IT IS THIS DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES THE COUNTRY BEAUTIFUL

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK TO OUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE INCIDENTS TAKING PLACE WITH THE INTENTION OF PLANTING BASIC HUMAN ETHICS IN THEM. THEY WILL BE TOMORROW’S ADULTS AND POLITICAL LEADERS

EXTREMISM OF ANY KIND IS A THREAT TO A HEALTHY SOCIETY, WHICH COEXISTS WITH TOLERANCE AND ACCEPTANCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT INVOLVES VIOLENCE

WE, AS ONE SRI LANKA, SHOULD CREATE A HUMAN CHAIN TO SPRING OUT OF THE WELL, FROM THE SHOES OF ANY POLITICAL AGENDAS AND ONLY PROMOTE, SPREAD HUMANITY AND HUMILITY