2019 Easter Massacre in Sri Lanka.

There were plenty of indications that some kind of incident was going to occur.  Some Muslim Leaders/Politicians had warned the govt of possible terror attack, some even naming possible suspects*. The incidents or information were either ignored or worse perpetrators were released.

*This is quite different from main stream Tamil politicians who kept shielding at minimum or encouraging the LTTE who were referred to as our "boys". eg SJV Chelvanayagam, Amirthalingam etc who finally were assassinated by the "boys".

Possible reasons for Inaction by the Govt
a) In fighting within the govt and finger pointing at the previous Rajapakse regime.
b) Current govt and President were elected on a minority vote and reluctance to clamp down on a segment of their constituency.

A simple timeline
a) December 2018.  Buddhist Statues vandalized in Mawanella
b) December 2018: Pattern of denial that radical Muslims exist.  See comments in link below.
     https://twitter.com/azzamameen/status/1078290050498977799?lang=en
c) January 2019:  Two suspects in Mawanella traced to coconut estate in Wanathavilluwa**. 
                              Large quantities of explosives found.
      http://mirrorcitizen.dailymirror.lk/2019/01/23/damaging-buddha-statues-father-of-the-two-accused-arrested/

d) March 2019: Mohamed Razak Taslim,  Minister Kabir Hasims's Coordinating Secretary is shot by muslim extremists.  Taslim had been assisting the CID  in investigating December 2018 vandalizing of Buddhist statutes.
e) April 2019: Easter Sunday Massacre targeting Christians and Westerners: 300+ killed.

**Wanathavilluwa is kind of middle of nowhere, big (for SL) rolling coconut Farms/estates and scrub jungle, but still a center.  10 km from Wilpattu National Park (Jungle).  140 km from the Colombo center.   From nearby Kalpitiya or Karaithivu by  boat approx 100 km to Dhanuskodi or Toothukudi

Mohamed Zahran (Abu Ubaida) also called Moulvi Zahran Hashim

Ancillary Information
a) National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) and leader Mohamed Zahran (Abu Ubaida) also called Moulvi Zahran Hashim were responsible for the massacre.
b) Note there is Sri Lanka Towheeth Jamaath (SLTJ)., Ceylon Towheeth Jamaath (CTJ)and a  Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath.
c)  Apparently Moulvi Zahran Hashim and NTJ have/had YouTube videos in Tamil calling for killing of Kafirs (non Muslims) and jihad. The local villagers say those videos were common and had watched at least some of them.

What can be done

a)  Stop teaching of Arabic after school.  All the Muslim children in this village do two hours of Arabic lessons after school. Prevention is better than cure
b) Moulavi/Lebbes visiting Pakistan or Saudi Arabia should be kept under investigation.
c) Madrassas should be investigated.
d) Either heavy military presence in mono ethnic enclaves, including Jaffna. Or change in population composition, if needs be by State intervention, so be it.
e) Foreign Aid, donations cannot be to a single ethnic group or religion.

Some excerpts

http://www.ft.lk/top-story/Blame-game-over-terror-attacks/26-676853
Meanwhile, Highways and Road Development Minister Kabir Hashim claimed that some of the members linked to the NTJ and suspected to be responsible for the terror attacks on Sunday had earlier been arrested over the Wanathawilluwa explosives raid on 18 January but were later released.

“I have been informed that one or two persons that were arrested during Wanathawilluwa explosive haul were released by the Police because of political influence. There is speculation that one person that got released was involved in a suicide attack on Sunday,” he added. However, Hashim said that he could only confirm this information within the next couple of days.

Police also identified the suicide bomber of the Shangri-La Hotel as Imzaan Seelavan. Presenting evidence before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, Police said that Seelavan’s wife, his brother and two children had died in the explosion in Dematagoda on Sunday.

Seelavan, who was an owner of a factory in the Wellmapitiya area, had about 100 people in his employment, Police told courts. Nine of his employees had been arrested during a joint operation by the Colombo Crimes Division and Terrorist Investigation Department (TID). The nine suspects were remanded till 6 May. Court ordered Police to conduct an in-depth investigation and present the findings to Court. The magistrate also gave permission for Police to obtain phone records of the nine suspects.

The three Policemen who died in the Dematagoda blasts were posthumously awarded promotions.

-----------------------------------------------

Video of alleged Sri Lanka suspect moments before blast. Looks a nice peaceful run of the mill guy.
Pats the head of a little child before he walks into the church and detonates the bomb.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2019/04/22/sri-lanka-attack-new-surveillance-video-kiley-pkg-lead-vpx.cnn

Buddhas Birthplace: 600 BC Temple Excavated

Archaeologists have found in Lumbini, Nepal a 600 BC temple with tree roots in the middle.  This tree may
possibly validate the claim that Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Buddha under a tree.

Excerpts from NY Times

In traditional narratives, Queen Maya Devi, the mother of Buddha, gave birth to him while holding on to a branch of a tree in a garden at Lumbini, in what is now Nepal. Accounts vary as to when this occurred, leaving uncertain the founding century of one of the world’s major religions.

Until now, archaeological evidence favored a date no earlier than the third century B.C., when the Emperor Asoka promoted the spread of Buddhism through South Asia, leaving a scattering of shrines and inscriptions to the man who became “the enlightened one.” A white temple on a gently sloping plateau at Lumbini, 20 miles from the border with India, draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year to read a sandstone pillar documenting Asoka’s homage at the Buddha’s birthplace.

But new excavations by archaeologists at Lumbini have uncovered evidence of a much earlier timber shrine and brick structures above it — all of which lay beneath the temple that is a Unesco World Heritage site long identified as the birthplace. Dating fragments of charcoal and grains of sand, researchers determined that the lower structures were erected as early as the sixth century B.C.

The international team of archaeologists said the lower structures were laid out on the same design as the more recent temple. The timber shrine even had an open space in the center that suggested a link to the Buddha’s nativity tradition. Deep tree roots in the center space may even have been from the tree his mother presumably held on to.

Although much is known of the Buddha’s teachings and half a billion people are Buddhists, there is little to document his life, Dr. Coningham said, except through textual sources and oral tradition. He said, “We thought, why not go back to archaeology to try to answer some of the questions about his birth?

http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/087/ant0871104.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25088960 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/science/new-clues-may-change-buddhas-date-of-birth.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Saudi Religious Police: Anyone Using Twitter Will Go To Hell

 Straight quotes, nothing to add

The head of Saudi Arabia’s religious police has warned citizens against using Twitter, which is rising in popularity among Saudis.

Sheikh Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh said anyone using social media sites – and especially Twitter – “has lost this world and his afterlife”.

Twitter was the platform for those who did not have any platform, he said.

His remarks reflect Riyadh’s concern that Saudis use Twitter to discuss sensitive political and other issues.

The conservative kingdom is believed to have seen the world’s fastest increase in the uptake of Twitter, says the BBC’s Sebastian Usher.

The sheikh’s comments echo those of the imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca in April who used his sermon – seen by millions on TV – to warn that Twitter was a threat to national unity, our correspondent says.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti, the kingdom’s most senior Muslim cleric, had dismissed Twitter users as “fools”.

These rhetorical attacks are part of a concerted offensive by the Saudi establishment on the social network site, our correspondent says.

From BBC via http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-20/saudi-religious-police-warn-anyone-using-twitter-will-go-hell

Buddhism and Evangelical Christians

These were a set of comments on blog post by Jack Point titled Then they came for the Christians.  I gave some lengthy comments.  My initial reply was based on the implied assertion of the article that it was only Buddhists who were attacking churches.  Given the discussion issues on religion thought the comments should be put on a post. 

I personally know of (and some of the people) two occasions where the Catholic priest and some of his congregation attacked an Evangelist pastor and his congregation. These incidents occurred in Negombo/Talahena area.

I also have a cousin who is an Evangelist pastor (and a former diver) in the deep south Balapitiya/Hikkaduwa/Galle area. I know the congregation and I lived in the area (Dodanduwa/Pinkanda) for some time.

My cousins observation is that they never have problems with the priests of the wealthy temples. So what comes across is that its competition for influence over the poorer and emotionally vulnerable segment of society. You get a wealthy segment also attached to Evangelist churches (e.g. AOG in Colpetty) but thats mainly in the large towns. So some of the Catholic/Buddhist priests with poorer constituents resort to harassment when they see their numbers and influence eroding.

Lot of interesting dynamics, interesting stories (to me at least, as I am atheist/agnostic). I get to hear both sides of the story, specially when I go to the nearby estate to drink toddy (ra).

Jack Point replied
Thanks for that comment sbarrkum.
The evangelicals tend to prey on the catholics and the other established churches so that is the source of conflict.
I dislike all form of religious extremism, religion should be a private matter and the public at large should not be disturbed or inconvenienced as a result of religious observances.

Prey is probably quite extreme word. What happens more often is that the poor/lower segments of society are accepted as equals and lot of community support.   Among the wealthy an Evangelical church looks attractive during times of an emotional crisis.

a) Example the husband would be out in deep sea (Tanki Bottu) for weeks. The wife just had a child and no family support because until becoming Christian the husband had been ganja/booze fiend (I knew the guy before and after). Someone from the church would always be visiting to give support. That just reinforces the example. These were die hard Buddhists on the beach side in Dodanduwa. So much so a year or two later when the father died, they had Christian rites.

b) Tamil family in Dodanduwa. Not estate Tamils though most people think so. Father had been from Kerala (I think) worked on fishing boats and ended in Dodanduwa. Again acceptance by the community has made pretty much the whole family Christian.

Malcom X a famous Black Muslim

This second example dynamics I see working in the Estates. Catholics or Buddhists could have invited them to Temple/Church. However, the congregation should also be accepting and treat them as equals. This does not occur in Church/Temples. However, in Evangelist churches, the congregation is more than (than less) accepting of all.

I am not a big fan of Evangelical Christianity but see that it helps people who have fallen through the cracks of society. Much like the Black Muslims/Nation of Islam in the US

Jack Point replied
You are probably right. The examples you cite are a positive side that I did not know existed, thanks for that info.

Have you heard anything about the Four Square Church? This is a "church in a kit" franchise that is reportedly expanding rapidly in the N/E?

My biggest concern with the evangelicals is that some are a front for financial fraud - they insist that worshipers pay a tithe - donate 10% of all their income to the church. There is no proper accounting for the money and the church organisers/pastors/leaders seem to spend this on themselves, leading a life of luxury.

I know of a medical doctor turned pastor who has given up his medical practice and who seems to lead a very opulent life on the donations he receives. He runs his own worship centre, unaffiliated to anything else, so he pockets the entire tithe. 

BTW, the financial fraud is a big issue in the US.

Also, have heard stories (of some churches) that people who recruit to the churches are paid a commission, the money being recouped in the regular tithe received from members. 

In Judaism ma'aser kesafim/Tzedaka they give 10% and in Islam Zakat of between 2.5 and 20% (Note similarity of words Tzedaka and Zakat). Christianity has a 10% tithe and the Old Testament basis for Tithes is the same as for Judaism. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are based on the same foundations, but dont tell that to an adherent, they will have an apoplectic fit.

Just as an aside, 10% of a 1,000 (i.e 100) is easier to give than 10% of a 100,000 (i.e. 10,000). So less likely for the the rich to part with 10%.

Now for the corruption issue. Yes, absolutely. Money corrupts and lots of money corrupts a lot. Thats true across all religions, organizations social groups what ever. You don't get too much corruption at the village level. They barely get enough to support themselves, i.e. pay for church electric bill etc. In my cousins case, he gets money from another cousin (they are loaded) for capital projects. That said I know of a couple of people who started as very poor Pastors many years ago and live a very luxurious life now.  Lot of this insight is because my Grandparents (from my mothers side) were the first to support the AOG and Ceylon Pentecostal Mission in the South. They built the first evangelical Church (before World War II) and also supported the European missionaries. At that time the European missionaries were poor. (Think NGO workers compared to Upper Middle Class Colombo types, but much bigger differences). That changed in the 50's with the Europeans being more well off.

Individuals start of with the goal of helping society thru religion, social service, whatever. As they become successful they feel they are entitled to greater share. Think Sathya Sai Baba, the multitude of Gurus in India (and US) and some of the Buddhist priests in Sri Lanka.

Now for the Kicker
Some of this corruption or misuse of funds can be controlled by having legislation to ensure all these entities are registered as Non-Profit organizations subject to audits and published accounts each year (Even that has not made much dent in the US).  Do you think Buddhist Temples and Hindu Temples will agree to this rule.

You and I may not think so, but these entities must be providing some service, emotional support whatever. Just like any other extortion racket like government taxes, if the service is not sufficient for whatever form of payments rendered, people will stop paying or find ways to get out.

Four Square Church: Never heard of it but they have a website http://www.foursquare.org/. Seems like a ponzi multi-level marketing scheme.

Jack Point replied
Thanks for the insight sbarrkum :)
Agree on the need for accountability.
I guess people will move out, on their own, if they do not see some benefit in it.
My attitude towards religion is somewhat coloured by Abraham Kovoor's polemic....:)

Poverty, Squalor, Nuns and NGO's

From CounterPunch
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/02/19/poverty-squalor-and-nuns/

As both a non-Catholic and atheist, I have all the creds I need when it comes to doing a number on the granddaddy of organized religions.  As a non-Catholic, I can mock their rituals, I can deplore their history, I can wail in indignation at their sexual molestation scandals, and I can snicker at the Pope’s hat.
And as an atheist I could fly to the moon on the gas created by Catholicism’s medieval hocus-pocus.  People may smirk all they like at Scientology (a religion invented by a pulp fiction writer), but I think the case can be made that if the Pope and L. Ron Hubbard had a pissing contest over which theology was more outlandish, the Pope would win.
But as a former Peace Corps volunteer in Northern India, who saw firsthand the humanitarian contributions made by the Catholic Church, I shall neither mock nor criticize them.  Indeed, the extent to which Catholic nuns were helping needy Indians was awe-inspiring.
Back then, the big, institutional relief agencies in India—the ones whose motorized vehicles constituted practically the only traffic on India’s rural, one-lane highways—were CARE, UNICEF, the Red Cross, OxFam, and the CRS (Catholic Relief Services).  The Peace Corps had a few, scattered outposts in the region, but their missions were more “project-oriented” (e.g. rural manpower, water wells, poultry, etc.) than “relief-oriented.”
Prior to India I had no experience with any of this stuff.  I was 22 years old.  Although I had heard of CARE, UNICEF, OxFam, et al, I had no idea how they operated.  It took me a while to figure out that, despite being dedicated to their jobs, the thing these guys cared most about was career advancement.
And the more I hung out with them, the more obvious this became.  Mind you, I’m not knocking them.  In their position, I would’ve behaved the same way.  These were educated, youngish Americans and Brits.  They were compassionate.  They were honest, diligent workers.  Most of them were working in fairly hostile environments.  And to their credit, they had chosen a career in charity rather than in high finance.
But they were fanatics when it came to promotions.  When you met them socially, say in a hotel bar in New Delhi, all they did was gossip about who was being transferred, who had left, who had moved up, who was hot, who was cold, and which job openings were considered the plums.  It’s doubtful these same topics were being discussed by Indian nuns.
Two impressive things about the nuns.  First, their mission was located in one of the most remote hell-holes you could imagine.  How they even found this spot was a mystery.  The way I found it was completely by chance.  One morning, with an urge to explore, I drove my Suzuki motor-bike deep into the rural scrub brush, miles from the nearest paved road.  What I found was poverty and squalor.  And nuns.
Second, these women were the happiest, most self-fulfilled people I had ever met.  They were doing God’s work—caring for children, feeding the hungry, ministering to the sick.  Speaking perfect English (they spoke Hindi as well), they told me that they’d been at the mission for many years, but couldn’t recall exactly how many.  And how long do you expect to stay here? I asked (Why on earth would I ask that??).  Until we are called back, they answered serenely.
Oddly, when I returned home, the only people who appreciated my nun stories were other Catholics.  While the Protestants grudgingly credited the nuns with helping the poor, they were quick to point out that these ladies were on a recruiting mission—sent to India to convert Hindus into Catholics.  So before we start handing out accolades, they said, we need to remember that these sharp-eyed nuns had a hidden agenda.
I can still recall how proud this display of inter-denominational bullshit and pettiness made me feel about being a Godless atheist.
David Macaray, a Los Angeles playwright and author (“It’s Never Been Easy:  Essays on Modern Labor,” 2^nd Edition), was a former labor union rep.  He can be reached at dmacaray@earthlink.net

Ritual Piercing at Paniaddi Temple (Noracholai, Kalpitiya)

Body Piercing Ritual called Kavadi (or Kaavadi) at a Hindu Kovil (I think Kali Amman) at Paniaddi near Noracholai (Kalpitiya Road)I was fascinated and amazed at the ecstasy and joy clearly visible in the devotee. (The property for this Kovil was donated by a long time friend's father, a Sinhalese Methodist who owned the ancestral coconut property Dostorawatte)

See wiki on Body Piercing for Background Info
Couple of Links to other Body Piercing Rituals

Thailands Vegetarian Festival
Thaipusam in Singapore

Passing Thought:
I read somewhere "You'll find more shockingly pierced people at any random heavy metal concert"

Hindu Tea

Hindu Tea, the Caption says it all.
Available in Grocery stores around Flushing, NY

The Gathering Storm

This just had to be posted, given what is happening in the World. It is possibly esoteric stuff, but maybe well worth reading. Incidentally this is from a financial blog that is fairly doomster.

Guest Post: The Gathering Storm

Submitted by Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform

“Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.” – Winston Churchill - The Second World War

A butterfly flapped its wings in Tunisia creating a hurricane that is swirling across the globe, wreaking havoc with the existing social order and sweeping away old crumbling institutions and dictatorships. The linear thinking politicians, pundits and thought leaders have been knocked for a loop. They didn’t see it coming and they don’t know where it’s leading. An examination and understanding of history would have revealed that we have been here before. We were here in 1773. We were here in 1860. We were here in 1929. We are here again. The Fourth Turning has returned in its predictable cycle, just as Winter always follows Fall.

Read complete article here: http://www.zerohedge.com/

Does the Uranus in Aries From March 11 2011 to 2018 and Pluto in Capricorn jive with the Fourth Turning ?

Galle Heliwela: Thoil Thovil: Exorcism and Yak Natum

One of the few complete thovil videos I have seen online. This is old old music, pre Buddhist and I'd almost say before out of Africa. Ive shown these videos to Afro Cuban/Puerto Ricans and maybe then I can convince them I am out of Africa too. Its just the rhythms, so complex and for the uninitiated so out of tune. That said whats with the court jester head gear.

As crainsy1337 says

The yakun natima, or devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka, is nothing if not full of drama. Not just a charade or interval designed to entertain, the yakun natima is a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past. It combines ancient Ayurvedic concepts of disease causation with deft psychological manipulation. Lasting up to twelve hours, it mixes raucous humour with deep-rooted fears to create a healing catharsis for both patient and community.

I just like the words in the first part. Is it about Seenigama Devol Kumaru.

Nondi Kumaru .......
Demala mau .....

Kawadi Somiya: Matara 2005

Assume this was a vow by someone in the forces. Watched this when I was nostalgic and out of SL about two three years ago. Still good and revives spirits, and reminds me why I continue to be a Sri Lankan. Like the part "Ranjan Aiya" around 7:10 mins. Cheers.

Babalu Aye: Deity and Dance : Cuba and Puerto Rico

Babalu Aye and dances for the other Orishas are the bases for Salsa, Mambo dances. Babalu Aye is also syncretized with Saint Lazarus

Paul Simon makes reference to Babalu Aye in his song "Rhythm of the Saints", which first appeared on the 1990 album of the same name. The lyrics enigmatically state: "Balalu-aye spins on his crutches/ Says leave if you want/ If you want to leave." Simon also used Saint Lazarus/Babalu Aye as a character in his Broadway show, "The Capeman"

Included a street (I think version) and a stage, Lionel Wendt version. For those who are thinking that the kids in the street version are being exploited (maybe they are, we working class are exploited all our lives) think of ballerinas. Ballerinas look more well off, they wear fancy clothes so look less exploited. Try wearing ballerina dresses in hot humid Cuba, that would be exploitation.



The Lionel Wendt version


This looks so much like a Gamini Fonseka filim in the 70's I had to linky it. This one is probably late 40's.