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Time to end religious intolerance

Mounting attacks on Christian churches in the run-up to Christmas are triggering concern among the civic-conscious and peace-loving citizenry that the forces fomenting religious intolerance and strife are, once again, up and about.

Reports said that more than 220 such religious institutions have come under attack thus far, with the latest attack on a church being reported in Orugodawatte in the Maradana area.

It needs be said right away that such brutish behaviour only further tarnishes the fair name of Mother Lanka. This was a country which took pride in her multi-religious and multiethnic character and this noble legacy came down to us from time immemorial.

In fact, Sri Lanka could have been described as a model of religious harmony and mutual tolerance. Current developments, however, indicate that forces are feverishly at work to end this joyous state of affairs.

The attack on the Shah Rukh Khan concert which besmirched Lanka's honour, leads us to believe that these disruptive forces are not only opposed to minority religions but are also highly xenophobic and intolerant of anything seen as foreign. A very sorry situation, considering our development needs in a globalized milieu.

Rising religious intolerance in this country couldn't be considered a fleeting phenomenon which would disappear into thin air.

The forces propelling this tragic trend which are today enjoying some political space, seem to be hell bent on turning Sri Lanka into a theocracy - that is, a state where the clergy would wield political power and do so unchallenged.

In such a dispensation, subjective beliefs would be the basis of legislation and jurisprudence. Secularism and democratic norms and principles would be thrown overboard and the human rights of all would come under assault. Thus, defeating these theocratic forces would be in the common interest.

It could be argued that we are a democratic country and that the advocates of theocracy too have the right to propagate their ideologies.

Fine, but this should be done through the adoption of democratic procedures. The purveyors of these obscurantist dogmas could in no way be allowed to propagate their viewpoint by resorting to violence, religious hatred and terror.

They could in no way be permitted to win converts by preaching intolerance and antipathy towards the country's minority religions and those social groups which do not share their ethnic origins. In this direction lies repression and tyranny.

We urge the State to lose no time in bringing to heel these political forces which are intent on fomenting religious strife and intolerance in Sri Lanka. At stake is our culture of tolerance and democratic accommodation-in other words, the noble Buddhistic heritage not bigotry, and violence in the name of fundermentalism.

Our fervent plea is that these agents of destabilization be collared and neutralized before a religious dimension is added to the country's woes.

Year of microcredit, sports

The United Nations has designated 2005 as the International Year of Microcredit and the International Year of Sport and Physical Education. Having two themes is a somewhat unusual move, but it indicates the importance of both microcredit and sport.

The term 'Microcredit' was unheard of a few years ago. Microcredit generally means a small loan given to an individual or organisation not considered creditworthy by regular banks. The loans are provided with little or no collateral.

With the advent of specialised microcredit institutions such as the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the concept of microcredit has gained worldwide acceptance. Branches of Grameen have been opened around the world, including Sri Lanka, in partnership with local banks.

Microcredit has become a veritable weapon in the fight against poverty. Samurdhi, Sri Lanka's main poverty alleviation programme, relies heavily on the provision of microcredit to the poor to ensure that they become self-reliant.

The UN has requested all those involved in poverty eradication to take additional steps to make available credit and related services for self-employment and income generating activities to the poor.

Governments, NGOs, the private sector and the media have been urged to highlight the role of microcredit in poverty eradication, its contribution to social development and its positive impact on the lives of the poor.

With UN endorsement and encouragement, the coming year should see an explosive growth in microcredit operations in developing economies.

Microcredit has the potential to uplift millions more lives and more financial institutions should be urged to enter this sector. The World Bank and the IMF should also be actively involved in popularising the concept of microcredit.

Sports are equally important for physical and mental health. The UN aims to encourage the use of sports to promote education, health, development and peace.

The sports-health link should be brought to the fore from childhood. Sports can bring about peace between different communities and even among different countries. Sports events can also be used to educate people on various issues affecting their communities.

Schools must devote more time for physical education (PE), which is as important as textbook education. Students who actively participate in sports are more likely to be physically and mentally fit than their comparatively inactive peers.

Most schools now begin the day with a period of exercises for students, which complements separate PE lessons. This is a good move that will benefit the children in the long term.

The UN, through its numerous organisations, must provide its expertise to individual countries to successfully implement their microcredit and sports programmes.

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