• A mockery of Justice

• Protest over 'Buddha Bar' in Dubai

• Speech tolerance and respect

A mockery of Justice

ALMOST everyday we are being shown news on TV regarding the satyagraha being conducted by the UNP, Leftist politicians who have lost all credibility in this country, so much so that they have to enter Parliament through the back door and one or two misguided Buddhist priests, all clamouring to have S.B. Dissanayake released from jail.

What these people fail to realize is that SB is not in jail. He is enjoying the comforts of the Merchant's Ward of the National Hospital.

All this because he has plenty of money. What a mockery of justice that our judiciary lacks the mechanism to ascertain from independent expert medical opinion whether this man is really ill.

Can an ordinary person escape serving his jail sentence in this fashion? Recently, someone is reported to have said that SB should be released because he has been an exemplary prisoner. SB has been an exemplary patient!

A Buddhist priest has questioned why the President cannot talk about the release of SB when he (the President) has time to talk to the Tigers.

Venerable Sir, the latter is a National issue, affecting the lives of millions of innocent people, whereas SB is only the concern of a handful of people trying to come into power and distract the country from other issues.

I would like to ask all those who are participating in this campaign for freedom, whether they have ever led protest marches, strikes, fast unto death, satyagraha, satyakriya and whatever else may be coined, to protest against the murderer Prabhakaran, when he abducts innocent people, murders political opponents, recruits underage children.

Did you people protest when three Police Officers were taken into custody by the Tigers and imprisoned? Have you asked the Tigers to release them? Have you protested when Officers of the Intelligence Corps were gunned down brutally?

You people, led by the Leader of the Opposition are hypocrites. It is a shame that you do not show the same compassion for the ordinary people who have suffered greater injustice than SB, both in courts and outside, and these have been documented by International Human Rights Institutions.

Please send letters/postcards to the President demanding that he gets the policemen who are in Tiger custody released and send similar letters and protest against the Tigers for violating the ceasefire thousands of time.

Show unity to the Tigers, so that the present government can go with the backing of all people to find a peaceful solution to the ethnic issue. Let SB enjoy the comforts of a hospital bed.

Please think of the thousands of tsunami victims who are homeless, who do not have basic facilities, hardly any food, in spite of the millions of dollars sent for their relief. Venerable Buddhist Priest, you should be in the forefront of this movement and you will surely attain Nibbana!

LAKSHMAN PERERA - Kandy

Protest over 'Buddha Bar' in Dubai

IN the wake of worldwide violent protests by Muslims against the publication of a Danish newspaper cartoon vilifying the prophet Mohamed, Sri Lankan Buddhists working in the United Arab Emirates have expressed anger over the opening of a so-called Buddha Bar in a European-owned hotel in Dubai.

They allege that the management of Grosvenor House West Marina Beach, Dubai, had demonstrated its total insensitivity to the feelings of Buddhists everywhere by placing a Buddha statue inside a liquor bar in the hotel, as a means of attracting customers.

Its creator Raymond Visan, was quoted as saying "I love having a crazy idea and bringing it to reality."

Vehemently condemning this cynical attitude towards Buddha's personality, several Sri Lankan expatriates in Dubai said that because of the non-violent nature of Buddhism, Western business tycoons have taken it for granted that they can exploit the Buddha's image for commercial purpose as much as they like, although they seldom dare to do so with any islamic religious symbols. (Islam forbids any representation of the Prophet).

"To say the least, associating the Buddha with alcohol in any form is a grave insult to the Enlightened One, who - like the Holy Prophet - preached his followers strongly against liquor consumption," angry Buddhists said.

The Paris daily France Soir, which reproduced the Prophet Mohamed cartoon, defended what it calls freedom of expression in a Feb. 2 editorial -despite the paper's owner having offered an apology to the Muslim community. Commenting on the editorial's argument, members of the Sri Lankan Buddhist community said:

"We Buddhists do not consider insulting religious personalities as freedom of expression - a bogus excuse that pseudo intellectuals give when they insult founders of religions. Buddhism is open to anyone for discussion and debate, which is real freedom of thought and expression. It has nothing to do with insulting and ridiculing the founder of any religion."

Of the large Sri Lankan population in UAE, around 90 per cent are Buddhists.On earlier occasions too, there were reports of the Buddha image being used in liquor bars and for various other commercial purposes (including the promotion of pornographic material) in the West.

A couple of years ago, British Airways was compelled withdraw the use of Buddha image to promote airline facilities, after strong protests by Buddhists.

The newspaper cartoon insulting Prophet Mohamed disturbed a hornet's nest in the Middle East and elsewhere and resulted in the sacking of the France Soir's managing editor after the paper reproduced the Danish cartoon.

JANAKA PERERA

Speech tolerance and respect

GLOBAL protests over cartoons of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) escalating day by day, with few demonstrators killed in Afghanistan, Somalia and Lebanon and warning shots fired outside a US consulate in Indonesia.

Muslims throughout the world are appalled at the European media for its provocation on Muslims through creating unacceptable caricatures of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

It is rather facile, to seek refuge in simple statements about the rights of free press.

Muslims also have the right to feel safe and not threatened and derided by such unprovoked provocation.

Creating caricatures to depict the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with a Bomb in his turban is not protecting anyone's freedom of speech. This action was guaranteed to give further offence to Muslims who would regard this as an Islamophobic and xenophobic attack on their culture and traditions.

We believe that the media have the right to serve the public interest but they also have the responsibility to be fair and not elevate their rights above those of the others.

I appeal to the Muslims to respond with better human qualities of tolerance and respect for life and property.

To observe self-control and reach for peace as taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and try not to react to hate with hate.

I hope that sense will prevail and the media do not now perpetuate and reproduce this unfair representation of our beloved Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The Muslims could put pen to paper and write to editors showing them better ways to protect freedom of speech, tolerance and respect for communities. I also appeal to the European News Editors to realise the course of responsible freedom of speech and not to hurt the feelings of Muslims.

A. ABDUL AZIZ - Negombo.