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The attack on foreign diplomats by the LTTE in the Eastern Province
is an act of terrorism that amounts to yet another violation of the
Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) by the LTTE. As you are aware, the CFA which
was brokered by the Norwegian Government five years ago has been
violated more than 5,000 times by the LTTE.
This Agreement has not only failed to achieve its objective of
ushering peace in Sri Lanka, but also has resulted in a protracted war
against the Sri Lanka Government and the loss of thousands of innocent
lives.
It is also a well known secret that the Norwegian Government has been
helping the LTTE to wage war against the Sri Lankan Government. This has
been revealed by Karuna, the former LTTE Commander of the Eastern
Province and also many other sources such as the Norwegians Against
Terrorism (NAT).
Since the SLMM mission has failed, I request you to publicly
apologise to the government and the people of Sri Lanka for your
failures and the misery your Norwegian Government has brought to the
lives of the ordinary people in the North and East of Sri Lanka. You
should also pay compensation to those affected by your crimes.
If you are truely against terrorism, I also request you to condemn
the brutal attack on the Ambassadors of the United States and Italy, and
to declare the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.
TISSA WARUSAWITHANA
Australia
via email
The article on the above subject by Mibjiard (DN Feb. 21) takes the
position that music has no place in Islam because music fosters
anti-religious sentiments and behaviour.
But there is also music which fosters positive religious sentiments
and behaviour. The muezzins’s chanting that I hear several times a day
is a case in point. I have seen a book of poems by the Islamic Sufi
mystic, Jelaludin Rumi (1206-1273).
References to music in the poems are plentiful. One of them is called
“Where everything is music”.
V. BASNAYAKE
Colombo 4
Reference to Dr. Mareena Thaha Raffai’s letter on pre-marital love
affairs (D/N 27/02/07).
Dr. Raffai does not define what she means by marriage or legitimate
love. Is it just a certificate two people sign or is it a commitment two
people make to live a life of love and integrity?
If two persons can live committed to each other in love and integrity
who has the right to question the legitimacy or otherwise of it? My wife
and I had a loving relationship two years before we were married and
have been married five years and what matters to us is the commitment we
have to love and respect each other.
I also do not agree with Dr Raffai’s views on pre-marital love
affairs. Human nature is complex and what Dr. Raffai fails to understand
is that repression of human emotions for the sake of marriage (particulary
strong ones such as love and need for physical contact) can be equally
devastating and lead to depression and suicide.
I believe children should be taught the complexities of human nature
and to be responsible in their behaviour. Also, one should look into
what causes adultry. in most cases it’s a symptom of an unhappy
marriage.
I am in no way demeaning marriage but just wish to point out that it
does not necessary help solve society’s problems. Once two persons
commitment of love and integrity is a very personal thing and it’s not
up to anyone else to legitimise it.
ROSHAN DODANWELA
via email
As a very regular user of our roads, I often ask myself the pertinent
question ‘Do we have bus halts?’ Being a resident of Rajagiriya, the
Parliament Road is my only entry point to reach certain areas of Greater
Colombo.
As I enter the Parliament Road, I am often made to use my car brakes
for the simple reason that huge buses on this road suddenly stop at the
point where Nawala Road enters the Parliament Road.
To my knowledge, there is no bus halt at this point. The persons in
charge of these buses stop suddenly to enable the people working in
offices in that area to get off. This is risky.
Sydney Knight
Rajagiriya
Gamini Ranjit’s letter (DN Feb. 28) should be seen and action taken
by all concerned.
We scold the British who did so much for us by way of railroads,
schools, excellent health and education as well as subsidies that they
introduced but still wait with hat in hand for the Norsemen, World Bank,
Japanese etc.
K. SOYSA
via email
The public who come to the Court Complex in Fort, Galle find it
difficult to answer their call of nature due to the lack of public
toilet facilities within the Court Complex.
Men and women are using the toilet in the Court premises under much
difficulties in rotation. Even the employees who are working in lawyers’
offices have no proper place for their needs.
To ease this problem, about three months ago four latrines have been
built where the dilapidated latrines were - separately for men and
women. But these latrines are still closed although they are completed
and ready for use.
Is there no one to ceremonialy open these latrines?
P. L. SOMASIRI
Galle
China has been a close friend and a great benefactor of Sri Lanka, as
I recall, ever since the signing of the Rubber-rice Pact over 50 years
ago. Gifting an elephant is a fitting tribute to such a magnficent
friendship.
In the coming years, millions of Chinese children will see the
innocent Migara as the face of Sri Lanka. We will earn considerable
credit and love through him and further cement our relationship.
While the entire country benefits the only one who pays the price for
it is Migara, the baby elephant. He was taken very early in life and
banished away from his family, home and even the species to spend a
lonely future.
Through research in our own country, we now know elephants are social
animals living in close knit families, a baby more so than an adult.
In the past we have gifted two single elephants to China but that was
when we did not have an appreciation of their behaviour patterns. To do
it again, is an act of extreme cruelty in a Buddhist country where any
form of life is valued.
A good solution to the problem would be to negotiate with the Chinese
authorities and gift a companion for Migara with the clear understanding
that the two would not be separated.
DON WIJEWARDANA
USA
via email
With due respect to Dr. Athukorale, the learned doctor, I wish to
point out some assumptions in his article of the above caption published
in a daily newspaper. (Feb. 9)
He has divided the living things into only herbivores and carnivores.
He has forgotten the 3rd category called omnivores - those who eat both
meat and vegetables. Humans are neither carnivores nor herbivores - but
omnivores.
That’s why we don’t have claws but powerful hands better than
herbivores which can tear flesh to a certain extent. We do have the flat
teeth and the canines - signs of omnivores.
The human intestine can easily digest both vegetable and meat
products, contrary to what Dr. Athukorale says; there has not been any
proof of meat eating being the cause of cancer of colon.
According to Wikipedia, carnivores sip water; man sips water. Some of
his arguments are bordering on absurdity. He says herbivores have
grasping hands - do elephants, giraffes and deer have grasping hands?
Sweet tooth, snack feeders etc. are not worth even replying to.
As to the growth in full stature of body needing meat - I agree with
him that vegetarians are quite capable of growing in full stature. Man
can survive on vegetables alone, but he is quite capable of eating and
digesting meat too.
Muslims will always eat meat for it is a bounden duty for them to
slaughter animals and feed the poor during haj and even at other times,
it is considered a highly meritorious act to feed the poor with meat. Of
course, if a Muslim does not want to eat that too is permitted to them.
Allah created us and he know what is best for us.
Let those who want to eat meat eat, and if those who don’t want to,
let it be so.
Dr. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI
Dehiwela |
