Terrorism Nothing Islamic about it at all!

The Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 300 innocent people, mostly worshippers celebrating Easter, came as a rude shock to the Muslim community. Muslim families watched in disbelief as the events unfolded and the finger was pointed at ‘Islamic extremists.’ They could not believe that such a crime would be perpetrated in the name of a faith that has stood for

Eradicate extremism in all communities

It was a calculated massacre. This is terrorism and nothing else that nobody could and should tolerate. It must be rooted out forthwith. Are the Easter Sunday massacres in three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa and three leading tourist hotels in Colombo going to be the end of a ten-year respite the country has been enjoying after the end of the three-decade-old morbid ethnic war? No sane person in the country would prefer to go bac

Easter attacks and the politics of division Reach out to the Muslim communities that now live in fear of backlash

Questions will keep racing through everyone’s minds. Why Sri Lanka? Why now? Why churches and hotels? Why was Sri Lanka targeted and why was it done? Our harrowing history of war, conflict and polarisation, is again on the knife edge and may take a tragic turn. Memories of bombings and deaths, attacks on Churches, Mosques and Temples from the past will be rekindled. And those that feed on the politics of polarisation will be emboldened.

Blasts carried out by ISIS with local connection - Dr. Rohan Gunaratna

Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, Professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam Centre for International Studies in Singapore, says that the serial bombings in Colombo and two other towns in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, appear to be the handiwork of the Islamic State (IS) in collaboration with its “Sri Lankan branch.” Dr. Gunaratna, who is the foremost S

Carnage on Easter Sunday and a country in a state of denial

On December 26 last year, scores of Buddhist statues in Mawanella were vandalized. A Criminal Investigation Department (CID)investigation led to the arrest of seven suspects, including one who was caught by the locals, allegedly while undertaking the act of vandalism. Suspects were accused of being members of a radical Islamic group. They were charged under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, produced before the Mawanella M

Why Co-operatives?

The co-operatives (Known as Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies-MPCS) in the North have gained significant funds through the Budgets for 2018 and 2019. These allocations totalling over Rs 2.5 billion....

THE WAGES OF COMPLACENCY AND TERRORISM - EDITORIAL

The Daily Mirror grieves for over 200 Sri Lankans who fell victim to multiple terrorist attacks yesterday. We stand with the loved ones of the victims in this most tragic moment.....

US: Mueller report strengthens resolves on the both sides

After months as volunteer activists demanding that U.S. President Donald Trump be impeached, Eileen and Michael O’Brien sat on their couch on Thursday, cracked open a laptop and began to read the 448-page special counsel.....

Mob attack on Anuradhapura Methodist Centre and its aftermath

‘Aadara Sevana’ (Abode of Love) in Anuradhapura is a social service cum prayer centre run by the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka. It is located a few kilometres away from the Anuradhapura town at a place called Kundichchaankulama in Sinhala and Kundichchaankulam in Tamil. The relatively-unknown Methodist Centre in the North Central Province has been in the news lately for extremely-troubling reasons.

Eternal reward of self-sacrificing, feet-washing love

The Easter, the peak of Christian festivities, is celebrated around the same time that Buddhists and Hindus of our own country celebrate their New Year. In fact tonight, during the Easter Vigil,

Criminal liability and human rights violations

“To live up to their human rights obligations, governments have a duty to protect the rights of their citizens by accelerating the full implementation of the WHO FCTC” – Laurent Huber, Director US Action on Smoking and Health.

Can Gota win over Minorities?

Although Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa who is also the de-facto leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has been claiming that the SLPP has not decided on its Presidential candidate, many other political parties and media.....

Honouring tradition during New Year - EDITORIAL

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year has much to offer in terms of traditions which the dominant majority of this country boast of. Some practise these traditions with awareness while a good number of them merely go through the motions.

Political mess we wish to continue with

Thanks to the Chairman and members of the Elections Commission (EC), it is proved beyond doubt these much touted “Independent” Commissions are there at the expense of “taxpayer money” to play politics with the ruling government.

The Assange Affair: Who leaked what for whom?

Did we see the hand of fascism in last week’s arrest of Julian Assange, the co-founder of the whistleblower portal WikiLeaks? Is democracy a charade in Britain, despite it being the repository of the mother of all parliaments?

Let’s think sri lankan and be Sri Lankan - EDITORIAL

The Sinhalese (Buddhists) and the Tamils (Hindus) in Sri Lanka celebrated the Astrological New Year on Sunday with traditional religious observances and the attendant fun and games creating a sense of entertainment and bonhomie among friends, neighbours and relations.

when it comes to matters and articles of faith

Much has been made of politicians who worship at the Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andra Pradesh, India. The photos of bare-bodied politicians at worship have invited much comment in social media and much of it has been negative.

Sri Lanka’s politics… what’s the choice for those who seek change?

Change as a universal phenomenon is vastly understated; its effects, specifically of short-term genre, are not felt by a great majority in the human family; its long-term effects are left for historians to pen on paper long after the said changes have taken root. Absence of change for those who enjoy dwelling in the ‘comfort zone’ is as pleasurable and comfortable as a cushy

LIP SERVICE TO DEMOCRACY

Our country is once again poised on the brink of political anarchy, the Foreign Minister himself has been sent to negotiate bringing the biggest Drug King Pin back to the country!!! Could not the law, the international laws have been applied here to bring this scum back??? We have no basic infrastructure facilities; people are suffering without water and lights!!! Our country is in

Deafening silence over climate change effects

‘Being baked alive’ perhaps best described the Sri Lankan’s experience during this Sinhala and Hindu New Year. As mercury rose mercilessly, the countrymen went through the warmest New Year in recent times and though there were regular evening showers they did a very little to cool off the day time high temperatures.

People shouldn’t be divided based on language

With reference to above title news item in the Daily Mirror of April 9, in which the President is reported to have said that people should not be divided according to their spoken languages, and that all politicians of this pertinent question to be asked from the President himself is so then what action he has taken as President of the country, to unify the people by language.

Hiccups couldn’t dampen the spirits of Avurudhu

The unrelenting drought that had laid waste to tens of thousands of acres of crops in many districts as well as the loathed power and water cuts did not seem to have dampened the vigour with which our islanders celebrate their most cherished national festival.

National New Year, Nature and Elections

Tomorrow, Sri Lanka’s people rise beyond racial or religious differences, class or caste differences to celebrate the National New Year, known as Aluth Avurudda in Sinhala or Puthandu in Tamil. January 1 is only a calendar change based on Gregorian concepts introduced 437 years ago. But the National New Year has astronomical, cultural and other significant factors dating back to thousands of years. Astronomically, th

What’s at stake in the world’s largest election

Roughly, one in eight people are eligible to vote in elections that started on Thursday in India.The seven-phase vote to elect a new lower-house of Parliament will continue till May 19. With 900 million voters, the polls are a testament to India’s democracy and its commitment to universal franchise (all adults were eligible to vote starting with its first national election, unlike in many countries). The polls are not only extensive, but consequ

Sinhala and Hindu festival in honour of sun and moon ‘deities’ “Nava bag lasand dut – Minisak hu novajanneyi”

The Southerners in Sri Lanka paying homage to Sanda Deiyo [lunar deity] on the first appearance of the moon in the New Year in anticipation of affluence is an age-old practice. The above Sigiri graffiti of the 9th century as translated by Prof. Paranawitana proves the point. ‘A man who has seen tender moon of the month of Bak [April] should not be rejected.’ The mythological backdrop of the New Year is pr

Traditional games played during New Year

In Sri Lanka the most pronounced areas of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year festivities are food, games and rituals of goodwill. We are blessed with several traditional games which are played during New Year holidays in the month of Ba

President fuels fire in SLPP

It is interesting to note that President Maithripala Sirisena -who sought a determination from the Supreme Court in January last year as to when his term would expire -is reportedly planning to seek the opinion of the same court on the same question.

Sinhala Avurudu from Dravidians, Now owned by Sinhala Buddhists

Tomorrow will fade off giving way to the New Year that begins a day after Sunday, April 14. In between, there is a “pause”; a sort of empty space. In Sinhala, it is called Nonagothaya and also Punya kalaya.

May New Year usher in social cohesion and solidarity - EDITORIAL

On April 14, we will celebrate the Sinhala Hindu New Year and probably wish for, among other things, unity among all communities. The government was committed to ending the war, but issues associated with the conflict have heightened the gulf...

UNF a handicap horse in presidential race

This is a presidential election year and pre-campaigning has already begun. Although none of the main parties has declared who its presidential candidate would be, election mathematicians are already busy mapping out the winning probabilities of likely candidates.