Protesting Buddhist monks force mosque to cease prayers

by admin
Apr 19, 2012

Over 2000 Sinhala Buddhists, including over 300 Buddhist monks, protested outside a mosque in Dambulla, forcing mosque officials to cancel Friday prayers.

The protesters were led by three Buddhist monks - Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thera, Akmeemana Gunaratana Thera and Pallewela Hemaratana Thera. Having surrounded the mosque, the protesters shouted slogans demanding that the mosque be demolished.

Worshippers inside were trapped and fearful that the protesters would destroy the building, reported the BBC.

Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thera told reporters that the mosque's construction area was within a Buddhist sacred zone and therefore the building of mosques or Hindu temples was illegal. Sumangala Thera demanded the construction be stopped immediately.

According to the protesters the town of Dambulla is a sacred Buddhist site.

In September 2011, over 100 Sinhala Buddhist monks demolished a Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura, claiming that the shrine was located on land 'given' to the Sinhalese Buddhists over 2000 years ago.

Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura, Sept 2011. Photograph www.sinharavaya.com

See also: 'Sinhala Buddhist monks attack Japanese Buddhist temple' (01 Oct 2011)

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