An extremist Sinhala Buddhist monk and lawmaker claimed that he has never used racist terms against Muslims, despite having repeatedly been racist and delivered hate speech against Muslims on the island.
Member of parliament Athuraliye Rathana told parliament that he had “never” used derogatory terms against Muslims and “there has never been a single day where we… went against Muslims while engaging in politics”.
Yet Rathana has a well-documented history of racism, particularly towards Muslims.
In 2019, Rathana launched a hunger strike demanding the removal of a Muslim Minister and two Muslim governors from their posts following the Easter Sunday attacks. Rathana accused Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and the Eastern and Western Province governors, M L A M Hizbullah and Azath Salley of being associated with the Islamist extremism.
In another incident recorded by the People Rights Group in Sri Lanka, Rathana can be seen telling an audience how “500 acres in Hantana and Wedipitiya, as well as Sripada, have been muslimized.”
“It has not been that long since Zahran bombs, who will not say there won't be another? After the Muslims did this act, the Jamitul Ulama has asked all Muslims to close down bank accounts at Sampath Bank.”
He went on to praise fellow Buddhist extremists in Mynamar, who have been accused of committing a genocide against the Muslim Rohingya population.
“Myanmar had the backbone to chase away the Muslims,” he said. “If we don't come to terms with this situation, we will be in a huge problem.”
Rathana goes on claim that Muslims in Sri Lanka had established 3500 Madrasas illegally in the country with money from Saudi Arabia. “Muslims are taught to kill Buddhists so they could go to heaven,” he added.
In parliament, Rathana also referred to the case of Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen who was falsely accused of sterilizing over 4000 Sinhalese women.
“Everyone in the opposition talks as if Shafi Shihabdeen is unblemished. But is the Shafi Shihabdeen case over? No. I have no qualms about him being acquitted in court.”
“Yet at least 900 mothers have come to the Kurunegala hospital where they had given their statements. Those who gave statements may have even given birth. But it is not my duty to investigate those claims. Don't come here and make false claims.”
“We still have the responsibility to rid the country of Islamist extremists.”
Rathana was appointed an MP after his Our Power of People Party (OPPP) was allocated one National List seat in parliament, as they secured 67,758 votes in the 2020 election.
