Buddhists Behaving Badly!

[Xangsamhua]

Oh dear! Now the Buddhists are doing it.

Lankan Muslims sentenced over Buddhism insults

23 August 2010

A Colombo court has sentenced two Muslims to one year imprisonment suspended for two years for insulting Buddhism.

Police arrested Aboobucker Kaleel and Tuwan Rajabdeen in Pettah, the main business area in Colombo, for selling key chains bearing the image of Buddha.

Media reports say the two had committed an offence under section 290 of the penal code, which covers insults to Buddhism.

The accused pleaded guilty and chief magistrate Rashmika Singappulli sentenced them to one year imprisonment suspended for two years on Aug. 17.

The sentence has raised a few eyebrows.

"Images of saints on toys and key chains are on sale" in Sri Lanka, said Abdul Cader, a businessmen dealing in toys in Pettah.

"Are those not blasphemy also?"

A recent international survey has placed Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka as the country having the second highest proportion of citizens who say that religion is an important part of their lives.

Seventy percent of the country's 20 million population are Buddhists. Hindus make up 14 percent, Christian nine percent and Muslims seven percent.

SOURCE Muslims sentenced for insulting Buddhism (ucanews.com)

[liveinlos]

What does this have to do with Thailand?

[Xangsamhua]

What does this have to do with Thailand?

Good question Liveinlos.

I'm not a mod, but this is my understanding.

The Buddhism forum is not restricted to Thai Buddhism There are many posts that take up matters of interest to Buddhists and people interested in Buddhism that are not Thailand-specific.

Have a trawl through the threads and you'll see what I mean.

In the case of the present topic, the question (and it's come up before) is "How attached should Buddhists be to representations and images and how people use them?"

Cheers

X.

[Brucenkhamen]

Seems pretty ridiculous, maybe selling Buddha keychains is a bit tacky but you'd hope Buddhists would be more tolerant than this.

Of course Thailand has a whole industry producing and bartering these kinds of Buddha trinkets, I think it's a shame but it would be silly to suggest these people deserve a jail sentence.

But to put it in perspective what do you think would happen if a Buddhist sold Mohammed images in a muslim country in this way?

[sabaijai]

The Sangha in Sri Lanka has taken on a particularly political and pro-Sinhalese nationalistic bent, with monks serving in Parliament, etc. The public rhetoric and actions of the nationalist segment can be quite disturbing. You might say it's 'engaged Buddhism' in its most extreme, negative form. But in the few times I've visited Sri Lanka, I've encountered real practising Buddhists there alongside the rest.

[sabaijai]

What does this have to do with Thailand?

Good question Liveinlos.

I'm not a mod, but this is my understanding.

The Buddhism forum is not restricted to Thai Buddhism There are many posts that take up matters of interest to Buddhists and people interested in Buddhism that are not Thailand-specific.

Have a trawl through the threads and you'll see what I mean.

In the case of the present topic, the question (and it's come up before) is "How attached should Buddhists be to representations and images and how people use them?"

Cheers

X.

[bankei]

This is ridiculous. Jail for selling a key ring!!!

(ps What about key chains of Mohammed?)

[Xangsamhua]

This is ridiculous. Jail for selling a key ring!!!

(ps What about key chains of Mohammed?)

The difference is that Islam has a deep-seated aversion to any visual representation of the Prophet, no matter how respectful it might be.

Buddhism has no problem with visual representation of the Buddha.

The law in Sri Lanka is really quite strange, perhaps a response to things that occurred in the Tamil uprising. I don't know.

That the law is an ass in this matter was probably acknowledged by the magistrate, who suspended the sentence for two years.

At least you can go to the Vatican and buy a Pope key ring without any trouble. These trinkets are everywhere with images of the pope, Mary, Jesus and more - many of which might justify being banned on aesthetic grounds, but fortunately they are not.

[rockyysdt]

The law in Sri Lanka is really quite strange, perhaps a response to things that occurred in the Tamil uprising. I don't know.

That the law is an ass in this matter was probably acknowledged by the magistrate, who suspended the sentence for two years.

A perfect example of Buddhism practiced as a religion & nothing to do with Buddhism as taught by the Buddha.

Such examples help to reinforce aversion by those who consider Buddhism as just another religion along with Christianity, Islam, & Judaism.

Edited August 30, 2010 by rockyysdt

[khaowong1]

This is interesting as in fact, today, I was talking to a American friend about Sri Lanka, and he was telling me, that after the troubles with the Tamil, the Sri Lanka government has proclaimed that they now have a Buddhist government again and intend to keep it that way. In this case, I think they went a little overboard, but at least the judge suspended their sentence. I am planning on spending Khao Phansa there next year. Then I will have a first hand look at the country.