Sri Lanka shows belief and violence travel together
Sri Lanka’s tragedy shows intolerance seems to find its most visible and violent expression in religion
The smoke has barely cleared from the Easter Sunday bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka which left at least 321 people dead and 500 injured, and the defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, says they were revenge for the Christchurch mosque shootings last month.Islamic State (IS) indeed claimed responsibility, though it has also made false claims in the past. But we humans need the illusion of immediate cause and effect to make the world less chaotic for a moment.There is a news blackout in Sri Lanka; the story is slippery and facts are ghosts.Speculation swirls around a purported memo that was apparently circulating among the Sri Lankan intelligence services, noting increased extremist content on social media from one of the alleged attackers following Christchurch.Given the world we live in, Sunday was probably just another case of religious hatred slopping over the side of one of its boiling cauldrons and spattering some innocents.In 1095 the Byzantine emperor Alexius I sent...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.