This is a very insightful interview with Dr Rohan Gooneratne.There are a number of points worthy of listening to and sharing.I believe a post on our website will give our readers a lot to ruminate over.
Regards,
Eddie.
Skip to content
News, Views and More from Batch'64, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, SriLanka
"Best and the Brightest from 1964"
News, Views and More from Batch'64, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, SriLanka 
Thank you very much Eddie for the Post on Prof Rohan Goonaratne’s interview . Glad you are safe and sound and I hope you will be safe , for the time you are in SL .
My take on the subject — Very insightful and factual words to be noted .
Who are the Listeners ? the Divisive , Dysfunctional , Corrupt Govt with Blood On Their Hands , that ‘we knew nothing about it ” — while all the time the Red Flags were being waved around the island – -by Religious Leaders – Muslim Imams in particular who were alarmed at the level of ‘Radicalisation ‘ — from what I read In BBC. CNN, and CBC ( Cand Broadcasting Serv )
.
Everyone is rushing into Locking the Barn Door After the Horse Has Bolted — yet- not too late , if the ‘ Powers That Be ‘ are able to comprehend this tragedy — beyond ” finger pointing ‘ with their Bloody Fingers .
ISIS has left its calling card in the Island in the Sun .
Who will have the next calling card ?
I hope it is NO one …
The Phoenix Will Rise Again …
eagleD
LikeLike
At long last a honest dialogue is coming through re- the Easter Sunday massacre in Sri lanka. It seems a Turkish national from the Christchurch Massacre has succumbed to his injuries and have died bringing the total number of death to 51. For goodness sake there were 253 deaths from the Easter Sunday massacre. Allowing for 41 foreigners whose religious affiliation is unknown and leaving out the 19 deaths from Batticoloa, rest of the deaths totaling 193 were all worshiping Catholics. That is four times as many as from the Christchurch massacre and they hardly gets a mention in the media.
This is the latest in a series of attacks on the Catholics/ Christians who were at their respective churches at worship. Namely attacks on Christians in Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines and now Sri lanka. I wonder where the Islamists will strike next?
I always thought “If I cannot see the difference between Islam and Radical Islam then I am the problem.Then again is there a difference between Ice and Steam? NO they are two different forms of existence for the same chemical compound commonly known as water.If you impart enough energy to water it then turns into steam, similarly take energy away from water it then becomes ice. It is the amount of energy you impart on a Moslem that will make him or her a radical or otherwise. After all they all follow the same God Allah, follow the same book of instructions The Koran, and have the same ideological belief that the world was created specifically for the Moslems and everyone else in it are squatters.
The first step in trying to eliminate this threat is to identify the perpetrators properly. All the left leaning political figures such as the Clintons and Obamas have an issue with calling a Spade a Spade. As a devout and a practicing Catholic the Easter Sunday Massacre in Sri lakan Catholic churches have impacted me deeply. Funny to say there was a significant police presence in our church in Kalutara North on Easter Sunday for 8.30 am mass deployed by the Kalutara north Police station but No police presence in St Anthony’s Kochchikade or the St Sebastians in Katuwapitiya. Very strange indeed. There is a lot Mr Sirisena need to answer.
While I abhor violence of any kind, but the time has come for us to take a stand. No doubt I will lose friends over this issue, then again I keep thinking about all those Two hundred and fifty three poor souls who lost their lives to those suicide bombers all of them with Moslem sounding names
LikeLike
For far too long, us, the “intelligentsia “of our country have kept silent against all forms of communal hatred and religious extremism.What we must realise is that the ability to read and write and memorise 6250verses does not mean that one is educated.The problem as I see it , is a lack of education, which is the ability to think and act according to secular values based on knowledge.This is the biggest problem.Add to this the dimension that at the helm of affairs in Sri Lanka is an uneducated lot, unworthy of their position.
I was in Batticaloa after the blast and the whole town is in a state of shock.My sister who was living only a street away from the church said that the whole house shook as if affected by an earthquake.!The bomb was meant for the Catholic Church down the same road where there were 1000 worshipers.Fortunately, the priest for an inexplicable reason brought forward the Easter service by an hour. When the bomber arrived at the church, the service was over, so he went down the road to the Zion church with a very small congregation and caused carnage including the 14 children who were playing in the garden outside the church.
Interestingly, the morning service at St Anthony’s Kochikade is always a Tamil service, hence those who succumbed were all Tamils.Still not a word about the dead.Only the rich and famous are mentioned.!!
It is the same sad story, over and over again.The whole system is corrupt and who is there to change it.?
Our lives are nearly over but we must do something about it. Can we ?
Eddie.
LikeLike
The atrocities and the carnage that occurred in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday , I do not think ; will be erased off our minds for ever. They say time heals everything. Ask the families who lost their loved ones and the answer will be unanimous. I do not think so.
I think the government is to be blamed for the massacre. When they had the information provided by the Indian intelligence service , they did not take measures to investigate.
Why didn’t the government stop the Sharia university in the Ampara area being built by the Saudis’. What about the arms factory in the same area. Wilpattu national park is being denuded to build houses for Muslims especially the refugees , who have arrived in Sri Lanka. Again the Muslim ministers are at fault.
A Muslim ministers house was raided by the security forces. Several swords and ammunition were found in his house. The minister had said that the swords were used to cut the grass. The ammunition were to have been used by the security guard. They arrested the poor security guard and not the minister. Someone please explain to me the rationale of this .
Hundreds of swords were found in the houses of the terrorists. Apparently the Muslim terrorists or radicalized Muslims for that matter have to kill non Muslims by slitting their throats. Not quite beheading but slashing the trachea. This is what’s being gathered by the interrogation of the terrorists by the security forces.
I feel sad for all my friends and family who have expressed their anger disgust and now fear over this heinous act that occurred. They think we are fortunate to be living abroad. I tell them that even we are not immune from such attacks. Similar attacks have occurred here in the US not only in Churches, but schools and Universities and places of employment.
The world has become a violent place to live in. Humans have been cruel to humans throughout history. When it would end is anyones guess.
Nisantha
LikeLike
Thank you Deepthie, Annesley and Nisantha for your comments.My plea to all who have had the time and the inclination to reflect on the horrors of Easter Sunday 2019,let us take one little step to help cleanse our land of hatred and bigotry.Remember,”and by the grace of God, it is not me.” !!!Eddie.
LikeLike
Thank you Eddie for the post and the brief discussion that followed .
I hope you and your family in Batti are ok. I cannot imagine the horror of it – for your sister and family .
Bigotry and Hatred – are Global Issues since time began .
Currently — as long as there is Extremism persists around the globe in all aspects — Race, Cast , Creed, Religion , this form of Extremism Radicalization will continue to persist .
Most World Leaders – do not want to get into the middle of this for political/economic reasons – leaving the Extremists pests to multiply , and ply their killing trade .
NZ ‘s Jacinda Arden was one who took the bull by the horns and called a Spade a Spade ” Love All Muslims ‘ was her response to , you all know to who .
Canada’s – Justin Trudeau — same category as Arden . But such people are few and far between .
Politics and Money , Rules the Worlds Super Powers , while the Innocents in less fortunate places, Pay the Ultimate Price with Life. .
How do you Kill Extremism ? I dont know .
Something to think about …. – Deepthie .
LikeLike