Abstract
The recent upsurge of violence against Muslims in various parts of Sri Lanka has grabbed the attention of popular discourses. However, little scholarly analysis has dealt with the recent rise of anti-Muslim sentiment and violence in the country, particularly the violence in Ampara and Kandy. As such, this article explores the implications and root causes of violence in Ampara and Kandy. This article is descriptive and interpretative in nature and mainly relies on secondary data. The article reveals that the violence in Ampara and Kandy unleashed by Sinhala Buddhist hardliners with complicity of law enforcement agencies caused much damage on the mosques, businesses and properties of Muslims. I argue that phobia against growing Muslim population, myth of sterilization pills, and economic jealousy and rivalry between Muslims and Sinhalese are the root causes of the violence against Muslims in Ampara and Kandy with some other sub-factors associated with it. Thus, there is a desperate need of better managing human and social security of all groups in the country, especially ethno-religious minorities.
Highlights
Islamophobia is a contested concept in the public space in many of Western countries in the contemporary period
Sri Lanka recently saw an upsurge of attacks against Muslims by Sinhala Buddhist hardliners in Ampara in the Eastern Province and Kandy in the Central Province, which has jeopardized the reputation of the country as it continues to struggle in the pursuit of post-war reconciliation
It is alleged that the Muslims were 7.5% of the total population in 1981, in 2012, their population growth reached to 9.3%, whereas Sinhalese were 73.9% in 1981 and their population growth reached to 74.9% in 2012 (Department of Census and Statistics-Sri Lanka 2012)
Summary
Islamophobia is a contested concept in the public space in many of Western countries in the contemporary period. Sri Lanka recently saw an upsurge of attacks against Muslims by Sinhala Buddhist hardliners in Ampara in the Eastern Province and Kandy in the Central Province, which has jeopardized the reputation of the country as it continues to struggle in the pursuit of post-war reconciliation. The LTTE drove out nearly 100,000 Muslims overnight from Jaffna and other parts of northern Sri Lanka under its control depriving their houses, lands, shops, and possessions and subsequently, they became a new set of internally displaced people in Sri Lanka’s conflict (Subramanian 2018a) Their contribution to military service is still peculiar and remembered by the top echelons of military personals even today.
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