How is it that Buddhist monks seem to be involved? I thought they were into peace and compassion? Myanmar’s Buddhism and Buddhist monks are contaminated with the country’s racist nationalism. Buddhism as a philosophical system is about universal loving kindness, impermanence and non-essentializable or solid ego or individual; no practicing Buddhists, monks/nuns or laymen and –women can claim to be nationalist or patriotic or defenders of Buddhist faith. Monks’ involvement in anti-Muslim deeds and words is more to do with racism and nationalism than with Buddhism as a spiritual philosophy. Historically, Myanmar’s military government has categorized university students and Buddhist monks as two big threats to its power. Of the two, only Buddhist monks remain a strong social force as was evidenced by the so-called Saffron Revolution of 2007 during which the entire Buddhist Order rose up against the military government. Since then, the military has pursued a pre-emptive strategy of diversion. That is, the military’s propaganda departments including Religious Affairs has portrayed Islam and Muslims of Myanmar, including Rohingya Muslims, as the biggest existential threat to Burmese Buddhist way of life – in spite of the fact that Muslims in Myanmar make up for less than 5% of the total population 80-85% of whom are Buddhists. In this way, Buddhist monks and nuns are pre-occupied with what they come to see as ‘a threat from Islam to Buddhism and Burmese race’. Reuters’ Pulitzer-prize winning investigative reports have documented the state’s instrumental role in manufacturing and popularizing anti-Muslim hatred in Myanmar.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 00:08:12 +0000