By MISNAA mosque was closed down in the Grandpass area in Colombo after an attack over the weekend by Buddhist extremists, which sparked violence leaving at least five injured, including the Imam. According to the Lanka Times, police imposed a curfew in the area for a second day straight.The Muslim faithful were relocated for prayers to another site, less exposed to the mounting extremist violence. Two Muslim owned stores were torched last March, amid growing accusations of controlling trade and business on the Island. The latest unrest was however sparked by the protests over the opening of the new mosque in Grandpass, adjacent to a Buddhist monastery, however approved by the authorities.
Following a meeting yesterday in the capital, the leaders of the Inter-Religious Alliance for National Unity (IRANU), which includes, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims, accused “frustrated politicians and enemies of peace” of instigating hatred and urged all faithful to not be orchestrated putting at risk social cohesion. – Eurasia Review
