[Buddha-l] Buddhist extremists brutally attack Catholic church in Sri Lanka

[Curt Steinmetz]

Q: How can we be sure that this was a group of "Buddhist" exremists?

A: Nobody died.

If only all religious extremists were this "extreme". Compare this to 
the handiwork of the Christian extremists in Nigeria:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/01/22/nigeria-protect-survivors-fully-investigate-massacre-reports

Curt

Katherine Masis wrote:
> This came out over a month ago.  Had anyone on Buddha-L seen this?  Apologies for not knowing how to convert long url's into tiny ones!
>  
> Katherine Masis
> ====================================
>  
> Buddhist extremists brutally attack Catholic church in Sri Lanka
>
> Rome, Italy, Dec 11, 2009 / 12:59 pm (CNA).- More than 1,000 Buddhist extremists
> armed with clubs, swords and stones ferociously attacked a Catholic church in
> the town of Crooswatta, Sri Lanka on December 6, destroying the altar, statues
> and pews.
>
> L'Osservatore Romano reported that Father Jude Denzil Lakshman, pastor of Our
> Lady of the Mystical Rose, said "I still can hear their shouts in my ears, `Cut
> him to pieces, kill him'."
>
> The attack took place after the 7 p.m., Sunday Mass, leaving several
> parishioners wounded. "It is obvious that the attack was well-planned and that
> the mob waited for us to come out after Mass," Father Lakshman said.
>
> One parishioner told the Archdiocese of Colombo that as the congregation was
> leaving the evening Mass, they saw a mob coming towards them.
>
> The parishioner added that the mob "set fire to Fr. Lakshman's car and then
> someone attempted to strike him with a sword," but a young man heroically pulled
> him away.
>
> The extremists "then damaged all other motor bikes, ordinary cycles of the poor
> people including a three-wheeler. Some persons armed with swords and batons went
> on beating the people. There are six Catholics in the hospital with cuts and
> injuries."
>
> The archdiocese noted that Air Force personnel were deployed immediately to
> bring the mob under control. Guards are still in the area to guarantee the
> safety of the faithful, which include 293 families.
>
> As of now, police have arrested 11 suspects from Buddhist extremist groups that
> have attacked the church in the past.
>  
> http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/buddhist_extremists_brutally_attack_catholic_church_in_sri_lanka/
>  
>
>
>       
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