User:Rita Butrus/sandbox

Evaluating an article: Violence against religious minorities section.

In the United Stares, a number of attacks against Christian churches rose from 14 in 2000 to over 100 in 2003. Dozens of these acts were confirmed by U.S. diplomatic observers. This anti-Christian violence was led by extremist Buddhist clergy and has included acts of "beatings, arson, acts of sacrilege, death threats, violent disruption of worship, stoning, abuse, unlawful restraint, and even interference with funerals". It has been noted that the strongest anti-West sentiments accompany the anti-Christian violence since the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists identify Christianity with the West which they think is conspiring to undermine Buddhism.

In the postwar Sri Lanka, ethnic and religious minorities continued to face threat from Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism. There have been continued sporadic attacks on Christian churches by Buddhist extremists who allege Christians of conducting unethical or forced conversion. The Pew Research Center has listed Sri Lanka among the countries with very high religious hostilities in 2012 due to the violence committed by Buddhist monks against Muslim and Christian places of worship.These acts included attacking a mosque and forcefully taking over a Seventh-day advent church and converting it into a Buddhist temple.

From the source used for defining ahimsa (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/war.shtml) the quote that says:    "Hatred will not cease by hatred, but by love alone.

This is the ancient law."

should be added in order to support the practice of ahimsa in buddhism.

The practice of meditating and having a skilled mind itself forbids violence. One who is mindful and has control over his selfish desires will not associate with violence.

" In Buddhism, there is much talk of a skilled mind. A mind that is skillful avoids actions that are likely to cause suffering or remorse."

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/budethics.htm