Published On:Sunday, 28 September 2014
Posted by Celebrate Life Style information Blog
Ramu Tragedy - Bangladesh Government and World Media
Ramu Tragedy - Bangladesh Government and World Media
- Buddhistdoor International Venerable BD Dipananda
- Buddhistdoor International Venerable BD Dipananda
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The historical sketch of Buddhism
in South Asia includes a presence belonging in India, Afghanistan,
present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. At various times in the history of
these countries, Buddhists have experienced discrimination from
non-Buddhists resulting in torture, execution, thrashing, and
destruction of many Buddhist properties. More than a decade ago, the
destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha-s shocked the modern world.
Unfortunately, in the last year (September 2012) brutal destructions of
Buddhist temples and houses continued to occur at Ramu in southeastern
Bangladesh. Thousands of Muslim extremists torched more than twenty
Buddhist temples, Buddha statues, ancient Buddhist manuscripts and homes
in what is considered to be the worst attack on the Buddhist community
since Bangladesh's independence in 1971.
Violence
was turned to Patiya in Chittagong district with vandalism inflicted in
both Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples. The following story is
worth mentioning to illustrate an example of the atrocities: the
Venerable Satyapriya Mahathero, 83 years old and one of the highest
priests of Buddhists in Bangladesh, was oppressed in his temple during
the violence. After taking an interview from the Venerable, The Daily
Star journalists Inam Ahmed and Julfikar Ali Manik reported his personal
account of the violence:
And yet he
had to run for his life. When the mob attacked his monastery, his
disciples held him on both sides, lifted him off the ground and carried
him into the paddy field. That is where he hid the night and survived.
With his deepest regret he said to them “My civilisation is lost. My
lifetime of worshipping has gone in vain. I am a lost man and lost I
will be. Even in 1971, I did not see this grotesque brutality on us.
Muslim men and women had taken refuge in my monastery in 1971 to escape
the wrath of the Pakistani army. I have saved so many Muslim souls from
the brutal persecution of the Pakistanis. Today I feel defeated. Please
save my future generation! Please!”(The Daily Star, Oct 02, 2012) - Read
the full Story from Buddhistdoor International: http://newlotus.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/36542
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