Published On:Sunday 28 September 2014

Posted by Celebrate Life Style information Blog

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