BBC Learning English
Words in the News
Sri Lankan religious tensions
18 February 2013
A new Sinhalese Buddhist group in Sri Lanka has called for the abolition of Muslim laws about how certain foods should be prepared. This comes at a time of rising religious tension in the country. Our reporter is Charles Haviland.
Not only at the grounds where thousands of Sinhalese gathered, but throughout the surrounding streets too, the hardline nationalistic speeches resounded.
The Buddhist Strength Force, founded nine months ago, used explicitly racial
rhetoric. One monk, its leader, told the crowd that "only monks can save this race", meaning the Sinhalese, who are about three-quarters of Sri Lanka's population.
A poster depicted a lion, symbol of the Sinhalese, telling its cub: "This land belongs to you and its soil is red with the blood of your people".
The group denies being anti-minority. But its youth activists wore T-shirts denouncing the halal system whereby the Muslim minority certifies which goods are acceptable to consume.
Referring to Muslim clerics in derogatory language, the monk said what he called Christian and Muslim extremists were threatening Buddhists. He said there were 400 such Christian organisations and a hostile army of 12,000 Muslims allegedly trained in the Middle East.
But hundreds of monks were ready to fight: "Our country is a Sinhalese one and we are its unofficial police", he added. Both Muslims and Christians deny promoting extremism in Sri Lanka.
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 1 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
hardline
very strict and extreme
explicitly
clearly and exactly
rhetoric
language which is intended to influence
people's emotions and behaviour
depicted
showed
anti-minority
opposed to smaller ethnic or religious groups
denouncing
criticising strongly and in public
halal
(of an animal or its meat) killed and prepared
in a way which is required by Islamic law
derogatory
offensive and not showing respect
hostile
unfriendly and trying to create conflict
promoting extremism
encouraging very strong beliefs which most
people think are unacceptable
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2013/02/130218_witn_sri_lanka.shtml
Related News story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21494959
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
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