Dr Ahmed Shaheed visited the country earlier this month by invitation from the government in response to the Easter Sunday terror attacks that took place in April.
His preliminary findings were published on Monday, in which he highlighted the hostilities faced by Christian and Muslim communities including interruption of worship, property damage, violence and intimidation and the failure of the state to protect religious minorities.
Dr Shaheed said: “The long-standing traditions of religious harmony and co-existence in Sri Lanka must be reinforced to address the challenges of the modern context of the country.
“This is characterised by growing politicisation of religion, polarisation of communities through segregated education based on ethno-religious identity, opening up of under-regulated spaces for communication through privatised electronic media and spread of social media, simmering resentment against perceived majoritarian privilege, growing frustration over capricious law enforcement, and the spread of religious extremism.”
In his recommendations, Dr Shaheed concluded that Sri Lanka should take stronger measures to stop religious hatred by prosecuting perpetrators and implementing systems, “to monitor and respond to hate speech in conformity with international human rights standards.”
Religious freedom…
… Read More
—
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.