 "A Buddhist monk was jailed for insulting Islam in a non-Islamic country")
Islam is the second largest religion in the world. The Christian community comes first. 57 countries of the world officially follow Islam. There are many strict rules in Islam. These rules are also applicable in non-Islamic countries. Today we will talk about one such country. Although this neighboring country of India is non-Islamic, a ‘saint’ was jailed here for insulting Islam. We are talking about our neighboring country Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist country, but it also has a significant Muslim population. A Buddhist monk close to former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been sentenced to nine months in prison for insulting Islam and inciting religious hatred.
Buddhist monk Galagodate Gnanasara was sentenced Thursday for comments he made in 2016. Buddhist monks are rarely convicted in Sri Lanka. This is the second time a Buddhist monk has been jailed. Gyansara was repeatedly accused of inciting hatred and anti-Muslim violence. This sentence has been pronounced by the Magistrate Court of the capital Colombo. Earlier, Gyansara had received a presidential pardon in 2019 in a case. Giansara was arrested in December 2016 for comments he made during a media conference where he made several derogatory remarks against Islam.
A fine was also imposed
The court said that under the Constitution, all citizens, irrespective of their religion, are entitled to freedom of belief. Gyansar was also fined Rs 1,500. The court’s verdict said that if the fine is not paid, one month’s additional imprisonment will have to be served. Gyansara has filed an appeal against the sentence. The court rejected his lawyers’ request to release him on bail pending a final decision on the appeal.
Gianasara has been a trusted aide to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In 2022, Rajapaksa was forced to resign after an economic crisis and massive protests. During Rajapaksa’s presidency, Gianasara was appointed head of a task force on legal reforms aimed at protecting religious harmony. He also led a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist group.
Gyansara was jailed last year on similar charges related to hate speech against the country’s Muslim minority after Rajapaksa fled the country. But he was granted bail while appealing against the sentence. In 2018, he was sentenced to six years in prison for contempt of court and threatening the wife of a political cartoonist.