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Islamic radicalisation edit
The Sri Lankan government was aware of some foreigners arriving in Sri Lanka to spread what justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe called Islamic extremism. In November 2016 he told parliament that 32 Sri Lankan Muslims from "well-educated and elite" families joined the ISIL.[1] On 25 April 2019, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed that the government had known of the Sri Lankan nationals who had joined Islamic State and returned to the country – but they couldn't be arrested, because joining a foreign terrorist organisation is not against the law.[2][3][4]. For some wider background of Muslims in Sri Lanka read here Islam in Sri Lanka.
Independent sources, including the government-appointed Easter attacks commission and the UN, give strong indications that next to this foreign influence the radicalisation of a section of Sri Lankan Muslims was also fueled by local interracial tensions.[5][6][7][8][9] Those sources also refer to 2014 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka and 2018 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka.
In the aftermath of the bombings investigations revealed that school textbooks for Islam published by the government also encouraged radicalisation of Muslims. The school books since the 1980s called for the death sentence for those who leave Islam.[10][11]
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(note that the reference list will have some duplicates due to this sandbox model, the mechanism is not fully detecting the duplicates.)
Islamic radicalisation edit
The Sri Lankan government was aware of some foreigners arriving in Sri Lanka to spread what justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe called Islamic extremism. In November 2016 he told parliament that 32 Sri Lankan Muslims from "well-educated and elite" families joined the ISIL.[1] On 25 April 2019, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed that the government had known of the Sri Lankan nationals who had joined Islamic State and returned to the country – but they couldn't be arrested, because joining a foreign terrorist organisation is not against the law.[2][12][4]
In the aftermath of the bombings investigations revealed that school textbooks for Islam published by the government also encouraged radicalisation of Muslims. The school books since the 1980s called for the death sentence for those who leave Islam.[13][14]
- ^ a b Burke, Jason (22 April 2019). "Sri Lanka bombings: doubts over Islamist group's potential role". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ a b Tamkin, Emily. "How a legal blind spot could have kept Sri Lanka from arresting returning ISIS members". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ "No laws to arrest people who join foreign terrorist groups – PM Ranil Wickremesinghe – Sri Lanka Latest News". Sri Lanka News – Newsfirst. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ a b Burke, Jason (23 April 2019). "Scale of Sri Lankan attacks suggests Isis 'sub-contracted' bombings". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ "Easter Attacks commission report". Economy Next. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "The Easter bombings, one year after". Open Democracy. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Why did wealthy Sri Lankan brothers become suicide bombers". New York Times. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "UN Nations Human Rights 2014 advice". Office of UN High Commissioner. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Understanding the Easter 2019 Attacks". Westpoint Military Academy Combating Terrorism Centre. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Islamic schools textbooks recommended killings of non-Muslim". Sri Lanka Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ "Sunday Times – Education Ministry to probe content being published in school text books". www.sundaytimes.lk.
- ^ "No laws to arrest people who join foreign terrorist groups – PM Ranil Wickremesinghe – Sri Lanka Latest News". Sri Lanka News – Newsfirst. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Islamic schools textbooks recommended killings of non-Muslim". Sri Lanka Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ "Sunday Times – Education Ministry to probe content being published in school text books". www.sundaytimes.lk.