Increased Violence in Sri Lanka
Just off the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka is a country of amazing beauty, and a rich history. Christian persecution has been sporadic in this island nation, but it appears to be growing.
While Sri Lankan history can be traced back further than the arrival of Buddhism, in the 3rd century BC, it's modern history revolves around the island's declaration of independence in 1948. Since that time, the nation has been wracked by civil war, with the government in Columbo facing opposition from the LTTE, more commonly known as the "Tamil Tigers." Though there have been breaks in this violence, they have never brought a lasting peace.
About 70% of Sri Lanka's 20 million people are Buddhist. In fact, Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism among all Buddhist nations. The other 30% is divided among a variety of religions, including Islam and Hinduism, with Christians comprising around 6% of the total population.
It appears that hostilities towards Christians is growing. In just the past couple of weeks, there have been a number of attacks against Christians and their church buildings. Though these may be unrelated incidents of persecution, it could be that this marks an escalation of violence against Christians in general!
Sri Lankan Christians Face Massive Attacks, Investigators Say
Let's pray that these attacks are not a foretaste of further violence to come, and let us also pray for the Christians that have been attacked. And while we pray that their wounds would heal and their pain subside, let us not forget to pray that their light would shine out in the darkness as a witness of the truth that they live for.
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*** Update ***
Friday's news has this story of fighting in Sri Lanka, illustrating the volatility of the situation.
Mission Network News is reporting how this violence is affecting Christians.
March 16th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Hi! Thanks for linking to The Enduring Church. And thanks for your dedication to publicizing the plight of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I’ve added you to my blogroll and posted a linking article enduringchurch.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/more-on-sri-lanka. God Bless!