Morning Star Letter - 13/08/2013
Dear Comrades at the Morning Star
The ethnic violence over much of Southeast and Southern Asia in the last year is very worrying. It has erupted in the usually peaceful –although generally very poor – countries whose population is generally considered to be majority Buddhist. In today’s Morning Star there is an article typical of the paper’s coverage of this issue on page 6 of the World News – entitled ‘Mosque Closed after Buddhist Mob Attack’ – concerning ethnic violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The reporting in this article, and all similar articles in the Morning Star, is deliberately biased against Buddhists and purposefully presents the Muslim religion as being the passive recipient of unjust violence. Although it is true that there has undoubtedly been an upsurge of Buddhist inspired violence against Islamic communities in these poverty stricken countries, it is also true that not all the violence has been unprovoked, and that certain Islamic communities have used violence toward non-Muslims. When unprovoked Muslim ethnic violence occurs towards Buddhists – the Morning Star either remains silent, or reports the story so as to suggest Buddhists started the violence.
It is obvious to the Buddhist – Marxism Alliance (UK) that the Communist Party of Britain, and its newspaper – the Morning Star – is deliberately pursuing an anti-Buddhist – pro-Islamic political agenda, and in the process potentially alienating millions of Buddhists who are otherwise politically leftwing and influenced by the philosophy of Karl Marx. Out of all the religions in the world it is the godless philosophy of Buddhism that is closest to Marxism, and as many Asian Buddhists live in abject poverty, the religion that is nearest to delivering a Communist Revolution. The BMA (UK) implores its comrades at the Communist Party of Britain, and the Morning Star, to abandon the Eurocentric attacks on the Buddhist religion, and to adopt a more balanced approach to its reporting. The BMA (UK) thoroughly condemns any ethnic violence, regardless of which groups are involved, and does not support the leftwing media playing one religion off against another. Buddhists and Communists should work together with Muslims, and create the conditions for the next stage in human evolution –namely World Communism.
With Comradely Best Wishes
Buddhist – Marxism Alliance (UK)
Oxford Collective
The ethnic violence over much of Southeast and Southern Asia in the last year is very worrying. It has erupted in the usually peaceful –although generally very poor – countries whose population is generally considered to be majority Buddhist. In today’s Morning Star there is an article typical of the paper’s coverage of this issue on page 6 of the World News – entitled ‘Mosque Closed after Buddhist Mob Attack’ – concerning ethnic violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The reporting in this article, and all similar articles in the Morning Star, is deliberately biased against Buddhists and purposefully presents the Muslim religion as being the passive recipient of unjust violence. Although it is true that there has undoubtedly been an upsurge of Buddhist inspired violence against Islamic communities in these poverty stricken countries, it is also true that not all the violence has been unprovoked, and that certain Islamic communities have used violence toward non-Muslims. When unprovoked Muslim ethnic violence occurs towards Buddhists – the Morning Star either remains silent, or reports the story so as to suggest Buddhists started the violence.
It is obvious to the Buddhist – Marxism Alliance (UK) that the Communist Party of Britain, and its newspaper – the Morning Star – is deliberately pursuing an anti-Buddhist – pro-Islamic political agenda, and in the process potentially alienating millions of Buddhists who are otherwise politically leftwing and influenced by the philosophy of Karl Marx. Out of all the religions in the world it is the godless philosophy of Buddhism that is closest to Marxism, and as many Asian Buddhists live in abject poverty, the religion that is nearest to delivering a Communist Revolution. The BMA (UK) implores its comrades at the Communist Party of Britain, and the Morning Star, to abandon the Eurocentric attacks on the Buddhist religion, and to adopt a more balanced approach to its reporting. The BMA (UK) thoroughly condemns any ethnic violence, regardless of which groups are involved, and does not support the leftwing media playing one religion off against another. Buddhists and Communists should work together with Muslims, and create the conditions for the next stage in human evolution –namely World Communism.
With Comradely Best Wishes
Buddhist – Marxism Alliance (UK)
Oxford Collective