A new Sinhala Buddhist group in Sri Lanka has called for the abolition of Muslim food preparation laws, exacerbating religious tensions in the country. The group, called the Buddhist Strength Force, uses explicitly racial rhetoric and its leader, a monk, told a crowd of thousands that only monks can save the Sinhalese race, which makes up about three-quarters of Sri Lanka's population. While the group denies being anti-minority, its rhetoric and symbols denounce the Muslim halal system and portray Sri Lanka as a Sinhalese country, threatening Buddhists.

1. Sri Lankan religious tensions
A new Sinhalese Buddhist group in Sri Lanka
has called for the abolition of Muslim laws
about how certain foods should be prepared.
This comes at a time of rising religious
tension in the country

2. Not only at the grounds
where thousands
of Sinhalese
gathered, but throughout the
surrounding streets too,
the hardline
nationalistic speeches
resounded.

3. The Buddhist Strength Force,
founded nine months ago,
used explicitly
racial rhetoric.

4. One monk, its leader,
told the crowd that "only monks
can save this race",
meaning the Sinhalese,
who are about three-quarters
of Sri Lanka's population.

5. A poster depicted a lion,
symbol of the Sinhalese,
telling its cub:
"This land belongs to you
and its soil is red
with the blood of your people".

6. The group denies being
anti-minority.
But its youth activists
wore T shirts denouncing
the halal system
whereby the Muslim minority certifies
which goods are acceptable to consume.

7. Referring to Muslim clerics
in derogatory language,
the monk said what he called
Christian and Muslim extremists
were threatening Buddhists.

8. He said there were 400
such Christian organisations
and a hostile army of
12,000 Muslims
allegedly trained
in the Middle East.

9. But hundreds of monks
were ready to fight:
"Our country is a Sinhalese
one and we are its unofficial police",
he added.
Both Muslims and Christians
deny promoting extremism
in Sri Lanka.

10. 18 February 2013
Reporter: Charles Haviland