Is Time magazine's Wirathu the face of Buddhist terrorism in Burma?

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Yangon, Myanmar -- UPON seeing his photo on Time magazine's cover with the words "Face of Buddhist Terror," Burma's most-talked-about monk was said it wouldn't hurt him.

<< Wirathu, a Buddhist monk from Mandalay, whose anti-Muslim remarks have come under recent scrutiny

The 46-year-old is accustomed to - even flattered by - the foreign reporters who steadily parade through his monastery in the city of Mandalay to ask about religious violence that has swept his predominantly Buddhist nation in the last year - fuelled in no small part by his anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Nearly 250 people have died and tens of thousands have fled their homes, threatening to destabilise the quasi-civilian government that came to power just two years ago after five decades of military rule.

"A genuine ruby will shine," said Wirathu, "even if you try to sink it in mud."

New freedoms of speech have made it easier to disseminate radical views, while exposing deep-seeded racism felt by much of the population toward Muslims and other minorities.

There has been almost no public outcry when Buddhist mobs have marched into villages brandishing machetes and clubs, but the appearance of a Burmese monk on the cover of the glossy international magazine with an inflammatory title was apparently too much.

The social networking site Facebook was alight with criticism.

Dozens changed their profiles to mock-covers of Time with the word "Boycott." One person lamented that the image of his country - and faith - was being tarnished.

"Some people misunderstood the title ... seeing it as an insult to religion,'' said Dr Yan Myo Thein, a political analyst. "They believe it's equating Buddhism with terrorism."

Few took the opportunity to criticise Wirathu, however, saying it was further evidence of media bias. The monk has repeatedly called on Buddhists to unite against the "threat" Muslims pose to the country and its culture, accusing them of breeding too fast and hijacking the business community.

The Time article quoted him as saying this was not the time to stay calm.

"Now is the time to rise up, to make your blood boil," he said.

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Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world-news/is-this-the-face-of-buddhist-terrorism/story-fndir2ev-1226667862347#ixzz2WuH8KH9i

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Monks, Journalists decry Time Magazine’s cover portrayal of U Wirathu as Buddhist terrorist

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Yangon, Myanmar -- July issue of Time Magazine has portrayed Myanmar Buddhist monk U Wirathu as a cover and labeled as “the face of the Buddhist terror” . It has been criticized by all level of facebook users with their point of views. Most of the people have felt that it was an insult to Buddhism. Based on public opinions, the comments have been made as follow:

<< Buddhist monk U Wirathu. Is he the face of "Buddhist terror"?

Kyaw Min Swe, Chief Editor of the Voice Daily 
I am not happy with Time’s cover story. It is inappropriate to label a person for religion. How much evidence do they have to prove that U Wirathu has been involved in violence? I do not agree with this matter. It doesn’t matter wherther I like him or not. It could impact on Myanmar and its religion how the Time’s represent that news. I think there is something behind the story. Neither does it meet journalistic ethic because it is using religion and violence together to damage a person’ dignity. It is absolutely not required to do that so. I don’t think I need to mention that Time is the world famous magazine.
Dr. Ashin Dhamma Piyaka, Information in charge of Buddha Sasana Ovada Cariya Acceptance and Preliminary Religious Talks

Myanmar has more than 500,000 Buddhist monks. Blame should not be put on the entire Buddhism. It is one sided story. History has it that Buddhism is a peaceful religion. Monks are committed to doing public well being as well as for the Sasana. The religion has been and will be peaceful.
Ashin Dayventa Bhivamsa, Sitagu
The scientist Einstein once said about Buddhism, if there was a religion that can bring the peace to world, it must be the Buddhism. So I do think I have to mention Buddhism as a peaceful religion. As monks are following the peaceful religion, they are peacefully minded.  There has been no violence made by monks. But they were killed and they were terrorized. The weapon of the monks is tolerance.  The Time magazine has accused U Wirathu as terrorist. Sitagu Sayadaw (Venerable monk Sitagu) said that U Wirathu is a person who desires to have peace. However the foreign media criticizes him.
Social activist Myint Myint Khin Pe
I was asked in an interview by French journalist that Most Myanmar people are accepting the violence or I accept the violence. I had answered I never accept any violence. The image of Buddhism will be protected by its own religion. To protect the Buddhism, every Buddhist should behave well in time. If not, Myanmar could be recognized as terrorist Buddhist country.
Hanthawaddy U Win Tin, the Veteran Journalist
It is terrible to use the word “Buddhist terror”.  I think international community may have sided with Muslims. “969” has appeared in Buddhist community as well. No one can deny that Muslims are usually extremists. They kill other people as well as their own. Now there could have been Buddhist extremists like 969 or U Wirathu. It is not a good sign. There can be conflicts among people and it should be solved in accord with rules and regulations. The violence was not solved with the rules and regulations and the problem was titled as religion issue which is getting bigger later on. Those who want to back track from the current political situation are taking advantage of the situation. Now it is even harder to solve the problems. It is terrible that the influential Time magazine wrote about the events in Myanmar by portraying Buddhist monk U Wirathu. The extent of the danger is bigger now. The response of U Wirathu and his followers and those who are against them will accelerate. So I think aggressiveness of both sides will get higher.
Dr. Myat Thu, Managing Directo of Asia Taw Win
U Wirathu’s love for his religion is too much. He is not insulting other religions so the statement of TIME Magazine is totally wrong. My opinion is the same as Sitagu Sayadaw.
When the Daily Eleven interviewed U Wirathu, he said that he is really surprised by the fact that he is dubbed a Buddhist terrorist.

“I won’t be shattered by attacking me like this. What I want to say is about comparing me with a Binladen of Myanmar. Binladen’s hands were bloodied. Mine are really free from impurity. Their example is like referring a lion to a fox. It was a very rude comparison. What we are doing now is for preventive measures. There is no means of attacking. America’s intrusion into Iraq was to its national security. We are enacting laws for the safeguard of our nation and our race. Does it mean that we are extremists? We gave sermons to love ad cherish our own religion and people. Do they mean we are terrorists? I have a video file about an interview with me in order to check if something fishy is going on. I am now planning to post on the internet the interview with TIME Magazine. They didn’t ask what they did and nor my answers. The photo they used made me look terrible,” he said.
Wanna Shwe of Islamic Religious Council (Headquarters)
We don’t like a person’s doing comparing to one religion. Similarly, in Islam, I don’t accept a person’s doing comparing a religion.

Dr. Than Htut Aung, the CEO of the Eleven Media
“Let me be clear, I don’t agree with the opinions of U Wirathu. We have different views. But neither do I accept Time Magazine's unfair portrayal.  For a Buddhist monk, he will always be regarded as a monk until he breaks the rules of the Sangha. I know it is not easy to become a patron monk at the Masoeyein Monastery.” I do not agree with religious involvement in the affairs of the judiciary, administration or legislation. Neither do I agree with Buddhist extremism or the anti-Muslim sentiments being spread by a minority intent on jeopardizing their social and economic affairs,” he said.

But as a journalist, I think Time Magazine's criticism is unfair and harmful to our religion and Sasana. Such acts can cause unnecessary conflict and will only serve to disrupt our fragile democratic transition. So I categorically oppose Time's story, Dr Than Htut Aung said. U Wirathu is being accused of inciting continuing clashes that broke out in Myanmar. Those clashes also happened at instigation of ‘969’ Buddhist groups.

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Fanatical Buddhist Monk Saydaw Wirathu Calling for Boycott of Myanmar Muslims

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Yangon, Myanmar -- Buddhist Monk Saydaw Wirathu, the self-styled "Burmese bin Laden", has called for a national boycott of Muslim businesses in Myanmar in a controversial video that emerged on YouTube.

Wirathu, who has led numerous vocal campaigns against Muslims in Burma and was arrested in 2003 for distributing anti-Muslim literature, urges Burmese people "to join the 969 Buddhist nationalist campaign" and "do business or interact with only our kind: same race and same faith".

"Your purchases spent in 'their' (Muslim) shops will benefit the Enemy," says Wirathu. "So, do business with only shops with 969 signs on their facets".

The numerology of 969 is derived from the Buddhist tradition in which 9 stands for the special attributes of Buddha; 6 for the special attributes of his teaching or Dhamma and 9 for the special attributes of the Sangha or Buddhist order.

In the footage filmed from Mandalay's Ma-soe-yein teaching monastery, Wirathu accuses Muslims of entertaining ties with the military junta that ruled Myanmar for five decades. The apartheid-like speech stirred shocked reaction on Twitter, with users calling the monk a "neo-Nazi" inciting anti-Muslim pogroms in Burma.

Wirathu played an active role in stirring tensions in a Rangoon suburb in February, by spreading unfounded rumours that a local school was being developed into a mosque, according to the Democratic voice of Burma. An angry mob of about 300 Buddhists assaulted the school and Muslim-owned businesses and shops in Rangoon. The monk said that his militancy "is vital to counter aggressive expansion by Muslims". He has also been implicated in religious clashes in Mandalay, where a dozen people died, in several local reports.

Sectarian clashes erupted this week in the central Myanmar city of Meikhtila, where mobs of Buddhists, some led by monks, have attacked a Muslim neighbourhood leaving at least 20 people dead.

"Buddhist monasteries have been distributing leaflets that were critical of Muslims on various things, and that has been going on for months" said Burma Campaign UK's director Mark Farmaner. He maintains there were individual reports, around 10, of monasteries around Rangoon and in the Rakhine state distributing anti-Muslim leaflets.

Muslims in Myanmar represent the 4 percent of a total population of 60 million, according  to government census. However, according to the U.S. State Department's 2006 international religious freedom report, the country's non-Buddhist populations were underestimated in the census. Muslim leaders estimate that as much as 20 percent of the population may be Muslim.

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