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Anorak News | Radical Buddhism: ‘Song to Whip Up Religious Blood’

Radical Buddhism: ‘Song to Whip Up Religious Blood’

by | 28th, May 2015

Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims May 27, 2015 in Yangon, Burma. Radical Buddhist nationalists protest the international pressure on Myanmar to accept the repatriation of persecuted Rohingya boat refugees.

Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims May 27, 2015 in Yangon, Burma. Radical Buddhist nationalists protest the international pressure on Myanmar to accept the repatriation of persecuted Rohingya boat refugees.

Ashin Wirathu, the leader of Burma’s 969 movement, tells the WaPo article in a story titled The serene-looking Buddhist monk accused of inciting Burma’s sectarian violence: “You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog. I am proud to be called a radical Buddhist.”

A catchy pop tune titled “Song to Whip Up Religious Blood” is often played at 969 rallies. The movement is named for three digits that monks say symbolize the virtues of the Buddha, Buddhist practices and the Buddhist community, but its theme song is far from devotional. The lyrics reference people who “live in our land, drink our water, and are ungrateful to us,” according to the Times. And the chorus, “We will build a fence with our bones if necessary,” is repeated over and over again.

Wirathu claims that his movement is not responsible for the violence against the Rohingya [Burma’s Muslims]. But he does repeatedly insist that Muslims — whom he often calls “kalars,” a derogatory term roughly equivalent to the N-word — need to be kept in their place. He calls for boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses, warns Buddhists to protect their women from Muslim rapists and was a vocal backer of a law restricting marriages between Buddhists and Muslims…

Should we be shocked?



Posted: 28th, May 2015 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink