thepeninsulaqatar.com,  Mon Mar 27 20:38:50 EST 2006

    Colombo: Sri Lanka is setting up its first infantry battalion made of only Muslims, the country third largest community, to protect Muslim residents in the east from Tamil rebels, the first ever exclusive battalion for any community, the government said.

Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said interviews for recruitment to this battalion will start tomorrow, Tuesday, and held for seven days up to April 5 at the army’s Combat Training School in Ampara.

The battalion will protect the district of Ampara which has the largest concentration of Muslims in Sri Lanka and whose residents have often been under attack from Tamil guerrillas.

The spokesman said the command structure of the battalion which is normally made up of 500 soldiers is yet to be worked out. Sri Lanka’s military does normally recruit personnel on ethnic lines – until this latest move—but the armed forces are dominated by the Sinhalese, the country’s majority community.
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- The Academic

Will they start JIHAD soon? Islam never recognise other faiths or equality. Islam tell killing a non-muslim is a service to Islam.

What is the point of this Muslim Battalion? Will the government create any Tamil or Hindu or Catholic battalians in the future to defend their people?


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TAMIL

karthika wrote:

Islam tell killing a non-muslim is a service to Islam.

So does the LTTE. LTTE says killing a non-LTTE is a service to LTTE. They have given it a nice name "Freedom Strugggggggle"

selvan
I agree. LTTE follow a practice of Muslim FATWA, and other killings as well! Islam never talk about peace!


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TAMIL

Karthika's concerns are valid. However GoSL is left with no choice but to create a Muslim battalion. If there is an impression among some Muslims that GoSL cannot provide adequate security they are likely to look towards extreme elements overseas for their security. The problem arose in the first place due to LTTE harassments of Muslims in the east. This issue has now been completely blown out of proportion by LTTE.  Balasingham came on ABC and accused Pakistani Intelligence for training Jihadi's in the east. He also send a word of caution to the Indian govt. Initially he said, “I think we have proof” and later he changed it to “we have definite proof”. I would call his bluff and demand the proof he claims to have.

It will be the end of the road for the last chance to have a peace in SL. It is going to bring the bloodiest war back into action. As GOSL (this was definitely a genius idea of JVP) thinks, Muslim community (as a community) will never react against LTTE in east. Even yesterday Hackeem said the Ataulla supporting Karuna is a big mistake for the Muslim community, even though SLMC is criticising ltte. Very soon GOSL might loose all control over east by arming all possible opponents.
Like SystemX is telling that GOSL has no choice, yes, they only can make SL the next Kosovo. (How about preparing a solution MR. X, pullithevan won't accept it?)
MR promised an honorable peace in SL within 3 months at office. But doing everything but a solution. This decision will make the SL history, a definite negative kick.
But I am sure the entire extremist in south will like to see the Muslim bloodshed.

REMEMBER TALIBAN   ?

American/CIA  gave us Taliban  and called them  Freedom Fighters. Trained and armed by Americans/Pakistanis  Taliban were alright  while they fought  Russians. We all know what happened after that.

 I'm worried that Sri Lankan planners  are  making the same mistake here  by training Muslims as FIGHTERS. With what's going around  the world with Muslim  Gihadis,  I think Colombo military planners ( Commission Agents ) will be in for a shock in the time to come.

Looks like, the GOSL is creating another LTTE or even something much worser than that. To defend Muslim enclaves(Homeland) by Muslim regiments? What is the guarantee that one day they are not going to turn the guns against our soldiers and fight for a Muslim eelam with the instigation of some foreign Muslim terrorist groups? They could even send their weapons to their brethren in Mawanella, Akurana or Puttalam if and when there is friction between Sinhalese and Muslims.

All these events make me feel what's going on this country and why everybody go against peace instead of towards to it? I am sure arming more people in ethnic lines only lead to destruction. Nearly 99.5% of the Sri Lankan population longing for peace and harmony but they have been silenced by rest of the 'bandits'. If GOSL thinks they can weaken LTTE by this kind of activities they are dam wrong. The only way to weaken the LTTE is to share power in a federal solution to Tamils of Sri Lanka. What we see now is the next war is looming and total destruction of the country inevitable. If power hungry Singalese politicians think they can keep the war in North & East they will be supprized to see half of Colombo going to be not exist when both parties next time tired of war.

One day these pro facist LTTE news mongers cry that Sinhala army is doing this that and the other,,, When Sri Lankan goverment initiate to form a brigade consist of a minority community (this has been successfully implemented in india), these LTTE sympathizers shout saying Sri Lankan goverment is facilitating JIHAD.. these are baseless arguments.. These LTTE sympothisers are gonna loose their argument of Sinhala army soon,, so they are shouting in vein...

This not good news. I hope that the Government does not pursue this dangerous idea at this point in time. During peace time it may seem a colorful development but even then the battalion should be in name only and be open to every one - tamils, singhalese and muslims alike.

This certainly could turn out to be a successful ploy by the Government to allow the Muslims of the EP to protect themselves on an official capacity rather than taking arms and turning into another Tiger of the East.

It could certainly have a massive impact on the ability of the Tigers to do more damage in the region.

I hope it will be successful in containing terror.


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citizenMM

So Cat is out of the bag and trying to give some legitimacy now.

This is not a cat and mouse game my friend.

Left to their own peril any community or society would automatically take up arms to protect themselves which could easily lead the situation into one of grave consequences. Dont forget whats been goijng on in Palestine for decades already.

I think its a good move by the Government even though it may sound rather unpatriotic to some.

Deserate situations demand desperate measures, I guess?


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citizenMM

very good job
dont blame the tamils for the distruction thats going to come. you started the fire in the 50's now you poure oil into it. good job. now for the "sinhalatamil" start thinking  on one side the sinhala on the other side the jihard.. is the 50+ year old sinhala going to solve the ethnic problem.
keep up the good work Mr.MR
wipe out the tigers