Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk sentenced to four years for Islamophobic remarks

A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, known for his hardline views was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment on Thursday for making Islamophobic remarks in 2016.

The High Court also fined Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, aged 49 Rs. 100,000. The charges stem from comments he made at a press conference in March 2016, during a period when he was actively involved in an anti-Muslim campaign that began in 2012.

During his last court appearance in mid-February, Gnanasara apologized to the Muslim community for any distress his public comments may have caused. However, the High Court determined that his remarks had contributed to religious and communal discord. Gnanasara, who led the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or the forces of Buddhist Power, was found guilty of promoting religious and communal disunity.

In 2018, Gnanasara was arrested for contempt of court but later won a presidential pardon. He later explained that he was not against the Muslim minority but was unhappy about the conduct of the Sinhala majority politicians for not addressing the community’s concerns. He was trying to address them through the BBS movement.

The monk was found guilty on two indictments filed by the Attorney General linked to complaints filed with the Criminal Investigations Department by former Governor Azath Salley, and former parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman, according to media reports.

With inputs from PTI.