Features

Lingering lapses in the language of terror management

Published

5 years ago

2020/11/19

While the recent terror strike in the heart of Vienna, which claimed four lives and which was described as religiously-motivated, was a reminder of the persistence of such campaigns of violence the world over, the discreet language with which some Western political leaders reacted to the incident was most welcome. US President-elect Joe Biden could be described as having spoken for peace lovers everywhere when he said: ‘We must all stand united against hate and violence.’

The language of terror-containment is as vital to the endeavour of managing this species of political violence as related law and order measures adopted by states and other sections that matter in this connection. It is the conviction of ‘bridge-builders’ that inspiring words help in the management of social divisions and if proof is needed on the veracity of this observation one only needs to focus on the heartening and up-lifting language used by Mahatma Gandhi in the course of his non-violent campaign for India’s political independence.

The Mahatma’s words had a healing impact and such language is integral to efforts at bringing the terror problem down to manageable proportions. Reacting to terror attacks with hate language usually has the effect of hardening attitudes among terrorists and their allies. This is so, particularly if the perpetrators of such violence profess to act on the behalf of religions. The challenge here is to steer clear of making references to the religions in question, mainly in view of the fact that most well known religions do not sanction violence of any kind.

Religions are profoundly important to the majority of people. Their innermost selves are closely bound-up with their religious beliefs and this is prime among reasons why those reacting to terror attacks need to be doubly cautious about their verbal reactions to such violence, particularly if its perpetrators claim to act on the behalf of religions.

It goes without saying that acts of terrorism should be condemned by all civilized sections but it is best that references to religions are studiously avoided, since the risk is great of those reacting to the violence concerned hurting grievously the religious sensitivities of people. The majority of people are law-abiding and non-violent and this is often forgotten by those commenting on a terror strike in the heat of such violence, particularly if the latter phenomenon is projected as having a religious dimension.

Ideally, these considerations should have been borne in mind by the Austrian authorities when they reacted to the recent terror attack in Vienna, although the shedding of civilian blood by terrorists in particular cannot be easily countenanced by peace lovers. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehamnaer described the perpetrator of the Vienna attack as an ‘Islamist terrorist’, while French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted as referring to a similar terror strike, which claimed three lives at a church in Nice in France, prior to the Vienna incident, as an ‘Islamist terrorist attack’.

References to the seeming religious identity of the assailants in these incidents were unwarranted and the relevant comments could very well aggravate religious antagonisms rather than help in overcoming them, since religious sensitivities have been disregarded by the state functionaries concerned. But there is no denying that preventing emotions from rising among those who see themselves as being gravely affected by the violence is no easy task.

The issues focused on here are profoundly important to Sri Lanka as well since she too is confronting religion-based violence in a major way currently. The Easter Sunday terror attacks chillingly reminded Sri Lanka of some of these questions. While in the undertaking of neutralizing the LTTE the Lankan state considered it compelling to deal with the militant outfit primarily on the military plane, the issues raised by the Easter Sunday attacks are vastly more complex and demanding. This is on account of the fact that there is a striking psychological dimension to the Easter Sunday terror.

In the latter, we have hearts and minds that have been totally converted to a religious ideology linked to dehumanizing violence over long periods of time and religion being a profoundly sensitive issue, the challenge before the state and other concerned sections is to reconvert the subverted minds of the relevant militants to a condition where they would be amenable to democratic values and principles. An uphill task indeed. However, even in the case of the LTTE phenomenon, a hearts and minds effort awaits undertaking and the Lankan state seems to be blissfully unaware of this. But by neglecting this task the state could very well be committing a tragic blunder.

Accordingly, wherever terror may be occurring, there is no avoiding reconciliation. Just in case some quarters are befuddled by the term ‘reconciliation’, it points to, basically, converting hearts and minds to a life of tolerance, goodwill and joy among diverse communities and religious groups. These aims would not be hard to achieve if the core values of religions are inculcated and practised by the relevant adherents. Nothing more.

So, supporters of democracy everywhere need to speak out loud and clear for the democratic way of life and the values they cherish but they must also speak the language of reconciliation. This would also involve scrupulous avoidance of hurting the sensitivities of others. Thus, the crucial importance of the language of amicable living and togetherness.

It augurs well for democracy that almost the entirety of Europe has spoken out for the perpetuation of democracy amidst the wave of recent terror attacks within their territories. This grand coming together for democracy sends a clear message to the enemies of democracy that their campaign of violence will eventually come to nought.

Europe could hope for some better times with the coming to power in the US of Democrat Joe Biden. A prime task for the latter on the foreign policy front would be to rebuild the US’ links with Europe which took some battering during the Trump years. Moreover, primacy must be given by the West to bringing healing to their societies which could derive mainly from equity and justice.

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Features

Political violence stalking Trump administration

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

A scene that unfolded during the shooting incident at the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington. (BBC)

It would not be particularly revelatory to say that the US is plagued by ‘gun violence’. It is a deeply entrenched and widespread malaise that has come in tandem with the relative ease with which firearms could be acquired and owned by sections of the US public, besides other causes.

However, a third apparent attempt on the life of US President Donald Trump in around two and a half years is both thought-provoking and unsettling for the defenders of democracy. After all, whatever its short comings the US remains the world’s most vibrant democracy and in fact the ‘mightiest’ one. And the US must remain a foremost democracy for the purpose of balancing and offsetting the growing power of authoritarian states in the global power system, who are no friends of genuine representational governance.

Therefore, the recent breaching of the security cordon surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington at which President Trump and his inner Cabinet were present, by an apparently ‘Lone Wolf’ gunman, besides raising issues relating to the reliability of the security measures deployed for the President, indicates a notable spike in anti-VVIP political violence in particular in the US. It is a pointer to a strong and widespread emergence of anti-democratic forces which seem to be gaining in virulence and destructiveness.

The issues raised by the attack are in the main for the US’ political Right and its supporters. They have smugly and complacently stood by while the extremists in their midst have taken centre stage and begun to dictate the course of Right wing politics. It is the political culture bred by them that leads to ‘Lone Wolf’ gunmen, for instance, who see themselves as being repressed or victimized, taking the law into their own hands, so to speak, and perpetrating ‘revenge attacks’ on the state and society.

A disproportionate degree of attention has been paid particularly internationally to Donald Trump’s personality and his eccentricities but such political persons cannot be divorced from the political culture in which they originate and have their being. That is, “structural” questions matter. Put simply, Donald Trump is a ‘true son’ of the Far Right, his principal support base. The issues raised are therefore for the President as well as his supporters of the Right.

We are obliged to respect the choices of the voting public but in the case of Trump’s election to the highest public position in the US, this columnist is inclined to see in those sections that voted for Trump blind followers of the latter who cared not for their candidate’s suitability, in every relevant respect, and therefore acted irrationally. It would seem that the Right in the US wanted their candidate to win by ‘hook or by crook’ and exercise power on their behalf.

By making the above observations this columnist does not intend to imply that voting publics everywhere in the world of democracy cast their vote sensibly. In the case of Sri Lanka, for example, the question could be raised whether the voters of the country used their vote sensibly when voting into office the majority of Executive Presidents and other persons holding high public office. The obvious answer is ‘no’ and this should lead to a wider public discussion on the dire need for thoroughgoing voter education. The issue is a ‘huge’ one that needs to be addressed in the appropriate forums and is beyond the scope of this column.

Looking back it could be said that the actions of Trump and his die-hard support base led to the Rule of Law in the US being undermined as perhaps never before in modern times. A shaming moment in this connection was the protest march, virtually motivated by Trump, of his supporters to the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, with the aim of scuttling the presidential poll result of that year. Much violence and unruly behaviour, as known, was let loose. This amounted to denigrating the democratic process and encouraging the violent take over of the state.

In a public address, prior to the unruly conduct of his supporters, Trump is on record as blaring forth the following: ‘We won this election and we won by a landslide’, ‘We will stop the steal’, ‘We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen’, ‘If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.’

It is plain to see that such inflammatory utterances could lead impressionable minds in particular to revolt violently. Besides, they should have led the more rationally inclined to wonder whether their candidate was the most suitable person to hold the office of President.

Unfortunately, the latter process was not to be and the question could be raised whether the US is in the ‘safest pair of hands’. Needless to say, as events have revealed, Donald Trump is proving to be one of the most erratic heads of state the US has ever had.

However, the latest attempt on the life of President Trump suggests that considerable damage has been done to the democratic integrity of the US and none other than the President himself has to take on himself a considerable proportion of the blame for such degeneration, besides the US’ Far Right. They could be said to be ‘reaping the whirlwind.’

It is a time for soul-searching by the US Right. The political Right has the right to exist, so the speak, in a functional democracy but it needs to take cognizance of how its political culture is affecting the democratic integrity or health of the US. Ironically, the repressive and chauvinistic politics advocated by it is having the effect of activating counter-violence of the most murderous kind, as was witnessed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Continued repressive politics could only produce more such incidents that could be self-defeating for the US.

Some past US Presidents were assassinated but the present political violence in the country brings into focus as perhaps never before the role that an anti-democratic political culture could play in unraveling the gains that the US has made over the decades. A duty is cast on pro-democracy forces to work collectively towards protecting the democratic integrity and strength of the US.

Features

22nd Anniversary Gala …action-packed event

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Skyliners: Shanaka Viswakula (bass), Mario Ranasuriya (lead guitar), Daryl D'Souza (keyboards) and Kushmin Balasuriya (drums)

The Editor-in-Chief of The Sri Lankan Anchorman, a Toronto-based monthly, celebrating Sri Lankan community life in Canada, is none other than veteran Sri Lankan journalist Dirk Tissera, who moved to Canada in 1997. His wife, Michelle, whom he calls his “tower of strength”, is the Design Editor.

According to reports coming my way, the paper has turned out to be extremely popular in Toronto.

In fact, The Sri Lankan Anchorman won a press award in Toronto for excellence in editorial content and visual presentation.

However, the buzz in the air in Canada, right now, is The Sri Lankan Anchorman’s 22nd Anniversary Gala, to be held on Friday, 12 June, 2026, at the J&J Swagat Banquet Convention Centre, in Toronto.

An action-packed programme has been put together for the night, featuring some of the very best artistes in the Toronto scene.

The Skylines, who are classified as ‘the local musical band in Toronto’, will headline the event.

Dirk Tissera and wife Michelle: Supporting Sri Lanka-Canada community events, in Toronto, since launching The Anchorman
in 2002

They have performed and backed many legendary Sri Lanka singers.

According to Dirk, The Skylines can belt out a rhythm with gusto … be it Western, Sinhala or Tamil hits.

Also adding sparkle to the evening will be the legendary Fahmy Nazick, who, with his smooth and velvety vocals, will have the crowd on the floor.

Fahmy who was a household name, back in Sri Lanka, will be flying down from Virginia, USA.

He has captivated audiences in Sri Lanka, the Middle East and North America, and this will be his fourth visit to Toronto – back by popular demand,

Cherry DeLuna, who is described by Dirk as a powerhouse, also makes her appearance on stage and is all set to stir up the tempo with her cool and easy delivery.

“She’s got a great voice and vocal range that has captivated audiences out here”, says Dirk.

Chamil Welikala, said to be one of the hottest DJs in town, will be spinning his magic … in English, Sinhala, Tamil and Latin.

Both Jive and Baila competitions are on the cards among many other surprises on the night of 12 June.

This is The Anchorman’s fifth annual dance in a row – starting from 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 – and both Dirk and Michelle, and The Anchorman, have always produced elegant social events in Toronto.

“We intend to knock this one out of the park,” the duo says, adding that Western music and Sinhala and Tamil songs is something they’ve always delivered and the crowd loves it.

“We have always supported Sri Lanka-Canada community events, in Toronto, since launching The Anchorman, in 2002, and we intend to keep it that way.”

No doubt, there will be a large crowd of Sri Lankans, from all communities, turning up, on 12 June, to support Dirk, Michelle and The Anchorman.

Features

Face Pack for Radiant Skin

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

* Apple and Orange:

Blend a few apple and orange pieces together. Add to it a pinch of turmeric and one tablespoon of honey. Apply it to the face and neck and rinse off after 30 minutes. This face pack is suitable for all skin types.

According to experts, apple is one of the best fruits for your skin health with Vitamin A, B complex and Vitamin C and minerals, while, with the orange peel, excessive oil secretion can be easily balanced.

* Mango and Curd:

Ripe mango pulp, mixed with curd, can be rubbed directly onto the skin to remove dirt and cleanse clogged pores. Rinse off after a few minutes.

Yes, of course, mango is a tasty and delicious fruit and this is the mango season in our part of the world, and it has extra-ordinary benefits to skin health. Vitamins C and E in mangoes protect the skin from the UV rays of the sun and promotes cell regeneration. It also promotes skin elasticity and fights skin dullness and acne, while curd, in combination, further adds to it.

* Grapes and Kiwi:

Take a handful of grapes and make a pulp of it. Simultaneously, take one kiwi fruit and mash it after peeling its skin. Now mix them and add some yoghurt to it. Apply it on your face for few minutes and wash it off.

Here again experts say that kiwi is the best nutrient-rich fruit with high vitamin C, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, while grapes contain flavonoids, which is an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage. This homemade face pack acts as a natural cleanser and slows down the ageing process.