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Muslim groups in Sri Lanka agreed on Monday to close a controversial mosque in Colombo that had been the focus of clashes with Buddhist groups and raised concerns about growing religious tensions in the country.
Ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka have traditionally occurred between the largely Buddhist majority Sinhalese, who make up around three-quarters of the country’s 20 million residents, and its minority Tamils.
A series of violent attacks against Muslims by extremist Buddhist groups, often led by monks from an organization known as the Bodu Bala Sena, have recently erupted.
“This incident is particularly troubling in light of a number of recent attacks against the Muslim community in Sri Lanka,” the US Embassy in Colombo said in a statement.
Police last week deployed commandos and imposed a curfew on a Colombo neighbourhood after a Buddhist-led mob attacked the mosque.
Sources
Image: Reuters/IBN Live
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