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Showing posts from August 19, 2014

The Extremism of Buddhism in Myanmar

(Photo: Brennan O’Connor/Al Jazeera) By  Sufyan bin Uzayr International Policy Digest August 19, 2014 Myanmar is undergoing upheaval and transformation, as the country experiences changes on the political, economic and social frontiers. Myanmar is also witnessing increased cases of religious intolerance. In spite of its rich cultural heritage and legacy of socio-religious harmony, present-day Myanmar is surely not the best place for its religious minorities. Recently, the government of Myanmar proposed a law that seeks to impose a virtual ban on religious conversions (any case of religious conversion will need prior approval of the state). This proposed law is just one of the many recent laws that are being put into effect to target the country’s religious minorities: there are plans to outlaw interfaith marriages, and also to limit the birth-rate among non-Buddhist families residing in Myanmar. But that’s not all. The worst part is the fact that these discrimin