Colombo, May 4 (news in. Asia):
Dr.Rohan Gunaratna, a pre-eminent Sri Lankan expert on terrorism, particularly West Asian terrorism, has called upon Sri Lanka to enact a Cyberlaw to criminalize both posting and preserving extremist content material online.
Both the individual who posts and the courier company that keeps the content material must be held criminally liable. One of the motives why the terror chief Zahran couldn’t be arrested was that there has been no regulation in opposition to preaching hatred,’ Dr.Gunaratna, creator of the international bestseller ‘Inside al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror (University of Columbia Press) said.
Currently Professor of Security Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Dr.Gunaratna stated that the ‘government ought to additionally set up within the Security Forces, a Cyber Force to counter online extremist content.’‘
‘Furthermore, the government must create an internet referral unit wherein the general public can document extremist content,’ he added.
Parliament must pass a ‘Harmony Act’ so that it can criminalize hate speech, mainly incitement to violence. In addition, those insulting the ethnicity and faith of others need to be held criminally accountable.
‘If there was a Harmony Act, terror chief Zahran could have been arrested long ago, and the Easter Sunday carnage could no longer have come about,’ he mentioned.
Given the truth, some Sri Lankans had long gone to remote places as students to avoid getting radicalized. Those looking to go abroad for research need to get a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Education.
‘Sri Lankans ought not to be permitted to have a look at in positive faculties and universities producing extremists and terrorists. Certain instructional establishments in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen produce radical preachers,’ Dr.Gunaratna stated.
He entreated the authorities to draw up a Blocklist of radical preachers and ban their entry into Sri Lanka. At the same time, the government needs to criminalize the sale and distribution of radical books and guides.
Foreign nonsecular preachers need to accept a visa handiest after clearance from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Intelligence agencies. These bodies have to review the applicant’s speeches and writings before sanctioning the visa.
‘The preacher should additionally sign a statement to sell moderation, tolerance, and co-existence,’ Dr.Gunaratna said.
Further, anyone preaching in Sri Lanka must get a permit and should signal a statement that what they pontificate can be suitable for a multi-ethnic and multi-secular Sri Lanka.
Dr.Rohan Gunaratna stated that the religious and ethnic segregation in faculties and classes in Sri Lanka must be replaced through a multi-ethnic and multi-spiritual faculty and class structure.
‘Segregated schooling breeds suspicions, prejudice, resentment, anger, hatred, and violence. Separate schools and lecture rooms for Sinhala, Tamil, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim students no longer raise Sri Lankans,’ he maintained.
‘Government should additionally introduce a course in Comparative Religion, and getting a pass in this should be obligatory,’ Dr.Gunaratna said.
The expert similarly said all International Schools should post for governmental approval, their guides of look at, and introduce an obligatory route in comparative faith.
