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Several people have been injured in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, when Buddhist monks led hundreds in an assault on a Muslim-owned clothing warehouse. Buddhist monks were filmed throwing stones at the storage centre of popular garment chain Fashion Bug in a suburb of the capital on Thursday night. Police told AFP news agency that forces had been deployed to guard the area. The attack comes as hard-line Buddhist groups step up a campaign against the lifestyles of Muslims. The development comes four years after the army in the mainly Sinhalese Buddhist country defeated Tamil separatists. During Sri Lanka's bitter civil war the Muslims - a small Tamil-speaking minority, about 9% of the population - kept a low profile, but many now fear that ethnic majority hard-liners are trying to target them. The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo said the monks led a crowd which quickly swelled to about 500, yelling insults against the shop's Muslim owners and rounding on journalists seeking to cover the events. Eyewitnesses said the police stood and watched although after the trouble spread they brought it under control. "We have deployed extra units of STR (Special Task Force commandos) and police to guard the area," police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena told the Agence France-Presse news agency. "The situation was brought under control within a few hours," he said, adding that no arrests had been made. Television footage showed broken glass and clothing from the warehouse strewn in the street. Hard-line Buddhist groups led by monks also sent around a text this week urging people to boycott Muslim shops when stocking up for the forthcoming Sri Lankan New Year festival. After some Muslim groupscalled a strike in protest against a growing Buddhist campaign against their lifestyle, including halal food classification, a hard-line Buddhist party in the governing coalition issued a statement saying: "Sinhalese Buddhists should be determined to teach such Muslim extremists a lesson that they will never forget". The assault comes a day after police set up a hot-line to tackle complaints about anyone "inciting religious or racial hatred".

25 March 2013 Last updated at 02:52 GMT The hardline Buddhists targeting Sri Lanka's Muslims Hardline monks and Buddhist groups are trying to outlaw halal certification After a series of attacks on Masjids, wild rumours about animal slaughter and an attempt to outlaw the halal system of classification, the BBC's Charles Haviland investigates how Sri Lanka's Muslim minority is being targeted by hardline Buddhists. On a January morning a crowd of Buddhist monks storm a law college, yelling, chanting and even hitting one or two seemingly random people and pushing back the police. Furiously they shout that the exam results have been distorted to favour Muslims. A few weeks later, apparently abetted by the police, monks attack a slaughterhouse in Dematagoda, Colombo, alleging that calves are being slaughtered inside (illegal in the capital) or the meat is improperly stored. Both are incorrect, but the monks spread rumours that the facility is Muslim-owned as most of the truck drivers are Muslim. Sri Lankan monks are now taking this so-called "direct action" every few days. It is part of a growing wave of anti-Muslim activities in Sri Lanka carried out by new hardline Buddhist groups - a trend that is making many people anxious, even fearful. It comes four years after the army in this mainly Sinhalese Buddhist country defeated Tamil separatists. Regular attacks During Sri Lanka's bitter civil war war the Muslims - a small Tamil-speaking minority, about 9% of the population - kept a low profile, although many suffered violence. Muslim leaders have shied away from any kind of confrontation with the state Muslims are seen as having remained largely loyal to the state during the 26-year conflict. Indeed in 1990 they were expelled en masse from the north of Sri Lanka by Tamil rebels with just a few hours' notice. But they now fear that ethnic majority hardliners are trying to target them. At their recent rallies, the most prominent new hardline group, the Buddhist Strength Force (Bodu Bala Sena, BBS) have used coarse, derogatory language to describe Muslim imams and have told the Sinhalese majority not to rent property to Muslims. At one meeting attracting thousands, the organisation's secretary, Gnanasara Thero, told each Buddhist present to become "an unofficial policeman against Muslim extremism" and said "so-called democrats" were destroying the Sinhala race. Away from the rallies, I visited a temple in the suburb of Dehiwala as the early morning sun hit the majestic bo tree. The presiding monk, Akmeemana Dayarathana, has founded another ultra-nationalist Buddhist group, Sinhala Echo. He says the Sinhalese have real grievances, that Muslims are trying to convert people, building too many Masjids - even having too many children. In fact statistics show that both the Sinhalese and Muslim population percentages have grown slightly over three decades. He says, without giving any evidence, that Muslims propagated a message that Sinhalese families should be small. "Then they started to increase their own population," he says. "This is the only country for the Sinhalese." He proceeds to give a unique take on geography and religion. "Look around the world - Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and others, they were all Buddhist countries - but the Muslims destroyed the culture and then took over the country. We worry they're planning it here too." A few days later his organisation stormed a house where they alleged Christian conversions were taking place and verbally abused the family inside, some of them - according to a local website - physically assaulting a woman. Top-level support Since last April, when monks led an attack on a Masjid during Friday prayers in the town of Dambulla, there have been regular accounts of Masjids being attacked or vandalised, for instance with graffiti or pictures of pigs. There have also been assaults on churches and Christian pastors but it is the Muslims who are the most concerned. In the south of the country on 18 March, a mob of hundreds including monks surrounded a pastor's house, set fire to tyres outside and shouted abusively to those inside. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said monks are there to protect country, religion and race "Muslims are worried all over the country," Mufti MIM Rizwe tells me. "Everybody is [in] fear." He is president of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), the main organisation of Muslim clerics, and meets me at a hotel where imams have come together for emergency discussions on the situation. He defends the halal system of food classification, which the hardline monks are now trying to outlaw, and strongly denies that the community is fostering extremism as they claim. He rejects their accusation that Muslims have been destroying Buddhist holy sites. "You can't show one incident that Muslims have reacted in this way," he says. "No single statue or any religious worship places have been targeted by Muslims, totally not. Muslims have never done this. We hope we are guiding our Muslims to be calm and respect every religion." Days later his organisation appears on a platform with moderate Buddhist monks who have decided to distance themselves from the hardliners. The hardliners are withering in their description of the moderates, calling them "unethical and immoral". It has become clear that the BBS has top-level support. At its ceremony to open a new training school, the guest of honour was the powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, brother of the president. "It is the monks who protect our country, religion and race," he said in a speech. "No one should doubt these clergy. We're here to give you encouragement." President Mahinda Rajapaksa was reported to have told a BBS delegation in January not to promote "communal hatred", but the official communique was issued only in English, not in Sinhala. It is also apparent that Muslim leaders have shied away from any kind of confrontation with the powerful monks or any supporters they may have in government on this issue, remaining largely conciliatory in their language and actions. Mood of triumphalism Civic society activists are concerned. Sanjana Hattotuwa, editor of a citizen media initiative, groundviews.org, showed me some of the anti-Muslim web pages that are fast growing in number. Some civil society activists believe the dominant mood in the country is one of triumphalism The main picture on a Sinhala Facebook page called "My Conscience", with more than 8,000 followers, shows a lion - symbol of the Sinhalese - devouring a wild boar depicted with a crescent and star on its forehead. Mr Hattotuwa believes the dominant mood in the country is one of triumphalism, four years after the Tamil Tigers were beaten, and that this is encouraging victimisation of a new minority. "The country is seen today as Sinhala Buddhist," he says. "Everybody else has a rightful place. If they articulate concerns that question the dominant narrative then they should be put into their place. So the end of the war ironically has given the space for new social fault lines to occur." He rejects the concern voiced by some people that the socially conservative Muslim community is doing too little to integrate. "Integration means a recognition that this country is comprised of many communities and each one of them has the right to live where they want, how they want." Clearly not everyone in the government - which in any case contains Muslim ministers - is happy with the rise of the hardliners. Some Sinhalese ministers have expressed unease and a prominent newly retired diplomat, Dayan Jayatilleka, calls the BBS an "ethno-religious fascist movement from the dark underside of Sinhala society". Many Sri Lankans feel there are uncomfortable echoes of the 1983 pogroms, when Sinhala violence against Tamils precipitated the war. But hardline Buddhist rallies and "direct action" stunts are happening all the time now. And their social and political influence is expanding. -BBC

Farah 'held by US customs in terrorism mix-up' Double Olympic champion Mo Farah has revealed he was detained by customs officials on a recent trip to the United States, under suspicion of being a terrorist. Farah, who was born in Somali but moved to the United Kingdom as a young boy, was held by border control as he returned to the USA - the country where he now lives and trains - over Christmas. The runner attempted to show the two Olympic medals he won at London 2012 as evidence of his true identity, but claimed they did not prove sufficient as officials continued to hold him. "I couldn't believe it," Farah told the Sun on Sunday. "Because of my Somali origin I get detained every time I come through US customs. "This time I even got my medals out to show who I am, but they wouldn't have it." It was a slight sour note for Farah, who was in buoyant spirits after discovering he had been awarded a CBE by the Queen in the New Year Honours list. "I'm blown away. I'm honoured," said Farah. "For me, 2012 is done and it's time to look ahead. But I'll never forget what everyone in Team GB achieved." He added: "It's been a big year. But the best way to end it is with the ones I love." Farah has previously had problems with US authorities over his background, having initially experienced issues with his residency permit to live in Portland, where he and his trainer Alberto Salazar have worked together since the start of 2011. Attempting to return to the US from Canada, Farah said that he was told his family were under investigation as a terrorist threat, and would have to stay out of the country for 90 days. The matter was eventually resolved by an FBI friend of Salazar's, who was able to clear up the misunderstanding. "God knows what would have happened if he didn't. We'd probably still be in Toronto," said Farah. Read more at Read more at http://www.espn.co.u...eq4Gq3H7OUqi.99

Most Common Islamic Misconceptions By Beconvinced, Daniel Masters, Isma'il Kaka, Robert Squires Published in Other Islamic Refutations Published on Aug. 22, 2008 Misconception # 1: Muslims worship a different God First of all, there is only One God who created the Universe and all of mankind. Throughout history, people have created false gods in their minds and come up with false ideas about Almighty God, but regardless of this there is still only One True God - and He alone is worthy of worship. Unfortunately, some non-Muslims have come to incorrectly believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jews and Christians. This might be due to the fact that Muslims sometimes refer to God as "Allah", but also because over the centuries there have been many lies and distortions spread by the enemies of Islam. In actuality, Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus --- the same God as Christians and Jews. The word "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God and it is the same word that Arabic speaking Christians and Jews use to refer to God. If you pick up an Arabic translation of the Christian Bible, you will see the word "Allah" where "God" is used in English. For more information on the word "Allah", please read: Who is Allah? But even though Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in the same God, their concepts about Him differ quite a bit. For example, Muslims reject the idea of the Trinity or that God has become "incarnate" in the world. Also, the teachings of Islam do not rely on or appeal to "mystery" or "paradox" --- they are straightforward and clear. Islam teaches that God is Merciful, Loving and Compassionate and that He has no need to become man (nor do humans need for Him to). One of the unique aspects of Islam is that it teaches that man can have a personal and fulfilling relationship with Almighty God without compromising the transcendence of God. In Islam there is no ambiguity in Divinity --- God is God and man is man. Muslims believe that God is the "Most Merciful", and that he deals directly with human-beings without the need of any intermediary. Actually, the phrase "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful" is one of the most repeated verses in the Holy Qur'an. Additionally, the pure and straightforward teachings of Islam demand that Almighty God be approached directly and without intermediaries. This is because Muslims believe that God is completely in control of everything and that He can bestow His Grace and Mercy on His creatures as He pleases - no Atonement, Incarnation or blood sacrifice is necessary. In summary, Islam calls people to submit to the One True God and to worship Him alone.