DEMONKING…
October 3rd, 2007
In an attempt to lessen the influence of the monks in Burma/Myanmar military has resorted to the age-old tactic of forced conversion; not to a faith, but away from it. Forced conversions didn’t work in Spain in 1492 and it’s not working in Burma in 2007. From the Democratic Voices of Burma via Global Voices via Andrew Sullivan.
Some 300 monks who were arrested a few days ago were delivered to a garage just out side of Insein GTI College. The soldiers are reported to be trying to force the monks to ” give up the secular life, to disrobe – become a layperson and no longer honour the ethics of being a monk.”
[Snip]
…soldiers ordered the “most senior monk in Insein” to come over and read pali scriptures that will begin the process of “shaming the monks” to make monks change into laypersons. However, the monks, who are supposed to repeat the pali scriptures read by the senior monks, refused to repeat them and after a while, the senior monk said that he can’t convert them into laypersons and that it just won’t happen and refused and supposedly left.
Make time this weekend to march. On this morning’s Sound of Ideas, Dan Moulthrop’s guest invited people to come to the Akron’s main public library at noon on Saturday, 6 October to take part in a rally and march. The details aren’t posted yet, but I’ll get them up as quickly as I can.
i will be there in spirit….assuming i dont decide to stop camping for a couple of hours on sat….
Shalom Molly,
Your spirit is always appreciated.
B’shalom,
Jeff