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Legal Commentary

: The Volokh Conspiracy

Prosecution for Insulting Religion ? This Time, Buddhism

By Eugene Volokh

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(Eugene Volokh)

InfoLanka.com reported in late March:

Sarah Malanie Perera [was] detained in the [Sri Lankan] capital Colombo for allegedly offending the spiritual leader of Buddhism ....

[I]t is understood two of her recently published books offended ethnic Sinhalese Buddhists, who account for about 70 per cent of Sri Lanka?s 20 million population....

The 38-year-old, who previously converted to Islam [and moved from Sri Lanka to Bahrain], was detained on March 20 after writing two books in Sinhalese, allegedly offensive to Lord Buddha.

She had been due to leave her homeland and return to Bahrain after a three-month holiday on the day of her arrest....

Police reportedly asked Sri Lanka?s most senior Buddhist to read the book, who confirmed there were no offensive words against Buddha....

Born and brought up in a Buddhist family, she embraced Islam in 1999 after studying religion at Discover Islam....

A Colombo Times article, dated April 6, 2010, tells a similar story; so does this April article from the Gulf Daily News, though it also adds that Perera had apparently also been accused of connections to ?Islamic militants?:

A BAHRAIN-BASED author was released from police custody in Sri Lanka yesterday, but is still facing criminal action over a book she wrote that is deemed offensive to Buddha.

Sarah Malanie Perera had been detained in the capital Colombo since March 20 under emergency laws, after being accused of ?anti-state? activities and having links to Islamic militants.

Ms Perera was released from prison after paying bail of 50,000 Sri Lankan rupees (BD166) on Tuesday ....

She was arrested for allegedly distributing alleged anti-state and anti-government information across the border after trying to send copies of her books to Bahrain....

The 38-year-old author, who is a Muslim convert [born in Sri Lanka], was on holiday in Sri Lanka when she was arrested.

Her publications From Darkness to Light and Questions and Answers focus on her conversion to Islam and the original teachings of Buddha....

She came to Manama [Bahrain] in 1985 to assist her elder sister Mariam, who owned a gift and flowers shop, and embraced Islam in 1999 after studying religion at Discover Islam....

If any of you know of more details, either about the book or about the prosecution, please let me know. Thanks to Prof. Howard Friedman (Religion Clause) for the pointer.

Full post as published by The Volokh Conspiracy on May 17, 2010 (boomark / email).

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