Wirathu, a monk once dubbed the “face of Buddhist terror”, has led calls for restrictions on Myanmar’s Muslim population, penning hyperbolic speeches warning of an Islamic takeover of the overwhelmingly Buddhist country. Myanmar is gripped by deepening religious tensions that have repeatedly spilled into violence. The unrest has been partially attributed to anti-Muslim rhetoric spread by Wirathu’s radical wing Buddhist monks. The February assassination of Ko Ni, a respected and high-profile Muslim lawyer and long-time Suu Kyi ally, also heightened tensions. But a special meeting of the country’s most senior monks – the State Sangha Maha Nayaka – on Friday decided to ban all of his sermons.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 11, 2017 18:15 UTC