Identity Crisis of Sri Lankan Muslims
A study of the Muslims, Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka
Author
Publisher
Printing Details
First edition. Hardback in dustwrapper. 22 × 14cm, 163pp
"Muslims are one of the important constituents of the plural society of Sri Lanka, inhabiting the island with the majority Sinhalese and the minority ethnic Tamils for centuries, while maintaining a religious identity of their own. However, when the Tamils tried to prove that the Muslims, whose mother tongue is also Tamil, were Tamil-converts to Islam, the Muslims feared being merged in the Tamil-stream. Consequently, and for political reasons, they broke away from the Tamils and as Independence approached, threw their lot with the Sinhalese. Such a decision did not, however, make things easier for the Muslims. They could neither erase the Tamil culture ingrained in them over the centuries nor could adopt Sinhala as the mother tongue. To set themselves apart, the Muslims chose to build up a distinct identity for themselves, based on their claim of Arab descent. This work deals with the dynamics of Muslim ethos in the multi-racial society of Sri Lanka and is the first of its kind on the subject." Illustrated with maps and tables.
Condition
Ex-library, with the usual stamps and marks, but otherwise a good reading copy.
If you would like any further information or have any queries, please feel free to email at walterbudge@btinternet.com or geoff@coxandbudge.co.uk
Price
£20.00
