Mosque demolished as mobs attack sect in Kattankudy

Police Sunday declared unofficial curfew in Kattankudy, a large Muslim town 5 kilometres south of Batticaloa, after mobs demolished a mosque and several houses and buildings belonging to an Islamic sect.

Special Task Force (STF) commandos were called in after Police failed to control crowds of orthodox Muslims armed with clubs and machetes stormed the main mosque and a computer centre of the influential Islamic sect led by the charismatic cleric known as ‘Payilvaan’.

Police said crowds were called up by muezzins from orthodox mosques in the thickly populated town.

On Sunday afternoon STF and Police were still trying to control crowds attacking the homes families that follow Payilvaan’s teachings, sources in Kattankudy said.

Payilvaan’s followers charged that a group of young preachers trained in Saudi Arabia were behind the attack. “They are trying to force everyone to follow Wahabism. They are paid to do this by the Saudis,” one of them alleged.

Payilvaan, an Islamic scholar, has written extensively against Wahabi orthodoxy. His writings and preachings show his Sufi leanings.

Many rich Muslim businessmen and farmers on the eastcoast are his followers.

Source

(Listed if other than Religion News Blog, or if not shown above)
TamilNet, Sri Lanka
Oct. 31, 2004
www.tamilnet.com

Religion News Blog posted this on Tuesday November 2, 2004.
Last updated if a date shows here:

   

More About This Subject

AFFILIATE LINKS

Our website includes affiliate links, which means we get a small commission -- at no additional cost to you -- for each qualifying purpose. For instance, as an Amazon Associate, Religion News Blog earns from qualifying purchases. That is one reason why we can provide this research service free of charge.

Speaking of which: One way in which you can support us — at no additional cost to you — is by shopping at Amazon.com.