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I was in Dubai for a week and all my Sri Lankan friends tell me that Muslims do not allow any religious freedom in Dubai. They will not allow a single Buddhist temple here.

In Sri Lanka there are thousands of Muslim mosques. They scream the Muslim religion every day morning from loud speakers disturbing all of us. We allow that. I have started to campaign in Sri Lanka to reduce the religious freedom for Muslims in Sri Lanka.

I was in England and many western countries and the religious freedom is very good.

I will never visit a Arab country again!!

Christians and Hindus seem to like it here just fine.

Look ...we allow Islam in our country. As I mentioned before there are thousands of Muslim mosques in Sri Lanka.

I think we are just stupid to allow Islam in our country.

I see israel allow Buddhism as well.

http://www.buddhism.org.il/eng/association.html

This is quite of a complicated topic and a sensitive one too. UAE actually has more religious freedom than any other Arab country (think Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman amongst others). There are a few hindu temples in Dubai that run on a private, word of mouth basis but the main reason Ruwan did not see any Buddhist nor Hindu temples is that Muslims do not view them as religions but rather as faiths. It would certainly imply more religious and cultural openness if UAE allowed these temples to be built. Maybe one day. Afterall, just a few years ago we would never find or see a church in the UAE, and look now, there are a number of active ones around. UAE is very welcoming, non-discriminating and accepting particularly when compared to other GCC countries.

Please do not be offended Ruwan, and make sure to visit places such as Turkey and Egypt as they are beautiful destinations that embrace islam, christianity and judaism.

I believe Arabic people are the smartest people on earth. They do not allow other religions on their soil but build many mosques in other countries. In my company in Sri Lanka some Arabs even leave few hours early on Friday and get paid also.

It is not your fault. It is our fault. We (India, Sri Lanka and Japan etc) should not consider Islam as a religion but a faith and not allow any mosques.
I am planning to write letters to some politicians here in Sri Lanka. Hope one day they will see my point. I have to tell you that politicians in Sri lanka and India don't have any spines. In that regard I complement the Arabic leaders. Who are brave and do anything to spread and protect their religion.

You guys are good. We are just stupid.

Never knew all Muslims in Sri Lanka were Arabs. Would you like to start a new front on another war, considering you are fighting Tamils already?

Muslims in Sri Lanka are mostly Arab and from Pakistan. There is very little mixing with Sinhalese due to religious restrictions in Islam.

It is not about starting a war. Its about fairness.

wat's wrong with u ruwan? why r u stereotyping ppl? If shoekh doesnt allow temples here why are u lumping the blame on ALL Muslims? r u even a Buddhist, if you were then you would have accepted now as it is instead of blaming spreading hatred etc... its for this reason not religion that ppl kill each other... there are temples in malaysia and stop bullshiting that all muslims in srilanka are arabs......for God sake you want another war due to your mentality . Make ur mind a temple of worship instead of fighting for one.

ruwan wrote:I was in Dubai for a week and all my Sri Lankan friends tell me that Muslims do not allow any religious freedom in Dubai. They will not allow a single Buddhist temple here.

In Sri Lanka there are thousands of Muslim mosques. They scream the Muslim religion every day morning from loud speakers disturbing all of us. We allow that. I have started to campaign in Sri Lanka to reduce the religious freedom for Muslims in Sri Lanka.

I was in England and many western countries and the religious freedom is very good.

I will never visit a Arab country again!!

well ruwan UAE has enough Sri Lankan ppl as it is so one wont hurt, who need ppl like you anyway, you need to kick back and relax dude, and like the guys said faith or religion it's all in your mind and soul, it dose not need a structure , not unless you guys burn stuff then you'll be a hazarded to the society LOOOOL

yaa we have labors issues but not religious one , I thought UAE has churches any they are every where, doesn't it guys ?

maybe it's just that you guys are cheep enough to build one, so take your problem else where and get lost, this is a multireligious country and everyone is cool about it .

Few of us cannot solve world problems.

I have one question...please let me know your answer.

If we Buddhists in Sri Lanka allow Muslims to build mosques and allow Islam is it fair that Buddhists (or Hindus) are not allowed to build temples in UAE?

I just need a YES or NO answer.

It seems there is definetely Buddhists and Hindus are singled out here.

ruwan wrote:Few of us cannot solve world problems.

I have one question...please let me know your answer.

If we Buddhists in Sri Lanka allow Muslims to build mosques and allow Islam is it fair that Buddhists (or Hindus) are not allowed to build temples in UAE?

I just need a YES or NO answer.

It seems there is definetely Buddhists and Hindus are singled out here.

How did you come up with the conclusion that UAE does not allow to build temples ? , did you inquire from officials ? or is just bcz your friends said so ? they are Sri Lankan man !
I know they allow churches so why not temples !!

I believe you are just trying to create a big religious argument out of nothing and if you need a yes or no answer so bad then take an effort to search and ask the officials if you care this much, don't post such a question in a forum , but again you are from Sri Lankan!!

I am a freelance writer and I have nearly 200 plus newspaper articles under my belt. As a child I never believed the western media.

I need the facts.

My friends told me that UAE will never allow Buddhist or Hindu temples to be built in UAE. As per them there is a clause in Quran prohibiting all other religions except Christianity. Now this could be wrong since these friends of mine are Buddhists and have never red the quran.

Now if that is wrong, how can I find the truth?

I am not interested in writing anything other than facts. Now I am in Sri Lanka and how can I get the truth?

Do you know any government website that I could pose the question?

Since you are in UAE, what do you think? Is that true or false?

There are at least 31 Christian churches in the country built on land donated by the ruling families of the emirates in which they are located. There are two Hindu temples operating in rented commercial buildings in Dubai, one of which is used by Sikhs as well. Sikhs and Hindus living in Abu Dhabi also practice their religion in private homes. Four emirates are home to parochial Christian primary and secondary schools. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Emirate of Dubai donated land for Christian cemeteries, and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi donated land for a Bahá'í cemetery. There are two operating cremation facilities and associated cemeteries for the Hindu community, one in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai.


People of all religious beliefs in UAE can enjoy a lot of religious autonomy and personal freedom.

Muslim freedom in Sri Lanka :

http://www.spur.asn.au/kattankudi_musli ... ltte_1.htm

17 years of suffering of entire Muslim population of Northern Sri Lanka - World is blind :
http://www.muslimguardian.com/portal/pa ... ema=PORTAL



The Muslims murdered by TMPV cadres :
http://www.muslimguardian.com/portal/pa ... ema=PORTAL


Violence moves to Akkaraipattu: A Muslim shot & injured!
http://www.muslimguardian.com/portal/pa ... ema=PORTAL

To Hifriend...
First Are you a Muslim from Arab or from Sri Lanka?

The pictures you show are gruesome and was the work of LTTE (Tamil tigers). They are terrorists. The govt. is fighting them. Muslims have killed many Tamils as well.

Look at these images

http://www.stephenharby.com/photos/ceylon/ceylon-3.html

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... l%26sa%3DN

There are thousands of mosques in Sri Lanka.

To Hifriend.

You are right. there is sikh temple in Dubai. Now I feel much better.

http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/gurudwaras ... dubai.html

May be Buddhists are just lazy not to go through the permitting process.

Note: Pl. read about the Tamil-Muslim ethnic clashes. Tamils are Hindus and not Buddhists. But the clashes are mostly for farm land more than the religion. As far as I know there have not been any clashes between Buddhists and Muslims.

ruwan wrote:
I will never visit a Arab country again!!

YOU KNOW WHY WE DONT ALLOW IT...COZ WE WANT YOU TO GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY AND PRAY IN YOUR TEMPLES ..TO HAVE A VISA AND COME BACK TO DUBAI..
SEE WE LET YOU PRACTICE YOUR RELIGION FREELY..
THATS THE SECRET

Oh god Ruwan, shut the hell up! You go on and on! There are churches, temples and even a synogogue here in the UAE.

Stop ranting and raving because no-one cares. Afterall these places are only bricks and mortar.

RUWAN YOUR FRIENDS ARE MORONS NOT YOU BRO...CAUSE THEY THEMSELVES HAVE NEVER TRIED TO GO TO A TEMPLE.....THIS IS THE OLDEST TEMPLE IN UAE SINCE 1992........STOP YOUR RELIGIOUS RANTS


There is a Hindu Temple Complex at the Bur Dubai creek near the Dubai Museum which caters to the needs of Hindus FROM INDIA AND SRILANKA

Interestingly, the temple sits next to a Mosque in the busy Bur Dubai area

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS MORON. YOU SRI LANKANS NEED TO PUT OUT SOME MONEY TO BUILD ANOTHER ONE IF YOU WANT ONE////

I have no religion and I am from China. Once I walked in the park couple of years ago, some young fellows abused me like" fcuk you", "fcuk Budda". It was such a bad experience even I am not a buddist. (actually most of Chinese not buddiest, not having a religion).

I just wish Dubai will have more freedom not in laws and rules but also in people' mind.

ruwan, if you put the same amount of research into those 200 articles you have written as you have about religious freedom in Dubai, I'm guessing the quality of your work is equivalent to that of FOX news in the US.