Rishvin Ismath “People have doubts, but criticizing religions is punishable under blasphemy laws”

Interview by Cailee King

QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR EDUCATION LIKE? 

Answer: I am from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is not an Islamic country. There is Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism etc. In Sri Lanka, you are taught in schools and communities within your faith and religion, so for me I had classes about Islam in school for 8 years. Sri Lanka has a strong free school education system.  Almost 90 % of the students’ study in Government Schools. Government schools are segregated as Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim schools. All the Muslim students study Islam as a subject in schools. From 1980s, school Islam text books are systematically radicalized. For an example, there was a lesson in one of the textbooks teaching that those who leave Islam should be murdered. Flogging, amputation and stoning to death also taught in the books. You can’t criticize Islam, and they will keep track of if you are skipping Friday prayers – if you’re living in a Muslim dominated area and question you about why you don’t come for the prayer. I could see Islam changing and becoming more radicalized.

I used to be a very devout Muslim. I didn’t even listen to music. I wouldn’t have been able to imagine leaving Islam. The few people like Dr. Salam Rushdie and Dr. Taslima Nasrin, I knew who had left Islam, we were made to believe that it had to be the CIA, Israel or another outside organization that had paid them handsomely to leave Islam. We just couldn’t believe someone would want to leave. 

Q: WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU LEAVING ISLAM?

After a period of doubt and questioning, I left Islam in 2013. I started receiving death threats in 2016, and my friend was killed in India the following year for leaving Islam. The government likes to pretend that Muslims don’t become radicalized in Sri Lanka, so when I went to the cybercrime division of the police and intelligence, they ignored my concern. On April 21st, 2019 more than 250 people, mostly in churches, were killed in a terror attack linked to ISIL. Through the investigation, the police found and later told me that there had been at least two confirmed attempts at killing me.

Q: HOW HAS SRI LANKA CHANGED OVER TIME, WITH RELIGION? 

Beginning in the 80s and 90s, Islam grew very quickly. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turky began funding the promotion and spread of Islam within Sri Lanka. One organization has been working with long term plan of making Sri Lanka an Islamic country.

Q: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR ACTIVISM? 

Activism wasn’t my goal or plan, but as I moved away from religion, I began posting about my questions and doubts on social media. Later, I began posting support for LGBTQ rights, women’s’ rights, etc. Because of fear and radicalization, racism has also increased, innocent Muslims are also targeted, so I try to advocate against that too as a humanist.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES PEOPLE WHO LEAVE RELIGION FACE? HOW DO YOU HELP THEM? 

People those who leave their religions other than Islam do not face issues, but Muslims face risk up to the level of being murdered. I work with the Council of Ex-Muslims. We are helping to liberate and support those who want to renounce Islam. In Sri Lanka, there is a systemic issue with radicalization and the inability to consider other ways of living. People have doubts but speaking out is dangerous, so people don’t have the courage to leave and live the life they want. These people are the ultimate victims. We try our best to help to support and protect them. Muslims do not even understand that they are the ultimate victims of Islamisation.

Q: HUMANISM IN SRI LANKA… HOW FAST IS IT SPREADING AND WHY?

A: Humanist movements in Sri Lanka are not very organized or strong because of censorship and certain laws. Even for making a complain at a Police station or taking oath at a function, you are requested to mentioned your religion. When you say that you’re irreligious, they look at you like an alien. People have doubts, but criticizing Buddhism or other religions in Sri Lanka could be punishable under the Laws. My friend and Convenor of Irreligious Community of Sir Lanka, Indika Rathnayaka was called by the Criminal Investigation Division for presenting his views about Buddhism. Another example of censorship is our Facebook page. Because we support those who want to leave Islam, our posts have been marked as hate speech, and our page was shut down for a while. We are a minority within a minority and so are often persecuted. HGC helped to restore our Facebook page, so my sincere thanks.