Religious Violence Is Incongruous!

A New York Times report about religious violence got my attention. In some of the worst religious violence in Sri Lanka in decades, three people have been killed and 78 injured in riots between Buddhists and Muslims. Apparently Buddhist monks led the riots. I am not thoroughly versed in the teachings of Buddha but from the little that I do know about them, I find it inconceivable that his followers would stoop to religious violence. Buddhism is essentially a peaceful tradition. Nothing in Buddhist scripture gives any support to the use of violence as a way to resolve conflict. Still, the words of  Buddha, like those of Christ and Mohamed, can also be twisted in order to justify religious violence.