Author: Qadri Ismail
The lack of peace in Sri Lanka is commonly portrayed as a consequence of a violent, ethno- nationalist conflict between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority. Viewed in this light, resolution could be attained through conflict management.
But, as Qadri Ismail reveals, this is too simplistic an under- standing and cannot produce lasting peace.
“Abiding by Sri Lanka” examines how the disciplines of anthropology, history, and literature treat the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict. Anthropology, Ismail contends, approaches Sri Lanka as an object from an “outside” and western point of view, according to a review on goodreads.com.
History, addressing the conflict from the “inside,” abides by the place and so promotes change that is nationalist and exclusive. neither of these fields imagines an inclusive community. Literature, Ismail argues, can.
