Barnabas Fund, 11 July 2019
Many Tamil Christians and Hindus in Sri Lanka are being ordered by Muslim extremists to convert to Islam or leave the villages where their families have lived for generations.
The majority of Tamils are Hindu, while around 20% are Christians.
Muslims came to dominate the area when they moved to new homes built for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004.
Violent clashes are reported to have taken place as Tamil families have resisted the extremists’ threats to convert. Local sources say Tamils in the entire Eastern province are being targeted.
The majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist, with Hindus and Muslims numbering an estimated 14% and 9% respectively, and Christians around 8%.
The largest Christian population is found in the Tamil speaking regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka.