Buddhist Hardliners Rise Against Muslims In Myanmar

MANDALAY, BURMA - JUNE 01: Men work to package the monthly magazine distributed by the Masoeyein Monastery, home of Wirathu, on June 1, 2017 in Mandalay, Burma. The magazine spread Wirathu's message of hate speech and intolerance for the Muslim community. Buddhist hardliners like Ashin Wirathu are pushing the idea that Buddhism and the essence of Myanmar provides a reason for inciting violence against the minority Muslim population in Myanmar. Branded the "Face of Buddhist Terror" by Time magazine, Wirathu recently claimed the one million Rohingya Muslims in his country "don't exist" as clashes between ultranationalist Buddhists and minority Muslims rose in Yangon last month. Myanmar's religious authorities increased its crackdown on hard-line Buddhist monks, including the Ma Ba Tha movement, an ultra nationalist Buddhist organization, while authorities banned the network which has been accused of stoking Islamophobia. The headquarters of Ma Ba Tha, located in Mandalay, has been spreading anti Muslim sentiment across the country for years from its unassuming base as the rapidly modernizing city remains home to a diverse community including Muslim, Christian and Hindu populations. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)