Lanka

2018

Giclee print

This is the flag of my father’s home country, Sri Lanka.

I love the representation in the flag itself, so ambitiously inclusive. The lion of the flag represents the Sinhalese, while the bo leaves along the corners represent four concepts of Buddhism: goodwill, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The stripes represent the two main minorities of the island: orange representing the Sri Lankan Tamils and the green representing Muslims. The maroon background and gold border represent minority faiths and minority ethnicities respectively, among them Burghers, Moors, Malays, Christians, Hindus and more.

When I was young my dad used to speak of Sri Lanka’s religious diversity, that everybody would often join in the celebrations: all celebrating Christmas, Hindi festivals, and more. Everyone was welcome. I wonder if in today’s firm cultural boundaries - we would be able to do the same here in the states? Could we celebrate along with other communities in appreciation of religious diversity?