Language loyalty overrides religious division to unify Sinhalese against Tamils.

Evidence

This burgeoning Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, however, was subsumed by Sinhala linguistic nationalism, which enabled all Sinhalese, irrespective of their religious beliefs, to mobilize to make their language the island’s sole national language. It also has enabled Sinhalese Christians to oppose the LTTE as passionately as do Sinhalese Buddhists. Indeed, some of the most prominent generals in the Sri Lankan military have been Christians. The Sinhala language has succeeded so well in unifying Sinhalese Buddhists and Christians that the predominantly Sinhalese Catholic clergy in the south often refuse to speak out against military atrocities perpetrated on Tamil Catholics in the northeast; and the Sinhalese Catholic leadership in Colombo is known to treat complaints and grievances against the state by their northeast Tamil counterpart with indifference. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 241

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the manufactured-threat literature on group solidarity — connects to theories that the ethnic other, not religious identity, binds Sinhalese together. — connects to: Anti-Christian violence endangers the language-based Sinhalese unity against Tamils. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 241; Extremist Sinhalese parties weaponized Buddhism against Tamil devolution — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 157; Religious unity across ethnic lines rests on rituals and language generating obligated interdependence (+8 more)
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: what happens to Sinhalese Buddhist unity when the LTTE threat vanishes — does the manufactured Tamil enemy get replaced?

Broader Connections

• Anti-Christian violence endangers the language-based Sinhalese unity against Tamils. #complicates (0.80) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 241
• Extremist Sinhalese parties weaponized Buddhism against Tamil devolution #expands (0.75) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 157
• Sinhalese nationalist identity is constructed as inseparable from Buddhism #complicates (0.75) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 193
• Religion most often defines civilizations and can override shared ethnicity and language. #contradicts (0.75)
• Religious unity across ethnic lines rests on rituals and language generating obligated interdependence #exemplifies (0.70)
• Ethnic outbidding by Sinhalese parties drove ethnic polarization. #expands (0.70)
• Christians and Muslims could ally against pagans over shared monotheism. #qualifies (0.70)