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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0in;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Sri Lankan police are investigating an assault on twogirls apparently accused of watching pornography in the east of the countrylast week. A group of men allegedly beat up the 17-year-olds after they cameout of an internet cafe in the mostly Muslim town of Kattankudi, nearBatticaloa. The father of one of the girls says they were accused of watchingpornography - a charge the girls deny.
The case has fuelled concern about a rise in radical Islam in that area.
An incident of this sort isextremely unusual for Sri Lanka. �Taken to hospital� Mohammad Yusuf Abdul Razak told theBBC the men forcefully took his daughter and another girl to a local house andbeat them up, before taking them to a local Islamic office. �After that, an announcement wasmade from a mosque using loudspeakers that two girls who were caught doingwrongful things are now in the office complex,� Mr Razak said. After hearing this announcement, MrRazak says, a large crowd gathered there and some started to denounce thegirls. Police finally intervened and thegirls were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries, he said. Md Ibrahim Md Subir, from the localmosque authorities, denies that any announcement was made, saying the girlswere kept in the office and �interrogated�, but were treated respectfully.
But, he said, �a little later some youngsters barged in and a big crowdgathered�.
He said the situation got out of control, so they called the police.
Sri Lankan police conducted an identification parade on Tuesday, where onefemale suspect was identified and later released on bail.
The police have said they are looking for others who are involved in theincident.
Mr Razak said he wants the mosque authorities to make a public announcementstating that the girls did not commit any wrongdoing.
He says that the police investigation of the internet cafe found no evidenceto support the claim that the girls watched pornography.
�My child has physically recovered from injuries. But she is mentallyshattered,� Mr Razak said.
Analysts say that in recent years local women have come under growingpressure from conservatives.
They are now urged, for example, to cover their faces in public, somethingthat had not previously been the cultural practice there.
A few months ago, the local authorities put up street signs in Arabic - eventhough most local people speak Tamil, BBC reports.
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