Robe and the Sword

When the robe becomes a weapon, who can stop the violence?We think of Buddhism as a faith of peacerooted in compassion, patience, and nonviolence. But across South and Southeast Asia today, the robe is being turned into a weapon as radical monks and nationalist movements unleash hatred and war.In The Robe and the Sword, acclaimed journalist Sonia Faleiro travels from Sri Lankas riot-scarred towns to the homes of refugees along the Myanmar border to Thailands fortified temples, uncovering how militant monks have transformed a tradition of nonviolence into a tool of terror. She reveals how Sri Lankas Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara incited mobs against Muslims, how Myanmars Ashin Wirathu helped ignite a genocide, and how elements of Thailands clergy have entrenched military rule.Through vivid portraits of zealots, survivors, and dissident monks fighting to reclaim their faith, Faleiro delivers an unflinching investigation into the colonial trauma, economic grievances, and political forces fueling a dangerous new extremism. The Robe and the Sword is a searing and indispensable work of narrative nonfiction, urgently needed to understand how sacred traditions are being weaponizedand what is at stake for the future of our interconnected world.