{"product_id":"the-robe-and-the-sword-how-buddhist-extremism-is-shaping-modern-asia-9781967190003","title":"The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia","description":"\u003cb\u003eWhen the robe becomes a weapon, who can stop the violence?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe think of Buddhism as a faith of peace--rooted 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Robe and the Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, acclaimed journalist Sonia Faleiro travels from Sri Lanka's riot-scarred towns to the homes of refugees along the Myanmar border to Thailand's fortified temples, uncovering how militant monks have transformed a tradition of nonviolence into a tool of terror. She reveals how Sri Lanka's Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara incited mobs against Muslims, how Myanmar's Ashin Wirathu helped ignite a genocide, and how elements of Thailand's clergy have entrenched military rule. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough 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. \u003ci\u003eThe Robe and the Sword\u003c\/i\u003e is a searing and indispensable work of narrative nonfiction, urgently needed to understand how sacred traditions are being weaponized--and what is at stake for the future of our interconnected world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia Global Reports\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/11\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781967190003\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 160","brand":"Sonia Faleiro","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51730193547445,"sku":"9781967190003","price":15.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_fe37bd06-721d-4f69-bcfb-70c3215fdf38.jpg?v=1758004499","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-robe-and-the-sword-how-buddhist-extremism-is-shaping-modern-asia-9781967190003","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}