The death of one of Sri Lanka’s most venerated Buddhist monks while on a visit to Russia, has sparked allegations that he was murdered by Christian fundamentalists who he had long criticized, and the fear of a Buddhist backlash at his funeral slated for Wednesday. The Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thera, 57, had arrived in Russia on October 10 on a ten-day visit to accept an honorary doctorate conferred on him by the International University Of Fundamental Studies (IUFS) in St Petersburg. But Thera fell ill immediately, dying of a heart attack on December 12, after being bed-ridden for several weeks. His death was enough to stir the communal cauldron back in Sri Lanka, with the jingoistic elements among the Buddhists – who make up 71 percent of the country’s population – crying foul play. Full Story