Contesting Buddhist Narratives 23 mar likely have more localized and personalized causes, as people struggle to maintain stability in a transitional context of economic, political, and social uncertainty. However, the broader religious context allows Buddhists to portray Islam and the Muslim community as a threat to the The call to protect Buddhism sasana, despite the absence of evidence to support this claim. It is critical for is inextricably intertwined scholars and policymakers analyzing with protecting the country recent events to recognize the persuasive force of religious reasons given in defense of discriminatory or exclusionary policies (Kyaw San Wai 2014). This is a particular threat to continued reform in countries where democratic practices and values have not yet been consolidated, as is currently the case in Myanmar. At the moment in which the Buddhist sasana is perceived as being threatened, democracy reverts to theocracy. “Non-Buddhist” Methods One of the most confounding aspects of the current wave of antiMuslim violence is the notion that Buddhists in Myanmar are seeking to defend their religion by seemingly violating core Buddhist values and by using what many observers have referred to as “non-Buddhist” methods. In fact, some of the rhetoric of 969 supporters has acknowledged that very claim. For example, U Wirathu admits that “tactics” such as buying only from those who share your religious beliefs are not properly “Buddhist.” In one interview, he explained: “It is not the Burmese way, but a Muslim way, and they practice this [marking their shops with 786]. So go around the town and see how many Muslims are visiting Burmese shops. If they support their own shops, why won’t we Buddhist [Burmese] do the same?” He continued on, in response to the interviewer’s query as to whether these actions constituted discrimination: “This kind of buying behavior doesn’t mean it’s discrimination. It can protect our people’s interests” (Irrawaddy 2013b). U Wimala, another 969 monk, also supported the actions of some monks in Karen state who have fined Buddhists who were caught buying from Muslim shopkeepers (Marshall 2013a). Similarly, in explaining and defending the proposed interreligious marriage restrictions, the 969 monk Ashin Sada Ma acknowledged that