SV: SV: Kinship systems

[Raveen Satkurunathan]

>This shows that neither the language family nor the same language can be
the
>marker of ethnicity. Closer to Taminadu, Tamil Muslims in Srilanka speak
the
>same language as the rest of the Tamils, but they are classified as a
>separate ethnic group - on their own request.

It should be 'Tamil speaking Muslims' because there is no such thing as a
Tamil Muslim in Sri Lanka. Indian media conveniently forgets this
distinction when a Sri Lankan who is of Islamic faith (i. e with a
Muslim/Arabic name) is caught smuggling narcotics, then they report that a
Sri Lankan Tamil (i.e.  LTTE !) is caught smuggling drugs but when a Sri
Lankan of Islamic faith donates money to a Hindu Temple in India then it is
Sri Lankan Muslim who donates money not a Sri Lankan Tamil. Sorry for
digression but ethnic identities are used conveniently for political
purposes throughout the world.

Raveen