Buddhist instigated violence in Myanmar

[Anomalocaris]

I find it consistently crazy how 'Western Buddhists' glorify Buddhism and even many Atheists seem to think that it's some sort of special religion that actually practices what it preaches. In reality the history of Buddhism is filled with violence, religious persecution and ethnic strife. The current situation is no better with many western Buddhists being completely unaware of traditional Buddhism. Currently religious tension between Buddhists and (surprise, surprise) Muslims in Myanmar is on the verge of erupting into a serious conflict. What might surprise people is that much of the violence is instigated by the Buddhists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/world/....html?_r=0

Rioting and arson attacks spread on Friday to villages outside Meiktila, as mobs of Buddhists, some led by monks, continued a three-day rampage through Muslim areas. Witnesses reached by phone said security forces did little to stop the violence.

It is fair to ask if the buddhists in myanmar were all secular but otherwise of comparable social-economic circumstances, and all the muslims were just as they were, whether that would genuinely significantly reduce the chance of similar outbursts occurring against Muslims would occur.