Saskatoon Catholic News – The Imam of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan issued the following message to the local community after the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka that killed worshippers and others:
April 21, 2019
Dear Community in Saskatoon,
On behalf of all Muslims in Saskatoon and interfaith partners, I strongly condemn the Sri Lanka attacks. Many innocent people were killed this morning while attending church services. This is totally unacceptable. We firmly believe in peaceful coexistence. We completely and strongly reprimand the barbaric acts on the people of Sri Lanka.
On behalf of all the people in Saskatoon, I would like to express solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. We must stand together and ensure love defeats hatred.
The hatred of such acts is deepened when peace loving worshippers are attacked & sanctity of places of worship is violated. May Allah grant relief to the injured and make it easy for everyone who are impacted.
I am in shock and disgusted by the terrorism on the innocent people of SriLanka! The action of these criminals is unthinkable in its corruption, immorality, and criminality.
We are all praying for the victims and families, and all of our Christian brothers and sisters in humanity. We cannot let this evil win.
Ilyas Sidyot
Imam, Islamic Association of Saskatchewan
Council of Imams and Conference of Catholic Bishops issue a joint statement:
Catholic Saskatoon News
[April 25, 2019] – The Canadian Council of Imams and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issed a statement together April 25, jointly condemning the terrorist attacks which occurred in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday..
“Both our religious traditions speak of peace, love, and justice for all humanity. It is abhorrent to see the people of Sri Lanka, whether gathered to worship on the feast of Easter, or with family and friends in hotels, subjected to acts of hate and complete disregard for human life,” said the joint statement.
“As faith communities in Canada, we stand together, offering our condolences and prayers for all the victims of this terrorist attack and with a united voice rejecting all forms of hatred, violence, and discord.”
Statement from the Canadian Council of Imams
Catholic Saskatoon News
[April 25, 2019] – The Canadian Council of Imams issued a statement condemning the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that took the lives of Christian worshippers and tourists, as well as expressing condolences and offering prayers. STATEMENT
Sri Lanka Easter attacks draw international condemnation, prayer for victims
Catholic News Agency
[Colombo, Sri Lanka, Apr 21, 2019 (CNA)] – Religious and civil leaders have responded with condolences, prayer, and calls for justice after several explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds more on Easter Sunday.
Calling it “a very, very sad day for all of us,” Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, canceled all remaining Easter Masses for the day in the Colombo district.
He expressed his “deepest sorrow and sympathy to all those innocent families that have lost someone, and also to those who have been injured and rendered destitute,” Vatican News reported.
“I condemn – to the utmost of my capacity – this act that has caused so much death and suffering to the people,” Ranjith said. He called for a strong and impartial inquiry to find those responsible for the attacks.
At the conclusion of his Urbi et Orbi address on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis said the violence in Sri Lanka has brought “grief and sorrow” to the people there.
“I wish to express my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, struck while it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence,” he said.
“I entrust to the Lord all those who have tragically perished,” he said, adding his prayers for those who are injured and suffering from the attacks.
Shortly before 9 a.m., explosions were detonated during Easter Mass at Catholic churches in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, and in Negombo, a city 20 miles to its north. At the same time, a bomb exploded at a service at the evangelical Zion Church in Batticaolo, on Sri Lanka’s east coast.
Pews were shattered by the blast at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, and floors and ceilings were covered in blood. The Catholic shrine is the most well-known church in Sri Lanka, and is designated the country’s national shrine. The first chapel on the Church property was built during Sri Lanka’s Dutch colonial period, when Catholicism was mostly forbidden on the island.
There were also explosions Sunday morning at three luxury hotels in Colombo, and explosions outside a zoo and a private home Sunday afternoon.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres voiced outrage at the attacks and calls for justice for perpetrators.
“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the people and the Government of Sri Lanka, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. He commends the leadership demonstrated by the authorities and unity of the people of Sri Lanka in the wake of the attacks,” the spokesperson said, adding that Guterres “reiterates the support and solidarity of the United Nations with the people and the Government of Sri Lanka in this difficult moment for the nation.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but a police spokesman said seven people have been arrested in connection with them, according to the AP. Some reports suggested that an additional six suspects were later arrested.
The island nation, which is home to a population of more than 21 million, has been plagued with periodic violence since its 26-year civil war concluded in 2009. More than 70% of Sri Lankans are Buddhists, roughly 13% are Hindus, almost 10% are Muslims, and fewer than 8% are Christians. There are 1.5 million Catholics in the country, constituting the overwhelming majority of the Sri Lanka’s Christians.
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