IN EARLY JUNE, ALOCAL SCHOOL IN
Colombogaveits studentsatwo-pagelist of frequently
askedquestionson the April21suicidebombingssothat
theycouldcomprehendthe issuesinvolvedin simpleand
straightforwardlanguage.Onequestion was:“Werethe
bombersMuslims?”Theanswerwas:“Thebomberssaid
theywereMuslim,butIslamdoesnottell people to kill
each other. The Sri Lankan people, includingthe
Muslims, areverysadandangryaboutwhatthesefew
peoplehavedone.Theyhavebeenhelpingthepeople
whowereaffectedandare tryingto helpto keepus all
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safe.All different kindsof peoplehaveto standtogether,
helpandloveeachotherno matterwhatreligionwe are.”
TheEasterbombingskilledmorethan 250 people
acrosstheisland, shockingthenationandpushingits
peopleintothezoneof fearandapprehensionthat
existedwhenthe Sri Lankanstatefoughtthe Liberation
Tigersof TamilEelam(LTTE)for threelongdecades.All
thesuicidebombers wereMuslim.Theterroristschose
fourhotelsandthreechurches.The bombswentoff in all
the churcheswhenthe TamilMasswason andnot during
theSinhalaservice.Mostof thosekilledwereTamil-
speakingpeople.Onehotel,theTajSamudra,escaped
becausethetriggermechanismof thebombplanted
theredid notwork.
In the followingweeks,therewerevarious attacks on
Muslimsin retaliationfor the Easterbombings. On June
11, hundredsof peoplein thesoutherntownofMatara
cameout to uphold peaceinSri Lanka,evenas incidents
targetingMuslimsshowednosignsof abatingacrossthe
islandnation.
“Bravingtherain,severalthousandpeoplecameto
Mataratownto say‘NO’to hatred,intoleranceand
bigotrywhileexpressingtheirveryvocalsupportfor a
newSri Lanka—unitedin its diversity,”FinanceMinister
MangalaSamaraweera saidin atweet.
Thesameday,Sri LankaMuslimCongressleader
RauffHakeemandall theMuslimMinisterswhohad
resignedfromtheirpostson June3met theChiefPrelate
of the RamannaNikaya, oneof the threemajorBuddhist
ordersin Sri Lanka, the othertwobeingthe SiamNikaya
andtheAmarapuraNikaya.Themeetingsought to
bridge the dividethat had developedbetween the
MuslimandSinhalacommunities.Theteamalsometthe
ChiefPrelatesof the AsgiriyaandMalwatteChapters of
the SiamNikayain Kandy.
Soonaftertheblasts, duringaspecialsessionof
Parliament onApril 24,several speakerssought to
separate terrorism from religion. “I appeal to all,
politiciansin particular, not to blamethistragedy on any
particularcommunity,” saidM.A.Sumanthiran,aleader
of the TamilNationalAlliance(TNA).“TheMuslims of
thiscountryhaveneverreactedwithviolenceevenwhen
violencewasthrustuponthem. We valuethatverymuch
andwe willmarchtowardsabettertomorrow for all of
us—Sinhalese,Tamils, Muslimsand others—handin
hand,”he added.
“Inmycapacityas Speaker,Iamdoingmybestto
strengthenunitywithinthe government.All leadershave
to contributeandIamhopefulthatcurrentdifferences
canbe overcomefor thebenefitofall SriLankans, as
divisionswithinis whatthe enemiesof the nationwant,”
SpeakerKaruJayasuriyasaidin atweeton June12.
Similarsentimentscouldbeheard in themulti-
ethnic eastern townof Batticaloa, where achurch
bombingleft 26 deadon the spot.“No,no oneamongour
communityis lookingfor revenge.No oneis in amoodfor
DURINGPRAYERSat the Jummamosque
in Minuwangoda,nearColombo,onMay 15.
Mosquesand Muslim-ownedshopsand
businesses weretargeted in aviolent
backlash afterthe Easter attacks.
