KUCHING, April 23: The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM), standing in solidarity with the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Sri Lanka, condemns in the strongest possible terms the ‘heinous’ and orchestrated attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
The attacks, which happened on April 21, has resulted in the loss of over 200 lives and hundreds more injured.
“The churches and the people of Sri Lanka are going through this trying period, our hearts go out to them with our deep thoughts of condolences and prayers, especially those who have been traumatised by these attacks.
“Religiously motivated violent acts are committed deliberately by religious zealots out to fan hatred and to destabilise the peaceful co-existence of diverse communities in a democratic society,” its secretary-general, Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, said in a statement yesterday.
In response to the growing reality of religiously motivated terrorism, the CCM stated categorically that “it rejected any violent act based on hatred in the name of religion or ethnicity”.
In support of the recent Kuala Lumpur Declaration of Peace, Dr Hermen added that the CCM pledged its unequivocal support to be in solidarity with the citizens of the world and in developing an environment of peace and justice based on the recognition of diversity and religious freedom, which is the cornerstone of modern progressive societies.
“It is our fervent hope and prayer that the government of Sri Lanka will bring the perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice. And for our prayerful solidarity with the Christians in Sri Lanka, we pledge to stand with the suffering of the persecuted while affirming that because of Easter, the powers of evil will hold no sway over the righteous and just will of God,” he said. — DayakDaily
