Noelnadesan's Blog

Statement Released by the Kandy Forum

The Kandy Forum vehemently condemn the barbarous terrorist attacks simultaneously carried out across the country, in Colombo, Negombo, and Batticaloa targeting at churches and tourist hotels that killed nearly 350 and seriously wounded 500 innocent people on Easter Sunday (21.04.2019).
We are shocked and surprised to know that the culprits belong to a fringe group of religious extremism unfortunately identified with the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. We wish to state that terrorism has no place in Islam, by definition Islam is a religion of peace. The Qur’an categorically says that “ if anyone slew a person it would be as if he slew the whole people and if anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people” (5:32). This is the spirit of Islam. Terrorists have no religion and have no place in humanity. We would like to openly state that this barbarous terrorist group is not Islamic but anti-Islamic in their ideology and actions and as it is reported in the press, they might have acted as stooges of an international terrorist group known as ISIS which is a byproduct of the destructive activities of the Western Imperialists in the Middle East during the recent past. It is also an anti-Islamic in its ideology and actions.
We wholeheartedly express our heartfelt condolence and sympathy to the victims and their families. Sri Lankan Muslims never had any grievances against the Christian community and never had an experience of conflict and confrontation with them in this country. It is in this context a terrorist group, unfortunately, identified as Muslim, madly unleashed tremendous disasters on them, pushing the whole Muslim community into the disastrous situation.
We appeal to the Muslim community to extend our sympathy and help in all the possible ways to the families of the victims to rebuild their lives and heal their psychological trauma.
We also urge the Government and the law enforcing authorities to take necessary and strong legal actions against the culprits and the perpetrators behind them and also appeal to the Government to avoid indiscriminate arrest on suspicion as it was allegedly done in the past especially under the PTA, which believed to contribute to worsening the situation.
We also appeal to all the political parties, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Islamic religious leaders, civil society organization and the general public to work jointly to eradicate terrorism, religious and ethnic hatred and to promote mutual understanding, religious and ethnic harmony, reconciliation and nation-building and for a bright future of Sri Lanka.
Members of Kandy Forum
Prof. M A Nuhman, Prof. M A M Sitheeque
Prof. M S M Anes, Prof. M I Mowjood
Dr. A S M Nawfal, Dr. A L M Mahroof
Dr. M Z M Nafeel, Mr. M M Niyaz, Mr. A J M Mubarak
Mr. U M Fazil, Mr. J M Niwas
(163, S W R D Bandaranayeka Mawatha, Kandy)
25.04.2019