Statement on the Mass Casualty Suicide Attacks on Churches and Hotels in Sri Lanka
It is with immense sorrow that we awoke to the senseless horror of coordinated suicide attacks on several churches and 5 star hotels in Sri Lanka. On this important religious holiday for Christians, it is very concerning to see this tragedy targeting a faith community and taking the lives of so many innocent people while praying at their places of worship.
We stand in solidarity with our Christian neighbors and condemn this cowardly and barbaric act. Our prayers are for the victims and their families in this tragic time. We mourn with the Sri Lankan people in this national tragedy and hope for a speedy investigation, and that those who carried out such cruelty and carnage will be brought to justice.
There is never a justification for mass terror incidents targeting innocent civilians. We must realize that we are one human family, and the more division we sow, the more discord we will reap. In this challenging time in our nation and our fragile world, we must likewise insist that intolerance, in all its forms, be condemned and challenged so that this tide of violence does not destroy the moral fabric of society at large.
Sincerely,
Maher Hussein,
ICCNY Board President