In the midst of a joyous weekend of celebration, sadness and devastation occurred in Sri Lanka. It’s impossible to truly understand why there is such hatred in the world. The hard truth is that acts of terror will continue to happen even with the spreading of love that comes after such terrible acts.
On Easter Sunday, terrorist attacks claimed the lives of nearly 300 people across the South Asian island and left at least 500 others injured. Twenty-four people have since been arrested for suspected involvement in the attacks.
The attacks resulted in massive destruction and loss of life, attracting attention from the international community by targeting centers of tourism, for which the Southeast Asian country is well-known.
Police later found 87 detonators in the main bus station in the capital city of Colombo, according to CNN, and an improvised explosive device was found planted near the city’s international airport.
The attacks on the minority Christian community of Sri Lanka are believed to have been inspired by ISIS, though this has not been confirmed. ISIS has become increasingly prevalent in Asia in recent years. The group claimed responsibility for a church attack in the Philippines in January and multiple attacks on churches in Indonesia in May 2018.
Sri Lankan authorities are reported to have received warnings about the Easter Sunday attacks. The government has expressed its apologies for overlooking evidence that could have prevented the atrocities and promised to compensate families. Still, compensation is a worthless exchange in the face of lost lives.
Time and time again, religion continues to be a leading source of division across the world. This horrific incident demonstrates how religious intolerance can appear during times of happiness and celebration. This shows fear can be used to foster hate and misunderstanding throughout the world.
Even though we all inhabit the same planet, tolerance tends to be forgotten in place of harmful individual beliefs that result in extreme violence. Religion doesn’t have to be a divider — rather, it should be a celebrated marker of our differences and of our right to be both different and peaceful.
My heart breaks in memory of the innocent lives lost this weekend, from this tragic incident and the countless others in the past. I hope in times of such darkness, we can recollect ourselves and fight even harder to defeat the dark with light.
Coffee is my lifeline, every morning, afternoon and night—and occasionally in between. Find me café hopping with my nose buried in a book and a cappuccino by my side for good company. I’ll never pass up a chance to explore this adventure-packed city and its unique, bustling yet mellow culture.
