• World
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Central & South Asia
    • Europe
    • Latin America & Caribbean
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • North America
  • Coronavirus
  • Politics
    • US Election
    • US politics
    • Donald Trump
    • Brexit
    • European Union
    • India
    • Arab world
  • Economics
    • Finance
    • Eurozone
    • International Trade
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Startups
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Film
    • Books
    • Travel
  • Environment
    • Climate change
    • Smart cities
    • Green Economy
  • Global Change
    • Education
    • Refugee Crisis
    • International Aid
    • Human Rights
  • International Security
    • ISIS
    • War on Terror
    • North Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
  • Science
    • Health
  • 360 °
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
  • My Voice
  • About
  • FO Store
Sections
  • World
  • Coronavirus
  • US Election
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Sign Up
  • Login
  • Publish

Make Sense of the world

Unique insight from 2,000+ contributors in 80+ Countries

Close

Remembering the Easter Sunday Victims in the Shadow of COVID-19

Sri Lankans are still reeling from the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the situation.
By Amjad Saleem • Apr 14, 2020
Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka news, news on Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka bombings, Easter Sunday bombings, COVID-19 pandemic, coronavirus Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Muslims, Muslims in Sri Lanka, Amjad Saleem

St. Anthony’s Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 4/24/2019. © Ruwan Walpola / Shutterstock

Nearly one year has passed since the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, and in the midst of a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the anniversary was marked under somber circumstances. The trauma of these terrorist attacks — which occurred when an Islamic extremist group bombed churches and hotels on April 21, 2019 — cannot be understated.

On the one hand, it is extremely painful to think that innocent people were killed in the safest and most sacred of places on a holy day when worshipping in the house of God. While this is not the first time that terrorists had targeted places of worship in Sri Lanka — mosques were attacked by Tamil Tiger militants in 1990 — this was the first major incident since the end of civil war in 2009.


Sri Lanka’s Persecuted Muslims Are Turning Radical

READ MORE


On the other hand, soon after the 2019 attacks, Muslim communities were targeted and assaulted and countless youth were arrested. The acts of hate speech and incitement to violence that followed were reprehensible because they spoke to the same source of ignorance and intolerance that led to the Easter Sunday attacks.

Twelve months later, that same feeling is responsible for feeding an anti-Muslim narrative to falsely explain how the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 has spread in Sri Lanka. This has been pushed by national media and supported by some politicians, leading to a feeling of déjà vu in terms of Islamophobia. This has not been helped by a recent government order to cremate the corpses of those who have died from COVID-19, which conflicts with guidance from the World Health Organization. For the Muslim minority in Sri Lanka, burning the bodies of the deceased goes against the teachings of Islam.

There is now a crisis of confidence in not only the government, but also the majority community in Sri Lanka as to how the country moves forward and where minorities fit in.

Looking Back on Easter Sunday

In reflecting on the Easter Sunday bombings, there needs to be a collective introspection and accountability that we must undergo as a society and country. We need to find out why more was not done to prevent the attacks, who was complicit in allowing the mob violence and anti-hate speech to take place after the incident, and why that anti-Muslim narrative lives on today.

These questions are necessary if we are to tackle the conditions that allow for some people to display such hate. The past is a testimony to the fact that that young men and women in Sri Lanka have been both the victim and perpetrator of mindless acts of violence. History keeps repeating itself and lessons are not being learned. Young people and the public are being used to incite violence in the name of ethnicity and religion for selfish political gain.

Embed from Getty Images

In this sense, those who engaged in mob violence were no different from those who bombed the churches. Both sets of people were seduced by ideologies that share a similar hatred of unity in diversity. Likewise, those peddling the racist narrative of Muslims being responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka — despite no evidence for the claims— are under no illusion that what they are pushing for is a country that is not diverse or tolerant.

Since Sri Lanka postponed its parliamentary elections, which were originally scheduled for April, the question of diversity and who makes up its citizenry has been important. Over the past few weeks, my social media timeline has been inundated by Sri Lankans — mainly Muslims — packing dry rations and working with the government and army to ensure that families affected by the lockdown are cared for.

The charity Muslim Aid Sri Lanka has provided food for about 5,000 people, whilst a Muslim philanthropist donated 50 million Sri Lankan rupees ($262,000) to the government for its response to the pandemic. This is symptomatic of what happened after the Easter Sunday attacks when Muslims came out in droves to “prove” their allegiance to the country by issuing statements of reflection or holding national unity events. 

Band-Aids on Deep Wounds

Yet there is an Orwellian-like tragedy to this current scenario. On the one side, there are pictures and stories of the Muslim community donating food to support those suffering from the nationwide lockdown. On the other side, national media have pushed the message that Muslims are somehow responsible for spreading the virus.

The result has once again pointed to the belief that Muslims are the “problem,” a hangover from the Easter Sunday attacks. The philanthropic and community interventions of the Muslim community, no doubt sincere, will end up being band-aids on the deep, festering wound of racial and ethnic politics unless the reasons for social divisions are addressed. As the Muslim minority have found regarding the forced cremation of bodies, no matter what engagement they show toward the country, the government — in order to win the hearts and minds of the majority — will not consider these sacred and religious rites. Ultimately, the feeling is that Muslims as an indigenous ethnic and religious group are not welcome in Sri Lanka.

After the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lankans did away with the differences that separated them and concentrated more on what could unite them. They have now forgotten that sense altogether. For just a brief period 16 years ago, regardless of which faith you followed and or the ethnic group you belonged to, what mattered most was that you were Sri Lankan.

Now, one year on from the Easter Sunday attacks and in the face of a pandemic, there is a need to rethink how the seeds are sown for these types of hatred. The COVID-19 crisis is a reminder from Mother Earth, which, like the tsunami, is trying to remind us of the value, vulnerability and connectivity of life. Mother Earth teaches us that we should not discriminate because natural disasters are a great social leveler — that everyone is in it together and that the diversity of humanity should be cherished. 

Embed from Getty Images

The Muslim community — and I write this as a Muslim of Sri Lankan heritage — is going through this introspection and accountability. We are hurting, scared and thinking that we didn’t do enough to remove those weeds of hate and that we need to do more. This will forever live with us as a badge of guilt.

But the calls for reflection cannot be one-sided. It needs to be done collectively as a nation because there are mistakes that have been made by all communities in the name of racial politics.   If we want to avoid the radicalization of another generation of youth who are angry at the injustice and inequality they are faced with, then we need to be humane and just in how we deal with those who have suffered as well as those who might be a suspect of a crime. We can’t ask one section of society to reflect without asking the other to do the same. 

Extending Our Hand

Unfortunately, the tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic is that we have not learned or we refuse to learn. We did not build the relationships that we once cultivated in those dark times, nor did we go out of our way to forge new ones. We have retreated into our silos, which was made worse by the Easter Sunday attacks and now abused as a result of COVID-19. Consequently, Sri Lankans remain not only as polarized as ever, but minorities feel disenfranchised and disempowered too.

We cannot shirk away from our personal responsibilities in allowing the state of affairs to arrive at the point they are in today’s Sri Lanka. Our relationships with those from different communities have much to say about how we value life and how we value diversity. The amount of hate against minority communities that has been spewed out over the last few months is a sign that something is going wrong.

If we have to learn from the Easter Sunday attacks and its aftermath, we need to do so individually and collectively as a society to break out of our silos. We need to fight for justice, even if that is against people with whom we align. That journey starts with knowing each other, understanding each other and respecting each other and also recognizing that, in our diversity, we have many commonalities that unite us as Sri Lankans. It just requires one person to stand up and walk across with their hand extended.

This is the hope we offer to those who were killed on Easter Sunday — that we will not allow their deaths to be used to justify exactly what the terrorists wanted. We will not allow divisive forces to break us. Those of us still alive have a responsibility to not allow their deaths to be in vain. This is the legacy we owe them.

And this is the legacy we owe the victims of COVID-19 when racial politics once again threaten to distract us from what is needed most. In these times, there is a need for people to step up and shine a light on that darkness as Martin Luther King Jr. said: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

Share Story
Categories360° Analysis, Central & South Asia, Coronavirus, Global Terrorism News, Health, Insight, International Security, Islamic terrorism news, War on Terror, World News TagsAmjad Saleem, coronavirus Sri Lanka, COVID-19 pandemic, Easter Sunday bombings, Muslims in Sri Lanka, news on Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka bombings, Sri Lanka news, Sri Lankan Muslims
Join our network of more than 2,000 contributors to publish your perspective, share your story and shape the global conversation. Become a Fair Observer and help us make sense of the world.

READ MORE IN THIS 360° SERIES

In Sierra Leone, COVID-19 Could Make Maternal Mortality Worse
By Emma Minor • Jul 06, 2020
Herd Immunity May Be Our Best Hope
By Daniel Wagner & Mark Eckley • Jul 06, 2020
The EU Should Collect Health Data Centrally
By Susan Bergner & Isabell Kump • Jun 29, 2020
How Will COVID-19 Change Our World?
By Atul Singh • Jun 26, 2020
How Mismanaging a Pandemic Can Cost Countries Their Soft Power
By Valerio Alfonso Bruno • Jun 18, 2020
COVID-19 Contact Tracing: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
By Claire Downing • Jun 10, 2020
If the Pandemic Is a “War,” Then India Needs to Spend More
By Bobby Ramakant, Sandeep Pandey & Shobha Shukla • Jun 08, 2020
What Is the Key to Tunisia Successfully Beating COVID-19?
By Bill Law • Jun 08, 2020
The Humanitarian Disaster Before Us: COVID-19 in Somalia
By Arden Bentley • Jun 06, 2020
East Africa Faces a Cascade of Crises
By Bettina Rudloff & Annette Weber • Jun 04, 2020
The Swiss People’s Party Versus COVID-19
By Hans-Georg Betz • Jun 03, 2020
The 2020 Pandemic Election
By Saurabh Jha • May 29, 2020
COVID-19 Casts a Shadow Over Swedish Exceptionalism
By Mette Wiggen • May 21, 2020
Has COVID-19 Launched a New Era of Deadly Pandemics?
By I.P. Singh & Atul Singh • May 19, 2020
COVID-19 Arrives in Refugee Camps
By Phil Cole • May 18, 2020
The Worst President at the Worst Time
By Larry Beck • May 14, 2020
South Korea Faces Challenges in a Post-Coronavirus World
By Thomas Kalinowski • May 13, 2020
Debunking Trump’s China Nonsense
By John Feffer • May 08, 2020
Global Health Policy Is World Politics
By Susan Bergner, Maike Voss & Nadine Godehardt • May 07, 2020
Will We Ever Know the True Origin of COVID-19?
By Daniel Wagner • May 06, 2020
COVID-19: What Indonesia Can Learn From South Korea and Taiwan
By Luthfi Dhofier • May 05, 2020
Brazil Struggles to Find a Unified Approach to the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Thiago Alves Ferreira & Stephanie Fillion • May 05, 2020
Narendra Modi Is Fighting COVID-19 With Little Logic
By Satish Jha • May 01, 2020
What You Need to Know About the COVID-19 Crisis in the US
By Sunil Asnani & Kshitij Bhatia • Apr 30, 2020
History Will Judge Britain’s COVID-19 Response
By Rupert Hodder • Apr 30, 2020
China’s Uncertain Recovery From COVID-19
By Maa Zhi Hong • Apr 29, 2020
Rohingya Refugee Camps Are the Next Frontline in COVID-19 Fight
By Daniel Sullivan • Apr 28, 2020
Brazil Is Heading Into a Perfect Storm
By Lenin Cavalcanti Guerra • Apr 28, 2020
India's Tactical Victory on HCQ Misses the Bigger Picture
By Mauktik Kulkarni • Apr 27, 2020
Will COVID-19 Alter the Global Order?
By Joel Blankenship • Apr 27, 2020
South Korea Shows the Way Forward for Post-Pandemic Recovery
By John Feffer • Apr 24, 2020
Why Maximum Pressure on Venezuela Is the Only Way Out
By Leonardo Vivas • Apr 22, 2020
Can the WHO Restore Credibility After Its Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
By Hans-Georg Betz • Apr 22, 2020
For Cybercriminals, a Global Pandemic Presents an Opportunity
By Beau Peters • Apr 17, 2020
Playing Catch-Up With the Next Pandemic
By John Feffer • Apr 17, 2020
The Politics Behind the Coronavirus in Brazil
By Helder Ferreira do Vale • Apr 15, 2020
China's Mask Diplomacy Won't Change the World Order
By Brennan Kau • Apr 09, 2020
How the US Government Failed to Prepare for a Pandemic
By Daniel Wagner • Apr 09, 2020
As President, Donald Trump Has a Duty
By Gary Grappo • Apr 08, 2020
Should We All Have Been Wearing Masks From the Start?
By Hans-Georg Betz • Apr 07, 2020
In Tajikistan, It’s Someone Else’s Virus
By Andrea Schmitz • Apr 06, 2020
Why Are Mexico and Brazil So Slow in Reacting to COVID-19?
By Lenin Cavalcanti Guerra • Apr 01, 2020
Are We Wrong About COVID-19 Death Rates?
By Daniel Wagner • Mar 31, 2020
One Antidote to Coronavirus: More Multilateralism
By Gary Grappo • Mar 30, 2020
Saudi Arabia’s Wars on Three Fronts
By Bill Law • Mar 30, 2020
The Politics of the Coronavirus
By John Feffer • Mar 27, 2020
What the Coronavirus Says About Us
By John Feffer • Mar 24, 2020
Why It’s Taking Britain So Long to Tackle COVID-19
By Rupert Hodder • Mar 23, 2020
COVID-19: What Italy and the US Are Doing Wrong
By Valerio Alfonso Bruno • Mar 10, 2020
The British Government Is About to Fail on Coronavirus
By Rupert Hodder • Mar 09, 2020
Coronavirus Outbreak Puts the World’s Governments on Notice
By Daniel Wagner • Mar 03, 2020
Coronavirus Outbreak Exacerbates Italy’s Political Divisions
By Valerio Alfonso Bruno • Feb 27, 2020
China’s Influence Dampens International Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
By Daniel Wagner • Feb 24, 2020
How Effective Is China’s Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak?
By Maa Zhi Hong • Feb 04, 2020

Post navigation

Previous PostPrevious Is Saudi Arabia Looking for an Exit from Yemen?
Next PostNext How the Middle East Reacts to the Coronavirus Pandemic
Subscribe
Register for $9.99 per month and become a member today.
Publish
Join our community of more than 2,500 contributors to publish your perspective, share your narrative and shape the global discourse.
Donate
We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Explore

  • About
  • Authors
  • FO Store
  • FAQs
  • Republish
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact

Regions

  • Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • Central & South Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America & Caribbean
  • Middle East & North Africa
  • North America

Topics

  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Environment
  • Global Change
  • International Security
  • Science

Sections

  • 360°
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
  • My Voice

Daily Dispatch


© Fair Observer All rights reserved
We Need Your Consent
We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Learn more about how we use cookies or edit your cookie preferences. Privacy Policy. My Options I Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Edit Cookie Preferences

The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor. These statistics are collected and processed using the Google Analytics service. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. Fair Observer does not use personal data collected from its website for advertising purposes or to market to you.

As a convenience to you, Fair Observer provides buttons that link to popular social media sites, called social sharing buttons, to help you share Fair Observer content and your comments and opinions about it on these social media sites. These social sharing buttons are provided by and are part of these social media sites. They may collect and use personal data as described in their respective policies. Fair Observer does not receive personal data from your use of these social sharing buttons. It is not necessary that you use these buttons to read Fair Observer content or to share on social media.

 
Necessary
Always Enabled

These cookies essential for the website to function.

Analytics

These cookies track our website’s performance and also help us to continuously improve the experience we provide to you.

Performance
Uncategorized

This cookie consists of the word “yes” to enable us to remember your acceptance of the site cookie notification, and prevents it from displaying to you in future.

Preferences
Save & Accept