269 people were killed on 19 April 2019 by 7 Islamic suicide bombers affiliated to National Thowheed Jamath who blasted 3 churches & 3 hotels. The dead included 37 foreign nationals & injured over 500. 135 people were arrested in connection with the attacks. In April 2021 (2 years after attack) Sri Lanka filed 23,270 charges against 25 people for conspiring to murder, aid & abet, collecting arms & ammunition & attempted murder. In October 2021, Sri Lanka indicted the mastermind & 24 co-conspirators. 3 of these have been named by US State Dept. Former IGP Pujith Jayasundara & former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were also prosecuted separately for negligence. Sri Lanka also banned 11 Muslim organizations in 2020. While Cardinal immediately forgave the suicide bombers who killed 269 people, he demands to know who are behind these “misguided youth”. In this quest, he has rejected 5 reports & finds shortcomings in each. Yet, he falls short of naming anyone or presenting any evidence either.
Quotes on Cardinal forgiving the Easter Sunday suicide team
Sri Lankan Christians forgive Easter suicide bombers, says cardinal (April 2020)
He says a “group of misguided youths attacked the lives of people”
“we meditated on Christ’s teachings and loved them; forgave them and had pity on them”
“we did not hate them and return them the violence.”
(why is it that the same sentiments are non-existent for others)
“the product of a group of misguided youths bent on terrorism” (Cardinal – 2022)
“it was very well organized & coordinated”
We forgive Easter suicide bombers, says Sri Lankan cardinal
https://www.ucanews.com/news/we-forgive-easter-suicide-bombers-says-sri-lankan-cardinal/87699
“We had pity on them and asked them not to repeat such things. We have taught them that lesson, not hating anyone in any way. This is what civilization means and that is the resurrection.” (they are unlikely to hear this having gone to neverland)
Sri Lanka Church ‘Forgives’ 2019 Suicide Bombers Who Killed 279 People (April 2020)
Cardinal: Easter attackers “spritually forgiven” but plotters must be punished (April 2020)
Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church is ready to “spiritually forgive” the plotters and the perpetrators of last year’s suicide bomb attacks….“But they must be brought to justice under the law,”
A year later, Sri Lanka Catholic church ‘forgives’ Easter suicide bombers (April 2020)
“We offered love to the enemies who tried to destroy us. We forgave them,”
Easter Sunday bombings: Father of two Sri Lanka suicide bombers arrested on suspicion of aiding, abetting sons (April 2019)
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/father-of-suspected-easter-bombers-arrested
Easter Sunday attacks: Card Ranjith against easy acquittals (Jun2020)
The suicide bombers will not know Cardinal has forgiven them but what is strange is that while Cardinal is forgiving those that killed, Cardinal is on a witch hunt against those he terms “maha molakaru”.
Who are the “mahamolakaru”?
- To answer this, he has to officially take up the matter with collaboration of the Vatican with the Government of India. India had prior knowledge of the attacks and it was India who even knew the names, telephone numbers & even the names of the targets. If India could name the suicide bombers, India should certainly be able to name those behind the suicide bombers.
If anyone could answer who were behind the suicide bombers, it is India.
On 3 April 2024, former President Maithripala made a shocking disclosure, claiming India was behind the attacks. Therefore, this serious allegation needs to be probed. https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240331/columns/easter-sunday-attacks-sirisena-drags-india-into-the-scene-553637.html
The Cardinal himself stressed of political involvement behind Sri Lanka Easter bombings two years earlier in March 2022
- Next option is to probe whether the answer be found in the Book & not a person. Majority of terrorist organizations are Islamic, the terrorists in these groups are heavily indoctrinated by quotes in their Book, religious terrorism & martyrhood is their ideology from which they are inspired to kill on behalf of their religion. The Cardinal knows too well the history of religious wars since ancient times.
- The next option is questioning the father of the 2 main suicide bombers in whose house were found numerous materials while even the pregnant wife of one of the sons also committed suicide along with her children. With this father being a member of the current government and also included in the 2015 national list, and who lived in the same house as 3 suicide bombers (his own two sons & daughter in law)
Why did 2 rich well-educated sons of a wealthy spice merchant want to commit suicide & kill people?
If both sons were aligned to extremist ideologies attending meetings of the National Tawheed Jamaath, the father would have noticed their behavioral changes which would have been the same with the wealthy wife (daughter of a jewellery manufacturer) as all were living under one roof.
Why does the Cardinal not demand that this father be questioned as who was behind his 2 sons & daughter-in-law to commit suicide killing innocent people? Why does the Cardinal not pose questions to this wealthy spice owner?
- Whether the suicide team decided to commit suicide on their own or whether there were a group of people behind them (whom the Cardinal claims to be the “maha molakaru” – they would not have been able to carry out their killings had those who received prior warnings of attacks promptly took action to prevent people entering the churches named and the hotels that were also named.
Was there a “maha molakaru” behind the inaction of these officers from the IGP, CID heads & others who had the powers to arrest & prevent the attacks when the SIS & other intel agencies passed on the info given to them?
In 2022, at a virtual Press conference of Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need International
“there are indications that the authorities wanted the attacks to be carried out”
Who are these authorities who did not take action – who were they politically aligned to, were they aligned to any foreign intel or was it simply their negligence & not taking the warnings seriously?
However, instead of blaming those that hold mandate to arrest & take action, the SIS & intel agencies are being accused & found fault with unfairly. Their role is only to gather information & pass on to those that are mandated to take action. Why is the Cardinal only picking on the intel? There was no intel failure, there was failure to take action on the intel given.
Is this being intentionally done to demoralize the intel units who place their life on the line to obtain intel to safeguard national security. Are the attacks on the intel to weaken national security?
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said t “since Churches were to be attacked if this information was shared with Church leaders, particularly the Cardinal (Malcolm Ranjith) we could have prevented the attacks or reduced the harm.”.
In his statement to the Presidential Commission of inquiry, MP Harin F informed that after his father had warned him not to attend Church due to an attack, he had informed both then PM and the Cardinal though the Church issued a statement denying so, however if we are probing molakaru and those who knew but did not take action, we also need to know other than the authorities who knew about an attack chose not to do anything other than save themselves. https://www.themorning.lk/articles/98519
Former SIS head Nilantha J said that at least 15,000 knew of the attacks a week prior to the attacks. Let their conscious be their judge for their silence in safeguarding their own lives & watching innocent fall to their graves.
101 probes or rejection of probes can remove the fact that 269 people’s lives would have been saved if action was taken to prevent people entering the church & securing the hotels on that fateful day on 21 April 2019. This is the sad truth.
Shenali D Waduge