Easter Sunday Bombing
Hands clasped together and heads bowed down in prayer, the 300 worshippers in Sri Lanka didn’t expect Easter Sunday to become a day of mourning and loss.
On April 21, Easter Sunday became a day of grieving and great loss in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Easter has always been a day when Christians come together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ two days after Good Friday, the day of his crucifixion. However, on April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday became a day of grieving and great loss, shocking the world of the great tragedy that took place.
In Colombo, Sri Lanka, a chain of suicide bombs tore apart a series of churches and hotels where Easter services and celebrations for Catholic and Christian people were being held. A total of six bombs had killed over 300 people and left the country in utter turmoil.
Sophomore Julia Dietlin shares her stance on the issue.
“Several people who don’t go to church on a regular basis are able to go to Easter services, which is wonderful, and I’m sad that it became such a tragic day in Sri Lanka,” said Dietlin. “I love feeling safe when I go to church and it’s upsetting to see so many people go to what should be a safe place and end up in serious danger.”
There is controversy over whether the bombing was an act of religious discrimination or not. The suicide bombers walked into three churches and three upscale hotels on Sunday, without any security detecting their hidden weapons, and detonated their bombs while devoted people were in the middle of prayer.
In addition, political controversy surrounds the issue upon the new information that Intelligence agencies in the US and India had informed Sri Lanka in early April that a bomb threat was looming. With the current government divided, there’s instability in the higher ranks. Some believe that the lack of security is a result of political feuding.
Sophomore Alyssa Carlson addresses her thoughts on whether the act was discrimination against religion.
“I think that it’s incredibly horrific that those people were simply gathering to honor God, worship, and pray with their families and ended up losing their lives,” said Carlson. “I feel like it’s very sad that it’s 2019 and we are still dealing with major discriminatory acts such as this.”
ISIS took responsibility for the bombings and were said to be the source that informed intelligence agencies in India and the US of the bombings. In addition, the terror attack may have been the work of not just one Islamic terror organization, but two. The Sri Lankan government stated that the bombings may have been a reprisal for the mosque shooting in New Zealand.
Sophomore Julia Dietlin elaborates on what action can be taken to prevent terror attacks.
“Fighting fire with fire and using violence won’t get us anywhere, but if we stand up and show how much these attacks hurt people, we can make a change. Even the smallest success is a step in the right direction, so I think it starts with sticking together and speaking up,” said Dietlin. “Safety has to become the top priority.”
Even in the aftermath, religious tension has grown considerably. Funerals have been held but some people hold resentment in response to their grief. Muslim-owned shops have been vandalized and several Muslim families have been evacuating areas that are predominantly Catholic. As of now, the country is mourning and we can only hope that Sri Lanka recovers from their losses.
