蜜桃交友

.By Linda Bordoni

The Easter bombing attacks in Sri Lanka that left 257 people dead and razed churches and hotels to the ground also caused much collateral damage shattering a difficult peace and reconciliation process after a long civil war against the separatist Tamil Tigers.

Fear has created renewed divides between members of different ethnic and religious communities that make up the population. Above all, daily life has become harder for ordinary Muslims who continue to suffer attacks and discrimination.

Caritas Sri Lanka is in the forefront of the healing and reconciliation process, together with religious representatives of different faiths and civil society leaders.

Fr. Mahendra Gunatilleke, National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka, told Linda Bordoni that people were so shocked and traumatized by the bombings, an urgent need arose immediately for programmes to address their needs:

Fr Mahendra explained that Caritas developed programmes to address psycho-social and legal needs immediately after the bombings. These, he said, were shared with other organizations working to help the population, with the Caritas Provincial network and with the country鈥檚 diocesan centers.

Government collaboration  

He said Caritas has also found support in the government that is doing its best to tackle a number of questions.

The fact, he said, that the bombings took place in the Churches, has directly involved the pastors to care for their sheep. However, he added, the government is taking care of the material reconstruction of church buildings 鈥渁nd we are very thankful for this鈥�.

The, government, Fr Mahendra said, has also come forward to help the families of the victims financially.

Fear

鈥淚t is not the property that we lost, but the lives we lost, and the fear that was created with this terror attack鈥�, he said.

He said that people are deeply traumatized: 鈥渢here is this fear psychosis, the scar that has got into the human psyche鈥� which has led to an urgent need to work for a peaceful environment for all the individuals of our country.

The attacks have shattered the nation鈥檚 reconciliation process

Fr Mahendra said the attacks have had a tremendously damaging effect on the country鈥檚 peace process following the 30-year conflict that ended 10 years ago.

鈥淲e were just about to celebrate the anniversary of the peace that was brought after the conflict and this happened,鈥� he said.

The attacks, he continued, have devastated peace initiatives and reconciliation programmes. And Caritas, he said, is deeply involved in bridge building, which 鈥渋s now a daunting task.鈥�

鈥淥ver the years we have been involved in peace programmes, reconciliation, coexistence programmes鈥� and now we see suspicion and brothers of ours who have been pushed away,鈥� he said.

Fr Mahendra said it will take time to build trust.

鈥淏ecause we are a tiny nation, struggling with economic issues, with political and social issues, our hopes were shattered with this attack鈥� he said.

The need for prophetic leadership

Fr Mahendra said his hope is that 鈥渨e will get good leaders鈥� who will be able to give us the right guidance.

He expressed his hope for political leaders with genuine perspectives, and for religious leaders because, he said, 鈥渞eligion must not be a divisive factor, it must be a uniting factor.鈥�

鈥淚 am happy that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith was able to give that leadership. People are looking up to him and we are very proud that he is a Catholic shepherd and we need to sustain and cooperate with him,鈥� he said.

Fr Mahendra said he prays that political leaders, leaders of civil society, of NGOs and like-minded organizations will come forward and will assist the peace process so that it may proceed.

He also expressed his wish that Sri Lanka not be forgotten by the media and by the international community: 鈥淚f the international community can come to Sri Lanka and support us with peace initiatives, we will find a way forward鈥�.