On 21 April 2019 in Sri Lanka

Act of terrorism committed in Sri Lankan soil yesterday on Easter Sunday is an act against Christianity, western values and to civilized humanity. After looking at the patterns of global attacks, this wave of attacks indicates an urgent need of a true global strategy and local mechanisms to be put in place to counter Islamic Fundamentalism. With these kind of out-of-blue heinous terrorist acts blurring the distinction of peace and war time, civilized global community shall come to understand that population control of minority groups and constant intelligent gathering and sharing with internal and extern actors are needed.

About two hours after the first few bombs went off an intelligent dossier leaked was on our whatsapp message. Looking at the letter it is crystal clear dossier is genuine. The unfolding was a coordinated terrorist attacks led by Islamist group called ‘Nations Thawahid Jaman’. The leader seems to be Mohomad Saharan.

However, some ignorant media outlets started blaming the majority Buddhist population as if they were asking for this. BBC writes, ‘in March 2018 a state of emergency was declared after members of the majority Buddhist Sinhala community attacked mosques and Muslim-owned properties.’ And some former and incumbent United Nations officials were quick to point fingers at so-called failed reconciliation process after 2009 civil war concluded. None of them questioned the rising arrogance among Muslim communities towards majority Sinhalese, systematic destruction of ancient Buddhist sites and acts by political Muslim politicians like Rishad Badurdeen’s, systematic destruction of country’s forest reserve to give political leverage to Muslim community. Democratic fatalism of individualism, divided majority and coalition governments has given more than enough space for these extreme minority groups to flourish.

Calling of Pope Francis and world leaders including Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, echoing her recent ordeal few weeks ago elevated these terrorist acts to its right place. Meanwhile US Vice President Mike Pence called the attacks in Sri Lanka is an ‘attack on Christianity’. And US Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan said the department is monitoring the situation and ‘doing all it can to protect the homeland from potential violent extremists.’ Mr. Kevin McAleenan is talking about a possible terrorist attacks in US soil in concert with these attacks in Sri Lankan soil. Those who call these terrorist acts were a calling of Buddhist majority had truly lost their common senses.

On the first day today, after this brutal killing of 207 and counting, the Government of Sri Lanka ought to rethink seriously about listing fundamental Islamic NGOs as banned terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, legislators need to be aware that previously delisted NGOs including LTTE still possess a greater risk to national security. If these two collaborate? Increasing the intelligent personals deployed across the island and beyond to monitor further developments is the only solution. Cooperation with India, USA and western nations are paramount on this front; as Narendra Modi twitted yesterday that ‘there is no place for such barbarism in our region.’ India shall remain our strongest ally on our counter terrorism activities and intelligent sharing. Gotabaya Rajapaksha had elaborated on these issues when he was in the office.

The world community ought to understand that this wave of terrorist acts has no relation whatsoever to domestic grievances among minorities. This resulted due to fact that our intelligent communities had been crippled by numerous forces and Islamic fundamentalists could attack anywhere at anytime. The responses to this kind of terrorist acts has to be working on many fronts. In long run, it is the right time to stop predicting the number of global population growth but act on global and state level to control the population growth maintaining uniqueness among each country and communities. No minority group within a state can be cumbersome to democratic process. And those minority political parties shall no way be in a position to hinder the national interests and national security issues of a nation.

It is your today’s responsibility as the legislator from civilized world to realize these things for tomorrow.