Easter Sunday attacks: We don’t have faith in probes - Cardinal

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said yesterday that he did not have faith in any of the probes carried out on the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

He said that it seems that the political leaders are getting one committee that probes Easter Sunday attacks to submit a report according to their whims and fancies.

Delivering his sermon at the re-consecration (re-opening) of Katuwapitiya’s St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo last morning,  which was damaged in the April 21 bomb attack, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that time has come to tell these leaders to go home and handover the nation to abled people.

Cardinal Ranjith said that Easter Sunday mayhem was an international conspiracy and not merely the work of Islamic extremists .

"The youth who carried out the bomb attacks were used by the international conspirators. Global Muslims have become victims of international forces. However, global Muslims should stand up against the conspirators who use Islamic ideologies to create mayhem all over the globe.

They should join the people of other religions to fight against those forces who insult Islamism to fulfil their aspirations,” the Cardinal said “I have seen a report that ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al –Baghdadi is in a military camp which is run by the most powerful nation in the world. I won’t mention the name of this country but clearly, the ISIS leader is in a military camp which is run by this powerful nation.

We are worried that the ISIS leaders are being used by this powerful nation to fulfil their vested interests. We question whether this nation knew about the bomb attack. We also question whether some are trying to create a Sinhala Muslim backslash and create unrest in our country.

I don’t believe a group youth created the Easter Sunday carnage merely because of their ideologies with regard to Islamism. Pope Francis when he met President Maithripala Sirisena had asked him as to why there are so many conflicts in the world today. The President had said he did not know.

Then the Pope had said it is because of high production of weapons,” he also said. Cardinal Ranjith then referred to the UN and in that contest said it is being controlled by five nations only to fulfil their objectives. One cannot trust the UN. None of the UN officers has visited those who were affected by the bomb blasts but had only visited the suspects who have been arrested after the attack including the doctor who was at a centre of controversy,” he said in this regard. “Leaders in this country are scared to take bold decisions.

This is because they have allowed the international forces to move freely. One wonders whether the Easter Sunday mayhem could have been avoided. It could have been avoided. The Indian High Commission informed me that they warned the government several times on the impending attacks.

Investigations are being carried out on the attacks. We have been told that the report of one commission has come out. We have not seen it. Another committee is probing on it. We don’t have faith in any of these probes. It seems that the political leaders are getting one committee to submit a report according to their whims and fancies. However, probes on many incidents that took place since the 1970s have been swept under the carpet.

In addition, the intelligence services were destroyed. Suspects of Wanathawilluwa and Mawanella were released. Security Council meetings could not be held as a result of the conflict between the Executive and the Legislature. Political leaders neglected the prior warnings given on the bomb attack.

Almost 300 were killed as a result. Time has come to tell these leaders to go home and handover the nation to abled people. I would like to tell the Catholics to forgive those who are responsible for the attacks. Do not have a grudge on the Muslims. Do not harm them. They are not the ones to be blamed.,” he also said. (Yohan Perera) 

Video by Prasad Muthukuda