On April 21, 2019, eight suicide bombers carried out attacks on three churches, three hotels and one guest house. This mass suicide killed almost 300 people and has injured many more. It took place during the Government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The suicides took place in spite of over 90 intelligence warnings from India before the attacks, giving even names of the suicide bombers and locations of the attacks.
These facts are well known to all, in particular, the Cardinal. The subsequent investigations revealed that a number of people (politicians, public officials and others) were also aware of the intelligence on the attacks while weeks previously there was enough evidence to presume something was brewing after discovery of weapons and other untoward incidents.
However, suddenly, the whole narrative is being changed and the key to returning to the correct narrative is found in the tape released by Zaharan and his suicide team hours before the suicide attacks.
Facilitate the discussion
The link will enable you to listen to the entire tape and the English translation, however, to facilitate the discussion and to ensure that the Cardinal and his team are not led astray Zaharan’s reasons for the attacks are given below.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=337035761757371&external_lo... begins by acknowledging his allegiance to Allah as the Supreme.
Here, we are told that Zaharan and his team are only carrying out a ‘noble’ deed ‘encouraged in Islam’ – we presume this to be taking one’s life for one’s faith.
This confirms that Zaharan and his team are sacrificing their lives and they view the suicide attack as a ‘heroic death attack’ and towards martyrdom. Zaharan has also provided the answer as to why he is carrying out the suicide attack. Unfortunately, it is not to bring any political party or individual to power as is being suddenly promoted. Zaharan refers to a village in Syria which had been victim of over 80 crusades and the village had been completely destroyed after showering white phosphorous.
Zaharan says that the suicide attack is on behalf of these people who were burnt by the crusade countries.
We do not need to remind Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of that dark past as he will know only too well how white phosphorous was also used in the recent past.
Zaharan goes on to bewail the deaths that occurred to have children lose their parents, their husbands and killing of mujahideens but his assertion that the people whom he killed committed these murders is wrong and unfair by the dead. Zaharan says that he and his team are avenging the murders during the crusades.
So for crimes that took place hundreds of years earlier Zaharan and his team is carrying vengeance to follow an eye for an eye revenge triggered by the New Zealand mosque attack.
Seriously address this issue
The Cardinal must seriously address this issue for obviously there are many who are holding grudge against the crusades and likewise vice versa. It is unfortunate that people who had nothing to do with the crimes during the crusades or the crime that took place in New Zealand were targeted and killed.
That the Cardinal needs to revisit this dark past is imperative because Zaharan said that this struggle is a Creed Struggle and that they will not think twice about become martyrs for a cause. This issue is something between these two parties and unnecessarily impacting on others.
Zaharan has made it clear what the ultimate goal is – to turn a nation into Shariah and use jihad to do so. There are no negotiations and we are to expect bombs.
This was exactly what happened. There is again no mention of any political party, elections of preference for any politician.
Zaharan warns every one of the consequences.
We are told that his men would travel in vehicles laden with explosives and this was exactly what happened. Each of them had no skull left.
Zaharan next says to go after ‘disbelievers’ – who are they?
Zaharan next gives further examples of why he and his associates are carrying out the attacks.
Zaharan says that Islam does not differentiate a civilian and Army and Islam has only two divisions – believer and disbeliever.
A disbeliever is spared only if he pays taxes. These are all topics separate to the discussion. But it does, however, highlight a historical angst that the Cardinal may need to deal with and provide closure. This is where real reconciliation is needed. This is an anger getting carried forward through centuries.
Luckily this guy is no more
Once again Zaharan reiterates that the suicide is for Allah and his religion – Cardinal it is not to put anyone in power as someone has led you to believe.
The other important fact mentioned here is that the explosives were prepared by them. The money used for this was their own and no disbelievers money was used. This also nullifies any of Cardinal’s overtures that the Easter attack had political motives in planning or execution.
This is a premonition of what was to come. The tapes came to be known only after the attacks but the tapes tells us of the reasons why Zaharan and his team desired to sacrifice their lives and attain martyrdom.
This is the first reference to Sri Lanka. Zaharan has throughout the tapes made mention of only two Sri Lankan names – one being Gnanasara Thera and the other is probably Mohammadu Ibrahim Mohamed Naufer, the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks or Mohamed Ibrahim the father of the two suicide bombers.
Listen to the entire transcript of the declaration hours prior to the suicide attacks. Their body language does not show any signs of remorse, sorrow or hesitancy for the acts of crime they were about to commit.
From the tapes it is clear that martyrdom which is viewed as a gift and suicide in the name of religion is not a crime in their eyes.
These are certainly topics for debate yet the reason at this juncture is the erroneous manner the Easter Sunday attacks are being diverted to which is completely contradictory to what the suicide bombers planned to do as given in their own confessions.
Therefore, having listened to the tapes it completely nullifies the notions the Cardinal and the church are suddenly peddling and it would be best that they listen to the tapes and relieve their doubts.
However, innocent people whatever their religion or ethnicity should not have to be victims of ancient rivalries. The church and Islam must separately sort out their differences.
In the case of Easter Sunday mass murders – the reasons for the suicide is confessed by the main suicide bomber himself.
Therefore, the Cardinal and others peddling a political twist should allow the dead to rest in peace.