The terrorists have struck again and this time, they left so many lives lost on their trail of merciless acts. At last count, 207 were reported dead. Fortunately no Filipino was among those who perished in one of the most brutal attacks by terrorists of late.
It came after the church bombing in Jolo in January and the mosque attacks in Christchurch in March. It came during Easter Sunday when Catholics celebrate the feast of the risen Christ. It came at a time when calls for cooperation in the Asean region against terrorism financing were voiced out.
But terror knows no time. It knows no religion, nationality, age or gender. Injustice and hate can manifest themselves anytime, anywhere, inflicting pain and taking lives of anyone.
Sadness and hope envelope the world in the aftermath of this tragedy. The message of Easter as a message of hope cannot be lost despite the terror attacks. The devastating blasts that tore through multiple sites in and near Colombo and a church in Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday could hardly be crueller. Three Catholic churches were struck on the most significant day in the Christian calendar. More than 200 people were killed and hundreds more wounded. But there remains a ray of hope.
The outpouring message of the rest of the world who came to the comfort of a grieving country with troubled history is both an indication of choice and commitment. A choice to stop terrorism from gripping nations helplessly and a commitment to unite and do concrete solutions to this continuous threat.
This is not an ordinary work of terror. This was calculated, well-planned and well-executed. Whoever was responsible was destined to claim the lives of people of all faiths, whether young or old, whether Sri Lankans or foreigners. Terror does not choose.
Sri Lanka’s pain is felt in all corners of the world. To even simply condemn to enormity this atrocious acts is not enough. But yes, even in the harshest of times, hope can and must endure.
