World leaders strongly condemn Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka

• Trump, May, Merkel, Modi, Khan and EU join condemnation from across the world on bomb attacks
• Catholic Church expresses solidarity with Sri Lanka and all its inhabitants
• Iran says terrorism is a global menace with no religion

Leaders from across the world yesterday strongly condemned the terror attacks in Sri Lanka and expressed solidarity with the country.

The Catholic Church in the Holy Land, in its message of condolences, voiced support for Sri Lanka’s Christians and condemned the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels that killed at least 156 people.

A statement issued in Jerusalem said the blasts were particularly sad as they “came while Christians celebrate Easter.” “We pray for the souls of the victims and ask for speedy recovery of the injured and ask God to inspire the terrorists to repent of their killing and intimidation,” the statement said.

The Catholic Church also expressed its solidarity with Sri Lanka and all its inhabitants in their various religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Church of England, said: “The will to power leads to the murder of innocents in Sri Lanka. The utterly despicable destruction that on this holiest of days seeks to challenge the reality of the risen Christ. To say that darkness will conquer, that our choice is surrender or death. Jesus chose to defy this darkness and he is risen indeed.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. “There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured,” he said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday resulting in precious lives lost and hundreds injured. “My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief,” he said on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump expressed his heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels. “We stand ready to help!” he said on Twitter.

Former US President Barack Obama also condemned the terror attack in Sri Lanka. “The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka,” he said on Twitter.

British Prime Minister Theresa May also condemned the deadly attacks and said acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling.

“We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practice their faith in fear,” she said on Twitter.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt branded the attacks as “wicked” and tweeted: “I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the horrifying attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. To target those gathered for worship on Easter Sunday is particularly wicked.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s English Twitter account stated: “Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena in connection with tragic consequences of terrorist acts.”

EU Commission Chief Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his “horror and sadness” over the attacks. “It was with horror and sadness that I heard of the bombings in Sri Lanka costing the lives of so many people,” Juncker said on Twitter, adding that the European Union stood ready to help.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said the attacks marked a truly sad day for the country and for the world. “Such acts of violence on this holy day are acts of violence against all beliefs and denominations, and against all those who value the freedom of religion and the choice to worship,” she added in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed: “Deep sorrow following the terrorist attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. We firmly condemn these heinous acts. All our solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka and our thoughts go out to all victims’ relatives on this Easter Day,” he said on Twitter.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted after the attacks that: “We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practice their faith in fear.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the attacks as “devastating” and said her “heart goes out to those Christians and all of those other innocents who have been slaughtered in the horrific terrorist attack.”

“New Zealand condemns all acts of terrorism, and our resolve has only been strengthened by the attack on our soil on 15 March. To see an attack in Sri Lanka while people were in churches and at hotels is devastating,” she said.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also expressed condolences at the blasts in Sri Lanka and said that “terrorism is a global menace with no religion.”

“Terribly saddened by terrorist attacks on Sri Lankan worshippers during Easter. Condolences to friendly Govt. and people of Sri Lanka. Our thoughts and prayers with the victims and their families,” Zarif said on Twitter. “Terrorism is a global menace with no religion: it must be condemned and confronted globally,” he added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday condemned a wave of bombings against Sri Lankan churches and tourist spots, urging that the “religious hate and intolerance that have showed themselves in such a terrible way today must not win.”

“It is shocking that people who gathered to celebrate Easter together were consciously targeted in this malicious attack,” Merkel said in a condolence telegram, published by a spokeswoman on Twitter.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said that World Jewry - in fact all civilized people - denounce this heinous outrage and appeal for zero tolerance of those who use terror to advance their objectives. “This truly barbarous assault on peaceful worshippers on one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar serves as a painful reminder that the war against terror must be at the top of the international agenda and pursued relentlessly,” he said in a statement.

Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez wrote “terror and barbarity will never defeat us,” on Twitter in relation to the Lankan attacks.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said that even on Easter Sunday, “There are those who sow hatred and reap death. The attacks in Sri Lanka’s churches testify to a real genocide perpetrated against Christians. Let us pray for the innocent victims and work towards religious freedom around the world,” he said on Twitter.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan condemned in the strongest terms possible the Easter terror attacks in Sri Lanka. “This is an assault on all of humanity,” he tweeted. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly condemned the heinous attacks on Christians at churches and hotels. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those killed and all those injured,” he said in a Twitter message.

Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost religious institution, on Sunday condemned “terrorist” attacks in Sri Lanka against hotels and churches celebrating Easter that killed more than 200 people.  “I cannot imagine a human being could target the peaceful on their celebration day,” said Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the institution’s grand imam.  “Those terrorists’ perverted disposition goes against the teachings of all religions,” he said in comments published on Al-Azhar’s Twitter account.