The Board Members of the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) issued today the following statement:

“With growing alarm we witness the violence and hate speech that targets members of one religious community, their places of worship, and their homes in central Sri Lanka. With our deepest condolences for the families and friends of the victims, as well as our prayers for the swift recovery of the wounded, we urgently call upon all those responsible leaders in the country to engage swiftly and honestly in dialogue to prevent the cancer of hate from spreading to scar more lives. 

In this moment when hope can fade and anger can poison reason, we commend all those responsible and peace-loving Sri Lankan citizens who have stood up against hate to protect social peace in their country by visiting the Muslim victims’ families, the Buddhist temple and the Muslim mosque, which were destroyed, as well as joining Buddhist, Christian and  Muslim communities at their places of worship to empower them to reject violence and prejudice and urge them to protect the community peace.  

We call upon all concerned in Sri Lanka to enter into dialogue among all religions and cultures to find a path towards social peace.”