Cape Town - The Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM) in Cape Town has expressed solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka in the wake of six almost simultaneous bomb blasts in the capital Colombo and two other cities on Sunday, which reportedly killed 156 people and injured hundreds more.
"It is with profound sadness and tragic bewilderment that the Claremont Main Road Mosque congregation receives the heartbreaking news of deliberate acts of terror targeting Christian churches as well as hotels in Sri Lanka during the Holy Easter Sunday services on 21 April 2019," the CMRM board said in a statement signed by Imam A Rashied Omar, chairperson Dr Salih Solomon, and secretary Jaamia Galant.
These bomb blasts were the latest acts of inhumanity and cold-heartedness targeting places of worship and had claimed the lives of over 100 Christian worshippers and maimed over 500 people in Sri Lanka.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the people of Sri Lanka and pray for victims and their loved ones. These all too frequent attacks on sacred places of worship, and the tragic loss of life and maiming that it causes is emblematic of the heartbreaking hatred and cruelty that has beset our current world. We call on all peace and justice loving people to redouble our efforts to spread love and compassion to heal our troubled world.
"We appeal especially to our Muslim brothers and sisters to reciprocate the solidarity and compassion that poured out in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks in March this year.
"Let us be at the forefront of condemning these attacks and reaching out in solidarity to our Christian faith communities, neighbours, family and friends who are grieving at this most sacred time of Easter on the Christian calendar.
We call for perpetrators to be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice and the world community to reach out in solidarity with the grieving people of Sri Lanka," the statement said.
The bombs were reportedly set off by suspected suicide bombers at three churches and three hotels.