US President Donald Trump today recalled the deadly bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday as he spoke at a UN event on religious freedom.
He said that in recent times, the world has witnessed devastating acts of violence in sacred places of worship.
Among those incidents, he noted, were attacks on Christian churches in Sri Lanka.
“In 2016, an 85-year-old Catholic priest was viciously killed while celebrating mass in Normandy, France. In the past year, the United States endured horrifying anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish Americans at synagogues in Pennsylvania and California. In March, Muslims praying with their families were sadistically murdered in New Zealand. On Easter Sunday this year, terrorists bombed Christian churches in Sri Lanka, killing hundreds of faithful worshippers,” he said.
President Trump urged every nation to increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities.
“There can be no greater crime than that. This includes measures to prevent the intentional destruction of religious sites and relics. Today, the Trump administration will dedicate an additional $25 million to protect religious freedom and religious sites and relics,” he said.
He also said that the United States is forming a coalition of US businesses for the protection of religious freedom.
This initiative will encourage the private sector to protect people of all faiths in the workplace. (Colombo Gazette)
(Colombo Gazette)