Remembering Easter Sunday Victims and Moving Forward

A speech given by Amjad Mohamed-Saleem at an interfaith memorial service held in Geneva on the 5th of May 2019. The event was organised by the European Centre for Sri Lankan Community.

I have been asked to say a few words as a means of a welcome. What does one say at such a sad and sombre occasion? It’s been two weeks since this terrorist attack on our country and our people. Yet after two weeks, I like many of you are still in pain. My heart weeps at the violation of the innocent in the safest and sacred of places during a holy day; remembering God in His House. They were not allowed that respect or the safety and security that comes in being in a place of worship. Nor were those guests in the hotels, afforded the basic of respect that a host offers a guest, that you are safe in our paradise island.

However, I am spiritually comforted by the fact that those innocents who were killed on 21st of April are in a better place than those terrorists who perpetrated this vile act because they went against the teachings and the basic spirit of the Divine: to know and love each other and to enjoin the good. Those terrorists will not know the peace that the innocents will feel.

Over the last few weeks we here in Geneva have been meeting quite frequently at different places of worship to pray and remember those who have passed. It is in the prayers and companionship of others that we find solace and in fact it is such strength of inter faith cordiality that our country Sri Lanka has not yet managed to blow up, because the faith leaders have come together to hold the peace.

Coming together in prayer is the minimum we can do from where we are in Geneva and we should do not only to be a support to each other during this time but as a comfort and a beacon of hope for the future in Sri Lanka, a future that is uncertain and fearful, and a future where we need to and want to ensure mistakes are not repeated as in the past because we know how bad these can turn out to be especially as the emotions of grief evolve to the emotions of anger. That anger needs to be channelled constructively because in the fog of terrorism we hear and see things that are done in the name of national security that challenge the notion of human dignity, as there are calls for introspection and accountability.

The Muslim community (and I say this as a Muslim) is going through this introspection as well as accountability; hurting, scared and fearful and collectively thinking that we did not do more to remove those weeds of hate and we need to do more. This will forever live with us as a badge of guilt of what if?

Yet there is a collective introspection and accountability that we need to do as a society and country as to not only why we didn't do more to prevent this type of violence; or do more collectively to tackle conditions for young men and women who are capable of such hate and do more to tackle the incitement to violence and hate. Our history in Sri Lanka shows us that young men and women have continuously been the victim of and perpetrators of such type of violence fed by the context of that time and this is something we need to really and honestly reflect on. History keeps on repeating itself and we seem to not have learned.

We realise that calls for introspection and accountability needs to be done also within the paradigm of humanity. if we want to avoid the radicalisation of another generation of youth who are angry at the injustice and inequality, then we need to be humane and just in how we deal with this sensitive situation and with the communities who have suffered as well as those who might be suspect.

As members of dialogical faith traditions who have a lived experience in Sri Lanka we need to hold onto that notion of rising together like a phoenix. We need to collectively ensure that voices for tolerance and inclusivity are not silenced; that our democracy and decency are not broken or that we are unable to turn this moment into co-existence and not disharmony.

This is the hope that we must give Sri Lanka especially from living outside. This is what we need to do collectively as the community here in Geneva and the message to be sent to Sri Lanka to break out of the silos of parallel communities. We have met more times in the past week than perhaps over the last year. This needs to change as we need to come together at all our cultural and religious gatherings to know each other, to understand each other and to respect each other that in our diversity we have many commonalities that unite us as Sri Lankans, because if we do not know each other then we will not be able to understand each other. It just requires one person to stand up and walk across with the hand extended.

This is the hope we offer to those who were affected on Easter Sunday that we will not allow their plight to be used to justify exactly what the terrorists wanted. We will not allow divisive forces to break us. As Muslims embark on the Holy Month of Ramadan which embodies the spiritual need to empathise with the downtrodden, the victims and those who have suffered whilst praying for peace and compassion, our prayers for this Holy Month is for God to bless those who have passed and to protect those who have survived; we pray for peace and justice to be brought to the country and for sanity to prevail; we re dedicate ourselves towards working for peace and justice for all communities.

in ending my speech, i just want to remind myself and others that for us to truly build from the tragedy of Easter Sunday, we need to remember these words from Martin Luther King Jr:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

This originally appeared in The Island

Ramadan 2019: How Sri Lankan Muslims Can Respond

Each Ramadan, I set myself a challenge: How and what can I improve this year? For me, Ramadan is about setting and overcoming challenges in an attempt to progress spiritually and become a better person serving humanity. I do this as I travel on a path toward enlightenment and happiness in an attempt to connect with the “all spark.” This “spark” enables us to understand the most difficult lesson of our spiritual journey. Our destination is perhaps best exemplified by author Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist: “Go; travel the world, look for the truth and the secret of life — every road will lead you to this sense of initiation: the secret is hidden in the place from which you set out.”

This is the ultimate paradox of spiritual experience whereby the constant effort that we make to purify, control and liberate our hearts is, in the end, reconciliation with the deepest level of our being. The spark that God breathed into our heart (the fitra) is that of humility, the awareness of fragility, the consciousness of limitation and the shoulder of responsibility. Such is the meaning of profound spirituality requiring man to acquire a force of being and doing, rather than undergo despotic relentlessness of a life reduced to mere instinct. Within this space, we marry the purpose of our existence with the purpose of our subsistence.

Being close to the Quran’s light, its words and inspirations, we must comprehend the message: You are indeed what you do with yourself. You are responsible for the actions you take. Thus, Ramadan is the culmination of all worship as an attempt to reconnect with our spark. Ramadan ultimately reinforces our personal effort and commitment and invites us toward the deep horizons of introspection and meaning.

Sri Lanka After the Easter Sunday Attacks

Yet as Ramadan begins, there is an atmosphere of sadness. As a Sri Lankan and a Muslim, the start of Ramadan coinciding with the aftermath of terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday casts a huge shadow for what is supposed to be an Islamic holy month of prayer, introspection and spiritual contemplation. Introspection and contemplation now have a whole new meaning.

In the wake of such terrible violence that is anti-Islam yet perpetrated by people who called themselves Muslim, I wonder as to how Sri Lankan Muslims can and should respond. The terrorists who committed the attacks not only do not represent Islam, but with their heinous actions cannot be judged as Muslims. Yet the fact of the matter is that the outside world sees them as Muslims and, therefore, the Sri Lankan Muslim community will have to now answer to people who are hurt and angry. Doing so within the month of Ramadan brings with it challenges but also opportunities for Sri Lankan Muslims with questions they have to ask themselves.

How can we relearn the universal values of peace, compassion and justice as articulated by Islam, reinforced by Ramadan and binding in the brotherhood of humanity in the face of such aggression? How can we develop the concept of forgiveness and compassion? What should our response be? How can we move forward?

In asking these questions, one realizes that there are three possible answers. The first is not to care and go about your daily business, which negates the purpose of Ramadan. The second is to get upset and vindictive and start to hate and often to lose hope. The third is to get upset and channel that into something that is positive and to respond in the face of fear and uncertainty.

The second option again negates the purpose of Ramadan and of religion. We can’t afford to lose hope and faith. In the face of the greatest oppressions is the testimony for our faith and how we respond. If we truly believe that we as people of faith are the inheritors of the prophets and the conveyors of spiritual wisdom that has been passed down to us, we cannot lose hope. However, what we can do is redouble our efforts to call for and act for peace and justice. In doing so, we can also realize that there are things we are concerned about and that we have influence over.

Whilst we have a range of concerns — our health, problems at work, national crises, the security of the nation — the fact is that we have no real control over some things that happen to us. Yet there are other we can do something about in our “sphere of influence.” This sphere is what a Muslim is considered directly responsible for, whether as an individual or a collective. By determining which of these we focus most of our time and energy on, we can discover more about what we can be “activists” in.

In Islam, we know that God does not hold us responsible for anything other than our sphere of influence. The best expression of faith is to do one’s utmost in the enjoining of right and repelling of wrong within that sphere and speaking for justice, being a mercy to mankind. However, to refuse to use one’s power to change a wrong or to exercise influence on others to make a change is considered a manifestation of weak faith. A case in point is a hadith (saying) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “Whoever sees something wrong, let him correct it by his hand (with the power vested in him), and if he can’t (do that), let him correct it by his tongue, and if he can’t (do that), let him hate it with his heart, and this is the weakest of faith (if one can do more).” Correcting “by one’s hand” must be done with wisdom, calmness and justice.

Thus, we need to be speaking out against the injustices happening locally. We need to ensure that people in Sri Lanka (from all faiths) feel safe and secure, through forging alliances with like-minded people. However, it has to be more than that. We need to use the opportunities that are given to us, like Ramadan, to develop a greater social policy that empowers people, recognizes their differences and that searches for commonalities that will lead to greater respect and understanding.

This is our challenge as Sri Lankan Muslims this Ramadan: to go beyond our comfort zones and work on a local and national scale for the common good, with allies so that our country’s future is safe and prosperous. Ramadan has to reinforce in Sri Lankan Muslims our sense of purpose and responsibility, whilst nurturing the inspiration from the Quran that “God will not change anything for the good if you change nothing.”

Call for Unity in Ramadan

As the blessed month of Ramadan teaches us, we share the burdens of others — especially those who are suffering and in despair — and we remember our responsibilities toward them. Identifying with others in different ways is important in our role of living in society. Thus, we should remember that we are much more than a label and that our plurality and diversity are not divisive elements, but are a cause for celebration — and within that celebration is an understanding of common humanity and universal principles. This is a call for unity of the Sri Lankan Muslim community amidst the wider national society during this blessed time, but also at a crucial moment in Sri Lankan history.

This call for unity is founded upon a universal humanitarian principle based on the following verse from the Quran: “If anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks violated this principle. But this means the call is doubly strengthened as responsibility is placed upon the shoulder of the individual to take the lead in becoming a true citizen of their country.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “You shall not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you cannot have faith until you love one another. Have compassion on those you can see, and He Whom you cannot see will have compassion on you.” Thus we learn our purpose of existence. The true lesson of Ramadan is to stand by justice and to portray the humility and compassion of the prophet toward the downtrodden, the distressed and the oppressed regardless of who they are.

So, the lessons this Ramadan for Sri Lankan Muslims is to recalibrate their ethical and moral compass at a time when their country needs healing and support.

This orginally appeared on Fair Observer

Remembering the fallen from the Easter Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka

Over the past two weeks I have not really made any public direct comment on the horrible Easter Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka.  It has been too shocking and stressful to even write about this.  I took time to console friends and family directly and indirectly affected by this and took time to discuss with associates how to avoid the situation getting worse.  I even argued with people on social media who were lashing out painting the whole community as being responsible  Yet the truth of the matter is that this was a deflection from my own true feelings and emotions about the subject.  After all, what do you say at times like this?  How can you reassure people who are scared that what took place is against Islam and those  'Muslims' who perpetrated this are not followers of the faith because they justified violence against innocents?  How can you talk to people who you have worked with and be friends with, and who are now turning out to be racists and bigots, when they are scared and mistrustful?  how do you reassure members of your community and family who are scared of the backlash that is coming and who remember '83?  So i deflected, trying to find the right moment and the right time and to process what happened and what will happen.  I tried to find peace within me before i could preach peace to others.  I was hoping that ramadan would allow me the time and space for this to happen.

Unfortunately, i was asked to say a few words at an interfaith memorial that took place this afternoon (May 5th) in Geneva to remember and pray for those who have passed away.  So i had to write and in writing i penned down some cathartic words which i think should be shared as my way of healing and dealing with the process.




---

The Venerable Members of the Maha Sanga
The respected religious leaders and members of faith communities.
Your excellency the Ambassador A.L. Azeez of the permanent mission of Sri Lanka to the UN and the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Switzerland
Colleagues from the Sri Lankan Mission
Ladies and Gentlemen from the community
Aybowan, Vannekam, As-salaamu Alaikum, A very Good Afternoon to you all.

I have been asked to say a few words as a means of a welcome.  What does one say at such a sad and sombre occasion? Its been two weeks since this terrorist attack on our country and our people.  Yet after two weeks, I like many of you are still in pain.  My heart weeps at the violation of the innocent in the most safest and sacred of places during a holy day; remembering God in His House.  They were not allowed that respect or the safety and security that comes in being in a place of worship.  Nor were those guests in the hotels, afforded the basic of respect that a host offers a guest, that you are safe in our paradise island.

However, I am spiritually comforted by the fact that those innocents who were killed on 21st of April are in a better place than those terrorists who perpetrated this vile act because they went against the teachings and the basic spirit of the Divine: to know and love each other and to enjoin the good.  Those terrorists will not know the peace that the innocents will feel.

Over the last few weeks we here in Geneva have been meeting quite frequently at different places of worship to pray and remember those who have passed.  It is in the prayers and companionship of others that we find solace and in fact it is such strength of inter faith cordiality that our country Sri Lanka has not yet managed to blow up, because the faith leaders have come together to hold the peace.

Coming together in prayer  is the minimum we can do from where we are in Geneva and we should do not only to be a support to each other during this time but as a comfort and a beacon of hope for the future in Sri Lanka, a future that is uncertain and fearful, and a future where we need to and want to  ensure mistakes are not repeated as in the past because we know how bad these can turn out to be especially as the emotions of grief evolve to the emotions of anger.  That anger needs to be channelled constructively because in the fog of terrorism we hear and see things that are done in the name of national security that challenge the notion of human dignity, as there are calls for introspection and accountability.

The Muslim community (and I say this as a Muslim) is going through this introspection as well as accountability; hurting, scared and fearful and collectively thinking that we did not do more to remove those weeds of hate and we need to do more.  This will forever live with us as a badge of guilt of what if?

Yet there is a collective introspection and accountability that we need to do as a society and country as to not only why we didn't more to prevent this type violence; or do more collectively to tackle conditions for young men and women who are capable of such hate and do more to tackle the incitement to violence and hate.  Our history in Sri Lanka shows us that young men and women have continuously been the victim of and perpetrators of such type of violence fed by the context of that time and this is something we need to really and honestly reflect on.  History keeps on repeating itself and we seem to not have learned.

We  realise that calls for introspection and accountability needs to be done also within the paradigm of humanity.   if we want to avoid the radicalisation of another generation of youth who are angry at the injustice and inequality they, then we need to be humane and just in how we deal with this sensitive situation and with the communities who have suffered as well as those who might be suspect.

As members of dialogical  faith traditions that have a lived experience in Sri Lanka we need to hold onto that notion of rising together like a phoenix.    We need to collectively ensure that voices for  tolerance and inclusivity are not silenced; that our democracy and decency are not broken or that we are unable to turn this moment into co-existence and not disharmony.

This is the hope that we must give Sri Lanka especially from living outside.  This is what we need to do collectively as the community here in Geneva and the message to be sent to Sri Lanka to break out of the silos of parallel communities.  We have met more times in the past week than perhaps over the last year.  This needs to change as we need to come together at all our cultural and religious gatherings to know each other, to understand each other and to respect each other that in our diversity we have many commonalities that unite us as Sri Lankans, because if we do not know each other then we will not be able to understand each other.  It just requires one person to stand up and walk across with the hand extended.

This is the hope we offer to those who were killed on Easter Sunday that we will not allow their deaths to be used to justify exactly what the terrorists wanted. We will not allow divisive forces to break us

it is the responsibility on those of us who survived is not to allow your deaths to be in vain.   This is the legacy we owe them.

As Muslims embark on the Holy Month of Ramadan which embodies the spiritual need to empathise with the downtrodden, the victims and those who have suffered whilst praying for peace and compassion, our prayers for this Holy Month is for God to bless those who have passed and to protect those who have survived; we pray for peace and justice to be brought to the country and for sanity to prevail;  we re dedicate ourselves towards working for peace and justice for all communities.

in ending my speech, i just want to remind myself and others that for us to truly build from the tragedy of Easter Sunday, we need to remember these words from Martin Luther King Jr:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Thank you.