On Easter Sunday, April 21st, a series of coordinated attacks struck several hotels and institutions of Christian faith in Sri Lanka. Over 200 were killed, and at least 450 were wounded. The Atlantic Institute thoroughly condemns these attacks intended to sow fear and discord. We stand by our Christian brothers and sisters in this time of mourning and healing and can only offer our sincere condolences to the victims, their families, and the people of Sri Lanka.
The senseless and abhorrent attacks on the people of Sri Lanka affect us all. These were attacks against peace, against understanding, and against the solidarity of humanity. It is imperative that we come together in this time of crisis and continue to foster dialogue that bridges the gaps in understanding that cause horrific violence. It is imperative that we cultivate respect between different beliefs and promote peace across cultural lines. It is imperative that we condemn violence and hateful rhetoric in all its forms. It is imperative that we look beyond our differences and find common ground in weeding out hateful ideologies.
The intentional targeting of centers of worship is cowardly and vile. We cannot live in fear. We must not allow divisiveness to separate us. Love is stronger than hate and the time for humanity to come together as a family is now.
We are horrified by the news of the serious shooting at Christchurch in New Zealand. On behalf of Atlantic Institute, I condemn in the strongest terms, this act of terror targeted at peacefully praying Muslims. Our thoughts and prayers are with New Zealand's Muslim brothers and sisters and all of its people on this dark day.
This reaffirms what we have always maintained: Terrorism does not have a religion. We truly believe in our Interfaith Commitment and remain steadfast in believing that loves is a supreme force over hate -Dr Akif Aydin