What happened in Sri Lanka this last week was unexpected and tragic for the entire country, but I also believe it is important to address, especially in respect to recognizing different perspectives. A radical religious group targeted largely Christians and tourists in a terrorist attack that was mostly centered around the capital city of Colombo.
A friend and role model of mine put it best: "Hundreds of Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Christian people remain vulnerable to be lured into a radicalizing movement because our country has not eliminated the possible grounds for radicalization in the different communities. In fact, they will never be eliminated because they offer a vehicle for riding into power to those who seek it ... As citizens of Sri Lanka we must pledge to stand up to those who cultivate grounds for radicalization, especially those using religion and culture as an excuse, especially those who are religious and political leaders. They have failed us ... We can only count on our common humanity to prevent more acts of meaningless, mindless violence on this island we call our home. We need to unite as Sri Lankans."
Here we are one community made up of people with varying gods, belief systems and social contexts. However, I firmly believe that most people seek to do good.
