Three Churches Attacked On Christmas Eve
December 31, 2013
“As the world prepared to celebrate Christmas on the 24th evening, three churches in the South of Sri Lanka were attacked by mobs”, says the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL).
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1. The pastor of the Assemblies of God church in Angunukolapalassa was surrounded by a mob of over 300 villagers together with Buddhist monks, demanding he stops all worship services planned for Christmas day. The mob alleged that there was a police complaint made by a Buddhist monk against the pastor’s religious activities. However, the pastor cited his fundamental rights and refused to stop holding services. The pastor was provided police protection from the night of the incident.
2. The same night, the Assemblies of God Church in Hikkaduwa was attacked by a group of unidentified assailants throwing fire crackers into the church premises and into the pastors residence adjoining the church.
3. At approximately at 11.30p.m., another group of unidentified assailants began to hurl stones at the Light House ChurchHikkaduwa. Some minor damage was reported with glass windows being shattered by the stones.
All three pastors have lodged police complaints in the respective area police stations.
Suffi Muslim Shrine At Potuvil Attacked By Another Islamic Group
December 31, 2013 |
Meanwhile a Muslim shrine at Potuvil, belonging to the Suffi sect was attacked by another Islamic group last Friday (27) with the promise that a mosque would be built on that spot within three months, the Island reported.
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According to the newspaper, the Chairman of the Islamic Solidarity Front (ISF) Reyyaz Salley told them that about 50 to 60 persons had attacked the 300-year-old shrine. He claimed about 10 to 15 shrines and 25 mosques had been attacked all over the country by the extremists in recent years. Potuvil police said they were investigating the incident. Salley also said that the Wakfu Board, had jurisdiction over religious issues but it had been dissolved two month back, and a new board had not been appointed.
