Joann Jose
The devastating attack on Sri Lanka came as a massive shock to people all over the world. In a country, where suicide attack was a norm till a decade ago, the terrible bombings brought the nightmare back. While the rest of humankind was awed by the terror attacks on a peaceful Easter morning, the Sri Lankans were unable to believe that local Muslims could have been behind the suicide attack that killed around 359 people. The entire attack planned clandestinely, dodging the alert eyes of the Sri Lankan police and army, forced the need to view the activities of the local Muslims suspiciously. It is evident that a small radical Muslim group cannot plan a destructing wave of bombings totally undetected. According to Sri Lankan authorities, nine Islamic suicide bombers, including a married couple are the armed martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the death of hundreds of people.
The several suspicious incidents leading to the bombings did not ring a bell, especially after the news of the arrival of several Sri Lankans who had joined the Islamic State group in Syria in the ‘pearl of the Indian Ocean.’ Political in-fighting and factionalism present even in the top rung of the government is part of the reasons warnings went unheeded, but complacency about the peace in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war in 2009 also played a role. The Islamists surprised everyone with the deadly bombings and at the same time kept the entire operation a secret. The well-planned and meticulous attacks would require detailed planning, safe houses, extensive handlers, expertise on bomb making and significant funding.It was reported that die hard IS supporters and radicals set up units discretely among domestic households in Sri Lanka. In addition to such operations, members of certain families became radicalised and supported the bombings. It is shocking to know that these families aided in the destruction of other homes, tightly bound by loyalty for an ignoble cause.
The pertinent thought that shades such a manoeuvre is that the morality imparted by the unity of a family is being dismantled. It is saddening to know that the epitome of righteousness and harmony houses explosives and arms that destroy lives. On the contrary, there are individuals who are disowned by their parents in the name of defying their just principles. However, it should be questioned how a family can set their minds and urge their kids to use their intellect for a harmful cause.The role models for a better future subvert their duties in the name of religion, forgetting the essence of humanity. It must be noted that the heart of evil has a confusing side: footages record one of the suicide bomber affectionately acknowledging a young child minutes before blowing himself up and killing her, along with the other churchgoers. The most powerful emotion of love appears to be on both sides of a coin. Doesn’t this necessarily colour the purity of love with evil? Love no longer overpowers cruelty in a self-centred world. The moral virtues, borne by families and other social institutions, are disregarded in the name of wealth and power. The role of a family must abide by what Pope Francis rightly said, “When families bring children into the world, train them in faith and sound values, and teach them to contribute to the society, they become a blessing in our world.” In the present scenario of power seeking, the crux of the institution of a family is diverted to embrace a Global Islamic terror.
