Alliance News Issue 1 2018 by NCEASL

Reaching Out to the Victims ALLIANCE of Communal Riots THE NEWSLETTER OF

FEATURE STORY

NEWS I S S U E

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Fighting for a Final Resting Place

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We are happy that you have brought us these packs

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Advocacy Programme for Pastors

Bibles for Rural Christians

17 Incidents Reported against Christians

SH Restores the Wetlands at its Campsite

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Alliance News Issue 1 2018. For private circulation only.

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Advocacy Programme for Pastors In March, the NCEASL’s Religious Liberty Commission held a 1 day seminar for the Pastors’ Fellowship of Kalutara on the legal aspects of religious freedom in Sri Lanka. The facilitators explained the article on religious freedom under the Sri Lanka Constitution and other laws, which clearly provides for the religious freedom of all citizens. Similar advocacy programmes for pastors were held in Batticaloa and Chilaw during January and February.

The Alliance Development Trust reconstructed the school hall of the Meegahagoda School in Galle. The renovated hall which was declared open on 1 July 2016, was in a dilapidated state and would leak in the rainy season. “We are happy that we have received your assistance” says Chamath, a student of the school, who with his friends, helped in the construction work. “We were in much discomfort and you have done us a great service.”

Bibles for Rural Christians The Religious Liberty Commission distributed a total of 570 bibles among rural Christian communities in the Northern, North Central, Central and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. The recipients of the bibles were grateful for these gifts as they find it very hard to purchase bibles due to their financial difficulties and because there are no bookstores from which they could purchase such bibles in their locality.

Alliance News Issue 1 2018. For private circulation only.

FEATURE

STORY Reaching Out to the Victims of Communal Riots The sectarian violence that broke out in late February in Ampara and early March in Kandy, ended in the loss of a young life, injuries to several innocent victims and destruction of property. As a result, there is fear and suspicion in the eyes of those who formerly cohabited in peace with their Muslim and Sinhala neighbours. The mobs that thrashed homes, burned business establishments and defiled mosques were incited by extremist groups such as Mahason Balakaya and Asura Sena which used social media to further their cause. In order to control the situation, the government declared a state of emergency and requested the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to impose a temporary blockade on social media sites such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Several victims of the violence also claim that the inaction of the deployed Special Task Force (STF), Police and other security personnel also contributed towards the magnitude of the destruction. Among the worst affected places are the Masjidun Noor Jumma Masjid and the Masjidul Lafir Jummah Mosque in Digana. Following the mob attacks, the walls and ceilings were covered in soot while the glass of the windows lay shattered on the floor. The Qurans and holy texts were also burned by the extremist groups that entered in to the mosques on 5 March, 2018.

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We are happy for these packs which you have given us and for this gesture. I thank you on behalf of the recipients too.

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Alliance News Issue 1 2018. For private circulation only.

Hijaz* who had closed down his shop at the request of the Special Task Force (STF), recounted the terror that befell his community. He came to the mosque that fateful day to help prepare meals for the STF officers stationed outside the Masjidun Noor Jumma Masjid to provide security. Hijaz recalled a mob of about 3,000 persons forcibly entering the mosque and destroying it. “They threw the food that I had prepared with my own hands and urinated in the kitchen” he described. “They even robbed the new containers from the kitchen.” Hijaz explained that until 5 p.m., the mobs went about their town attacking mosques and shops. As an entrepreneur, Hijaz has incurred personal losses too. “All the glass windows of my shop are shattered and my shop has been closed for a week. Around 100 shops were destroyed and around 15 shops were burned” he explained. In solidarity with the victims of the riots, the Alliance Development Trust distributed 450 packs of dry rations among those who were affected by the incident. The relief packs contained rice, dhal, flour, tea leaves, chillies,

noodles, sugar and milk powder; these packs totalled to the value of LKR 610,759. The moulavi of the Masjidun Noor Jumma Masjid was grateful for the relief packs which were distributed among the faithful worshipping at his mosque. “We are happy for these packs which you have given us and for this gesture. I thank you on behalf of the recipients too.” The moulavi of the Masjidul Lafir Jummah Mosque was also profuse in his thanks. “We are happy that you have brought us these packs” he stated, going on to say “but the value is not just in the packs but because you have expressed your oneness with us in this time of difficulty.”

*Name of the interviewee has been changed to protect his identity. A burnt Quran at the Masjidun Noor Jumma Masjid

Alliance News Issue 1 2018. For private circulation only.

Fighting for a Final Resting Place Even though there are 22 cemeteries in Vaharai, the Christian villagers are denied access to them. The Religious Liberty Commission of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) joins the Christians of Vaharai in their fight for the right to bury their dead.

The abandoned grave where the villagers did not permit Deivendran’s remains to be buried

The people of Vaharai do not see eye to eye with their Christian neighbours. The villagers claim that Vaharai is a Hindu area where there is no room for Christians. They refuse burial of Christians in their village cemeteries in a bid to discourage the spread of Christianity in their localities. This has now developed into a situation of concern for the Christian families living in Vaharai.

It was with the protection of the police that Rameshwari’s family was able to bury Deivendran’s remains in the next village which was 15km away. The distance was so great that Rameshwari and her granddaughter could not attend Deivendran’s burial. For days, there were rumours that the mob would exhume the body and so the police guarded the grave for 3 days.

Rameshwari*, her husband Deivendran* and their orphaned grandchildren converted to Christianity when Deivendran was healed from an illness, almost 15 years ago. When Deivendran passed away recently, Rameshwari faced inexplicable hardships in carrying out the last rites of her late husband. The Hindu villagers were outraged that a Christian was to be buried at their village cemetery and rose up against it. Before the cortege left for the cemetery on 18 January, 2018, a mob surrounded Rameshwari’s house and protested against the burial. They even attacked the mourners gathered with sticks and footwear.

The Religious Liberty Commission of the NCEASL supported the Christians of Vaharai as they met with the Assistant District Secretary (ADS) and other local government authorities of Vaharai on 31 January, 2018. Following this meeting, the ADS decreed that public cemeteries will be shared by villagers of all faiths while in certain villages plots of land will be allocated for the use of Christian burials.

“They said they will permit us to bury the body if we gave up our faith” explained Rameshwari with a breaking voice. Even in this moment of utter desperation, Rameshwari was not willing to accept this ultimatum. “I refused to give up my faith. I stood firm.”

Visit nceasl.org to read more on how the NCEASL helped Rameshwari’s family.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

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They said they will permit us to bury the body if we gave up our faith” explained Rameshwari with a breaking voice. “I refused to give up my faith. I stood firm.

Rameshwari and her grandchildren are sad that they could not give Deivendran a decent burial

Alliance News Issue 1 2018. For private circulation only.

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17 Incidents Reported against Christians During the period of January to March, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) noted a total of 17 incidents of violence, discrimination and intimidation among others. It is interesting to note that in 2017, there were 12 incidents reported during the first 3 months, with an increase in discrimination of Christians in the country experienced in 2018. The RLC continues to monitor and document such incidents perpetrated against Christians in Sri Lanka. To read more about these incidents visit slchurchattacks.crowdmap.com

SH Restores the Wetlands at its Campsite The Sanctuary House launched its wetland restoration project in 2015, creating waterways for fish breeding and growing plants endemic to the area. As a result, a large number of endemic and migrant birds, insect species and fish now thrive in the ecosystem at the campsite. The wetlands are also a conducive environment for the various team building and camping activities conducted at Sanctuary House.The lush green environment has a therapeutic effect on all who visit the campsite.

Alliance News Issue 1 2018. For private circulation only.

PROJECTS AT A GLANCE 2018 ISSUE 1

MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM • 3 new pioneer workers included from Avissawella, Karapitiya and Puttalam • Meeting of the Chairmen of the Pastors’ Fellowships attended by 33 chairmen and regional staff • 2 meetings held for Thunkorale pastors • Meeting held for 16 Ceylonese Evangelistic Association members in Vavuniya • Meetings with pioneer workers in Batticaloa, Kandy and Polonnaruwa • 40 leaders meet at M-Con meetings • 4 new churches were included to the Ceylonese Evangelistic Association membership • Joint Events – 21 day fasting and prayer with National Christian Council and Independence Day prayer gathering • Publications – Freedom In Christ Ministries Leader’s Guide and Participant Handbook

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION • Support for 45 teachers from Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Kandy, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa, Hambantota and Kegalle through the volunteer teachers sponsorship scheme

• Support for 230 children through the Evangel Care Scholarship programme • Support for 5 students from Gampaha, Kandy and Batticaloa through the Kids Ed programme • Support for 7 Christian university students through the Youth Ed Scholarship programme • Distribution of 570 Sinhala and Tamil bibles in the Northern, Eastern, North Central and Central Provinces • Support for 15 cases and 3 inquiries on behalf of pastors in Weeraketiya, Radawana, Batticaloa, Kandy, Chilaw, Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa, Madampe, Puttalam, Vaharai, Veragala, Nittambuwa, Bakamuna, Galle and Colombo

• Emergency assistance for 6 pastors from Bakamuna, Minuwangoda, Medirigiriya, Nittambuwa, Colombo and Ingiriya • Dissemination of 8 legal letters on behalf of pastors and Christians • Legal advice for 2 Pakistani families seeking asylum in Sri Lanka • Livelihood assistance for 10 families in the Central Province • 2 advocacy seminars for 110 pastors and Christian workers of the Batticaloa and Kalutara Pastors’ Fellowships • Publication of a guide on the Right to Information in all three languages • Advocacy support for Christians in Vaharai to bury their deceased in public cemeteries following initial unrest • Drafting of 2 policy briefs on school admissions and burial issues, 2 fact sheets on the Circular 2008 and the status of religious minorities in Sri Lanka and compilations on local and international legislation and case law concerning religious freedom to be circulated among advocacy partners and relevant stakeholders

• Compilation of a guide on the laws relating to burials to be circulated among pastors networks, advocacy partners and relevant stakeholders

RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT • An awareness programme on child protection for 22 children • Nutrition programmes benefiting 80 preschool students in Kilinochchi • Child and community sponsorship programmes benefiting 300 persons from Vavuniya and Trincomalee • Registering of Child Circles benefiting 98 children • Meeting with the Zonal Director of Education for Vavuniya - South on implementing a Child Protection Policy • Programme to promote child protection for 11 mothers and Village Child Development Committee members in Trincomalee • Forum formed towards improving mental health of children with the Regional Director of Health Services and other government and non-governmental organisations

• Formation of 5 self-help groups in Vavuniya • Support and training towards a livelihood initiative in ornamental fish sales in Hambantota • Leprosy Sunday services conducted in 17 districts • 4 leprosy awareness programmes conducted in Monaragala reaching 670 persons • District interfaith meetings with 28 faith leaders and Public Health Inspectors in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Kandy and Monaragala • Integral mission training and Church-based team building for 52 teams in Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Monaragala and Ampara by the Touch Anti-Leprosy Campaign