This is the first sign in the Western establishment media that this was a jihad attack; the media in India reported this all day yesterday.
“Sri Lanka attacks: Death toll soars to 290,” BBC, April 22, 2019:
The death toll in Sri Lanka has soared to 290 after a wave of blasts hit churches and luxury hotels across the country on Sunday.
Police said 24 people had been arrested, but it is not yet known who carried out the attacks.
About 500 people are injured and dozens of foreigners are among the dead….
It remains unclear who was behind the attacks. There is also no information on the identity of the 24 people arrested.
The government has said they believe suicide bombs were used at some of the sites.
The BBC’s Azzam Ameen in Colombo says the attackers are thought to be part of a “radical extremist Islamist group” according to authorities….
CRUSADER says
Killing Christians because of their faith….
The identities of some victims of the Easter massacres in Sri Lanka emerged Sunday evening — including a British mother and her 11-year-old son, along with a TV chef and her daughter.
Over the course of the day, a series of bombs exploded, including at churches and luxury hotels, killing at least 290 and injuring about 500. It was the deadliest series of attacks the South Asian island country had seen since a bloody civil war there ended a decade ago.
A Sri Lankan government forensic analyst told The Associated Press that 7 suicide bombers were responsible for the attacks. 24 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks but it wasn’t immediately clear who was responsible, the BBC reported. Authorities said the attackers were thought to be part of a “radical extremist Islamist group.”
The explosions — most of them in or around Colombo, the capital — collapsed ceilings and blew out windows, killing worshippers and hotel guests in one scene after another of smoke, soot, blood, broken glass, screams and wailing alarms. Victims were carried out of blood-spattered pews.
Most of those killed were Sri Lankans. But the three bombed hotels and one of the churches, St. Anthony’s Shrine, were frequented by foreign tourists, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said the bodies of at least 27 foreign visitors from a variety of countries were recovered.
The U.S. said “several” Americans were among the dead, while Britain and China said they, too, lost citizens.
The Daily Telegraph reported that five British nationals are among the dead, including Shantha Mayadunne, a TV chef, and her daughter, Nisanga.
Shantha Mayadunne’s website identified her as the first chef to host a live cooking show in Sri Lanka. She also had published multiple books.
The news outlet also reported that Alex Nicholson, 11, and his mother, Anita, 42, were killed; father Ben survived, while the family’s youngest daughter was unaccounted for.
In addition, British politician Tulip Siddiq announced she had “lost a relative” in the attacks. She did not elaborate.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said at least 207 people were killed and 450 wounded.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the massacre could trigger instability in Sri Lanka, a country of about 21 million people, and vowed to “vest all necessary powers with the defense forces” to take action against those responsible.
The government imposed a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and blocked Facebook and other social media, saying it needed to curtail the spread of false information and ease tension.
The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka’s government to “mercilessly” punish those responsible “because only animals can behave like that.”
The scale of the bloodshed recalled the worst days of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, in which the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group from the ethnic Tamil minority, sought independence from the Buddhist-majority country. During the war, the Tigers and other rebels carried out a multitude of bombings. The Tamils are Hindu, Muslim and Christian.
Sri Lanka, situated off the southern tip of India, is about 70 percent Buddhist, with the rest of the population Muslim, Hindu or Christian. While there have been scattered incidents of anti-Christian harassment in recent years, there has been nothing on the scale of what happened Sunday.
Six nearly simultaneous blasts took place in the morning in Colombo at St. Anthony’s Shrine — a Catholic church — and the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels. After a lull of a few hours, two more explosions occurred at St. Sebastian Catholic church in Negombo, a mostly Catholic town north of Colombo, and at the Protestant Zion church in the eastern town of Batticaloa.
Three police officers were killed while conducting a search at a suspected safe house in Dematagoda, on the outskirts of Colombo, when its occupants apparently detonated explosives to prevent arrest, Wijewardena said.
Local TV showed the Shangri-La’s second-floor restaurant was gutted, with the ceiling and windows blown out. Loose wires hung and tables were overturned in the blackened space. From outside the police cordon, three bodies could be seen covered in white sheets.
— FOX NEWS NETWORK
CRUSADER says
Of course it is unfair to animals to compare these perpetrators to them.
Let’s leave it at them being more like beasts and demons.
Dennis Pasek says
… More like unspecified parasites and vermin.
jimjfox says
Media ih total denial, as usual, What other ‘religion’ generates suicide bombers??
peter says
it is the religion of peace understand
Dennis Pasek says
In ‘Islamic’, ‘peace’ means ‘war’.
It is the language of double meanings and the politics of double standards.
Antiislamicman says
Muslims following Sura 9.29.
I am waiting for the world wide media outrage. Then I want to see everyone wearing a cross around their neck.then going to church to pray.
It’s never gonna happen.
Watto35 says
I’m waiting for the New Zealand to pray for the dead Christians.
Watto35 says
That was ‘New Zealand Prime Minister’.
new world says
to be fair, the New Zealand prime minister is a politician and was milking the situation for everything she could get out of it……
She couldn’t give a seconds thought to the Nigerian or Mali christians that were killed on the same weekend
NZ Taxpayers had to buy new cars and repair the damage to their mosk …
The truth is a lot of New Zealanders do see muslims as a worldwide threat ..
CRUSADER says
Have you been able to locate when and where NZ Kiwis have protested the Islamic threat?
If so, please post.
gravenimage says
We have a few New Zealanders here at Jihad Watch.
Kesselman says
Although it is not certain yet who’s behind the attacks, but who else than the Moslems deals in global terrorism? Who else sees religious diversity as a danger? Who else has this contempt for life?
Frank Anderson says
There is nothing radical or extreme about following the basic writings that have been practiced without change for 1400 years. Most of the people who read and write here understand that. How well we who care can transmit our understanding to others depends on the clarity of our knowledge and ability to get to the point with those with little interest and short attention spans. Basic rules of islam demand lying whenever advantage can be obtained. Those rules also demand either killing or enslaving kafir’s (sub-human infidels) and apostates (any who depart from the “teachings” of the vigilante enforcing his version of the rules). Accepting the fact that islam has no provision for co-existence any longer than necessary to build strength needed for conquest can also mean taking effective action to resist and prevent that conquest. “A snake will always be a snake, true to its nature, no matter how well it is treated.” Treasure, protect and honor any who dare to leave islam.
Or Else! says
Western education has done a great disservice–of leftist design–by indoctrinating our children with the falsehood all “religions” are equal…that we are to be “tolerant/inclusive” of ALL cultures…and that it’s OUR bigotry (and our country’s actions elsewhere in the world) that causes the trouble.
Western news media and entertainment–also under leftist control–perpetuate the fable for adults. They’ve been quite successful in triggering a default/reflex “You’re a racist!” response to anyone who “dares” to tell the truth about Islam.
I usually start the conversation asking what they know about Islam, which is very little to nothing.
I tell them that Islam is not a “race”. It’s a set of beliefs/doctrines to which anyone can adhere. i.e. it’s not the people….it’s the software that’s running on their brains. If they agree to that premise, we can move on to the next step: Who began and developed this software? Muhammad, his words, his actions…as laid out in the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira, which form the scriptural base for Shari’ah–Islam’s draconian civilizational control system.
Hopefully, it’s enough to get them thinking and to move away from what they’re being sold by the MSM.
Once they figure out that Islam is a supremacist ideology that vilifies all non-believers, they’re on their way to waking up.
Frank Anderson says
O.E., yours is as good as any “first step” as I can imagine. If the responses you receive are as unenthusiastic as many of mine are, I can see where the effort to continue the campaign of informing people gets hard. But we will keep trying.
CRUSADER says
Some responders may be silent, and just not respond directly, but may be inspired to do action else-wise…
Keep lighting candles.
Keep dripping drops.
Keep saving starfish.
CRUSADER says
Direct new initiates to join ACT for America !!!!
http://www.ACTforAmerica.org/issues
(Oh, and by the way…
…Tell new initiates to “never mind the torpedoes” of the SPLC…)
gravenimage says
+1
elee says
Applause for all postings in this thread. Sure there will be resistances, and they’ve got a well-subsidised chaff jamming operation. Study up, ask hard questions, know their books better than they do, call them when they cite abrogated verses. And find out just how much Qatari money is subsidising your local academics.
Frank Anderson says
elee, several years ago a friend was proposing to engage in “skillful” debates with muslims to help them leave islam. My friend did not have a clue as to the teachings of islam and was working only from “what he had heard”. Where the Judeo-Christian teachings are founded on not bearing “false witness” islam is completely contrary, making lying whenever convenient to its goal of world conquest standard practice. I lent my friend a large catalog case of books and asked him to just read the titles and covers before risking his life with his approach.
The reason for this explanation (explaining an explanation?) is that self-education helps present information to others. Debating someone who has been studying islam all his life, and very little else, is dangerous for a number of reasons. I suggest talking with the large number of uninformed, and undecided, who are almost as ignorant as I was, is potentially a better use of time and talent.
CRUSADER says
Also, read some Mark Gabriel, who is a former imam Christian convert.
He has suggestions on how to approach a Muslim who can be turned.
Frank Anderson says
Crusader, I consider Gabriel tied for first place with a number of other scholars, including our host Spencer. I have found getting past ignorance and indifference is really hard for people who have just barely studied their own Bible (Old or New). In addition to Gabriel and Spencer, I encourage looking at Warner’s Abridged Koran for an excellent start at seeing WHY we need to learn more while we can.
CRUSADER says
Only be maturing with practice does one get good at this crusade….
Ade Fegan says
“Police said 24 people had been arrested,
but it is not yet known who carried out the attacks”
POLICE ARE PIECING TOGETHER THE EVIDENCE !
Dave Catleugh says
Savages
Aussie Infidel says
“The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka’s government to “mercilessly” punish those responsible “because only animals can behave like that.”
Will the Pope listen to Cardinal Ranjith and see the dark side of this belligerent ideology?
I’m waiting for our politicians to begin their usual defence of the Muslim community: “Not all Muslims are to blame. It’s only a minority of radicals who have perverted their religion.” And of course, everyone who understands Islam knows that’s simply bullshit! Instead our gutless politicians should be calling out Islam for its inate hatred of all non-Muslims and its commandments to “kill them wherever you find them.” (Quran 9:5, etc).
Muslim immigration should be stopped now, before any more jihadists infiltrate other countries.
elee says
Multiple informants in every mosque and CRIPPLING PREEMPTION.
Pete says
Whichcreligion do the terrorist follow?
The BBC are clueless dimwits
HAL9000 says
this is why when Notre Dame was burning, I didn’t want to jump the gun by pointing the finger at Moslems…yet. As I said, a historical religious site such as that cathedral would want to be taken as their own, intact, if possible as a way to “stick it in the hear of Christianity.” But considering there are evidence that “MODERATE Moslems” on social media have expressed their desire that if only the burning cathedral was filled with worshipers pretty much exposed ALL OF Islamists, moderate and radical, as one and the same.
on to Sri Lanka. Had Moslems committed this murder in Notre Dame, THEY KNOW this would start a holy war possibly WW3. Because it would finally give westerners a reason to act after years of voicing concern and that the “mass islamic migration” into Europe was/is indeed a Trojan Horse to take down Western Civilization from within.
Sri Lanka, iirc, as with other countries where churches are bombed openly, is mostly islamic relative to other minority religions. If and when Moslems overpopulate host nations they “migrate” into and islam becomes a majority, it’s a good bet countries like France, Australia, Philippines, etc.. that are long time Christian nations will also have open killings without Moslems, living in such host nations, hiding their true intention anymore.
gravenimage says
Luckily, no one died in the fire at Notre Dame.
elee says
Remember Rudy Giuliani’s “broken windows policing”? Well, he’s working for the Turks now, but let’s apply this theory to the people who declared war on us 1400 years ago…….instead of sweeping incidents like the German shoe-throwing under the rug. Let them get away with anything & look what keeps happening.
Ren says
24 Muslims arrested. Death penalty is the only solution to the muslim terrorists.
CRUSADER says
Send ’em where they wanna go !
But don’t allow for their corpses to be buried and adulated.
Scatter ’em.
Allow the pigs to feed on ’em.
Frank Anderson says
Ren, the death penalty is what they want because they are taught that not only is it their ticket to paradise, but also for their entire family. (Always check and correct me if I am in error, please)
The down side of not imposing the death penalty is that they could be released later in some sort of a “deal” to kill again.
Then the questions of what is at the same time adequate punishment to deter others without also being “cruel and unusual”. But of course, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon?) is not bothered as an Islamic country with such restrictions as the US Constitution. I would not be surprised to find that instead of being punished they are rewarded as was the Lockerbie bomber was honored when he returned to Libya. Killing kafir Christians is one of the thrilling mandates of islam.
CRUSADER says
What’s “cruel and unusual” once they are executed anyway?
Handling their corpses is a crucial next step.
What’d you suggest?
Where is Bin Laden?
Frank Anderson says
Crusader, I don’t know of any punishment that is brutal enough to deter others from following the “current” “accused”. The self-imposed legal limitations followed by some countries have no meaning in others. What can be done to terrify terrorists? What do they hold to be important? How can that be denied? What level of barbarity is sufficient to make evil people quake in fear? That is how barbaric we must become in order to prevail. “Convert, Submit, Die,” Resist or Escape.
gravenimage says
Sri Lankan authorities: Jihadis part of “radical extremist Islamist group,” 24 Muslims arrested, death toll now 290
……………….
I see the BBC is *finally* admitting this was Jihad.