We have won the battle, but the war is not ended - Archbishop Oswald Gomis
Colombo, 19 May, (Asiantribune.com): Archbishop of Colombo
Archbishop Oswald Gomis Oswald Gomis has congratulated the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Chiefs of the Defence Forces who supported him with deep commitment and self-sacrifice to bring an end to the war in Sri Lanka.
In a press release he expressed his happiness that the war is ended and that the government’s Security Forces have been able to release all the innocent civilians who were trapped in the battle.
He added, "We could say that we have won the battle but the war is not ended. The war would end only on the day that we grow in nationhood realizing that we are all one people in one country with equal rights."
The archbishop pointed out that "We have to realize the fact that we are a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural community. As such we are now left with the great task of nation-building forgetting our ethnic, political and religious differences."
Given below the full text of Archbishop Oswald Gomis’s press release -
"Press Release of the Archbishop of Colombo on the conclusion of war.
We are indeed very happy that the war is ended and that the government’s Security Forces have been able to release all the innocent civilians who were trapped in battle.
I congratulate His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, for his very courageous leadership and thank the Chiefs of the Defense outfit who supported him with deep commitment and self-sacrifice. I also offer my deepest sympathies to those who laid down their lives in battle and those innocent civilians killed, trapped in war.
In a sense, we could say that we have won the battle but the war is not ended. The war would end only on the day that we grow in nationhood realizing that we are all one people in one country with equal rights. We have to realize the fact that we are a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural community. As such we are now left with the great task of nation-building forgetting our ethnic, political and religious differences.
It is imperative that there be a political formula that will inspire confidence and promote a sense of belonging among the minority groups in the country. We have to leave the sad and bitter memories of the past three decades and look positively and optimistically towards the future in hope. All of us have to share the blame for our division and forgive each other. We should have the humility and wisdom to learn from the sad experiences of that past.
It is then, and only then, that we could build nationhood that will bring true peace and prosperity to our beloved country - Sri Lanka. Let us always remember that united we will flourish but divided we will perish.
May Sri Lanka be a land where unity, equality and fraternity reign supreme!"
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
"United we will flourish but
"United we will flourish but divided we will perish". Great words from Bishop Oswald Gomis. Thank you President Rajapaksa for bringing
the country together. I admire your courrage to fight the war against LTTE upto the end, ignoring with all the pressure came from powerful and hipocratic countries. Finaly our brave soldiers made the difference. Thank you Soldier. I wish we will have a Memorial Day to celebarate braveness and courrage of our soldiers who sacrifice their lives for our great country. Sri Lanka soldiers are the best.
The President as the
The President as the Commander-in-Chief, the armed forces and the Police have earned well deserved plaudits not only from Sinhalese but also from the moderate Tamils and Muslims for ending a near 3 decade war.
But as many have said and many will continue to say, the bigger battle is ahead. The rehabilitation of the displaced - not forgetting the Muslims and Sinhalese who were also displaced (the rehabilitation of the battered, bruised, maimed and stressed foot soldier must also be upper most in our minds),the reviving of the economy, the addressing of the issues faced by minorities (again it is not only Tamils), eliminating waste and corruption, etc have to be addressed as soon as practicable but soon it will have to be.
So the blessings of the good Archbishop on the President and the government is very timely.
May God bless Sri Lanka and may Sri Lanka shine as a beacon to others.
Wars will never end as long
Wars will never end as long as people like Oswald Gomis support the terrorists. I have never seen or heard he and his other priests ever trying to talk to the dead maniac to give up weapons and enter into a political solution. All they did was to comment on shortcomings through the church to discredit a legitimate government of his own people. The Sri Lankan president or the government does not need his preaching. Gomis should preach to his followers inside the church as usual and keep it at that level.
Well said Rev. Gomis, we
Well said Rev. Gomis, we should look forward to a society where Sri Lanka is first and ethnicity is second, and a legal system equal to all. There should not be special laws only for Sinhalese, special laws only for Muslims or Tamils or special laws for a particular geographical area like Colombo, Matara or Jaffna. Whole country should be brought together as one nation, one flag, one legal system. It should be made mandatory to learn both Sinhala and Tamil languages for all people.
There should not be any preference because a person is Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim.
The ethinic origin should be removed from all sorts of administrative and legal procedures!.
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