Sri Lanka's Muslims hold subdued prayers amid tight security
Colombo: Armed police and sniffer dogs guarded mosques in Sri Lanka as Muslims trickled to Friday prayers, with many staying away over fears of revenge attacks after the island's Easter suicide blasts.
Some mosques cancelled prayers, and Sri Lanka's Muslim affairs minister called on Muslims to pray at home instead, in solidarity with churches that have closed over security fears.
Other Muslims have expressed fears that they could be targeted by Islamist hardliners, after the community's religious leadership said the attackers would not be buried at mosques in the country.
Among mosques that did hold prayers on Friday in the capital Colombo, attendance was thin, with some of the few worshippers who did show up saying they wanted to stand up to extremists.
"We are sending a message to extremists that we will not be scared or deterred," said Reyyaz Salley, chairman of the Dawatagaha Jumma mosque in the capital Colombo.
"But the main reason we are here is because we want to say a special prayer for the victims of the church bombings," he added.
At least 253 people died Sunday when attackers blew themselves up at three churches and three hotels in coordinated blasts that officials blame on local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath. The Islamic State group has claimed the attacks.
The bombings have been condemned by leaders of Sri Lanka's Muslim minority but some in the community still fear a backlash from other religious groups.
Police prevented people from walking or parking vehicles directly outside after rumours circulating on social media about possible car bomb attacks.
Sniffer dogs stood guard as police checked bags and patted down worshippers and journalists before letting them inside.
"We are not scared. We have to die one day and it can happen anywhere," a defiant Salley told AFP.
Many had been put off, however.Salley said Friday prayers at Dawatagaha Jumma Masjid regularly attracts up to 700 worshippers, but only around 100 turned up this week.
Prayers were also cut short from the usual one hour to 15 minutes because of the security situation."I have come to pray here today because I pray here everyday," 62-year-old Ahamed Riza told AFP before listening to the mosque's Imam deliver a sermon saying the Prophet Mohammed would have condemned the attacks.
Some 330 kilometres away in Muslim-majority Kattankudy on Sri Lanka's east coast, people turned out in greater numbers.More than 1,000 men and boys attended prayers at the town's main Mohiuddin Methaipali Jumma mosque.
"The attacks were carried out by a small group of people but some people are blaming the whole Sri Lankan Muslim community for this. It is not fair," mosque official Mohammed Ramesh told AFP.
"The people who did this are not human beings. All Sri Lankans must unite against this: Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims."I have been praying five times a day for the Christian victims since the attacks happened," he added.
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West Asia crisis: Rajasthan man goes missing near Oman after Iranian missile hits oil tanker
Jaipur (PTI): A man from Nagaur district in Rajasthan has gone missing after a missile struck an oil tanker he was aboard near Oman amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, according to his family members.
The family said they received information that an Iranian missile hit the vessel on the morning of March 1 while it was stationed at Khasab Port, causing significant damage to the ship.
Dalip Singh, the missing crew member, is a resident of Khinwatana village in Nagaur and began his duty on January 22.
He was serving as a crew member on the tanker operated by Skylight Company. At the time of the attack, Dalip was in the forward section of the ship with another crew member, Ashish Kumar, who hailed from Bihar. While Kumar's body has been recovered, Dalip remains untraceable, his brother Devendra Singh said.
Devendra further mentioned that the company informed them that most of the crew members were evacuated safely during the attack. However, Ashish and two others, including Dalip, have gone missing.
He noted that Dalip last spoke to the family on February 28.
Additionally, another man from Nagaur district, Sunil Kumar, was also working on the same vessel. Dalip is said to have taken over duty in the shift after Sunil completed his assignment, Devendra added.
