Members of the local Sri Lankan community say they feel devastated, heartbroken and helpless following a number of church bombings over the weekend.
Some are worried for family members still in the island nation.
One person tells CTV that he hasn’t been able to reach his family members to find out if they’re okay. Others in the community simply want to know why they were targeted.
“This is one time that it’s very difficult to pinpoint, what’s the motive? Who is behind it? What’s happening?” asks Riyaz Rauf, president of the Canada Sri Lanka Association.
The small country had seen a decade of relative calm after a long, bloody civil war. News of the attacks has left local Sri Lankans stunned.
Another person says Sri Lanka is a small, peaceful nation, and that it’s beyond comprehension as to why someone would choose to target them.
Rauf says that, regardless of religion, the entire country must be ready to speak out against the terrorists behind the attacks.
