Below is a brief insight into freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka. Find out more at csw.org.uk/srilanka
Why not try something new this week? Ask a friend or small group to join you in prayer, sharing these four prayer points between you.
1. Pray for marginalised and vulnerable faith-based communities.
Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities continue to face harassment, intimidation and constant surveillance from the state and authorities.
Pray that the government would work to promote acceptance and tolerance among all faith-based communities in society.
2. Pray for churches facing challenges.
One of the factors driving intolerance against Christians is the fear that Christianity will grow to threaten the dominance of Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalists. Christians cannot freely profess or share their faith, and some have been wrongly accused of forcefully converting people.
Some churches face difficulties in renewing their registration, which is required to open a bank account and operate legally. There are also reports of the authorities trying to evict churches and claim their land.
3. Pray for the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The PTA continues to be used as an excuse to target religious minorities. Muslims in particular are targeted with arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions.
Now the Sri Lankan government is planning to replace the PTA with the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which could further empower the authorities to violate human rights with impunity.
Pray that they would heed the warnings of those who have voiced concerns.
4. Pray for economic stability.
You may remember the news from 2022, when Sri Lanka was plunged into turmoil by economic crisis. Amid spiralling food prices, fuel shortages and power cuts, the entire cabinet resigned that April, except the president and prime minister who later also resigned.
In July 2023, the BBC reported that ‘while life may seem to have returned to normal, in reality people are still struggling...Things are more expensive than ever before.’
Pray especially for religious minority communities, who may feel these challenges even more severely.