The second half of 2013 saw an increase in attacks against Muslims and Christians by radical Buddhist groups. Over Christmas, church services were disrupted and Christians were accused of meeting illegally, and religious leaders of both Muslim and Christian communities faced threats and harassment. Much of the violence is also linked with the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), or Buddhist Force, an extremist group established in July 2012. The wider population is also continuing to struggle with the after effects of the decades-long civil war which ended in 2009.

Throughout this week, please:

• Pray for an end to the anti-Christian and anti-Muslim violence;
• Thank God for Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious diversity;
• Pray for a national reconciliation process that protects and promotes diversity;
• Pray that the BBS would cease their hostilities towards minorities;
• Ask God to increase the effectiveness of Buddhists who are questioning the work of the BBS;
• Ask God to strengthen human rights activists who are under immense pressure for the work they do;
• Pray for church leaders facing threats of violence and church closure, especially those in remote areas.