Tamil South Africans hold interfaith prayer for peace

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 September 2006, 00:31 GMT]
Tamil Co-ordinating Committee in Durban South Africa held an interfaith prayer meeting for peace Sunday at the Arutpa Kazhagam, remembering the 51 school children and 4 staff members killed in Vallipunam during an air-raid by Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on 14 August.



Members of the Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths joined together to pray for an end to the killings of innocent Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and victims of other war stricken countries of the world, meeting organizers said.

Mr N. Khan of the Islamic Council of South Africa, Reverend Dr. Deena Muthen of Alpha Revival Ministries, Mrs. K Sothinathan of the Arutpa Kazhagam and Moulana Shaik Ismail of the Croftdene Mosque offered prayers for peace.

Deputy Mayor of the city of Durban, Mr Loganathan Naidoo, in his keynote address mentioned the Vallipunam killings and the execution-style killings of 17 aid workers.

Mr Naidooo said that he endorsed sending a strong message to the Sri Lankan Government that South African Tamils condemn the violence in Sri Lanka and urged all peace-loving people from Chatsworth to Chennai to add their voices against the unacceptable levels of violence and political persecution in Sri Lanka.

He told the audience that the African National Council (ANC) is working closely with Liberation Tigers to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sri Lanka.