Without sails and without masses | Sri Lanka forbids wearing …

The Sri Lankan government has banned its residents from traveling on public roads with their faces covered. This measure comes one week after the series of attacks against churches and hotels that have left 253 dead and more than 500 wounded, and whose responsibility is attributed to local radical Islamist organizations. Up to now, there are 150 inmates.

"President Maithripala Sirisena has banned all types of facial coatings that make identification difficult, which represents a national and public threat," said the office of the president in a qualified emergency notification. The measure comes into effect today and since then, the face "must be clearly stated," added the note. The resolution, which was adopted in the context of the state of emergency that prevails after last Sunday's attacks by at least nine suicides, is no exception to articles like the burka or nicab, the veil worn by some women from Muslim communities. .

Catholic religious services, meanwhile, have been suspended by the Sri Lankan Bishops' Conference for fear of further attacks. For this reason, the Catholics of this island country followed from their homes the religious services transmitted by the television, the churches remaining empty. However, yesterday morning, a vigil was held near the church of San Antonio, one of the places attacked during the Easter celebrations. According to the Episcopal Conference, Catholics account for 6.1% of the approximately 22 million inhabitants of Sri Lanka. Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, however, attended a private ceremony broadcast on radio and television for the whole country, under the direction of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, accompanied by other priests.

During the past week, security forces raided, neutralized dozens of explosives in different parts of the country and arrested about 150 people allegedly linked to the attacks. Among the detainees include the wife and daughter of Mohamed Zahran, the alleged organizer of the attacks, who was blasted by the explosion of one of the three luxury hotels that were attacked last Sunday, in addition to three churches, police said. .

Zahran was identified as the leader of the national Thowheed Jamath group which, along with Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim, is the extremist movement to which the authorities blamed the series of attacks perpetrated almost simultaneously. Zahran's daughter Mohomad Zahran Rusaina, aged four, and his wife, Abdul Cader Fathima Sadia, were rescued in Nintavur district. Both survived the explosion of a suicide bomber who blew himself up during a raid by security forces on one of the terrorists' shelters. The mother and daughter were both recognized and identified by Mohamed Zahran's sister in front of the authorities and are currently being held in a hospital under police custody.

By linking the attacks to radical Islamist groups, Sri Lankan Muslims have expressed fear of retaliation against them last week. That is why the Muslim Religious Affairs Minister, Abdul Haleem Mohamed Hashim, asked last Thursday not to attend Friday's collective prayers. The Muslim minority of Sri Lanka, 9.7% of the population, has already been attacked in the past.