Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his message for the Ramazan festival, has urged the faithful devotees of Islam to be vigilant about extremism, which seeks to stain the name of their great religion.

Ramazan ‘is an occasion to celebrate the true spirit of Islam. It is a faith that stresses the brotherhood and equality of all people. It is far from the despicable, hateful creed of those who killed so many innocents in the recent Easter Sunday attacks,’ the prime minister has said.

The annual observance of Ramazan is of profound significance to Muslims everywhere, the message read.

‘It centres around the spirituality, humanistic ideals and social principles that lie at the heart of Islam. These are the values that have guided the Sri Lankan Muslim community, which has long been an integral part of our nation,’ PM Wickremesinghe further said.

‘Today, Muslims celebrate the festival of Eid ul-Fitr after a month of fasting, with the sighting of the crescent new moon. May the sense of gratitude, generosity and charity associated with the event inspire us all to find meaning in higher ideals.’

‘Let us all live in solidarity so that our motherland can rise to greater heights. Together, we must usher in a society where liberty, equality and human dignity prevail. May the blessings of this Eid bring peace and happiness to all Muslims in Sri Lanka and across the world!’ the prime minister further said in his Ramazan message.