President Maithripala Sirisena said that the festival of Hajj symbolizes the spirit of unity when Muslims living across different continents and countries offer a prayer to Allah.

In his special Hajj message, the President pointed out that Sri Lankan Muslims "live in harmony with other communities, with mutual respect for each other and it is a reflection of their friendliness and the desire for coexistence, qualities they inherited from the teachings of Islam".

Full text of the message:

I am pleased to send this message of greetings on the occasion of the celebrations of Eid-Ul-Alha, the festival of Hajj by the Islamic community of Sri Lanka, together with their brethren the world over.

The Festival of Hajj is the most important annual event of the Muslims in the world, in which they pray to emphasize the importance of making sacrifices in the name of Allah.

Hajj symbolizes the spirit of unity when millions of Muslims living in different continents, speaking different languages and belonging to different nationalities and cultures offer a common prayer to Allah.

The government provides all required facilities to Muslims of Sri Lanka to participate in the annual Hajj pilgrimage, where they renew their commitment to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and pray for peace, brotherhood and understanding among all people of the world.

The Muslims of Sri Lanka live in harmony with other communities, with mutual respect for each other and it is a reflection of their friendliness and the desire for coexistence, qualities they inherited from the teachings of Islam.

The prayers of all Muslims on this day of special religious observances will no doubt be directed towards progress, unity and peace with dignity for all.

I wish all Muslims of Sri Lanka a Happy and Peaceful Eid-Ul-Alha.