Bishop of Mannar Dr. Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando has commended the decision made by Muslim MPs to reaccept ministerial positions in the government.

The Bishop has made these remarks when ACMC Leader Rishad Bathiudeen met him after being sowrn in as the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training.

“Vigorous inter-community and inter-faith relations are a must if the Mannar region is to prosper to next stage of development. The Catholic Church shall support your positive efforts to develop the region and enhance living standards of its people” observed Mannar Bishop Right Rev. Dr Fernando.

Responding to Bishop Right Rev. Dr Fernando, Minister Bathiudeen readily extended his condolences on the Easter Sunday attacks to the Church, saying that the terrorists involved were not at all considered as followers of Islam, but as savages by all Sri Lankan Muslims. “This is the united stand of all Muslim leaders and Muslim people of Sri Lanka. Since some Sri Lankans still do not think as Sri Lankans but think as Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, we have not achieved the expected development even 70 years after independence. The three decades of war destroyed much of Northern Province including Mannar and even though infrastructure has been re-built, reconciliation needs some more work.