Sri Lankan missions in Saudi Arabia commemorate tsunami anniversary

BY MOHAMMED Rasooldeen in Riyadh

SRI LANKAN missions in the Kingdom commemorated the first anniversary of the tsunami in Riyadh and Jeddah on Monday. Sri Lankan Hajis in Makkah and Madinah conducted special prayers in memory of the dead and for the welfare of the survivors.

In Riyadh, the embassy in association with the Sri Lankan Expatriates Society (SLES) invited members of the community to a memorial function at the mission's premises.

"This is an occasion to remember the victims in our special prayers," Ambassador A. M. J. Sadiq who presided meeting told the Daily News. The theme of the evening was 'Our prayers are with you.

In addition to the envoy opening remarks made by the ambassador, SLES president A. S. M. Illyas, its past presidents Nihal Gamage Saifuddeen Thassim spoke on behalf of the victims and donors respectively. The participants lit oil lamp (Pahan) to pay their homage to those who died in the disaster.

A similar meeting was held in Jeddah at the Sri Lankan Consulate where the Masihudeen Inamullah, Sri Lanka's consul general conducted the program.

SLES Chairman in Jeddah, Shantha De Silva and Elmo Jayamaha, President of the Sri Lankan International School in Jeddah made speeches during the observance.

"The consulate made arrangements with 3,500 Sri Lankan Hajis who are now in Makkah and Madinah to offer special prayers for all those who died in the disaster and for the progress and prosperity of others who survived it," Inamullah said.

Fawzan Fareed, SriLankan Airlines Sales Manager here said last week, his airline has laid the foundation stone for a Rs. 45 million project to reconstruct a Tsunami-devastated school in the town of Kalmunai in the Eastern Batticaloa District.