,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #ahd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #b1  
#bjai ,mr4 ,risch 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,menendez1 ,mr4 ,romney1 and ,mr4       
,murphy7 submitted the following        
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,condemning the ,easter   
,sunday terrorist attacks in ,sri       
,lanka1 offering sincere condolences to 
the victims1 to their families and      
friends1 and to the people and nation of
 ,sri ,lanka1 and expressing solidarity 
and support for ,sri ,lanka4  ,whereas1 
on ,april #ba1 #bjai1 ,sri ,lanka       
suffered a horrific series of           
coordinated terrorist attacks that      
killed more than #bej people and injured
 more than #ejj additional people2      
,whereas the attacks targeted ,christian
 churches1 in which innocent men1 women1
 and children were celebrating ,easter  
,sunday2 ,whereas the attacks targeted  
several locations frequented by foreign 

tourists1 resulting in the deaths of    
over #dj people from nations other than 
,sri ,lanka1 including four ,american   
citizens3 ,dieter ,kowalski1 ,amelie    
,linsey1 ,daniel ,linsey1 and ,kieran   
,shafritz de ,zoysa2 ,whereas ,sri      
,lanka has determined that a local      
,islamist militant group perpetrated    
this horrifying attack and is           
responsible for the resulting loss of   
life1 injury1 and destruction2 ,whereas 
the use of nine suicide bombers in      
multiple locations demonstrates a high  
degree of coordination and planning2    
,whereas growing evidence links the     
,islamic ,state to these attacks1       
demonstrating this terrorist            
organization's continued reach and      
capability to inflict terror1 violence1 
and brutality around the world1 despite 
its loss of physical territory2 ,whereas
 religious freedom is a foundational and
 universal right of all people1 and     
religious freedom and tolerance are     
important to the flourishing of         

multi-religious societies like ,sri     
,lanka2 ,whereas ,sri ,lanka has worked 
towards a lasting peace1 ethnic and     
religious harmony1 and prosperity for   
all2 ,whereas the rights of all         
religious minorities must be protected1 
including the rights of ,christians1    
who1 among other religious communities1 
have faced increased violence in recent 
years from terrorist groups around the  
world2 ,whereas the ,united ,states     
values its partnership with ,sri ,lanka 
and seeks to build on that partnership  
by pursuing shared goals in the         
,indo-,pacific region2 ,whereas the     
,united ,states is home to a large ,sri 
,lankan diaspora1 who make significant  
contributions to ,american society2 and 
,whereas ,american law enforcement      
officials and military personnel are    
supporting the ,sri ,lankan             
,government's investigation of this     
attack3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that   
the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns1 in the     
strongest terms1 the terrorist attacks  

perpetrated by violent ,islamist        
extremists against innocent civilians on
 ,easter ,sunday2  7#b7 condemns the use
 of violence against people of religious
 faith1 including in their places of    
worship2  7#c7 offers its sincere and   
heartfelt condolences to the victims1   
their families and friends1 and to the  
nation of ,sri ,lanka2  7#d7 reaffirms  
its solidarity with the people of ,sri  
,lanka and its support for the ,united  
,states partnership with the nation of  
,sri ,lanka2  7#e7 notes1 on this #ajth 
anniversary of the end of ,sri ,lanka's 
civil war1 the importance of national   
unity and encourages the ,government of 
,sri ,lanka to foster such unity1       
including religious and ethnic          
tolerance2  7#f7 supports efforts to    
ensure the protection of all ,sri       
,lankans against retaliatory attacks as 
the country recovers from this tragedy2 
7#g7 reaffirms its commitment to        
religious freedom and the importance of 
protecting the rights of all religious  

minorities1 including ,christians2  7#h7
 calls attention to the continued and   
serious threat posed by the ,islamic    
,state and other international terrorist
 organizations2 and  7#i7 calls upon the
 ,united ,states ,government and all    
other governments to continue the fight 
against violent extremism4