Dr. Mareena Reffai

We the mothers of Srilanka salute the President for bringing peace and tranquility to our minds!

We salute you for the removal of the fear that gripped us day in day out.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts in remembrance of days gone by, for good, we hope.

For the utter incapacitating fear we felt at the pit of our stomachƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  when we heard even a car backfiring or a fire cracker going off

For the days we stayed petrified when our sons and daughters got late even by half an our toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  come home

For the days when we got a sms that there was a bomb gong off and the frantic calls and sms we sent out tour loved ones

For the times we would stop every important meeting or surgery to check whether our husbands were safe

For the utter fear and terror we felt when we heard the schools are closed mid day for fear of bombs

For the fear of hearing about a bus being blasted or train being bombed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and wondering who was in it

For the temporary elation we felt every time the peace treaty was signed and then the sadness whenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it was broken within even twenty four hours with a purposeless bomb

For every mother you met who became living dead because they did not know what happened to their young sons, Tamils, Sinhala and MuslimsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

For the deep sadness we felt at the pictures of mother crying out at the futile death ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their young sons being killed at a roadside shooting

For the blood stained tears we shed whenever we saw scenes or pictures of mayhem

For every eye that we saw lost, every limb that was amputated, for every life maimed, for every life lost

For the fear you felt every evening until your loved ones came home wondering whether they will be caught in a cross fire or shot even by a scared teenage soldier at the check point

For every minute you wondered at the futility of the war and the helplessness of leaving such war torn world for our younger generationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

For the hopelessness we felt when unsavory characters took advantage of the situationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and committed utter crimes and got away with it

Oh! The list is endless.

We breath a sigh of relief now

Hoping we will never seeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  such days ever again

Hoping we can start building our nation together

Hoping and praying that our children will hear them only as some unbelievable fairy tales

We Thank Allah who answered our prayers

We thank Allah who brought us a leader who was fearless

We thank Allah for giving us a leader

WhoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  decided to do whatever it takes to crush oppression

One who decided that he can achieve what no other leader of this country even dreamt of being possible

One who thought possible what the whole world thought to be impossible

One who dared to thumb his nose at all who tried to dictate terms to our Srilanka

One who knew not to interfere with the experts so that no decision of the army or navy wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  underminedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by shortsighted political decisions

One who lead from front a show asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it should be lead

Mr. President, Mahinda Rajapakse,

We salute you. We thank you.

We pray for long life for you,

Peace and prosperity to you and your family,

For fearlessness in all the right things you do

And AllahƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s guidance in all what you do.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ameen.