Trump mourns victims of Lanka, N Zealand terror attacks ahead of National Day of Prayer

US President Donald Trump has mourned the victims of the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka and New Zealand and called for an end to the violence and terrorism against people of all faiths on the eve of the National Day of Prayer. The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the US. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by then president Harry S Truman.

President Trump, in his address to a group of faith leaders including those representing the Sikh and Hindu religions at the White House dinner, said: "We mourn for the Christians murdered in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, and grieve for the Muslims murdered at their mosques in New Zealand". "Here at home, we also remember the three historically black churches burned recently in Louisiana, and the horrific shooting last year at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Violence and terrorism against people of all faiths must end, and it must end now," he said.

In recent weeks, he said, people of all faith around the world have faced terrible hardship. "All of us in this room send our love and prayers to the Jewish Americans wounded at the Shabbat of Poway shooting in California, so tragic, so horrible. And our hearts break for the life of Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was so wickedly taken from us.

"We're proudly joined by leaders representing many of the world's great faiths, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus. Tonight, we break bread together united by our love of God, and we renew our resolve to protect the sacred freedom of religion for all of us," Trump said. Jassi Singh, from the 'Sikh for America' group, and a few Indian-Americans invited to the White House dinner with Trump, said the Trump administration has been working towards interfaith harmony not only inside the US but across the world.

During this holy season when Christians celebrate Easter, Jews mark the Passover and Muslims prepare for Ramadan, one is reminded of how blessed Americans are to inherit the traditions of freedom and religious tolerance that have defined America from the beginning, the President said. "When we embrace the fullness of our faiths, we become better friends, better neighbours, better citizens, and better people. America is forever. We will be a nation that believes forever. And we certainly believe more than anyone in the power of prayer, the most powerful thing there is," Trump said.

"From our earliest history, we've always been people of faith. Our Declaration of Independence proclaims that our rights are bestowed on us by our Creator. The first Continental Congress began with a prayer. "Our first president, George Washington, declared a National Day of Thanksgiving to our father in heaven. Each time we pledge allegiance to our flag, we say that we are one nation under God. And for 67 years, presidents have proclaimed a National Day of Prayer," the President said.

The dinner was attended by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and his son-in-law Jared Kushner among other senior administration officials. On April 21, a series of coordinated bomb blasts carried out by nine suicide bombers ripped through three churches and high-end hotels, killing 253 people and injuring 500 others in Colombo.

The massive blasts were claimed by the Islamic State terror group, however, police suspect members of two previously little-known groups – National Thawheed Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim – of carrying out the attacks. On March 15, a self-styled white supremacist killed 50 people and injured as many others in two Christchurch mosques, the deadliest mass shootings in modern New Zealand history.

The 28-year-old accused was arrested and charged with murder.