It is my view that living by the ideal of sacrifice that the Prophet made for the sake of humanity lays the foundation for a better and more developed society. We must eliminate hatred and suspicion among each other and live with the qualities that Prophet Muhammad preached.

Today the entire humankind is faced with an enormous challenge in the wake of COVID – 19 pandemic, which is spreading across the globe causing unprecedented hardships.  Living while giving priority to religious beliefs at a time of distress like this brings solace to mind. Also, we must socialize the virtues learnt from the character of the Prophet to  achieve mutual prosperity, reconciliation among different ethnic groups and the common good.

I hope when the world celebrates the birth of Prophet, Muslims will join hands with determination to defeat all forms of extremism and create a better society keeping in line with  the values he professed.

I wish a happy Milad – Un – Nabi to the Sri Lankan Muslim community as well as to the Muslims around the world

Gotabaya Rajapaksa
President- Sri Lanka

October 29, 2020