REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A number of countries expressed support and sympathy for Indonesia after a series of terrorist attacks on three Christian churches in Surabaya, East Java on Sunday. The deadly bombing claimed 18 lives and injured dozens others.
Secretary General of United Nations Antonio Guterres condemned the suicide bombings causing the death of innocent people, the U.N. website said on Monday. "Guterres was especially shocked by report that parents involved their children in the suicide bombings," the statement said.
The U.N. secretary General expressed condolence to the relatives of the dead victims and hopes those injured would soon be healed and recover. Guterres expressed support for the Indonesian government and people in the fight against terrorism, the statement said.
Similar support has also come from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which also condemned the suicide bombing attacks, the OIC's official website said. OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen said "OIC reaffirms its principles that violence and terrorism may not be linked with religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic groups."
Yousef Al-Othaimeen said extremism and terrorism in any forms and manifestations including violence against civilians and suicide attacks are against the holy principles of Islam and an insult to religious diversity of the Indonesian people.
The OIC Secretary General expressed solidarity of the organization with the Indonesian people.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the International Relations and Security Police of the European Union Maja Kocijancic said bomb attacks on people performing religious service in the three churches in Surabaya are against the tradition of cultural diversity in Indonesia.
"This culture serves as a source of inspirations for many people in the world especially at time of tensions," Majasaid in a written statement.
The European Union Community also expressed condolence for friends and relatives of the victims and hope for immediate recovery of those injured.
The Government of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom also strongly condemned the bomb attacks in Surabaya saying the Saudi Royal Administration was sad at what had happened in Surabaya of East Java and Depok of West Java, Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Osama bin Mohammed Abdullah Al Shuaibi said here on Monday.
"Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud already conveyed condolences to President Joko Widodo for the terrorist attacks," the ambassador said.
King Salman hoped that God gives strength to the relatives of the deceased victims and that those suffering injuries would soon recover. "What had happened in Surabaya and Depok were a far diversion from Islamic teaching as we all understand. We see that the incidents were linked to ISIS," the King was quoted as saying.
Sympathy and support has also been expressed by the U.S. government saying it strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on church congregations performing religious services in Surabaya. "The attacks could damage tolerance and diversity a tradition strongly maintained by the Indonesian people.
"The United States stands together with the Indonesian people and we expressed deep condolence for the relatives of the victims," the U.S. embassy said here on Sunday.
Similar statements expressing condolence and sympathy has also been received from the South Korean government, which also condemned the terror attacks. "The Korean Government will be hand in hand with the Indonesian people in fighting terrorism," the South Korean embassy said here on Monday.
Meanwhile Pope Fransiskus prayed for the victims of the bomb attacks in the three churches in Surabaya on Sunday and called for an end to violence, Jakarta Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo said in a news conference here on Monday.
The Pope prayed specially for Indonesia in an audience of a congregation of thousands of faithfuls at the square of Saint Peter, Vatican, on Sunday. The highest leader of Catholic prayed for the victims as well as for the relatives, the Jakarta Archbishop said.
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