I have lots of friends from Sri Lanka and was horrified to hear the news about the dastardly attack on churches and hotels there.

The country has just been bouncing back after the civil war with Tamil separatists until 2009, a time when bomb blasts were common.

The latest terrible violence has violated the sanctity of holy places of worship. Nations across the world should do more to promote the values of diversity and peaceful coexistence.

The Lankan authorities did the right thing by declaring a curfew in Colombo and blocking access to social media and messaging sites, including Facebook and WhatsApp.

I am not a fan of social media and I totally blame it for the chaos presently prevailing in the world.  Instead of promoting peace and harmony, most people have been utilising social media to promote hatred among communities, which is sad and loathsome.

I totally agree with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, where a gunman shot 50 people dead in two mosques last month, who has stated: “Collectively we must find the will and the answers to end such violence.”

Asif Iqbal, By email