Fathima Fazla, a housewife in Sri Lanka is a neighbour of accused suicide bombers in the recent serial bomb blasts. She said all the while she thought of those two brothers, who lived in the grand three-storey home across the street, as good citizens. These brothers lived at the white house on Mahawela Gardens and now emerged as key players in the horrific blasts on Easter day that killed more than 300 people.
Inshaf Ibrahim, the 33-year-old copper factory owner, detonated his explosive device at the busy buffet during breakfast time at a hotel. “They seemed like good people,” Fazla told cops who live opposite the Ibrahim family residence. In fact, Inshaf’s worker at the factory, Sarowar, said, ”He was kind, unlike many bosses. I was happily working for him. He is gone. What do I do now?”
Also, the brother’s father, Mohamed Ibrahim, was arrested as police investigate those behind the attacks. He had six sons and three daughters and had a good reputation in the society. It is said that the accused brothers’ father helps poor and does active social service. ”It’s unthinkable his children could have done that,” Fazla said. “Because of what they have done, all Muslims are treated as suspects.”
On the other hand, Ilham Ibrahim, 31 years old, openly expressed extremist ideologies and had been involved in meetings of National Thowheed Jamath, a local terror group suspected of involvement in the recent attacks. Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, a network cabling engineer who works next door to Ibrahim’s house, said, “I was shocked. We never thought they were this kind of people”.
