The Niqab ban and the politics of distraction
As of last Monday, Sri Lanka is taking a seat at the table next to a list of 13 other countries from across the world who have passed legislation banning the niqab…
Religion and faith
Combatting the Cult of ISIS
It now seems clear that the attacks on Easter Sunday were carried out by local radicals, under the aegis of foreign fundamentalists. The problem is contained in that there is little support…
White Flags
A series of coordinated bomb explosions killed hundreds in Sri Lanka as they congregated for Easter Sunday mass, on April 21, 2019. Among the six main blast sites were three churches; St.…
Easter Sunday Attacks: Key Updates
April 21, 2019 A series of coordinated bomb explosions killed hundreds in Sri Lanka as they congregated for Easter Sunday mass. As at 8.20 am on April 22, 2019, 290 were reported…
Terrorism in Aotearoa
Do you love New Zealand, asked the extremely inebriated young white man and his companion as they suddenly blocked my path at the Octagon, a few weeks after I arrived in Dunedin.…
New Zealand’s Loss of Innocence
WELLINGTON – After the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Le Monde famously proclaimed that “Today, we are all Americans.” In the wake of the horrors in Christchurch, New Zealand, we must…
Digana: One year on
When violence spread to Digana on the 5th of March 2018, Mr. J.M Niyas suffered heavy losses. He lost his grocery store; the source of income that helped him feed and educate…
A Pardon, and a Penalty: A Prelude to a Populist?
As we reflect on Sri Lanka’s 71st Independence Day, many things that have political currency come to mind. Free education and healthcare, a reduced cost of living, and anti-corruption are usually among…
Stable Community: A Christmas Reflection
A stable message The birth of Christ ushers a promise of peace for the world. In the fullest teaching of the Bible, peace is the ethos of stable, just and reconciled…
Let memory speak: A litany of remembrance
Photography by Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images, via Any intelligent discourse must offer memory its rightful place. This is because, memory has present potential, to take us to happenings of the past, so that…
An appeal for national stability from religious leaders
Photo courtesy Article 14 This statement is being issued by a multi-religious group of Sri Lankan citizens, including several religious leaders, with no vested interests. We have been compelled to come together…
Religion, authority and reason: A Reflection
Image courtesy Al Jazeera Religion and authority Three recent pronouncements caught the attention of the media and dominated conversations. Advisors to President Trump quoted the Bible in defence of the separation of…
MMDA: Who is blocking reform of this discriminatory law?
Sri Lanka’s Muslim women are being denied family and other rights available to other women under this country’s constitution. The government committee set up nine years ago to reform the out-dated and…
What’s next for Sri Lanka’s Muslim Women?
“Fear Allah! Do not do injustice to your own community women and girls” This was the plea on placards held by many of the women who stood near the Parliament opposing Muslim…
The Silent Sangha
One of the greatest challenges facing Sri Lanka today is the failure to bring about communal reconciliation in the island. Hate has grown, gone rampant and viral. On a recent visit to…
