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…
Religion and faith
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…
Is the State grossly underestimating the losses from the Mob Violence in Kandy?
In March 2018, mob violence visited pockets in an East to West arc from 5-20 kilometres North of Kandy. The state is obligated to ensure the safety of its citizens and it…
On the perpetrators and their intent | Kandy: The damage and the distrust
‘I used to give this space for people to hold dansals at on Vesak and Poson poya days’ says Jazeel, indicating the parking area of his showroom. Jazeel’s shop was centrally located…
On messaging and the media | Kandy: The damage and the distrust
‘For three years, they have been putting up these posters, telling people not to go to our shops’ said Nizar. They were not pasted on his shop, he says, but in public…
On compensation | Kandy: The damage and the distrust
Mr. Jazeel (captured in featured image) walks around his shop, located on the bend near the Akurana bridge, 12 kilometres from the bustling Kandy city. It looks the same as it did…
Kandy: The damage and the distrust
In Akurana, bunting with the words ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ hangs inside a quiet home. In Digana, newly built shops hurry to restock for weeks of festive shopping. In Pallekele, kanji is being cooked…
Untold Stories from Kandy
“This is the money that my daughter and I collected every day in a till. It used to be on the cabinet. The notes can no longer be found. The coins were…
LEAKED: Report of the Committee Appointed to Consider Alternatives to MMDA
was sent a copy of the Justice Saleem Marsoof (JSM) Committee report on the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA), leaked from a reliable source. Download it here. The Marsoof Committee was…
Muslims In Sri Lanka: A new strategy for engagement
Scores of Muslim mosques, homes and businesses were destroyed as mobs ran amok for three days in Kandy. Thousands of Muslims are disillusioned and uncertain about their safety and security for the…
The Origin of Others
Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) wrote of the mirror-stage in the development of a human being when, unlike with animals, it realises that the image seen in the mirror is she, herself. The German…
Racism in Education, Religion and Neoliberalism: Empowering the anti-minority extremists?
Image courtesy The highly-educated and hyper-religious Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is consistently failing to apply inclusive, just, and peaceful approaches to resolving the country’s violent inter-communal clashes. The unfolding narrative…
Through the Scorched Frames: The aftermath in Welekade
It happened on the morning of March 7, almost two days after the initial attacks in the Theldeniya and Digana areas. The elderly woman I first spoke to said that a Sinhalese…
My Brother, the Other
In the aftermath of further ethno-religious violence in Sri Lanka, stories are shared and explanations attempted, with each person trying to make sense of what is happening around them. People dwell on…
The Political Culture, Not Facebook, is the Problem
Organized mob violence against minorities has been a feature of the political landscape in Sri Lanka for several decades. In fact, one could say that it has become part of our political…
