Taking Stock for the New Year
Photo courtesy A tumultuous year has ended, and an uncertain future lies ahead. Democratic space is already closing around us, and it is critical for civil society to be clear-eyed about where…
Islamophobia
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…
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…
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…
Sri Lankan Academics Abroad Condemn Violence Against Muslim Community: Open Letter
We write to condemn ongoing violence against Sri Lanka’s Muslim community, especially the brutal attacks perpetrated over the past week. We are outraged that the government has failed to act speedily and…
Compiled Situation Updates: Kandy and related incidents
From March 5 onwards, there has been unrest in the Kandy district, originating in Digana. What began as a personal altercation eventually spiraled into violence, with Buddhist mobs attacking Muslim-owned properties, homes…
70 Years of Independence | Dr Farzana Haniffa
What does it mean to be Sri Lankan? 70 years after independence, our identity is defined mostly along majoritarian lines, which can be traced back to the divisions created under British rule….
Stemming the Tide
Iqram Siyadhu works at a store selling rexine carpeting in Wijerama. A fire broke out on May 22 under suspicious circumstances. “The police came and made an entry about the incident,” Iqram said….
Escalating Violence: Renewed assaults on the Muslim community
Post war Sri Lanka saw a wave of attacks targeting the Muslim community by Buddhist extremist groups. The Mahinda Rajapaksa government allowed these extremists free rein, which caused extensive damage, including injuries…
Different yet Equal: On effectively battling hatred
The corner of Bauddhaloka mawatha near Independence Arcade was relatively quiet at 4:30 pm, apart from a small group holding white umbrellas. These were participants of “Different Yet Equal” an online-led campaign…
BBS threatens a repeat Aluthgama
I have been accused by many in comments to my articles that I continue to write about the pogrom in Aluthgama and Muslims while the Tamils have had to undergo state terrorism…
Muhammed Ali – A Positive Muslim Role Model Par Excellence
Featured image courtesy Huffington Post ‘People Will Forget What You Did , But People Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel ‘ –Maya Angelou King of the Ring, Muhammed Ali left us…
Return Of Saffron Violence?
Featured image courtesy The Star Ven. Ampitiye Sumanaratne Thero of Mangalaramaya temple in Ampara walks in to the residence of the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Nazeer Ahamed and threatens him…
The veil, ‘radicalisation’ and Lankan Muslims
Featured image courtesy FT.com The so-called ‘radicalisation’ of the Sri Lankan Muslim community has been the subject of a number of opinion pieces that have appeared in both print and social media…
