At a time when their country needs healing and support, Sri Lankan Muslims have an obligation this Ramadan. Each Ramadan, I set myself a challenge: How and what can I improve this year? For me, Ramadan is about setting and overcoming challenges in an attempt to progress spiritually and become...
Faith is seen as a cause of turmoil and exclusion, yet it can be used as an antidote. In his book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari laments that traditional religion is the “handmaid of modern nationalism.” It divides humanity into different camps, he says,...
Taking on the leadership of the Commonwealth is a boost for the country embattled in precarious Brexit negotiations and trying to reimagine its place in the world. In April, Britain hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which was billed as the largest gathering of heads of states in the UK...
While much is made of the physical aspects around fasting during Ramadan, the holy month represents a spiritual space for remembering and reinforcing relationships. For many Muslims worldwide, May 17 marks the first day of Ramadan, the observance of abstaining from food, water and innate desires between sunrise and sunset. Muslims...
Sri Lanka needs a platform for genuine and objective discussion in the hope of moving forward and achieving reconciliation. In Sri Lanka, the start of February was about celebration for the past 70 years of independence, but its end was about reflective contemplation over an uncertain future. Following a wave of anti-Muslim violence in...
As the world becomes more urbanized, it is important to meet conflict challenges before they arise. A cursory glance at the 2015 Global Peace Index (GPI) makes for interesting reading. The GPI shows that the world has become less peaceful since 2008, which is largely attributed to the increase of conflicts within...
With claims of genocide in Myanmar, the international community has failed to usher the country through its democratic transition. Al Jazeera English recently broadcast a documentary, which was supported by a Yale Law School report, that accused the Myanmar government of an orchestrated campaign to trigger communal violence, and it...
Religious teachings and practices cannot be ignored if we are to effectively protect the rights and wellbeing of refugees. During my time as country director for Muslim Aid in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, I dealt with refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing man-made and natural disasters. Very often, I...
Sri Lanka's internally displaced persons continue to face significant challenges for resettlement. In a previous piece for Fair Observer, I wrote about the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were victims of the Sri Lankan conflict at the hands of the LTTE, and who still remain without much hope...
The recent violence against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar has brought to the fold the hidden tensions within a society long isolated from the international community. This is part two in a series of two articles. Read part 1 here. An 'Open' Myanmar?
