At the end of 2018, a communiqué from the reliable tourism organization ‘Trip Advisor’ rated Sri Lanka as the best country in the world to visit. As Sri Lankans, who love their country, we felt proud of our Motherland. We also feel ashamed that

“What irritates me most,” sighed a friend who lives on one of the many roads MPs and Ministers take when going to Siri Kotha, and/or Parliament, “Is the sound of those sirens, police escorts and ambulances following those un-worthwhile members

The opposition against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and the support to keep him in power underscore the fact that Sri Lanka is a nation which is confused about what’s right and wrong. The allegations that Bathiudeen offered political patronage to tho

Islamophobia is an industry. It is US$ 500 million strong in the United States alone, according to research carried out by the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the University of California, and a Carter Centre publication titled ‘C

The initial reaction by Sri Lankan Muslims to the Easter Sunday terrorist suicide attacks on churches and five-star hotels was not something unexpected. While sympathizing with the victims, they genuinely felt a sense of shame and guilt....

After the end of WW II, in October 1945, 50 countries (Poland signed later making it 51) including the US, Britain, France, China (it was actually Taiwan) and Soviet Russia formed the United Nations and declared, “WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIO

On the 04th of April 2019, the Josephian family bade farewell to the 13th Rector of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10,Rev. Fr. Travis Jude Gabriel. He served St. Joseph’s College as the Rector for five long years. Moreover, he retired on the very

“Twitter and Facebook “should not be playing footage of murder” (Australian Parliament) Both New Zealand and Australia passed the sweeping sharing Abhorrent Material Bill that threatens huge fines for social media companies and jail time for th

Sri Lanka as a small Island Nation had experienced crisis after crisis within the last 5 decades. In 1971 it was somewhat adventurist and amateur type insurgency engaging the poor rural Sinhala youth. This was repeated in the late 80’s on a dangero

The no-confidence motion against Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is meant to be a victory for its movers, be it voted in or voted out in Parliament. This is what United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Udaya Gammanpila uttered a

M.S. Fouzul Ameen should have been alive today. The furniture shop owner from Kottaramulla, Nattandiya was killed by a mob on May 13, 2019. Many shops owned by Muslims should still be standing. They are not. No one should have or should show any appr

The catastrophe and the devastation, which were unleashed by rampaging mobs of Sinhala extremists nearly two weeks ago in several parts of the North-Western Province -- Negombo, Chilaw, Kurunegala, Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola, Dummalasuriya, Rasnayakapur

They say crises are challenges clothed in hard choices. The current crisis in the country, the lack of clear, decisive and unfaltering leadership, more generally in the country and specifically in the United National Party (UNP), is one such challeng

In the present context, CHANGE IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL, NOT JUST NECESSARY BUT ABSOLUTELY VITAL! ‘COUNTRY FIRST’ SHOULD BE EVERYBODY’S PREROGATIVE, VERY SPECIALLY THE POLITICIANS. When it is time to put the country first, it is time for all you hyp

This one line and variations of it – passed on as received – written innocuously at the end of a message, can send shivers down the recipient’s spine these days.

The fear about Muslims after the April 21 massacre of Christians by a Muslim group at three churches and three luxury hotels that had engulfed the country seems to be fast fading away or no longer exists after the anti-Muslim riots in Puttalam, Kurun

Whatever people may tell you, whatever clichés are spouted in novels and TV broadcasts, silence isn’t deafening. It is, in fact, painfully empty, your ears searching for even the slightest morsel of sound to register. In its vacuum comes a roar li

A series of bombings struck churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday killing more than 250 people including 40 foreigners and wounding more than 500 others following the Easter Sunday suicide attacks that also devastated the livelihood of th

Once again the US seems to be on the brink of war, creating the conditions to commence another invasion of the Middle East. The world’s leading super power is in the middle of building tensions between itself and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

If Zaharan blew up temples, many pundits would have rationalized the massacre. Anti-Muslim riots gave them an opening and diverted the attention from the real problem.

During this week of Vesak - when the focus this year was largely on religious ceremonies at temples and many prelates stressed the vital need to promote inter-religious unity in diversity - the United Nations tomorrow marks the World Day for Cultural

The end of the war in May 2009, signalled a historic moment for Sri Lanka. The tragedy of war with tremendous devastation and suffering required considerable reflection about our past. Furthermore, the aftermath of war required collective thinking an

Human societies scattered across the world have evolved over time under diverse circumstances, both material/ecological and ideational. Though archaeologists, historians and philosophers have gone far back in time in tracing the above process, modern

May 18 was Vesak – the most sacred of Buddhist festivals, where we remember the birth, enlightenment and attainment of Nirvana of the Gauthama Buddha. Two weeks ago, (May 5), began the Holy month of Ramadan – which marks the revelation of the Qur

What is Buddhism? Is it a religion or a philosophy?A true Buddhist would accept the basic Buddhist analysis of life as one that accommodates the teachings of the Buddha. It involves no dogmatism, no form of worship. One could say it is a code of mora

Amid the tight security in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday suicide bomb massacres and the backlash three weeks later, Sri Lanka celebrates Vesak today. This thrice-blessed day marks the birth,

A simple question needs to be addressed on the Easter Bomb Attacks in Sri Lanka. Could the Government of Sri Lanka have pursued an intelligence-based anti-terrorist drive to combat the ISIS-linked terrorist groups without the bomb blasts happening? T

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for great development, greater riches and so on that children have very little time for their parents and parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disrupt

Given the present ‘tense’ situation in the country the upcoming Vesak Festival might have to be celebrated at home. If we don’t send our children to school due to safety concerns then we do have serious issues regarding security.....

As investigations continue into the gruesome terror attack on April 21 Easter Sunday, with the people asking questions as to what drove the terrorists to commit this heinous crime on the innocent people, Wahhabism is often cited as the basis for the