The National Transport Commission (NTC) has launched an online booking facility for long distance private buses starting from Colombo with effect from October 1. The Transport Ministry said passengers who travelled long distances would now have the opportunity of booking seats online through the website www.ntcbooking.lk. This facility was launched by Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva at the Ministry …

In “Destiny Disrupted,” author Tamim Ansary considers the history of the world through Islamic eyes. Starting from the same cradle of civilization, he explains how Western and Muslim perceptions of civilization diverged into two separate universes – and how they are merging again in today’s geopolitical scene. In between, however, they had passed through different – and yet strangely parallel …

An Open Mosque Day held at Kandy’s historic Katukele Grand Mosque  was an immense success. Around 600 people of other faiths including Buddhist Monks, Christian clergy, Government officials. Army Officers, Police, Diplomats, Principals, Teachers and School Children participated in the tour.   This was the 9th such program organised by Sri Lanka’s pioneering Islamic outreach organisation, the Centre for Islamic Studies …

It is a decade and half since the 11 September 2001 tragedy in New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington. Accusing Al Qaeda within hours for the disaster President George Bush Jr exploited the tragedy as a platform to swiftly unleash a global military campaign against Islam and Muslims and turned the Middle East into a …

A number of Sri Lankan Muslim groups have called on the government to medicalise female circumcision. In representations made to the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Gender, members of the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama, All Ceylon YMMA Conference, Centre for Islamic Studies and United Religions Initiative urged the Health Ministry to withdraw a recent circular prohibiting medical professionals from carrying …