Little is it known that the Muslim community of Sri Lanka also have a caste group. This is the Osta caste who have not traditionally intermarried or interdined with the rest of the community. They are very much part of the local Muslim community but also distinct in their own way, and this is what makes them unique. The Osta …

Israeli authorities demolish what remains of the Khader family home in the Shuafat neighbourhood of East Jerusalem on 16 January 2023 (Reuters)   The organisation demanding financial compensation from a group representing its own victims has pursued the erasure of Palestinian geography and presence on the land for a century The Zionist movement’s major financial and colonial arm, the Jewish National …

The Sri Lankan Government needs to move ahead with MMDA reforms before any more delays and scuttling by conservative groups with intentions to suppress Muslim women’s rights in the name of culture or religion   The Sri Lankan Muslim communities have been abuzz with debates about the reform of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) lately, with most segments agreeing …

  The archival illustration from a German publication dated 1909 shows Sri Lankan fishermen processing pearl mollusks. (AN Photo) First Arabs arrived in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. and dominated its trade Pearl fishing in Sri Lanka began to struggle in the 19th century, under British rule  When Ibn Battuta arrived in northern Sri Lanka, the ruler of …

  The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission has announced the ‘National & Regional Dishes Narratives’ initiative – a national initiative which seeks to identify and celebrate local dishes in Saudi culture across various regions in the Kingdom. In addition to identifying a national dish, the initiative will also include a study of the dishes that best represent each region of the …

Located in the Old City of Jerusalem lies al-Aqsa Mosque, a world heritage site defined by some of the most magnificent architecture in history. It’s also one of the world’s most contested territories and has often been targeted by Israeli forces in raids and by extremist settler groups. So why is this site so significant to Palestinians and how has …