European Union rejected Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s call last week to declare Hezbollah as a terrorist group   following   bombing in Bulgaria which killed five Israelis. Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said “there is no consensus for putting Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organizations.     Hezbollah was an organization comprising a party …

The vast and beautiful region of Central Asia comprising the largely unknown Muslim states of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistanis probably the most obscure area of the world. Ancient cities of Uzbekistan were located on the ancient Silk Road, the trading route between China and the West. The route took its name from silk, the commodity most in …

Ignored by the government, UNHCR, NGOs and Muslim Politicians   Muslim settlements in Mannar dates back to more than one thousand years.In her book “The Muslims of Sri Lanka” eminent historian Dr. Lorna Dewaraja explained that by 9th century Muslim settlements were established in the coastal areas including Mannar. Muslims in and around Mannar area were descendants of early Arab traders who …

Eruption of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state early this month not only threatens to derail the country’s democratic transition but also brought to light the plight of Rohingya Muslims.  According to reports, Muslims account for about four percent of the total population of around 60 million in Myanmar, a resource-rich nation strategically positioned at Asia’s crossroads between India and China, Bangladesh …

     “Will it be the climax of a revolution, or will it tear the country asunder?”  Egypt is an ancient country with a recorded history of more than 7,000 years. Known for its pyramids and the River Nile this Mediterranean country linking the Middle East and Africa with Europe was the centre of a flourishing civilization, while most of …