Culture & Heritage

When one talks of the history of Sri Lanka in the decades before independence, the issues which come to mind immediately are the Sinhala-Buddhist nationalistic awakening;controversies over Indian migrant labour; and the Tamils’ struggle for equality with the majority Sinhalese. The Muslims’ struggle to organise themselves and fight for their rights is not recognised.  But the fact is in the …

Ibn Sina would influence philosophers and scientists for centuries after his lifetime (Wikimedia)   Known as Avicenna in the West, the Persian polymath had a huge impact on the study of disease, astronomy and logic Born in 980 CE to a Persian family near the city of Bukhara in modern day Uzbekistan, Abu Ali al-Hussain ibn Abdullah al-Balkhi would go …

Hilali Noordeen has the interesting distinction of being the only living Sri Lankan President of the Oxford Union (1983); the other two, Lalith Athulathmudali and Lakshman Kadirgamar were both assassinated. Mr. Noordeen is now a reputed and highly sought after consultant spinal surgeon who lives in London. He is also a lecturer and medical consultant who publishes regularly in his field. He …

Hilali Noordeen has the interesting distinction of being the only living Sri Lankan President of the Oxford Union (1983); the other two, Lalith Athulathmudali and Lakshman Kadirgamar were both assassinated. Mr. Noordeen is now a reputed and highly sought after consultant spinal surgeon who lives in London. He is also a lecturer and medical consultant who publishes regularly in his field. He …