Local News

The sight of dozens and dozens of Sri Lankan Muslim youth cheering the Pakistan team and celebrating its victory over Sri Lanka at the last two one-day matches was something that had disturbed quite a few in this country. When a prominent local Muslim politician was asked for his interpretation of this scenario, he quipped, “Yes it is quite disturbing. …

I read with much interest Lynn Ockersz’s article titled “Containing communalism emerging as key challenge” (Island of July 9), particularly his observations on British legislation on race relations. He refers to Britain’s Race Relations Councils which “are charged with eliminating unlawful discrimination in local authority areas, promoting equal opportunities and promoting good race relations between persons of different racial groups.” …

Muslim Aid is responding towards the Humanitarian Crisis for those displaced in the North. Muslim Aid is responding at present by providing an inflatable field hospital, ambulances and a team of doctors. We are also sending our water purification equipment which has the capacity of providing 144,000 ltrs of safe drinking water per day along with a water bowser. There …

I refer to Kath Noble’s letter in the Island of July 1, in which she writes that the image she projected of me as holding David Miliband’s bag while he gave Sri Lanka a good slap wasn’t based on a general impression that I am a great fan of DM, after which she goes on, “I was pointing out that …

Eastern Province Muslim militant groups responding to a government amnesty yesterday surrendered dozens of automatic weapons before a major crackdown by the authorities, Police said. Militants surrendered their weapons to the mosques in the area before they were collected in bulk and handed over to the Police at a Kattankudy mosque, they said. Some weapons including 17 T-56 rifles were …