Just three months ago, Heather Matthews, a 27-year-old teacher from Preston in England, was partying in Ibiza whilst parading around in clothing that revealed most of her body. Since then her life has undergone a total transformation, and is now a proud Muslim who wears the Islamic hijab. It has now been four weeks since her conversion to Islam, a …

The Centre for Islamic Studies’ Media & Outreach Wing strongly condemned the incendiary Ramadan Dua telecast on Shakthi TV yesterday. Vice President, Outreach, CIS, Asiff Hussein, said that the Dua telecast with bold English subtitles shortly before the call to prayer and breaking fast was made on Friday, 17th July, had been motivated by malicious intentions as it contained highly …

CIS Sharing Ramadan Program in Peradeniya a Grand Success The Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS) conducted a very successful sharing Ramadan Program at Peradeniya College of Education recently. The event saw the participation of 127 persons of other faiths including lecturers, students and religious dignitaries. Buddhist and Tamils students actively participated in organizing the event. Venerable Sumanadassi dwelled on the …

The Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS) Sharing Ramadan Program got underway at Nawalapitiya on 27th June. The event sponsored by the CIS saw the participation of about a hundred persons of other faiths including civil leaders and religious dignitaries. Highlights of the program included a Quiz contest and a speech on Islam in Sinhala by Sheikh Kaleel.  Non-Muslim invitees were …

"I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise." Slavery is America's original sin. It was there from the beginning. While the civil war eventually abolished it, what remains is an insidious, institutionalized and pervasive racism that has persisted in spite of the triumph of liberalism. Even as women make gains in achieving parity with men and GLBT community …

The Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS), Sri Lanka’s pioneering Islamic Outreach organization, has called on governments to do more to defeat religious extremism and terrorism in the name of Islam. The call comes in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait, France and Kobane in Syria claimed by ISIS where innocents including little children were massacred in …

Having converted the day before the fasting month, Theresa Corbin recalls how she had to figure it all out on her own. “Ash-hadu an la ilaha ilallah, wa ash-hadu an la Muhammad Rasulullah,” I said for the first time on the evening of November 16, 2001. It was the evening in which Ramadan began that year. “Oh, yeah, it’s Ramadan …

PHOENIX (Reuters) – An Arizona mosque where hundreds gathered last week for an anti-Islam demonstration, with counter-protesters shouting "Go home, Nazis," was the site of a "love not hate" event on Monday to promote peace and inclusiveness, participants said. The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix said it was hosting a gathering that includes a multi-faith prayer service and speakers to …

As a 12-year-old Catholic boy growing up in England, Michael Fitzgerald decided he wanted to be a missionary in Africa. Eight years later, he was studying theology and learning Arabic in Tunisia. He went on to devote his priestly ministry to the promotion of interfaith understanding between Muslims and Christians, and became one of the top Roman Catholic experts on …

“….and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly” [1]   In the UK yesterday was St George’s Day. England’s flag is also named after St George bearing what is referred …