Shamara Wettimuny

My article on '"The Jews of Ceylon": Antisemitism, prejudice, and the Moors of Ceylon' was published in Modern Asian Studies. The article explores how and why antisemitic epithets came to be used in prejudicial speech against Muslims in #SriLanka cambridge.org/core/journals/…

To the endless maternal, material, and economic labour of women that sustains the world.

The death toll rises. Imagine the global headlines if 148 schoolgirls were massacred in an act of war in a New York, a London or a Paris. After this and Palestine, you cannot unsee the asymmetry of grief. This new world order is a savage one. ft.com/content/055d7e…

What are the defining features and fault lines of civil liberties activism in India? My forthcoming book, Becoming Allies: Civil Liberties Activism in India (C.U.P., out in March 26), explores the history and practice of this activism in India. cambridge.org/core/books/bec…

Did you know Sri Lanka is home to lesser-known languages beyond Sinhala and Tamil? Rassool explores Memoni, examining language use, beliefs, and preservation efforts revealing how the Memon community maintains its mother tongue while adapting to national language and policies.

We are on the lookout for a new Executive Director. wp.me/p36loV-25i

Historian John D. Rogers recollects four decades of interaction with the anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere; a constant intellectual presence on scholars of humanities and social sciences in late 20th century #SriLanka. polity.lk/gananath-obeye…

The then OIC of the Criminal Investigation Department's Computer Crimes Unit apologised before the Supreme Court regarding the arrest and detention of comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya on the allegation of insulting Buddhism. Accordingly, both parties reach a settlement. - Newsfirst

I'm not so sure about this to be very honest. "Affordable" means foreigners with dollars, euros, and pounds can live like kings here. We've seen what happens when a country becomes the "affordable retirement destination." Bali. Rent skyrocketed. Locals priced out of their own neighborhoods. Portugal. Lisbon became unlivable for young Portuguese. I'm not against retirees choosing Sri Lanka. Welcome, genuinely. But let's not celebrate "most affordable" like it's an achievement. The goal shouldn't be "cheapest place to retire." The goal should be a Sri Lanka where our own people can afford to live well with genuine tourists visiting us for a genuine holiday.

Given that Sri Lanka's judicial system protects powerful actors including the military and the police and systematically marginalizes the poor, oppressed caste communities, and minorities, there is hardly any hope the slain boy's family will get any justice. (2)

Read The Examiner this week to find out who caught Hiranyada Dewasiri’s attention and why. #media #journalism

@zhitzig @nytopinion Gift Article 💥🎁nytimes.com/2026/02/11/opi…

I resigned from OpenAI on Monday. The same day, they started testing ads in ChatGPT. OpenAI has the most detailed record of private human thought ever assembled. Can we trust them to resist the tidal forces pushing them to abuse it? I wrote about better options for @nytopinion

Her core warning: “ChatGPT users have generated an archive of human candor that has no precedent.” “Advertising built on that archive creates a potential for manipulating users in ways we don’t have the tools to understand, let alone prevent" People share medical fears, relationship problems, beliefs about God -- believing they’re talking to something with no ulterior agenda

A must-read piece on why Tamils justifiably fear the Kivul-Oya project. I would add state-driven colonization schemes in SL have been detrimental to both Tamil and Muslim communities in the North-East of the island.

For those of you who ask Chat GPT to create an AI generated version of you

Thanks @HRCSriLanka for timely reminder to #lka @SL_PoliceMedia: "Therefore, #SriLanka Police has no jurisdiction whatsoever to investigate complaints with respect to #defamation. It should neither entertain nor investigate complaints concerning defamation." #FreedomOfSpeech #FOE #FreedomOfExpression hrcsl.lk/hrcsl-issues-a…

@ManikkageYasuni Great initiative Doctor Yasuni!

Decided to start a social media channel focused on sexual medicine & urology. Aiming to educate the public on important & often taboo topics that are rarely discussed openly. It’s time to bring these conversations out from behind closed doors! @dr.yasunireveals?si=o8CjJhAv8pGZGsN3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@dr.yasunireve…

A major reform to the 1951 Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) has been proposed by MP Faiszer Musthapha. The bill includes raising the minimum marriage age to 18, requiring the bride’s signature for consent, allowing women to serve as Quazis, and ensuring legal representation in Quazi Courts. It also transfers maintenance claims to Magistrate’s Courts.

Think early colonial writings told the full story? De Silva & Hettiarchchi uncover how Portuguese records depicted Sinhalese women highlighting land ownership, marriage practices, and moments of agency that persisted despite strong colonial and patriarchal control. #history #SL