Features

The Gulf most Sri Lankans never see

Published

4 days ago

2026/09/27

By Ifham Nizam

For millions of Sri Lankans, the Gulf has a familiar vocabulary: employment contracts, boarding passes, recruitment agencies, long-distance phone calls, remittances and the ache of families waiting at home.

It is a region that has become deeply woven into the social and economic fabric of Sri Lanka. Yet, for all its familiarity, much of the Gulf remains unseen.

Mafaz Najmuddeen went looking for that other Gulf.

He did not set out with a grand travel plan. In fact, his plan was almost comically modest — nine days in Saudi Arabia for Umrah before returning home to Sri Lanka.

Nine days became nine months.

And a religious journey became an extraordinary passage through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, taking in mountain villages, deserts, modern cities, sacred places, football stadiums, unexpected friendships, family tragedy and moments of profound personal reflection.

“A man planned 9 days. Allah had planned 9 months,” Najmuddeen says, summing up the journey in the line that perhaps best captures the spirit of his debut memoir, Makkah to FIFA.

The book, now available to readers at the Colombo International Book Fair, is not simply a travelogue. It is the account of a Sri Lankan who stepped outside the familiar and discovered that the Gulf was much more than the workplace destination it had become in the imagination of generations of Sri Lankan families.

Najmuddeen, a public speaker and travel entrepreneur from Wahanga in Udunuwara, Kandy, left Sri Lanka in September 2022 for Umrah.

The timing was significant.

Sri Lanka was still emerging from one of the most difficult periods in its recent history.

The Easter Sunday attacks of 2019 had dealt a devastating blow to tourism, the industry in which Najmuddeen worked, before the COVID-19 pandemic brought international travel almost to a standstill.

His livelihood had suffered. His savings had dwindled.

Then came the journey to Makkah.

He had booked only nine days.

But when his friends prepared to return to Sri Lanka, Najmuddeen decided not to board his return flight. He cancelled the ticket and continued travelling.

What followed was a journey he could not have scripted beforehand.

“I never planned for nine months,” he says. “I only planned for nine days.”

By the time he finally returned to Sri Lanka on June 27, 2023, the nine-day pilgrimage had become a nine-month odyssey.

The story of that journey is now contained in Makkah to FIFA.

And the title itself tells much of the story.

There is Makkah — the spiritual destination that began the journey.

And there is FIFA — representing an entirely different spectacle that unexpectedly became part of it.

Between the two lies a vast landscape of experiences.

A Saudi Arabia beyond the airport

Perhaps the most revealing part of Najmuddeen’s journey is his discovery of a Saudi Arabia that exists beyond the familiar images associated with pilgrimage, oil and modern skylines.

He travelled south to Abha, into the cooler landscapes of the Asir region, and then to Rijal Almaa, a centuries-old mountain settlement whose stone towers rise dramatically against the surrounding landscape.

For Sri Lankan readers accustomed to seeing Saudi Arabia through the narrow lens of employment or pilgrimage, the experience offers a different picture.

Najmuddeen calls the chapter “The Saudi Nobody Shows You.”

It is a telling title.

The village, with its traditional architecture and brightly decorated interiors featuring the distinctive geometric art known as Al-Qatt, becomes one of the book’s reminders that countries are always larger than the images attached to them.

Saudi Arabia, he discovered, was not simply a desert crossed by highways.

It had mountains, history, art, architecture and communities with stories of their own.

From Abha and Rijal Almaa, his journey continued through Madina and Jeddah, then along the long roads towards Riyadh and onward to Dammam.

He visited Ithra, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, another reminder of the changing cultural landscape of the Kingdom.

For Najmuddeen, travel was becoming less about ticking places off a map and more about seeing what lay behind them.

“I wanted to see the places beyond what we normally see,” he says.

That curiosity eventually carried him across the Gulf.

From pilgrimage to the World Cup

Then came Qatar.

And football.

When Najmuddeen reached Doha, the world’s greatest football tournament was unfolding around him.

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world, and Najmuddeen found himself not merely watching it on television from Sri Lanka, but standing inside the spectacle.

On December 14, he was at Al Bayt Stadium for the semi-final between France and Morocco.

Morocco had already made football history by becoming the first Arab and African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.

For a Sri Lankan traveller who had left home intending to spend nine days in Saudi Arabia, being in the stadium for such a historic occasion was almost surreal.

Four days later came the final.

Argentina against France.

Lionel Messi against Kylian Mbappé.

Najmuddeen did not have a ticket inside Lusail Stadium.

Instead, he watched the final from the fan zone outside.

Millions watched the same match around the world.

But for Najmuddeen, the significance was personal.

He had wandered from Umrah into the middle of one of the world’s largest sporting events.

“The world came to the desert,” he says, reflecting on the extraordinary atmosphere surrounding the tournament.

That experience became one of the central threads of the book.

The human journey

But Makkah to FIFA is not ultimately about football.

Nor is it simply about geography.

Its deeper story is about people.

Friendship and faith run through the narrative, often appearing in places where Najmuddeen least expected them.

One of the most affecting stories involves his cousin Altaf, who developed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, a rare neurological condition.

The experience brought fear and uncertainty to the family, but also became part of Najmuddeen’s wider reflection on faith, recovery and the fragility of life.

The chapter titled “1 in 2 Million” captures that sense of improbability.

Other titles — “The Frog Leaves the Well,” “Coming Back to God” and “The Long Way Home” — reveal the personal dimension of a journey that began as a physical trip but gradually became something more reflective.

Najmuddeen

For Najmuddeen, leaving home meant more than crossing international borders.

It meant leaving the familiar.

“The world becomes bigger when you step outside your own little circle,” he says.

That idea gives the memoir much of its emotional pull.

The long way home

The return journey was hardly a straightforward flight home.

Najmuddeen travelled through Abu Dhabi and into the vast dunes of Liwa before spending time in Dubai.

He then undertook a long road journey from Dubai back to Makkah during Ramadan.

There was Eid in Madina.

There was a difficult experience at the Salwa border.

And there were the many small encounters and uncertainties that come with travelling overland across countries and borders.

Eventually, after nine months away, the traveller came home to Sri Lanka in time for Eid ul Adha.

The journey had come full circle.

But by then the man who had left for nine days was not quite the same person who returned.

A different Gulf for Sri Lankan readers

That is what makes Makkah to FIFA particularly interesting in the Sri Lankan context.

Sri Lanka’s relationship with the Gulf is enormous, but much of it is economically defined.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans leave the country for overseas employment, with the Middle East remaining a major destination.

For their families, the Gulf can therefore be a place represented by absence — a mother working abroad, a father missing a child’s birthday, a brother sending money home, or a daughter calling her family late at night from a room thousands of kilometres away.

Najmuddeen’s Gulf is different.

He is not there as a migrant worker.

He is there as a traveller.

He has time to look up.

He sees the mountains.

He notices architecture.

He meets people.

He watches football.

He gets lost.

He crosses borders.

He waits.

He learns.

And he writes.

That distinction gives the book its particular Sri Lankan relevance.

It asks readers who may think they already know the Gulf to look again.

A journey that found its own audience

The book was launched at Colombo Lotus Tower on July 24, 2026, where it was reviewed by Prof. Ranjith Bandara, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo and a former Member of Parliament.

The foreword comes from Mufthy Mazahim, former manager of the organising team at Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

For Mazahim, the unusual quality of the memoir lies in the way Najmuddeen connects experiences that might otherwise appear worlds apart — pilgrimage and football, spirituality and travel, faith and adventure.

Najmuddeen’s own journey has also given the book an audience beyond conventional travel writing.

You do not have to be a football fanatic to understand the excitement of being at a World Cup.

You do not have to be a seasoned traveller to recognise the wonder of discovering an unfamiliar place.

And you do not have to share every aspect of the author’s faith to appreciate the universal themes of friendship, family, uncertainty and homecoming.

At its heart, Makkah to FIFA is about curiosity.

It is about what happens when a person allows an unexpected journey to continue.

It is about the doors that open when one speaks to strangers, accepts invitations, takes the longer road and looks beyond the obvious.

And perhaps most importantly, it is about leaving the well.

For Najmuddeen, the well was not necessarily a physical place.

It was the limited world we create around ourselves.

His nine-day plan broke out of that circle.

Nine months later, he returned with stories.

The Gulf he brought back with him was not the Gulf of recruitment advertisements or employment contracts.

It was a Gulf of mountains and deserts, stadiums and sacred spaces, ancient villages and futuristic cities.

It was a Gulf inhabited not merely by workers, but by people with histories, cultures, dreams and stories.

And for Sri Lankan readers, that may be the most intriguing invitation contained in Makkah to FIFA — to look at a familiar region through unfamiliar eyes.

Sometimes, Najmuddeen’s story suggests, the most important journeys begin when the return ticket is cancelled.

Makkah to FIFA is available at Stalls 79 and 80 at the Colombo International Book Fair at BMICH from September 25 to October 4.

This version is deliberately feature-led rather than promotional, with Mafaz’s journey and the Sri Lankan Gulf connection driving the narrative.

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Features

Sections of US media looking power straight in the eye

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Trump addressing the media at the White House.(BBC)

Some fundamental freedoms seen to be at the heart of democracy in the US – religion, speech, the press, assembly and the right to petition the government – are at risk of being undermined at present by the country’s Executive President. However, the latter is being legally challenged on this score by some sections of the US media and the citizenry of the country could take heart from this notable defense of media freedom.

In fact this is good news for the world of democracy. The push back is coming from organizations such as CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC who constitute the nucleus as it were of the US media and their solidarity no less than their resourcefulness calls for commendation.

Following a recent White House decision to suspend CNN from what was referred to as ‘participation in presidential pool coverages’, the other media organizations mentioned refused to replace it in the pool. Their position was that the public had a right to receive ‘accurate and independent information about the government.’

Earlier, the White House decided to bar MS NOW and Politico from entering its premises following the restrictions imposed on CNN. The organizations were accused of publishing “FAKE NEWS’ , ‘Fiction’ and ‘lies’ in respect of the administration. These organizations lost no time in initiating a federal lawsuit accusing the central administration of violating their rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

However, the latter litigating organizations could now consider themselves as having been vindicated because the federal court hearing their case has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore White House press access to journalists from the mentioned media institutions. Notably, the court has declared that the ban is ‘likely unconstitutional’. The case is proceeding.

The mass media of the most vibrant democracies of the West ought to be no strangers to such inspirational acts of solidarity and exemplifications of independence but there are lessons here for the democracies of the South that could stand them in good stead. Minus the right of a people to be informed, the rest of fundamental rights featuring in Southern Bills of Rights and legislation of the kind are bereft of substance and meaning.

It is informed decision-making on the part of a citizenry that makes for democratic vibrancy and on this score many a Southern democracy fails. While Southern publics generally demand of their governments continuous economic well being and substantive material benefits they are not equally desirous of being informed and knowledgeable.

This lacuna in the consciousness of many Southern publics enables their governments ‘to get off the hook’, so to speak and govern, or more often misgovern, their countries with impunity. Among other factors, this species of mass ignorance makes it possible for governments to dismantle democracy and rule in perpetuity.

Accordingly, an educated and constantly informed public is an essential precondition for the flourishing of democracy and independent media are integral to this process. Minus an independent mass media sector that meets the knowledge needs of the people responsibly, democracy is as good as dead.

Needless to say, those sections of the US media that are currently taking the Trump administration to task over its media curbs are acutely aware of the cruciality of these fundamental knowledge requirements.

The hope of democratic opinion worldwide and locally is likely to be that media independence would thrive in the manner in which it is flourishing in the most vibrant and accountable democracies of the West.

Southern countries such as Sri Lanka that lay claim to democratic credentials, but are democracy-deficient in many ways, need to be particularly cognizant of these requirements. The publics of these countries need to go the extra mile to ensure the thriving of an independent but responsible mass media sector.

In fact it is veritably a matter of life and death. It is only an independent media sector that could, while ensuring the existence of an informed public, impress on the latter the need to protect and perpetuate its fundamental rights. In the absence of these campaigns, such publics could be eventually having on their hands governments that boast of ruling in perpetuity.

Taking a leaf from the sections of the US media referred to independent media organizations in Southern states need to act in solidarity as well. They would need to act on the basis of the principle that acts of victimization suffered by members in their fold at the hands of governments, for instance, are in fact inimical acts directed at their collectivity and which call for united remedial action. In short, no independent mass media institution could see itself as ‘an island’.

Besides some general guidance on the importance of media independence and solidarity, the message coming from the US with regard to media praxis is that power must be stood-up to unblinkingly. The mentioned sections of the US media are primarily in a struggle to ward off encroachments on their independence in the areas of policy and practice by the political executive, that is the President.

The latter would ride rough-shod over the media in the absence of robust opposition by the media itself to inimical executive action of this kind.

While media independence needs to be seen as crucial to democratic development, an obligation is cast on the media to ensure that it uses such independence responsibly and constructively.

The worst that could afflict a media sector is for it to fall prey to the clichetic ‘freedom of the wild ass’. In fact recurring irresponsibility on the part of the media could lend credence to the perception that a tightly regulated media is best for a country. It is a short step from this misguided view to the position that political authoritarianism is best for a state. That turn of events would be of course catastrophic for a democracy.

The issues discussed thus far point to the need for a broad discourse among Southern democracies in particular on what is best for them in this connection. Given the risks underscored earlier for Southern countries in particular a broad discussion on the matters at hand, which includes the public, emerges as a must for Sri Lanka. Besides, media solidarity within democratic countries and internationally is a must.

Features

What lessons can be learned to improve quality of Sri Lanka’s Grade 6 syllabus

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

by Prof. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva

Following public controversy over an inappropriate web link found in an English study module, the Sri Lankan government formally deferred the full rollout of the Grade 6 curriculum reforms to January 2027. In the interim, state schools will maintain the existing syllabus, reverting to standard eight-period daily timetables and previous textbooks to ensure uninterrupted instruction. Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that this temporary pause allows the Education Ministry to thoroughly review all instructional materials, fix editorial flaws, and conduct scientific impact assessments across pilot schools prior to nation-wide implementation.

To address the oversight, an expert committee evaluated the flawed materials, completed necessary amendments, and finalised discussions to resubmit corrected modules for printing. Beyond revising written texts, the Ministry established a broader preparation roadmap—allocating funds for extensive teacher training programs set to begin mid-year, alongside scheduled informational briefings for parents, teachers, and students. Prime Minister Amarasuriya reaffirmed that none of the valid first-term modules were completely discarded or scrapped, preserving state resources while systematically rebuilding public trust and strengthening quality assurance protocols.

In this respect, this article reviews the current grade 6 syllabus comparing it with similar syllabi of India and the USA, with a view to make recommendations for the upcoming grade 6 syllabus revision.

Architecture of nation’s future

Education is the quiet architecture of a nation’s future. It is the unseen scaffolding upon which generations build their character, their intellect, and their capacity to contribute meaningfully to society. In Sri Lanka, the Grade 6 syllabus occupies a particularly important place in this architecture. It is the bridge between primary learning and the more demanding intellectual terrain of secondary education. It is the moment when children begin to move from learning basic facts to understanding concepts, from memorising information to applying knowledge, and from passive reception to active engagement. Yet, despite its importance, the Grade 6 curriculum in Sri Lanka has long struggled with issues of breadth, depth, relevance, and pedagogy. As global education systems evolve, Sri Lanka must examine what lessons can be learned from international models—particularly India and the United States—to strengthen its own curriculum and prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

The first lesson Sri Lanka can learn is the value of conceptual clarity. India’s NCERT curriculum, especially in Mathematics and Science, is globally respected for its logical progression and conceptual depth. Indian students are introduced early to the idea that mathematics is not merely a set of procedures but a language of reasoning. They learn why a ratio works, not just how to compute one. They understand the structure of an equation, not merely the steps to solve it. In Science, they explore the properties of materials, the structure of plants, and the principles of motion with a clarity that encourages curiosity rather than rote memorisation.

Sri Lanka’s Grade 6 syllabus, while competency-based, often leans heavily toward content coverage. Students are expected to learn many topics, but the time allocated for each is limited, and the teaching culture often emphasizes memorisation over understanding. If Sri Lanka wishes to improve the quality of its syllabus, it must embrace the idea that fewer topics taught well are better than many topics taught superficially. Conceptual mastery builds confidence, and confidence builds lifelong learners.

Lesson from the US

A second lesson comes from the United States, where the curriculum is built around skills rather than content. American students in Grade 6 are expected to read complex texts, analyse arguments, write essays supported by evidence, conduct experiments, and engage in collaborative projects. The emphasis is not on how much they know but on what they can do with what they know. This skills-based approach encourages critical thinking, creativity, and independence—qualities essential for success in the modern world.

Sri Lanka’s syllabus, by contrast, often rewards students for reproducing information rather than interpreting it. The exam culture reinforces this tendency, as students are assessed primarily through written tests that measure recall. To improve the syllabus, Sri Lanka must integrate more opportunities for students to think, question, debate, and create. The classroom should become a space where students learn to solve problems, not just memorize solutions.

Another important lesson comes from the breadth of Sri Lanka’s own curriculum. One of the strengths of the Sri Lankan system is its inclusion of cultural and religious education. Subjects such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity provide moral grounding and cultural identity. Art, Music, Drama, and Health contribute to holistic development. These subjects remind students that education is not merely about academic achievement but about becoming a balanced human being. However, breadth without depth can become burdensome. Grade 6 students in Sri Lanka often juggle more than ten subjects, each with its own textbook, competencies, and assessments. This creates pressure not only for students but also for teachers, who must rush through content to meet syllabus requirements. The lesson here is not to reduce cultural subjects but to integrate them more meaningfully. Religious education can be taught through ethical discussions, community projects, and reflective writing. Art and Music can be connected to history, literature, and social studies. Health can be linked to science and physical education. Integration reduces overload while enriching learning.

Another lesson from India

India offers another valuable lesson in the form of standardised textbooks. NCERT books are used across the country, ensuring consistency in quality and content. They are written by subject experts, reviewed rigorously, and updated periodically. Sri Lanka’s textbooks, while generally well-structured, vary in quality and often lag behind modern pedagogical standards. Some are dense, text-heavy, and lacking in visual aids or real-world examples. To improve the syllabus, Sri Lanka must invest in high-quality textbooks that are engaging, accessible, and aligned with contemporary educational research. Textbooks should not merely transmit information; they should inspire curiosity. They should include stories, diagrams, experiments, and activities that make learning enjoyable and meaningful.

The United States provides a lesson in inquiry-based science education. American students conduct experiments, build models, observe natural phenomena, and engage in engineering design challenges. They learn science not as a set of facts but as a process of discovery. Sri Lanka’s science curriculum includes experiments, but many schools lack the resources, laboratory facilities, or teacher training to implement them effectively. Improving the syllabus requires improving the ecosystem around it. Schools need laboratories, equipment, and teacher development programs that empower educators to teach science through inquiry. A syllabus is only as strong as the environment in which it is taught. ***

International models

Another area where Sri Lanka can learn from international models is language education. In India, students often learn three languages—English, Hindi, and Sanskrit or Urdu. This heavy language load has its challenges, but it also produces students with strong linguistic skills. In the United States, English Language Arts emphasises reading complex texts, writing arguments, and analysing literature. Sri Lanka’s English curriculum, while improving, still struggles with uneven implementation across schools. Many students reach secondary school without adequate proficiency in English, limiting their access to global knowledge. To improve the syllabus, Sri Lanka must strengthen English instruction through better teacher training, more reading opportunities, and a shift from grammar-heavy teaching to communication-focused learning. At the same time, Sinhala and Tamil instruction should be modernised to include creative writing, literature appreciation, and critical reading.

Social Studies is another area ripe for improvement. Sri Lanka’s curriculum includes History, Geography, and Civics, but the teaching often emphasises memorization of dates, definitions, and facts. India’s Social Science curriculum, while also content-heavy, provides clearer conceptual frameworks. The United States, however, excels in teaching civics and citizenship. American students learn how governments function, how laws are made, how communities solve problems, and how citizens participate in democracy. Sri Lanka can strengthen its Civics curriculum by incorporating more discussions on governance, rights, responsibilities, and community engagement. Students should learn not only the structure of government but also the values that sustain it—justice, equality, and participation.

One of the most important lessons Sri Lanka can learn is the value of reducing exam pressure. In both India and Sri Lanka, exams dominate the educational landscape. Students are judged primarily by their ability to perform on written tests. The United States, while not free from assessment challenges, uses a wider range of evaluation methods—projects, presentations, portfolios, and continuous assessment. These methods allow students to demonstrate learning in diverse ways. Sri Lanka should consider adopting a more balanced assessment system that values creativity, collaboration, and practical skills alongside academic knowledge.

Technology integration is another area where Sri Lanka can improve. The United States incorporates digital literacy, coding, online research, and digital citizenship into the curriculum. Sri Lanka’s ICT syllabus is well-structured, but implementation varies widely. Many schools lack computers, internet access, or trained ICT teachers. Improving the syllabus requires improving infrastructure. Students must learn to navigate the digital world safely and effectively. They must learn coding not as a luxury but as a basic skill. They must learn to evaluate online information critically, a skill essential in an era of misinformation.

Teacher training

Teacher training is perhaps the most critical lesson of all. A syllabus is only as effective as the teachers who deliver it. India invests heavily in teacher training through national programs, workshops, and online platforms. The United States emphasises professional development, peer collaboration, and instructional coaching. Sri Lanka must strengthen its teacher training programmes, ensuring that educators understand not only what to teach but how to teach it. Teachers should be trained in inquiry-based learning, differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and classroom management. They should be empowered to adapt the syllabus to the needs of their students rather than follow it mechanically.

Sri Lanka must learn the lesson of relevance. A syllabus must prepare students not only for exams but for life. It must teach them how to think, how to communicate, how to solve problems, and how to work with others. It must prepare them for a world where knowledge is abundant, but wisdom is scarce. It must help them navigate a future shaped by technology, globalisation, environmental challenges, and social change. To improve the syllabus, Sri Lanka must ask: What kind of citizens do we want to produce? What kind of thinkers? What kind of leaders? The answers to these questions should shape the curriculum.

Lastly, improving the quality of Sri Lanka’s Grade 6 syllabus requires learning from both international models and local strengths. From India, Sri Lanka can learn the value of conceptual clarity and standardised textbooks. From the United States, it can learn the importance of skills, inquiry, and creativity. From its own traditions, it can preserve cultural education, moral development, and holistic learning. The goal is not to copy another country’s system but to build a uniquely Sri Lankan curriculum that is modern, relevant, and empowering. A curriculum that honours the past while preparing students for the future. A curriculum that nurtures thinkers, creators, and compassionate citizens. A curriculum worthy of a nation with immense potential and a proud educational heritage. If Sri Lanka embraces these lessons, the Grade 6 syllabus can become not just a bridge to secondary education but a foundation for national progress.

Features

Three magical nights at Colombo Fashion Week

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Melloney Dassanayaka is certainly a familiar name here, and abroad, as well, having represented Sri Lanka at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant, held in Mexico.

A former National Basketball player, she is also involved in several projects, beneficial to the community, including financial literacy for single women-headed families in the country.

A banker by profession, Melloney hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

Melloney with Asanka de Mel of Lovi Sri Lanka

This extremely talented old girl of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, was in the limelight, once more, when she was seen on the ramp at Colombo Fashion Week.

It was her very first experience, at this prestigious event, and she loved every minute of it, she said, and, what’s more, she was featured on three consecutive days.

According to the itinerary, on day 01 she walked for Lovi Sri Lanka; day 02 Rizwan Beyg (Pakistan designer), Arsath Furkhan (Indian designer), Haoyi Yan (Chinese designer) and Samant Chauhan (Indian designer); and on day 03 Vaishali Shandangule (Indian designer).