Asiff Hussein – Asiff Hussein Web Site
Asiff Hussein is the author of a number of publications spanning fields as diverse as Ethnology, Sociology, Linguistics and Islamic issues. His works include Sarandib. An Ethnological Study of the Muslims of Sri Lanka, Zeylanica, a Study of the Peoples and Languages of Sri Lanka Ivilly Pevilly. The Gastronome’s Guide to the Culinary History & Heritage of Sri Lanka, Caste in Sri Lanka. From Ancient Times to the Present Day The Great Days of Colombo: A Journey of Colombo Through Time As Never Seen Before, Iconic Masjids of Ceylon and Tolerance in Islam, also translated into Sinhala as Islamaya Desana Agamika Ivasima. His writings have also been published in International journals such as Hamdard Islamicus Journal of Studies and Research in Islam.
Hussein presently serves as Editor-in-Chief, Islamic Finance Today Magazine and as Content Manager at Ethis Halal Journal and as Vice President- Outreach of the Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS), heading its Mosque Tours and other Outreach Projects. He holds a B.A. Degree in Social Sciences from the Open University of Sri Lanka, a Post-graduate Diploma in Archaeology from the University of Kelaniya and a Diploma in Journalism from the Aquinas College of Higher Studies, Sri Lanka. He is an Alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Programme organised by the US State Department, having participated in an IVLP Programme on Religion and Social Justice in America on a tour that covered Washington, Huntsville, Birmingham, Santa Fe and San Francisco from June 28th to July 16th 2010.
Asiff Hussein – Detailed Profile
Full Name: Mohamed Asiff Hussein
Date of Birth: 29th February 1972
Place of Birth: Kandy, Sri Lanka
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Civil status: Married to Kubra Jawher through whom he has three daughters Zainab, Zulfa & Zaamina
Schools attended:Mahanama College, Colpetty (Colombo 3), Stafford College, Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7)
Academic Qualifications: B.A. Degree in Social Sciences, Open University of Sri Lanka; Post-graduate Diploma in Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Media Qualifications: Diploma in Journalism, Aquinas College of Higher Studies, Sri Lanka; Certificate in Journalism, Open University of Sri Lanka
Work Experience: Contributor – Explore Sri Lanka (1996-1998)
– Business Today (1997-1999)
Journalist – Business Desk, Sunday Times (1998-1999)
– Features Desk, Sunday Observer (2000-2003)
Editor- Islamic Finance Today (2006-2010/2015-2016/2020-)
Editor-in-Chief -Wahed Halal Investing Journal (2017-19)
Other Experience:
Presently serving as Vice-President-Outreach of Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS) spearheading its Mosque Tours Program and production of its Islamic Outreach Posters
Presently serving as Content Manager of Ethis Halal Journal.
Presently serving as Editorial Director, www.sailanmuslim.com website.
Alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program, United States State Department. Participated in a program on Religion and Social Justice in America on a tour that covered Washington, Huntsville, Birmingham, Santa Fe and San Francisco, June 28th to July 16th 2010.
Workshops and Lectures:
Sole Resource Person for the 2-day Workshop on Teachings of Islam as they Relate to Human Rights and Women’s Rights organized by the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum held at the Ecumenical Institute, Colombo 05 on 24th and 25th October 2011.
Lecture on The Origins of the Sri Lankan Muslims, their Language, Professions and Culture organized by the Ceylon Society of Australia held at the Organisation of Professional Associations, Colombo 07 on 24th February 2012.
Talk on Historical Origins of Sri Lankans organized by Beyond Borders, a British Council sponsored initiative held at the Centre for Poverty Analysis, Colombo 07 on 25th May 2012.
Presentation on The Muslims on Sri Lanka and their Contribution to our National Life organized by the Centre for Islamic Studies and held at the First Global Knowledge Centre, Colombo 06 on 15th March 2013.
Presentation on Islamophobia. Causes and Solution organized by the the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum held at MICH Lily Avenue Auditorium on 23rd August 2014.
Presentation on Islamophobia organized by the Rotary Club Metropolitan held at JAIC Hilton on 27th May 2015.
Presentation on Muslim Cultural Contribution to Sri Lanka organized by Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum and REACH Lanka held at Excellency Hall, Charlemont Road, Wellawatte on 12th December 2015.
Presentation on How Muslims Contributed to Sri Lankan Culture organised by Sailan Muslim Canada held at Janna Masjid, Toronto on 29th October 2016.
Keynote speaker at the Symposium of the Sri Lankan Majlis of Qatar, Qatar on 25th October 2019. Q & A Session on How Sri Lankan Muslims have contributed to and integrated into Sri Lankan Society.
Papers:
Freedom of Marital Choice in the Light of the Qur’an and Ahadith and its Relevance to Muslim Civil Laws. Hamdard Islamicus Journal of Studies and Research in Islam. Ed.Sadia Rashid. Jan-March 2003
Adam’s Peak. The Islamic Tradition. Sri Pada. Peak Heritage of Sri Lanka.Ed. Sarala Fernando (2011)
Muslim Contribution to Maritime trading Activity in Sri Lanka. Maritime Heritage of Lanka. Ancient Ports and Harbours. Central Cultural Fund (2013)
The Memons of Sri Lanka in People of Sri Lanka. Ministry of National Coexistance, Dialogue and Official Languages (2017)
Kudis in Batticaloa Sri Lanka. National Trust of Sri Lanka Ed. Sarala Fernando (2019)
The Muslims of Jaffna in Jaffna Heritage. Edited Sarala Fernando. National Trust Publication (2023)
Publications:
Sarandib. An Ethnological Study of the Muslims of Sri Lanka. Neptune Publications (February & July 2007 and September 2011)
Zeylanica, a Study of the Peoples and Languages of Sri Lanka. Neptune Publications (September 2009, September 2014 and September 2016)
Ivilly Pevilly. The Gastronome’s Guide to the Culinary History & Heritage of Sri Lanka Neptune Publications (2012)
Tolerance in Islam. A Publication of the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (2012), translated into Sinhala as Islamaya Desana Agamika Ivasima (2014)
Caste in Sri Lanka. From Ancient Times to the Present Day. Neptune Publications (2013)
Accha House and Umma House. A Mixed Childhood in Sri Lanka. Author Publication (2014 and May 2017)
Springs of Saylan. The Muslim Contribution to Sri Lanka. Sailan Muslim Foundation (April 2018)
Mystique Island. Unsolved Mysteries of Sri Lanka. Neptune Publications (September 2018)
Thirty Shades of Taprobane. Strange Beliefs and Customs of Sri Lanka.Neptune Publications (March 2021)
The Great Days of Colombo: A Journey of Colombo Through Time as Never Seen Before.Neptune Publications (December 2021)
Iconic Masjids of Ceylon. Ceylon Baithulmal Fund (March 2022)
The Zeylonese Treasure Book of Myth, Mystery and Mystique (October 2023)
Co-authored Memons of Sri Lanka. Men, Memoirs, Milestones with Hameed Kareem. Memon Association of Sri Lanka (2006) and co-edited The Muslim Heritage of Eastern Sri Lanka with S.H.M.Jameel. Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (2011)
Citations:
Publications cited in the following academic works:
Crucible of Conflict. Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. Dennis Mc.Gilvray (April 2008); A Grammar of Upcountry Sri Lankan Malay. Sebastian Nordhoff (2009); Nittaewo. The Hobbits of Sri Lanka. An Analysis of the Legend, Pradeep A.Jayatunga (September 2010), Vädi Jana Urumaya. Ed.Prof.Prishanta Gunawardhana and.Gamini Adikari (September 2010); A Taste of Sugar & Spice. Cuisine of the Dutch Burgher Huisvrouw in Olde Ceylon. Deloraine Brohier (December 2012), A Complete Illustrated History of Sri Lanka. Anton Sebastian (October 2013), Pictorial Impressions of Early Colonial Sri Lanka. R.K.De Silva (2014), Persaudaraan. Malay Life in Sri Lanka.Tuan Zameer Careem (2016), People of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Government Publication (2017), Finding Sinhabahu. An Analysis of the Early History of Sri Lanka documented in Ancient Chronicles. Ajith Amarasinghe (2019), Pragmatic Muslim Politics. Andreas Johansson (2019) and Banishment and Belonging. Exile and Diaspora in Sarandib, Lanka and Ceylon. Ronit Ricci (2019) and Arabs: A 3000-year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires. Tim Mackintosh-Smith (2019)
Publications cited in the following academic journals:
Genetic profile of 11 autosomal STR loci among the four major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. R.J. Illeperuma, et al. FSI Genetics, Volume 3, Issue 3 (June 2009); Sri Lankan Muslims: Between Ethno-nationalism and the global Ummah. Dennis Mc.Gilvray in Nations and Nationalism (January 2011); Is Jaffna Tamil the best? Producing legitimate language in a multilingual Sri Lankan School. Christina Davis in Journal of Linguistic Anthropology (August 2012); The Current state of Sri Lanka Portuguese. Sebastian Nordoff. Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages (2013); Buddhist Zion: Sri Lanka’s Sinhalisation Politics towards its Muslim Minority. Thomas Gugler. Sudasien Chronik (2013); Asian Islamic Crossings. Malay Writing in Nineteenth century Sri Lanka. Ronit Ricci in South Asian History and Culture (2014); Tracing the Linguistic Crossroads between Tamil and Malay. Tom Hoogervorst in Wacana (2015); Sri Lankan Muslims. D.Mc.Gilvray in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Leiden (2015); A Study on Religious Interaction among the Sinhala Buddhists and the Muslims in Sri Lanka Ahamed Sarjoon Razick et al in International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences (June 2015); An Analysis of the Post-War Community Relations between Buddhists and Muslims in Sri Lanka. Ahmad Sunawari Long et al. in Journal of Politics and Law. July 2016; Caste and Islamic Revivalist Movements: A Case Study of Eastern Muslims in Sri Lanka and Aboobucker Rameez in Internal Journal of Islamic Thought (June 2018) Muslims in Sri Lankan Language Politics. Christina P. Davis in the International Journal of the Sociology of Language (August 2018) and X‑chromosomal STR based genetic polymorphisms and demographic history of Sri Lankan ethnicities and their relationship with global populations. Nandika Perera, Gayani Galhena & Gaya Ranavaka in Nature Scientific Reports (2021)