Far and Away

Muslims in Sri Lanka recall exiled Egyptian revolutionary Ahmed Orabi, who 120 years ago affirmed their identity and helped lay the foundation of their political presence

by Cam McGrath/Egypt Today

Five thousand kilometers from Cairo, bathed in the warm tropical showers of a seasonal monsoon, is a rusting sign dedicated to an unlikely hero: Ahmed Orabi. Exiled to Sri Lanka in 1882, the Egyptian nationalist is an icon of political unity for Muslims living in this predominantly Buddhist island nation.

“Orabi Pasha taught us that the best way to preserve our Muslim identity was to be educated,” says commerce student Ashkar Ahamed. “He showed us a new way of thinking.”

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, the tropical island of lush jungles and white sand beaches, is steeped in legend. [...]

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