These traditional Sri Lankan delicacies are surprisingly easy to make and are the ones I find myself making now, thousands of miles away from the Eids of my childhood. 

Sometimes, you have to be violent.' 

Everyone froze and turned to my student, Amir who had dropped those words as casually as suggesting an ice-cream flavour.

What do you do when someone perpetuates a stereotype about themselves? 

Ramadan is a challenge, there's no doubt about it. Why do Muslims put themselves through it and what is it in the first place?

Smiles were passed over sips of tea and light conversation was offered over the crunching of crackers. I was at an event aimed at clarifying misconceptions about Islam. Twenty people were gathered in a circle and glances flickered in my direction.

Americans are self-absorbed. Muslims are bad. Australians are racist. That's what gets us clicking. That's what's sensational. We hear the worst of the other side because that's what sells. But how much do we really know about any given thing if we stripped away everything we knew from the news?

Most people imagine that wearing the hijab invites only snarky remarks and and hostile stares. What they don't realise, is that even more frequently than that, are the hilarious questions and comments.