        Hello, ASA! I am a first generation Sri Lankan American Muslim. Despite being the oldest of 3 girls, I have been deemed the baby of the family. I tend to be quite the dramatist (i did theater in high school and college). I went to Georgetown SFS for my undergrad and did my masters in human rights from the LSE. Education is extremely important to my family and me. My dad, and his before him, would always say that your mind is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you. It is why both my parents made sure their daughters received as good an education as they could. Someone who equally appreciates the value of an education is important to me. I would prefer my future husband to have a post grad degree but at least a bachelors works as well. 

i would say that I am very much so ruled by my heart rather than my head (I am an I/ENFP). I like to say that I am an introverted extrovert. I can be relatively shy in large groups but I can also be extremely bubbly and outgoing. I have this really nerdy, goofy sense of humor. I love "dad" jokes, I make at times painfully awkward comments and jokes. I love to laugh and make corny jokes. I like to have that teasing, joking rapport with someone, in an endearing way. I also can talk on and on (is it evident in my somewhat incoherent writing which I am sure you are cringing as you're reading?) I also like to be flirty and playful in a very respectful way. I am emotional, wear my heart on my sleeve and sometimes make impulsive decisions. I have had two relationships before, both with non-Muslims. It is those experiences that has brought me to this site. I always knew my parents wanted me to marry a very well educated Sri Lankan muslim, which is why I dated the exact opposite. Yet it is those experiences that helped me realize how important my faith and culture are to me and how crucial it is for me to be with someone with whom I can share these experiences. After talking things over with my mom recently, I decided that I don't necessarily need nor want to be limited to only marrying a Sri Lankan muslim. While I in no way object to marrying a Sri Lankan, I am extremely open to meeting Muslims of other ethnicities. However, I prefer to marry any south asian ethnic group above other ethnic groups. 

Family is the most important thing to me. I have an extremely large family who live relatively close by. I lived in England for two years while I was studying and it was being away from my parents, sisters, cousins and nieces and nephews that made me realize that I don't want to live away from my family. My family is my guiding light. Growing up, I had few friends but my cousins were my best friends. I would also want my children (eventually iA) to grow up with the large family that I had. It's for these reasons that I would not want to relocate, at least I would be very very very reluctant to relocating. I work in DC, live in Maryland and have family in maryland, dc and virginia so I would be happy living in any of those areas. My family is large and can be a lot to handle at times, meddlesome but extremely loving. It is very very important that my future husband is family oriented.  (Sidenote, while i am ready to get married, I am not ready to have children for at least a few years). 

I love my culture and religion. For me, my sri lankan muslim identity is very intertwined. I am more conservative than those who are just sri lankan but more liberal than those who are muslim. And, other than my family, I haven't really met other muslim guys like me, in this middle section of moderate, liberal but strongly muslim in their hearts nonetheless. 

My faith is very important to me. However, I consider myself to be a very liberal Muslim. I am definitely a feminist, which is a word surrounded by taboo, but it shouldn't be. A man should be equally proud to stand for women's rights as are women, just as the Prophet (sws) was. I seldom drink but I do on occasion. However, drinking isn't very important to me. it is something I could stop if I truly needed to. However, I have non-muslim friends who do drink and I wouldn't want to be with someone who would be judgmental about drinking. I don't smoke anything and I definitely don't want to be with a smoker, or a drug user (hypocrisy check here because I probably would be slightly judgmental about drug users). I don't only eat halal meat. However, like with drinking, if it was the right person, drinking and switching to only eating halal meat is something I could do. At home, I eat halal, but I don't limit myself when going to restaurants. However, those are things that would help me become a better muslim. While I would prefer someone who was closer to me in my apparent lax attitude, those are changes I could make. I don't pray 5 times a day, but I try to pray as often as I can. Religion to me is less about the acts that you do to be a better person. Rather to me, it is the values that Islam teaches. I was raised to be extremely respectful to adults, they are not your peers but your respected elders. You are kind to strangers, respectful of people from different backgrounds, you are humble, give charity out of the goodness of your heart. I love reading the Quran because these are the things that Islam teaches you. The values that my parents instilled me are the same that I would want to instill in my children iA and find in my partner and this to me is what being a good muslim is. I won't wear the hijab at this point in my life and I do not want to be with someone who requires this of me. 

i am a human rights advocate. I am extremely passionate about women's rights and the rights of the oppressed. My work is extremely important to me as a social justice advocate. I work for the center for human rights at the American Bar Association. I’m not at attorney (though both sides of my family hail from lawyers and judges). While I value the time, energy, love and effort my mom put into being a stay at home mom, I don’t wish that lifestyle for myself. My work gives me a sort of fulfillment that is extremely important to my happiness. 

I love country music, whatever is on Ryan Seacrest's top 40, sri lankan music (called baila), reggae, showtunes, anything with a good beat really.  I love to sing (in the shower and off key and in my car with the windows rolled down), I love dancing. I would rather stay at home than go out. I am definitely a homebody. But I do like to go out and enjoy myself with friends. I am not an outdoorsey person, but that is more because I don't have the opportunity to do so. if someone was moderately outdoorsey, I would love to go out. I love to eat, thai food is my favorite, right after Sri Lankan food. I am definitely a foodie and I rarely exercise. 

I love the little things. The chilly fall morning before the sun heats the rest of the day, a single rose, a stranger smiling as we pass each other on the street. I am a hopeless romantic. I decided to join this site because I am tired of dating apps, non-muslim ones which i have used in the past and  minder and muzzmatch (albeit only for a week). However, i am tired of constantly putting myself out there into the void. I would like your amazing team of matchmakers to find me someone who would be a great fit for me without my having to scroll through pictures without getting any substance. I am quite confident in myself and I would like you to help me find someone who can appreciate all I have to offer. I have mA gotten to a place in my life where I feel secure in myself and in what i want and I just need your amazing team guided by Allah (swt) to help me find my soulmate. 