In 2006, he was the chairman of the Australian Muslim Community Reference Group, which was an advisory body to the federal government from mid-2005 to mid-2006.
[2] In 2015, Ali called on religious leaders to oppose the Islamic State as, "I haven't heard so far any single imam in this country that has named IS and condemned it.
1976 Member of the University Admissions Committee appointed by the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka.
This committee was responsible for the number of students admitted to various University Campuses in Sri Lanka.
1990 – Present Associate editor, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 1998 Academic advisor to South Eastern University of Sri Lanka 1999-2002 Vice president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Council 2002-2006 President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils 2005- 2009 Vice-president, Regional Islamic Dawa Council of Southeast Asia and Pacific (RISEAP) 2006 Chairman, Prime Minister’s Muslim Community Reference Group.
2006 Member, Coordinating Committee, World Muslim League Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
(2014) Muslims in Harmony and Conflict in Plural Sri Lanka: A Historical Summary from a Religio-economic and Political Perspective.
(2014) Political Buddhism, Islamic Orthodoxy and Open Economy: The Toxic Triad in Sinhalese-Muslim Relations in Sri Lanka.
(2010) Assimilation, Integration or Convivencia: The Dilemma of Diaspora Muslims from “Eurabia” to “Londonistan”, from “Lakembanon” to Sri Lanka.
(2009) Kattankudy in Eastern Sri Lanka: A Mullah-Merchant Urban Complex Caught between Islamist Factionalism and Ethno-Nationalisms.
(2006) Tabligh Jamaat and Hizbul Tahrir: Divergent paths to convergent goals: education to counter extremism.
(2003) Government + LTTE – Muslims = Intifada: The cruel equation in Sri Lankan peace process.
(1993) Voluntary investment in human capital and upliftment of Muslim minorities: An Indo-Sri Lankan focus.
(1992) The quest for cultural identity and material advancement: parallels and contrasts in Muslim minority experience in secular India and Buddhist Sri Lanka.
(1987) Muslims and capitalism in British Ceylon (Sri Lanka): the colonial image and community's behaviour.
(1986) Politics of survival: past strategies and present predicament of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka.
(1972) Changing conditions and persisting problems in the peasant sector of Ceylon under the British rule in the period 1833-1893.
(1993) Book review: Investment in Human Resource Development: An Escape Route for Trapped Minorities.
(1987) Book review: Pakistan Society: Islam, Ethnicity, and Leadership in South Asia.
In: Third International ASAA Conference, 8 - 10 July, Kerala, South India Ali, A.
In: International Colloquium on Managing Muslim-Christian Relations, 11 - 13 February, Melbourne, Australia Ali, A.
In: International Conference on Comprehensive Development of Muslim Countries from an Islamic Perspective, 1 - 3 August, Subang Jaya, Malaysia Ali, A.
In: Conference on Muslim Education, April, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Ali, A.
In: Industrialisation and Women’s Health: A regional Workshop for the ASEAN Countries, 22 - 25 April, Singapore Ali, A.
(1989) The quest for cultural identity and socio-economic advancement: Parallels and contrasts in minority experience in South Asia.
In: Keynote address delivered at the Symposium on Islamic Culture, May, Adelaide, South Australia.
(2014) Riba–free finance and zakat–induced economic aid: The political economy of two developmental initiatives in the Muslim world.
(2014) The political economy of Islamic banking and finance3: A faith-based enterprise growing in the global village.
(2011) Kattankudy in eastern Sri Lanka: A mullah-merchant urban complex caught between Islamist factionalism and ethno-nationalism.
(ed) (2011) Revolutionary Thoughts, Essays and Poem from Abdul Cader Labbe (in Tamil).