A timeline of religious extremism, minority struggles, and human rights abuses in contemporary Maldives
A word cloud of this page created using http://www.wordclouds.com/
This is collection of news articles that demonstrates what the Maldives is really like; what the flashy tourist brochures will never tell you. It is intended as a resource for minority and human rights activists. I have changed some headlines to provide additional context where necessary; for example where Minivan News (now Maldives independent) constantly refers to Hilath Rasheed as "controversial blogger" rather than by his name. After each clipping I've provided a link to version of the original post that has been archived.
The time period is from 2006 to around the time when journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Rilwan was abducted. To this day he is still missing. For more information about Rilwan please visit http://findmoyameehaa.com/ .
I have the timeline compiled all the way until the end of 2015 but this page has already become large enough as it is. So, while incomplete, I believe it is enough of a slice of Maldivian life to provide context to what life is really like in "paradise".
Here are some search terms to ctrl+f through the page:
Hilath
Rape
Risheef Thoha
Ali Hameed
Fiqh Academy
Sharia
Mohamed Nazim
2006
1st October 2006
Ali Jaleel of H. Moscowge’ (Moscow Jaleel) put under 2 years house arrest for unlawfully teaching Islam
Jaleel had been holding classes for about 10 people, spreading themes and ideas not approved by the Council. Jaleel had taught his views on the pilgrimage to Mecca, and in particular the concept of jihad. He had also been indepedentandly performing marriages for people outside of the official system.
Archived link 01
21st December 2006
3 Arrested Over Himandhoo Officials Death
Police say they have arrested three men in connection with the death of Ibrahim Shaheem, 27, a Himnadhoo Island Office official found dead last Thursday. His body was discovered by children on a beach in Himandhoo, North Ari Atoll. Shaheem is thought to have died between 3.15 and 3.45 pm. A police forensic team and the Special Investigations Unit have been carrying out investigations on the island. Shaheems family says he had been out fishing on Thursday afternoon, and spoke to his wife on the phone at 3.15pm. He never replied to a text message she sent him soon after. His body was taken to hospital in Mahibadhoo Island, South Ari Atoll, where he was pronounced dead. He has since been buried in Himandhoo. Since his death, it has emerged that Shaheems younger brother was attacked last October, and slashed with a box cutter before being tied up and thrown onto a burning boat. Left for dead, he only just survived and was left with severe burns to 35% of his body. Shaheems wife says her husband had received numerous death threats, after video he had taken was submitted by police as evidence in a controversial case over the use of mosques on the island. The conflict began when most of the local population refused to pray in a government built mosque, saying it was erected upon a former cemetery, defying the preaching of the Prophet Mohamed. As a result, the islanders constructed their own mosque, Dhar-ul-Khair, which was later closed by the government on October 7, who said it was against the Protection of Religious Unity Act. The mosque was then demolished by police. Shaheems video showed locals praying in Dhar-ul-Khair, and was submitted as evidence by the police in a case which was later thrown out by the Attorney General. A reliable source within the Attorney Generalâs office says the case was scrapped on the grounds that Shaheems entry into the premises had been unauthorised under Islamic law. The government reshuffled its island staff as a result of the row, with Island Chief, Abdul Rahman, being moved to Rasdhoo. His successor, Adam Areef took over the jurisdiction of the islands office the same day. Former Deputy Chief, Adam Mohamed was also relocated to Malhos. State newspaper Haveeru reports that in a related case, another man from Himandhoo has been arrested on charges of ˜disrupting the religious unity and creating religious disharmony among the citizens". Ahmed Shakeeb, 29, who is from Male, was arrested while in Himandhoo, the Maldives Police Service said.
Archived link 01
2007
27th April 2007
Umar Naseer says at the unveiling of his presidential campaign “that as a 100% Muslim country, the Maldives is in a rare situation shared only by Saudi Arabia, and so it requires a special version of democracy. Secularism, pluralism, homosexuality, abortion and alcohol are all out, and national unity will remain “a very important priority.”
Dealing with the allegations of torture that have marred his political career, he says: “For everybody there will be an allegation. In my case I have been a police officer. I think I have been a police officer who is tough. I am not a soft cop, I am a tough cop and my policies are that I will stop criminals by using all the authorities given. “And the allegation on me is that I have broken the backbone of some Mahir or some fellow. My response to that has always been that I have always maintained that Mr Mahir is a drug dealer. He has been sentenced to prison for over 18 years on those same charges. By his own confession he is a drug dealer, a drug addict. And to stop such people cops have to react and under my command my contingents have reacted to arrest him and on my order he has been arrested. “But I have never ordered anyone to break his backbone and myself personally I have never done anything to anybody…I did not do it all and I am ready to take oath. Placing my hand on the Koran I am ready to take oath. I am doubtful that Mahir will be able to take the same oath on the same Koran,” he says. But he says the Maldivian Democratic Party’s claim that torture has been rife in the Maldives Police Service during his time in the organisation is “baseless” and “pure propaganda.” When asked about the Evan Naseem killing, he retorts: “Evan Naseem, of course, it is not only in Maldives that you have these kind of isolated matters in police prisons. “That allegation is going to continue always because MDP has a strategy of overthrowing the government by taking away the police authority. This is a very common thing in communism. When communism came to the world, the communist infiltrators tried to discredit the police and the army so that the army and the police cannot react and then they will attack the government officials and then take over the government. “So the same tactic today is being used by MDP to make sure the authority of the police is reduced so they don’t react when they go and try and topple the government. I am a trained intelligence officer, and I know how they do it, and how the communists did it in other countries and what are the tactics of MDP today,” he claims. Also says “I think religious radicalism is going to be a serious problem to the Maldives” .
8th August 2007
Immigrant worker found chained to a tree
Immigrant Worker Found Chained To Tree. A Bangladeshi immigrant worker has been found chained to a tree outside a house adjacent to the People’s Majlis [parliament]. Human Rights Commissioner Ahmed Saleem has confirmed he visited a house adjacent to the parliament building on Monday, and found a man had been chained to a tree, “for eight to ten days.” The Bangladeshi High Commissioner has asked the Foreign Ministry to investigate, “how a person can be treated so inhumanely and it not be reported.” “We found him tied to a huge tree, at the entrance to a house,” says Saleem. “People were going in and out, and it was in full view of parliament. Lots of people must have seen,” he added. The man, in his mid-twenties known only as Mohamed, has suffered mental health problems, the Bangladeshi workers who shared the house outside which he was found, told Saleem. They say Mohamed had to stop work because of violent periods, and was meant to fly home ten days ago. The workers alleged the Maldivian police accompanied Moahmed to the airport, but he became violent and couldn’t board a plan. The police then told them to chain the man to the tree, they said. “I telephoned the Police Commissioner [Adam Zahir] about this, and it came as a complete surprise,” said Ahmed Saleem. And Saleem said the Bangladeshi workers later admitted the police had not been involved.
9th August 2007
CHAINED BANGLADESHI MAN FOUND INSIDE MALE HOUSE
A Bangladeshi man who had been shackled in chains and bound to a tree was found inside a house in Male’ on Monday. According to the President of the Human Rights Commission, Ahmed Saleem, they had received information from members of the public about the man and had found him chained to a tree inside H. Sikkage located behind the Parliament House. “When we went there and asked the people of the house about it, we found that the man had been shackled to the tree for around 10 days now,” Saleem said. “They also said that it was done on order from the Police. But that is not true.” Saleem said that the expatriate man had been brought to Male to do construction work by A. M. Constructions and that everyone inside the house where he had been imprisoned were expatriates from Bangladesh. He said that the others inside the house had said that they had imprisoned the man because he was crazy. Saleem said that regardless of who had done it, the Human Rights Commission strongly condemned the act. “It doesn’t matter if it was a local man or an expatriate; no man should be shackled like that,” Saleem said. Police has said that they had received information about the incident on Monday but that the case was now being investigated by the Employment Ministry. The Deputy Director of the Employment Ministry, Ahmed Abubakr, said that they were investigating the case.
Archived link 01
14th August 2007
TEACHER CAUGHT RED-HANDED MOLESTING 8-YEAR-OLD
A male expatriate teacher was caught red-handed molesting an 8-year-old boy in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll Hoadehdhoo, Thursday night. According to Corporal Ageel Mohamed who is temporarily in charge of running the Thinadhoo Police Station, the teacher was caught red-handed by a group of people which included the boy’s mother. “The teacher is known to visit the boy’s home from time to time,” said Ageel. “The foreigner used to live in that house before. So due to this the house residents are known to be on friendly terms with the teacher. However when the incident occurred there were no other people within the house.” The teacher has now been sent to Male after being kept in Thinadhoo Police custody for a day.
Archived link 01
20th August 2007
Bangladeshi Castrated In Haa Daal Horror Death
A Bangladeshi worker has been found dead, with his penis chopped off and stuffed up into a black bra strapped around his groin. Morgus Hussein was found by a local resident on Kulhudhufushi, the capital of Haa Daal, just after 9am this morning. He was completely naked, apart from the bra. And his hands had been tied together on his chest using his trousers and shirt. Maldives police have confirmed details of the death and a special forensic team has been dispatched to Kulhudhufushi from Malé. The body has not yet been sent to the island hospital for examination. Hussein was one of three Bangladeshis who lived together and worked in a hardware store. Early reports said one of his fellow workers had been arrested after blood was found in his quarters. But at 1pm the police said no arrests had been made. Hussein’s body was found near a football ground in a newly built area of the island. The area is isolated from the rest of the island’s housing, and only a few people have moved in. The body was found by a resident who approached the football ground this morning. Police were called at 9.15am. The Bangladeshi High Commission is waiting for confirmation of the man's identity before informing his family. So far there has no one is speculating on reasons for the man’s death.
21st August 2007
Our Workers Could Be Withdrawn: Bangladesh High Commission.
Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to the Maldives has told Minivan News he will consider pulling his country’s 25,000 expatriate workers out of the country, if the governnment cannot guarantee their security. The warning comes after police failure to prevent a wave of attacks on a dormitory of Bangladeshis working for the Malé Municipality. While the High Commissioner was discussing the attacks with Home Minister Abdullah Kamaldeen, news broke of the brutal castration and murder of a Bangladeshi on Kulhudhufushi island in Haa Daal atoll. The High Commission has since received hundreds of calls from anxious Bangladeshis, and fear among the immigrant community is at its highest ever level. In a country of only 300,000, Bangladeshi immigrants provide essential labour in the tourism and construction industries. The vast majority are manual labourers, earning less than a $100 a month and living in shared accommodation. Personal accounts suggest the community has suffered disproportionately from theft and violence in the capital Malé. But it is the recent phenomenon of mob attacks on Bangladeshis in their own homes, which has angered the Dhakka government. On four successive nights from 1 August a gang of around twenty five Maldivians broke into quarters shared by one hundred and fifty Bangladeshis working for the Municipality’s Road Construction team. Three Bangladeshis were injured and one hospitalised on 1 August, as the gang attacked with metal bars. On 9 August the Bangladeshi High Commission requested constant police surveillance and regular visits to the quarters for an indefinite period.
Archived link 01
23rd August 2007
Fellow Bangladeshi confesses to homosexual relationship, attack on Mogul: Police
A Bangladeshi worker in Kulhudhuffushi has confessed during the Police investigation to attacking and injuring Mogul Hussain, whose brutally mutilated corpse had been discovered on Monday, the Maldives Police Service said. According to the Maldives Police Service website, Shafeeg-ul Islam, 45, had confessed to attacking 28-year-old Mogul and had also said that they were in a homosexual relationship. Both of them had lived in Moony Manzil house in Kulhudhuffushi and worked at the shop called Kodi. Shafeeg has been living in Kulhudhuffushi for one and half years now and Mogul had arrived on the island six months before. Mogul’s corpse, when it had been discovered near the island’s football grounds last Monday, had been brutally mutilated. He had been castrated, disemboweled, with his hands crossed and tied in front of him with his trousers. He had also been stabbed several times all over his body and his severed penis had been found inside a black-coloured bra which had been placed on his groin area. Two locals, the owner of the shop, Mohamed Adam, and his son, had been taken in for questioning by the Police during the investigation but had been later released without charges. The Police said that their investigation had found no evidence that the two of them were involved in the crime. The website also stated that there was no evidence that a Kulhudhuffushi woman had been involved in any way in the crime and expressed gratitude for the help and support the Kulhudhuffushi community had given the Police during their investigation. However, some Kulhudhuffushi residents insist that Mogul and the Kulhudhuffushi woman were involved in a “romantic relationship” and that traditionally the Kulhudhuffushi community was “hostile to outsiders courting local women.” A Kulhudhuffushi journalist, who wished to remain anonymous, said that “it is tradition for the community to harass any outsider found courting a local woman." “If an outsider is found courting a local woman, the community will get together, pull him out, throw mud at him, and parade him naked around the island. This is the tradition here. I have witnessed this too.” Mogul’s body had been brought to Male on Tuesday evening and is being kept at the local Mortuary. Despite the confession that Shafeeg had attacked and injured Mogul, the website did not specify whether Shafeeg had admitted that it was he who had caused the fatal blow which had killed Mogul. However a handcuffed Shafeeg had on Wednesday re-enacted his actions during the attack on Mogul for the Police who had videoed the scene. The Police said that a forensic team was still investigating the crime in Kulhudhuffushi and gathering whatever evidence they could about the case.
Archived link 01
25th August 2007
Another shackled Bangladeshi expatriate found inside Male’ house.
Another shackled Bangladeshi expatriate found inside Male’ house. An expatriate worker shackled in iron chains has once again been found imprisoned inside a house in Male’. The manacled Bangladeshi worker was found inside G. Vega house around 10:00pm Wednesday. According to his fellow workers the Bangladeshi man had been chained by his employer. The employer is believed to have been taken into custody for questioning by the Police. However, the Police have not confirmed it. A Media Official from the Maldives Police Service said that nothing about the case could be revealed yet as the case was still under investigation. Earlier this month another Bangladeshi had been found bound and chained to a tree inside H. Sikkage house.
Archived link 01
26th August 2007
Ten Maldivians arrested in Adhaaran resort after fight breaks out between locals, Bangladeshi man
Ten Maldivians have been arrested following a disturbance in Kaafu atoll Adaaran Hudhuranfushi resort (previously known as Lhohifushi) on Saturday. The General Manager – Administration of the resort managed by Sri Lanka’s Crest Star BVI company, Mohamed Mahudhy, said that the disturbance is believed to have been caused by a fight that had broken out between a Maldivian and Bangladeshi man. “Following the incident, some people had even damaged some rooms at the resort,” he said. “So we had to call the Police.” He also said details of the extent of the damages can only be revealed after the Police had finished their investigations. The Maldives Police Service said that 10 Maldivians had been arrested in connection with the disturbance at the resort. “They were arrested for participating in a fight at the resort,” a Police official said. “Inquiries are now proceeding.” According to a man from the resort, the fight had broken out when a Bangladeshi man had hit a local man and a group of Maldivians had gone off to confront the Bangladeshi man. However, he said that it is not clear if the local man had hit the expatriate. “The fight broke out (Friday) night,” he said. “After that some local men got angry about it and went on to confront the Bangladeshi man but were stopped.” He said that most of those who had been arrested by the Police had had nothing to do with the disturbance. “They just arrested whoever the management pointed out,” he said. “Most of them were people who had expressed dissatisfaction over one thing or another at the resort.” He also said that those who had been arrested were waiters, roomboys, and staff from Accounts and Front Office. “After the management of the resort was handed over to foreigners, they are treating the locals however they please,” he said. “Even food and sleeping quarters are of very low standards for the locals. We have even filed complaints with the management and the Tourist Ministry regarding that. However, there has been no change as of yet.” Adaaran Hudhuranfushi had been opened with a development and training campus for tourism industry staff last December. The resort is world famous and had hosted the O’Neill Deep Blue Open surfing competition for five years.
Archived link 01
27th August 2007
Expatriate security guard in Villi-Male’ ATM booth attacked
A group of people entered the ATM booth in Villi-Male’ and attacked and injured the expatriate guard posted there by the Bank of Maldives as security. According to a Police official the incident occurred around 11:00pm Sunday night. The security guard had suffered cuts and bruises to his face and mouth area in the attack. “The group fled after attacking that man,” the Police official said but said that the incident was being investigated. According to a resident of Villi-Male, there were nine people in the gang that had attacked the security guard.
Archived link 01
27th August 2007
Attacks against expatriates almost a daily occurrence
A spate of attacks against Bangladeshi expatriate workers here may be only the tip of the iceberg; the issue may be broadly related to a rise in racism and xenophobia among local youth recently.Two Bangladeshi workers have already been "freed" by authorities after they were found tied for days while the government has started investigations into the gruesome murder of 28-year-old Mogul Hussain who is said to have been attacked by a fellow Bangladeshi co-worker. An attack by a local youth gang resulted in another Bangladeshi man having to undergo treatment in intensive care unit. What many may not know is the continuous, almost daily "attacks", expatriates face in the two-square kilometer capital. This includes attacks by muggers who usually snatch valuables like mobile phones and cash that expatriates, especially semi or unskilled labourers carry with them. Street gangs, especially heroin addicts, are blamed. I recently met a heroin addict, who is also a "fake" dealer, meaning he sells supari packets disguised as heroin packets to unsuspecting fellow heroin addicts, in order to make money so that he himself could get the real deal and the much needed high in order to stay away from withdrawals. A friend of the heroin addict said that this addict always carries around a knife with him "so that he could threaten poor and helpless expatriates and get money from them." According to him, this is "common practice" among desperate heroin addicts, ie, addicts who do not have the resources to finance drug use on their own. “Another fellow addict once hit an expatriate on the head and he suffered a gash and was bleeding. The addict took the victim’s wallet and mobile phone and quietly walked away. The addict left the victim lying on the street while his compatriot was crying for help. Nobody seemed to notice.” Once, while I was walking in front of the ADK Hospital, I witnessed three heroin addicts as they tried to mug a Nepalese expatriate worker and grab his mobile phone. However, the Nepalese man was stronger than the scrawny local teenagers and he was able to ward off the attackers. As he walked off, I saw a look of both anger and frustration. And this happened in broad daylight. Last week, four South Asian embassies wrote a joint letter to the Maldives' foreign ministry, pressuring the Maldives' government to step up security measures in a place which is becoming increasingly lawless. [Reporting by Hilath Rasheed]
Archived link 01
28th August 2007
Jawish Hameed writes “Maldives: Hell for expatriate workers?”
I've watched for the past several years while the expatriate worker population in the Male' grew steadily as the "rich" Maldivians increasingly give up various jobs (going lazy?) and replaced it with imported labour from nearby countries. We have 100-US$-per-month foreign workers to dig up and pave roads, to clean up and maintain the sewerage system, to construct and maintain our buildings, to clean up the mess at home and office, to work as waiters and cooks at food outlets etc. The list goes on and it's not restricted to any particular sort of work or speciality. Heck, even the President's Office employs expats to clean up and water the plants that surround the building. No wonder we now have over 35,000 expatriate workers living amongst the 100,000 Maldivian heads in the 2 square kilometre island of Male'!
Archived link 01
3rd September 2007
Maldives: Inhumane Treatment of Migrant Workers
The Maldivian government was able to prevent Bangladeshi migrant workers’ community in the capital Malé from holding a demonstration on Friday, by using the threat of deportation. The Bangladeshi community, consisting of mainly unskilled workers, was trying to protest against the rise of xenophobia in the Maldives, and increasing attacks targeted at Bangladeshis. In August organized gangs in Malé repeatedly attacked some Bangladeshi workers in their living quarters while in the northern island of Kulhudhuffushi a male worker was castrated and brutally murdered.Police claim that the murder was sexually motivated and has arrested a fellow Bangladeshi worker of the victim. In two separate incidents two Bangladeshi workers were found chained in two houses in Malé. One of them was chained to a tree. The Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Maldives was so alarmed by the developments that he cautioned that he might have to pull out Bangladeshi workers from the Maldives. Malé, which is a small island of about two square kilometers, has a population of over 30,000 migrant workers. Most of them come from the neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. Majority of them are unskilled workers, who find the wage of US$100 attractive enough to work in the Maldives. In most cases families back home are dependent on the income the workers earn.
Archived link 01
27th September 2007
Sultan Park is bombed with a home-made explosive, injuring 12 foreign tourists
Terrorism struck at the heart of the honeymoon destination of the Maldives yesterday when a bomb exploded in a crowded park and left a British couple with 'significant' burn injuries.
The islands, famed for their tranquillity, came under attack with an explosion outside the main mosque in the capital, Male, that left 12 people injured. Local media said the bomb was triggered by a home-made device using a mobile phone and washing machine motor attached to a gas cylinder. A witness reported seeing nails scattered in the park before the area was cleared by local security forces. There was no immediate clue as to whether it was the work of the al-Qaeda terrorist network or another group or individual.
6th October 2007
Police begin operation in Himandhoo to find missing bomb blast suspects
A special operation was started to locate missing suspects as well as close down an illegal mosque set up by some residents who were of the view that the official mosque had an imam who was blaspheming against the Sunnah, the sayings and actions of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). A youngster with the group which set up the illegal mosque and called for a boycott of the government-built official mosque told Haveeru that at this time if Police again tried to shut down their mosque, there will be a confrontation. He did not elaborate on the kind of confrontation between Police and residents of Himandhoo.
Archived link 01
10th October 2007
More than 50 people were arrested after hundreds of soldiers besieged a makeshift mosque on Himandhoo
More than 50 people were arrested after hundreds of soldiers besieged a makeshift mosque on Himandhoo. Security forces stormed the Dhar-ul-Khair mosque, on Himandhoo island, after "70 masked men" carrying swords and iron rods captured a policeman. In the ensuing battle, one soldier suffered head injuries and a policeman lost his hand.
Archived link 01
6th November 2007
Maldives faces social divide. Idyllic Indian ocean country faces threat of being fractured along religious lines. - Al Jazeera
Archived link 01
13th November 2007
MDP sheikh B.A. Naseem warns against dangers of religious freedom
Ahmed 'B.A' Naseem, a member of the Islamic Advisory Council, National Council and the Congress of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has given a fatwa saying it is haraam to build places of worship for other religions in the Maldives, and warned against freedom of religion, describing it as a violation of (God given) rights of Muslims.In his regular column on Minivan (a dhivehi daily connected with MDP) he wrote that "there is no way, building a temple on Maldivian soil will be legal in Islamic Shariah". Warning against the "dangers" of freedom of religion, he wrote that according to some Islamic Scholars; "it is obligatory for Muslims to destroy the existing places of worship (except mosques) after conquering a non-Muslim land".
Here is a translation of the concluding lines of his article;
"Building places of worship for people of other religions, and letting them live in Maldives, with freedom of religion guaranteed by law, will leave Maldives in religious conflicts and unthinkable chaos, considering how things are these days. In such a situation it is most likely that, with the aid of millions and millions of dollars, and international conventions, and in the name of human rights; people of other religions will overpower Muslims of Maldives in the Maldives. May Allah save this country from such a humiliating fate! Amen! Right now it is important to think deeply about the assaultive activities of non-Muslims against Muslims in the name of human rights or in other such names. O people of intellect. Is depriving Muslims of a right which have been given to them and giving that right to a people of some other religion in the name of human rights, acceptable to the sane mind? What glory is there being stuck in things, deceived by materialism?"
2008
16th January 2008
Religious conservative party Adhaalath condemns amendment allowing women to run for presidency saying that it would contradict Shariah as Prophet Mohamed has said that women should never rule a country
Adhaalath President Mohamed Didi told Minivan News today they "condemn" the vote, which the Maldives' Foreign Minister has hailed as a "vital step towards…a modern democracy." "Islamic Sharia does not allow for women to be head of state of a country," said Didi. "The Prophet said women should not rule the country." "This is another step away from Shari'ah, which should be the framework for the constitution." The issue of Shari'ah has recently threatened to derail the passage of the country's draft constitution. The conflict has boiled down to whether it can be codified or not, and if there can be consensus on shari'ah rulings. The Special Majlis was divided over a recent proposal by a ruling Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) member for the bill of rights to be limited by "any act prohibited by Islamic shari'ah."
1st February 2008
Maldivian MP and Moderate Religious Scholar Dr. Afrasheem Ali is attacked by an angry mob following Friday prayers at the Masjidh Al Ibrahim mosque
Home Ministry official and controversial religious preacher Dr. Afrashim Ali has been attacked by an angry mob in what appeared to be an organised attack following Friday prayers at the Masjidh Al Ibrahim mosque. Dr. Afrashim and his child were surrounded by a large crowd as they attempted to leave the mosque, and at least one bystander hit Dr Afrashim before the cleric was escorted away by police. Police confirmed six people have been arrested in relation to the attack, which the Information Minister has linked to attempted “Talibanisation” of the Maldives.
28th February 2008
Human Rights Comission of the Maldives says that the Maldives is a 100% Muslim country in its 2007 annual report and continues its silence on the rights of non-Muslim citizens
Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) have not only ignored the issue of citizenship of non-Muslim Maldivians, but also ignored their existence in their recently published Annual Report 2007. The introduction of the report states that Maldives is a 100% Muslim country, officially endorsing the constitutional amendment which made non-Muslim citizens of Maldives legally stateless for the first time. In addition to this, giving a general overview of human rights in Maldives throughout the year 2007, it says the commission is happy to note that "basic freedoms and rights which are also included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are perfectly included in the second chapter of the new draft constitution". The commission seems to be rejecting Article 18 of this declaration, a document which was banned as an Islamic document in 2005. The ban was later lifted following much international pressure. While rejecting the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the Commission expressed its concern over religious divisions in the society. The solution proposed in the report was more the government to have more control over religion, with the Supreme Islamic Council propagating a state approved "authentic" version of Islam for citizens to unite upon.
15th March 2008
Member of Human Rights Commission of the Maldives says music is forbidden in Islam
One of the five members of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) have said that music is haraam or completely forbidden and a sin. He was among the 22 Islamist Mullahs who was seen declaring music haraam in a special video presentation at a Jamiyyath-uh-Salaf (a local Islamist NGO) meeting. Disapproval of music and arts is a common feature of Islamist groups around the world, with some of them going to the extent of banning and burning musical instruments and cassette players. In the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, it was a crime with severe punishments. Today, many fear that Maldives is headed in the same direction. Sheikh Kareem, according to the official profile on HRCM website, got his secondary and tertiary education at Jamaia Daarul Salaam, Umar Abad in South India. And like the majority of Islamist/Salafi mullahs in Maldives, he obtained his First Degree from the Islamic University of al-Madinah al-Munawarah in Saudi Arabia.
26th October 2008
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom says “We want to bring reform to the Maldives, reform that leaves no room for other religions” at rally. His allies accuse rival Mohamed Nasheed of trying to spread Christianity in the Maldives.
Archived link 01
30th October 2008
Mohamed Nasheed wins the Presidential Election, ending Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's 30 year rule
A human rights activist swept to power today in the first democratic presidential polls in the Maldives, ousting from office the man who once imprisoned him and prompting jubilant scenes on the streets of the Indian Ocean island's capital Male. Mohamed 'Anni' Nasheed, a former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience who founded the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in 2003, secured 54 per cent of the vote – beating Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Asia's longest serving leader, in the run-off election. In a bitter campaign marked by personal animosity, Nasheed - a Sunni Muslim – was said to be spreading Christianity in the Islamic nation via his links with Britain's Conservative party. However his message of change coupled with a call for social and economic liberalism lifted him above the fray. The results mark the end of the three-decade rule of 71-year-old Maldivian strongman, Gayoom, who won the last six elections, never having before faced an opponent. Gayoom has had Nasheed thrown into jail several times over the last six years.
23rd September 2009
Police investigating reports of illegal under-age marriage. Police raided a house on Laamu atoll Fonadhoo following reports of an illegal marriage involving a girl around nine years of age.
Police raided a house on Laamu atoll Fonadhoo today following reports of an illegal marriage involving a girl around nine years of age. Sergeant Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the police raid but said he was unable to provide further details at this stage of the investigation. Speaking to Minivan News today, Fathimath Yumna, director of the department of gender, said the ministry of health and family had also been unable to confirm reports about the illegal marriage. While the national age of marriage is 18 in the Maldives, as a Muslim country, girls under this age can marry with the permission of their parents and state consent. Yumna said if a minor wished to marry, the ministry would undertake an assessment to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the child. But, she added most applications were from girls aged 16 to 18.
Archived link 01
6th November 2009
Video Clip showing Maldivian Mujahid Ali Jaleel (Moscow Jaleel) (Mus'ab Sayyid) Fighting in Pakistan
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8th November 2009
Haveeru article about Ali Jaleel video
A video interview of a man, believed to be Ali Jaleel of H. Moscowge, who died while involved in one of the biggest terrorist attacks in Pakistan this year, is now available on the internet. The video was shot sometime before the attack and also shows Jaleel receiving military training. Ali Jaleel’s family on Saturday confirmed to Haveeru that the video did in fact show Ali Jaleel and that he had been “martyred”. According to the video, Ali Jaleel, 30, referred to in the video as Mus’ab Sayyid, had died in the suicide attack on the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) building in Lahore, Pakistan, on 27, May, 2009. The AFP had previously reported that 24 people had died in the attack. The attack had involved gunfire and had ended with the detonation of a bus filled with explosives. In the interview, Jaleel is sitting in front of a dark green backdrop holding a machine gun, and says that he is really happy that he us taking part in the jihad and talks about the importance of jihad, before calling on the people to take part in it.
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22nd November 2009
The family of the 17-year-old “concubine” has denied media reports that the girl was being kept as an under-age sex slave
The issue was brought to public attention by former Attorney General Azima Shukoor at a Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party rally in September. Azima said she had read an article on freelance journalist Hilath Rasheed’s blog about an under-age girl taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) who was being kept as a sex slave.
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6th December 2009
Concubine rumours exaggerated say police, arresting husband
Police have said their investigation into the alleged 17-year-old concubine revealed that rumours the girl was being kept as a sex slave were exaggerated. However at a press conference today, Mirufath Faiz, head of the family and child protection unit, said the investigation was still ongoing as her marriage in India to a 22-year-old Maldivian man was not legally recognised.
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7th December 2009
Imam among seven men arrested for homosexual activity
A group of men, including an imam, were arrested in Alif Alif atoll Maalhos on Thursday after photos and videos emerged of the seven engaged in homosexual activity. An islander who spoke on condition of anonymity told Minivan News a group of teenagers from the island came upon the video CDs in the house of one of the suspects. When the CDs began to be circulated in public, the “island elders” alerted police. “It came as a big shock to everyone on the island to see that [the imam] was one of them. He gives the Friday sermons at the mosque every week,” he said. “He is a well respected person on the island and we saw him as our religious leader.” Besides the imam, the pornographic videos featured a mosque caretaker, a carpenter and another man the islanders believe to be mentally unstable, the islander claimed. “He is a deranged person. We have always seen him running around the island naked,” he said. Of the three men not featured in the video, two were incriminated in photos found along with the videos, he continued, while the third was believed to have filmed the pornography. Three of the suspects were married with children, the islander said, while one of them included a second, retired imam. The youngest of the seven men was aged 27, while the rest were over 45 years of age, he said. Miadhu reported other islanders as claiming that two of the seven men consider themselves “as husband and wife.” Sergeant Ahmed Shiyam from the Maldives Police Service confirmed the arrests were made on Thursday following a report from the islanders. The seven men are currently in police custody. All were residents of Maalhos. A spokesperson for the Islamic Ministry said they were not yet aware of the case and could not speculate on any measures that could be taken. Meanwhile Abdullah bin Mohamed Ibrahim, President of Islamic NGO Salaf Jamiya, also said he was unable to comment as they did not have complete information on the case. Under the existing penal provisions, the punishment for sodomy is 19 to 39 lashes, banishment or imprisonment of up to three years. Another islander from Maalhos who spoke to Minivan News said a group of people had become suspicious of the seven men before the videos came out. “They have been following them around for a long time now,” he said. “They were suspicious before, and the videos just confirmed it.”
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10th December 2009
Female circumcision occurring in Addu atoll, reveals AG Husnu Suood
“I will note one thing I learned in the past two weeks: religious scholars are going around to midwives giving fatwas that girls have to be circumcised. They’re giving fatwas saying it is religiously compulsory. According to my information, the circumcising of girls has started and is going on with a new spirit.”
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22nd December 2009
New regulations will defend Islam in the Maldives, says Islamic Ministry
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs said draft regulations under the Religious Unity Act will incorporate recommendations by Jamiyathul Salaf to “protect and defend Islam in an Islamic state like the Maldives”. In a letter sent to the Islamic association yesterday, the ministry said recommendations made by Salaf earlier this month were already included in the regulations currently being reviewed by the attorney general’s office. “The purpose of the regulations that have been drafted is to protect the country and Maldivian society from brutal and harsh practices, divisions and antagonism in the name of Islam and from practices that contradict Islam and Islamic culture,” it reads. The 11 recommendations made by Salaf included removing anything that conflicts with Islam from the education curriculum or subject syllabuses, making it an offence to spread other religions and openly sell or possess any items that symbolise religious holidays of other religions, and specifying measures to be taken against expatriate teachers found to be promoting other religions or inciting hatred of Islam among students. Moreover, the proposed regulations should empower the authorities to check printing presses and bookshops for material in conflict with Islam, and make it an offence to publish such opinions or views in the media. Salaf also recommended obligating non-Muslim visitors to inhabited islands to adhere to a code of dress and conduct appropriate to an Islamic environment. Furthermore, the regulations should ensure that photos and videos used in advertisements do not clash with Islamic codes of behaviour and make it illegal to introduce elements of foreign cultures that conflict with Islam. Salaf’s recommendations further call for specifying penalties for those who openly “challenge or defy” God, his Prophet or Islamic shariah, and make it an offence to disrespect the Prophet or his companions.Lastly, Salaf recommends the creation of a council to take measures against people who issue religious fatwas (edicts or decrees) without the requisite education or learning. Unless these recommendations are incorporated in the regulations, Salaf’s letter states, it would be “meaningless” and could “open doors” to other religions and cultures. Salaf claimed action was not taken against Christian missionaries under the old regulations, and were instead used to “punish, jail and torture” Maldivians who “loved Islam and tried to find the right path”.
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2010
6th January 2010
Two-time escaped convict Ali Manik from Bahaaruge’, Haa Alif atoll Molhadhoo, apprehended on ‘Garbage Island’.
The 37 year-old was originally arrested and charged for his part in the clashes between religious extremists and security forces on Alif Alif Himandhoo on 7 October 2007.
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7th January 2010
Mariyam Omidi writes “Abortion in the Maldives: the untold story”
When the strip on the pregnancy test turned pink, 23-year-old Mustafa asked his girlfriend to marry him. Not because he wanted to, but because he believed it was the right thing to do. She said no. Aminath, who was 19, replied she was too young to have a child. And so, he told her he would “fix it”. A few days later, Mustafa learned of a man who charged Rf2,000 (US$155) to perform an abortion. Reassured by two friends who had used him, he set up an appointment in Male’. “The man gave her three injections and said that within one to four hours, she would start to bleed and it would be very painful and it would be like giving birth,” says Mustafa, his frail voice quivering. “At this point I was having serious doubts about this guy. He wasn’t a doctor… he was boasting about his abortion activities and the number of girls he had done this to. He said at one point it was almost one every night. The way he said it was without a trace of compassion.” Mustafa’s description of what followed is harrowing: Aminath was carried back and forth to the toilet, she threw up twice and was writhing in agony. Four hours later, she began to bleed. As a Muslim country, abortion is illegal in the Maldives except to save a mother’s life, or if a child suffers from a congenital defect such as thalassemia. But anecdotal evidence points overwhelmingly to a high rate of abortion. “I can count seven of my friends, three girls and four boys. The story was the same,” says Mustafa.
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9th February 2010
President Mohamed Nasheed offers clemency to Himandhoo protesters
Senior members of the Maldivian government yesterday met with 16 people arrested and sentenced for a violent protest against police at Himandhoo in North Ari Atoll in 2007, to discuss a reduction in their sentences under new clemency laws. The inmates, currently imprisoned at Maafushi on sentences ranging from nine to 11 years, donned red motorcycle helmets and armed themselves with batons and knives to defend the Dhar al Khuir mosque on 6 October 2007. Police and soldiers were searching for suspects in the Maldives’ first Islamic terror investigation following a bomb blast in Sultan Park that injured 12 tourists. The president’s Political Advisor Hassan Afeef, together with Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, Legal Affairs Secretary Hisaan Hussain and State Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Saeed Ali Shaheem travelled to Maafushi jail to meet with the inmates to inform them that the president had made the decision to lessen their sentences. Afeef said the government was unconvinced the group had received a fair trial under the former government, “and we don’t want anyone to undergo punishment for which they are not deserving.” A still from the video found on an Al Qaeda forum that contained footage of inside the Dhar-al-khuir mosque of Himandhoo moments before it was raided by police. A still from the video found on an Al Qaeda forum that contained footage of inside the Dhar-al-khuir mosque of Himandhoo moments before it was raided by police. “The president wanted the inmates to know that people were going to criticise him over the decision, and for them to understand that their behaviour must be in line with the views of society when they are released,” Afeef said. The conditions of their release had yet to be set, Afeef added. “That will come when the president gives the order,” he said, emphasising that “the government doesn’t take these decisions blindly. It studies the information and consults intelligence services, police and security forces.” The president’s press secretary Mohamed Zuhair said the main reason leading to the stand off with police was not the terrorism investigation but the fact “they had started praying in their own mosque and their own homes”, an action not in line with the former government’s “single state Islam”.
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18th February 2010
Himandhoo school board criticised for dropping school song
The Himandhoo School board of North Ari Atoll Himandhoo has decided the school song will no longer be sung during the school assembly as ”it would be more useful to give a speech by school heads and recite the meaning of Quran rather than singing the school song,” according to chairperson Abdulla Jameel. Jameel said the decision was made after a meeting with Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the school’s teachers. He said the decision was not made on religious grounds, and claimed a news report by television station DhiTV was misleading the public by claiming otherwise. ”In our school we sing a song written especially for Himandhoo Madharusa, but there is doubt over whether our school’s name is Himandhoo Madharusa or Himandhoo school,” he explained. ”We asked the education ministry to clarify it, and then we came to know that it was called Himandhoo School.” Councilor of Himandhoo Ali Naseer said the school song was no longer sung during the assembly because it contained verses saying the school name was Himandhoo Madharusa and the school colors was red, green and white. ”We discovered to know the school’s name was Himandhoo School and the logo was red,” Naseer said, “but we only have the audio recording of the school song we use to sing. We cannot cut out the verses which say Himandhoo Madharusa and says the colours are green, red and white.” Jameel said the school might sing the song ‘Lhafathuga Ungenema’ (a song sung in every school of Maldives during assembly) instead, but for the time being had decided to give speeches on the meaning of Quran during the assembly. Deputy Minister for Education Abdulla Nazeer said the ministry’s policy insisted schools must sing the school song during the assembly. ”As per our policy all schools must sing the school song,” Naseer said, warning that ”if any school goes against our policy we will take action against them.” Jameel said that the school board had sent a letter to the education ministry and ”would decide what to do when they respond.”
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23rd January 2010
Husband restrained while wife gang raped
A group of men are alleged to have gang raped a woman on Fuvahmulah after dragging her to a beach and restraining her husband.Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shameen from Fuvahmulah police said the group of men, “we don’t know how many”, stopped the couple on their motorbike last night before taking them to a remote beach on the island. The men restrained the husband while the women was raped. Shameen said police had brought in three men for questioning, while a special team from Male’ had been dispatched to investigate the incident. “There has been huge support from islanders,” he said, adding that “we are waiting for the doctor’s report to confirm the couple’s condition.” An island resident familiar with the situation reported that six attackers had used ‘face veils’ to hide their identities, and pointed a knife at the husband’s neck to restrain him.The islander also said the woman had suffered severe trauma and was not allowing anyone to come near her. Atoll councillor Hassan Saeed “strongly condemned” the attack and said “the public should work together to stop such indicents. “We must always work to maintain the peace and harmony of Fuvahmulah,” he said.
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24th January 2010
Story of three decomposing corpses remains a mystery, say police
Three dead bodies have mysteriously washed up on Maldivian shores in under a month, and police still confess they have no idea who they are. The first body was found in the lagoon of of the Reethi Rah resort on 15 January, floating three to four feet off the shore. A resort worker told Minivan News the badly decomposed body was discovered by a beach cleaner at 8:30 am in morning, and was collected by a police forensic team that arrived at 12:30 pm that afternoon. Another body was found near the island of Mahibadhoo in north Ari atoll on 21 January. Police said the body, also badly decomposed, was discovered by a fishing boat. Police took the body for investigation. The third body was found on a sand bank near the Taj Exotica resorts in Male atoll by staff on a diving expedition. Police inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that because the bodies were so badly decomposed it was proving very difficult to identify who they are. ”It shows that they have been dead for a long time,” he said. Shiyam said that the bodies found near Reethi Rah and Taj Exotica were male, while the body found near Mahibadhoo could not be identified as either gender. Neither could the nationalities of the bodies be recognised, he said. DNA had been taken for analysis, he said, and explained that police were now trying to discover whether any of the bodies were of people reported missing from fishing boats.”None of [the bodies] have yet matched to the family members of the people who have been reported lost,” he said.
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25th January 2010
Police arrest three connected to gang rape
Police have confirmed that three men have been arrested for raping a 40 year old woman in Gnaviyani Faumulaku. The woman and her husband were stopped by three masked men on Friday night. After being taken at knife point to a remote beach area of the island, the men tied the husband to a tree and gang raped the woman. Police said that the men were arrested with assistance from the Fuamulak community and the Fuamulak Crime Prevention Committee.
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21st February 2010
High court judge rules Himandhoo protest was ‘terrorism’ and denies appeal
A high court appeal by three men sentenced to jail for the violent protest at Himandhoo has failed. Ahmed Ramzee, Ahmed Ali and Adam Mohamed, all from Himandhoo, were originally sentenced for up to 10 years each for their involvement in the protest in October 2007. The 200 police and army personnel who travelled to the island in search for evidence related to the Sultan Park bombing the previous month were confronted by the islanders, who donned red motorcycle helmets and armed themselves with batons and knives and denied the authorities entry to the Dhar-al-khuir mosque. In the ensuing skirmish, a policeman was taken captive and another’s hand was severed. Shortly afterwards a video discovered on an Al Qaeda forum was found to contain footage taken inside the Dhar-al-khuir mosque moments before it was raided by police. Senior High Court Judge Ali Hameed today ruled that the actions of the three men during the protest qualified as ‘terrorism’ under the law of Maldives, and said that the case was not open to appeal. Reading the verdict, Judge Hameed said their actions were “against the public order of the country and weakened the religious unity of the people.” “The [verdict] of the criminal court cannot be overturned,” he said. In the appeal, the men claimed their actions against the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) were in “self defence”. Adam Mohamed and Ahmed Ramzy also told the court in previous hearings that their confessions had been extracted under duress.
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22nd February 2010
Man arrested for child abuse and attempting to rape his mother.
A 28 year old man from the island of Kolamaafushi in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll was arrested by police for allegedly abusing an eight year old boy on Friday and later trying to rape his own mother that evening.Police Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that a man from Kolamaafushi had been arrested in connection with the two crimes but said at the moment police were unable to provide further details as the case was under investigation. Police atoll commander for Gaafu Dhaalu atoll, Ali Mustafa, said the man was arrested last night around 10:30pm and had a recent record of child abuse. Mustafa said police discovered the man hiding on the beach of Kolamaafushi. An official from the island office reported the man to police after he was called to the house in the course of his duties and discovered him lying on a bed naked with the child, watching TV. Before he was arrested by police the man attempted to sexually assault his mother, the official said. The woman jumped out a window and escaped to a nearby house, pursued by her son. ”[He] ran after her naked and tried to enter that house,” the official said, ”but a man from the house protected the woman.” The neighbour was injured in a scuffle with the man, he said, while the woman suffered scratches to her neck. Deputy Minister for Health and Family Mariya Ali said the ministry had received a report of one of the two incidents “but ‘would not like to mention which one.” ”These types of cases been occurring for a long time,” she said, ”but people have been very hesitant to inform [the authorities].” She said to prevent such incidents from happening the ministry needed the help of the community. ”In every case there is someone from the community who know about it,” she said.
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11th March 2010
Hilath Rasheed threatened with beheading in an article published on Muraasil.com
Death threats calling for the beheading of controversial Maldivian journalist and blogger Ismail Khilath ‘Hilath’ Rasheed have been published on Muraasil.com, a popular publishing platform that allows anyone to publish content in Dhivehi. Rasheed, a journalist of 10 years experience, is known for being highly critical of Islamic fundamentalism in the Maldives. The threats, which Rasheed translated from Dhivehi on his blog, called the journalist an “animal who has blasphemed” and said he “had no right to live”. “Let it be made known to this guy that Maldivians are an Islam-loving and Islamic Sharia law-loving people. Become a terrorist in the name of religion,” demanded the author, identified only as ‘Jihad’. “I am of the opinion that even if you kill him, you are all innocent. Cut off his head,” said the article’s author, identified only as ‘Jihad’. The piece was quickly removed from Muraasil following complaints. Muraasil’s founder Nasrulla Adnan explained that while anyone is able to create an account and publish articles on the site, new authors had to abided by a code of conduct and were carefully moderated. Only regular and approved contributors were able to post content without it being reviewed, he explained. “Obviously that [content] was posted by someone who has published for a long time,” Nasrulla said. “We took it down and revoked their [publishing] rights.” Rasheed said he felt the threats were “quite awful” and he was “now afraid some fanatic is going to attack me.” “The situation with free speech in the country is very precarious,” he said. “We have all these institutions and laws, but extremists are using the umbrella of Islam to to incite violence against women, children and bloggers. I don’t think that Maldivan people should be silent about this.” President of the Maldivian Journalists’ Association (MJA) Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir said such threats against the media were not common but were occasionally made by “some fanatical people, particularly when [a journalist] reports on religious matters.” “One of my colleagues has had threats made against them before by certain groups,” he noted, observing that “much of the media is silent about fundamentalism and religious extremism – even the president is very silent on religious issues.” “I think most journalists are aware that according to the Constitution there are certain limitations on press freedom, such as not being able to write anything against the basic principles of Islam,” Hiriga explained.
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16th March 2010
Further death threats against Maldivian journalists published on popular extremist blog
...this time calling for the beheading of Ahmed ‘Sappe’ Moosa, the President’s Envoy for Science and Technology and editor of the Dhivehi Observer(DO), and blogger/journalist Ismail Khilath ‘Hilath’ Rasheed “for writing articles which flaunt religion”. The threat’s author, an extremist blogger known as Jibue, also called for attacks on First Lady Laila Ali “and others who work in Male’, as it will be quite easy to target them as well.”
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18th March 2010
Islamic Ministry proposes extremist rehabilitation centre
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has renewed its proposal for an ‘extremist rehabilitation centre’ to curb fundamentalism in the country. The idea was first raised in a letter from the Islamic Ministry to the Home Affairs Ministry and the President’s Office in April 2009. According to the President’s Office Spokesman Mohamed Zuhair, joint consultations were held yesterday about how to best take the concept forward. State Minister for Home Affairs Ahmed Adil explained that six prisoners involved in the Himandhoo case had been transferred to Dhoonidhoo prison for “rehabilitation by the Islamic Ministry.” The Himandhoo islanders, who had been worshipping in their own mosque without the approval of the state, armed themselves and fought with police and military personnel in October 2007. The then-government claimed it was searching for evidence relating the Sultan Park bombing, which injured 12 tourists. “The reintegration has been very successful, especially in the Himandhoo case,” Adil said. “It was a very big issue and there were a lot of problems at the time. Now the whole of Himandhoo has been cleaned.” Himandhoo, explained State Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, was “a very beautiful example” of the Ministry’s successful rehabilitation programme. “The former government fought with [the extremists] and put them in jail,” Shaheem said. “Now we don’t fight. We deliver the right information [about Islam] through dialogue. We have a lot of programmes on television, radio, the Hukru Khuthuba (Friday sermon), and we send scholars to the islands. “We tried our best to control [fundamentalism] in Himandhoo and now there is no problem [there]. All the people are praying in the [official] mosque, when just two years ago the government was fighting with them. Now the island is very good.” The Islamic Ministry now wants to institutionalise the rehabilitation process as part of its work tackling extremism, he explained. “We have suggested that the government establish a centre for special studies as a rehabilitation centre to fight [fundamentalists] ideologically,” Shaheem said. “This is an ideological problem, and we can solve this problem by having scholars give them the right information on Islam.” The Ministry was especially concerned about several groups praying separately at mosques in Male’, Shaheem said, explaining that some had been delivering their own fatwas (religious edicts). However radicalisation in the country was in overall decline, he noted. “At the moment I don’t believe there are people like Al-Queda [operating] in the county. But there a few groups who support their ideas. We can solve this by giving them the right ideas.” Spokesman for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair agreed with Shaheem that the growth of radical groups had declined across the globe, “a trend I believe has affected the Maldives through better inclusion in society, increased security and a lack of persecution.”
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22nd March 2010
Discrepancies in rape statistics highlighted in NGOs report
A coalition of NGOs have condemned the performance of the judiciary and the State for its treatment of criminal cases, especially those concerning rape. Maldivian Detainee Network, Trasparency Maldives, Rights for All, Maldives Aid, Madulu, Democracy House, Maldives NGO Federation and Strength of Society issued a statement “condemning the increase in serious crime and the failure of the state and responsible authorities to convict those responsible for these crimes.” The statement referred to statistics on crimes such as murder, child abuse, assault with sharp weapons, and threats to journalists and others in the media, comparing these with the number of crimes investigated by police, the number sent to the Prosecutor General’s office and the number tried in the Criminal Court. The NGOs said the blame for the “failure to deliver justice” should not be placed on the new democratic system or human rights safeguards, “but rather [on] the unsatisfactory implementation of these systems and safeguards.” They “note with great concern that there is not a single case of ‘rape’ in the statistics maintained by either the PG or the Criminal Court.”Information provided by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to Transparency Maldives states that in 2009 ten cases of rape were reported to police, eight of which were investigated and five sent to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s office. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said in the instance of these rape cases, the three that had been labelled as ‘finished’ by police but were not sent to the PG were still “being checked” by police before being sent to the PG’s office. “Sometimes we check and update information,” Shiyam said, “and there could be other documents being collected.” Information gathered by the coalition of NGOs from the Criminal Court show zero cases under ‘rape’ were prosecuted in 2008 and 2009. But Senior Judge at the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed said the Criminal Court had processed six cases of rape during the year. Deputy Prosecutor General Hussein Shameem said the discrepancy was “a misunderstanding of technical terms.” “If consent is lacking, regardless of whether or not there was intercourse, the case would fall under sexual misconduct,” he said. Shameem said when the PG’s office received cases from the police, they decided whether or not to prosecute it depending on the evidence. He added that the statistics from the police might “not give a clear idea” of the number of cases, as the PG’s office might prosecute for a different offence. “For example, if police investigate a case for rape, and within the document we find evidence for battery and assault, we would prosecute both charges.” In the document provided by the Criminal Court, 37 cases falling under the category of “sexual misconduct” are shown as being received by the court. Of those, nine were dismissed due to lack of evidence while fourteen were tried. Aishath Velazinee from the Judicial Service Commission said the remaining fourteen cases did not appear asdismissed or tried because they were still being processed by the court. She said that “because rape is not a crime under the current Penal Code” cases of rape would fall under the category of “sexual misconduct”. “The existing Penal Code is not adequate,” she noted, adding that under the new Penal Code (which is still tabled in the Parliament) rape, including spousal rape, would be considered a crime under its own category.
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29th March 2010
Girl abducted, drugged, filmed and gang raped by 15 men on Hithadhu
A group of 15 men abducted, drugged and gang raped a 20 year old girl on the island of Hithadhu in Seenu Atoll last Friday night, while reportedly filming the incident with a mobile phone. Regional commander for Addu Atoll, Chief Inspector Hussein Adam, said three men had been arrested in connection with the attack, which occurred around 8:30pm on Friday night. ”Two men came by on a motorbike while she was outside her house, and forced her to sit between them,” Hussein said. The two men took her to an uninhabited area on the island, 30 minutes walking distance from where she was abducted. ”The 15 men forced her to drink a suspected liquid drug and she became drunk,” Hussein said. ”They used box cutters to threaten her.” Atoll Commander for Addu Adam Niyaz said police were informed of the incident at 1:00am on Saturday morning by the girl’s parents, after she returned home. Police took the girl to Addu Regional Hospital. Hussein noted that she was “unable to walk.” Head of Addu Regional Hospital Ahmed Mohamed said the girl was brought to the hospital on Saturday was discharged yesterday. ”There were no injuries outside her body,” Ahmed said, ”but as she was sexually assaulted by 15 men her sex organs were injured during the incident.” Niyaz said the three men arrested in connection with attack had many police records involving drug offences and gang-related crimes. He said Hithadhu police station was continuing to investigate the case.
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6th April 2010
Convicted terrorist escapes DPRS on motorbike
A man sentenced for six years for charges of terrorism relating to the Himandhooincident escaped yesterday as he was being transferred from the court to Malé Prison. Spokesperson for the Juvenile Court Zaeema Nasheed identified the man as Hussein Nishan, 18, of Roze Hose in Himandhoo of North Ari Atoll.
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6th May 2010
Islamic ministry completes religious unity regulations
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has unveiled sweeping new regulations governing religion in the Maldives, to be published in the government’s gazette and made law under the Religious Unity Act of 1994. State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed said the new regulations had been produced with the assistance of the Attorney General Husnu Suood and the Maldives Police Service, and would be instrumental in curbing extremist ideologies in the country. “The Islamic Ministry and the Government of the Maldives strongly support international concern about terrorism,” Shaheem said. “This why at the Islamic Ministry we are doing our best to work together with groups like the MNDF to make sure our country is peaceful.” Key to the new regulations is the creation of a board with representatives from the Islamic Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Maldives College of Higher Education, the Fiqh Academy, police, NGOs, Maldivian religious scholars and licensed lawyers. “Their job is to give advice to the Islamic Ministry and the government about how to make religious policy in the Maldives, and how to control these ideas,” Shaheem explained.
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11th May 2010
Religious unity regulations contain “ambiguities, policy issues”, says press secretary
The new regulations under the Religious Unity Act of 1994 drafted by the Islamic Ministry contain “ambiguities” and provisions that could be in conflict with the government’s stated policies, said the President’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair. The President of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives, religious scholars, people from the entertainment industry and NGOs have expressed concern with the regulations, he said. “The attorney general only looked at legal aspects before he approved it,” he said. “He did not have to consider the implications for policy or conflicts with stated government policy, mainly on freedom of expression.” He added that Attorney General Husnu Suood had “reservations” about some provisions and favoured a cabinet meeting before publication of the regulations in the government’s gazette. Zuhair said the “points of contention” included provisions that deal with Islamic codes of conduct and ambiguities in the terminology of some provisions. “Codes of behaviour are not codified in Islam,” he said. “[People] have suggested that the phrase should be changed to tenets of Islam.” There were also fears that the advisory board to be constituted under the regulations could become “the moral police” and exercise excessive powers.
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19th May 2010
Religious unity regulations on hold
The new regulations under the Religious Unity Act of 1994 drafted by the Islamic Ministry will be reviewed and amended by the Attorney General’s office before publication in the government gazette, the cabinet decided yesterday. While the regulations were completed last month, its publication was delayed due to “ambiguities and policy issues”, according to Mohamed Zuhair, president’s office press secretary. Zuhair told Minivan News at the time that the president’s office received complaints from individuals and religious NGOs regarding some of the provisions.
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19th May 2010
Maldivian man arrested for rape of 13-year-old girl
A 53-year-old man suspected of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in Addu Atoll Hithadhoo was arrested today. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody after the case was reported to the police. Shiyam declined to divulge further information regarding the case. Local daily Haveeru reported today that the girl had a mental disorder. Ahmed Mohamed, head of Hithadhoo Regional Hospital, also confirmed the incident occurred, ”but we do not have further information on the case,” he said. Both the health ministry’s child and family protection unit and the Hithadhoo councillor also declined to provide any information. Meanwhile, an employee at the hospital confirmed that the girl was brought to the hospital to get a medical report. The hospital staff member claimed the suspect was an employee at the hospital. ”He is a man from Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll,” he said. ”It happened in another district so we also do not know much about the case.”
Archived link 01
28th May 2010
Mohamed Nazim declares himself an atheist at a Q&A section by Zakir Naik
A Maldivian man was assaulted Friday evening, after he declared his atheist status to the public during the Q&A session of a lecture given by visiting Indian scholar Dr Zakir Naik. Mohamed Nazim, 37, said although he was born to a practicing Muslim family and his parents taught him Islam, he was “struggling to believe in religions,” and asked Naik about his “verdict in Islam.” “Dr Zakir Naik. I am a Maldivian. I am still struggling to believe in religion. That is why I just came to the front of this row. I was born a Maldivian. My parents taught me the religion of Islam. They are good practitioners, actually. I read a lot of books. I have read the translation of Quran. Yet, I still do not believe in a religion. So what do you say, [about] my verdict in Islam? Because Maldives is definitely a Muslim state,” Nazim asked. When the moderator asked to repeat the question, he said, “My question is I am a Maldivian. I do not believe in religion. What do you think my verdict would be, since Maldives is 100 percent Muslim, as many claim? But I do not believe so.” Nazim’s question sparked comments of hatred from an angry crowd of around 11,000 with many calling to kill him and attack him, while Naik was answering the question. Several people rushed towards Nazim, who was sitting at a back row after moving away from the microphone, as an official of the Islamic Ministry tried to escort him out. Police, however, came between Nazim and the crowd and escorted him into custody. “I held his hand and escorted him away from the ground, when people came towards him. When a person came jumping at him, I held him by the waist. At that moment, I lost the grip. Police intervened and took him into custody,” the official said. A Police media official said Nazim received several minor injuries. He is in custody at an undisclosed location, the official added Saturday afternoon. When Police took Nazim to the second block of nearby police building Iskandharu Koshi, the crowd gathered outside the place and demanded his handover. They shouted anti-atheism slogans and called for Nazim’s beheading. The constitution stipulates Maldives citizens must be Muslims.
Archived link 01
30th May 2010
Islamic Foundation of Maldives (IFM) calls for death sentence to be imposed on Mohamed Nazim if he fails to repent
Today the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives issued a press statement calling on judges to give Nazim the opportunity to repent “and if he does not, then sentence him to death as Islamic law and Maldivian law agree.” “The Islamic Foundation believes that the person who announces apostasy should be punished according to Islamic laws,” the NGO said, warning that Nazim represented “a disturbance to the religious views and the religious bonds that exist with Maldivians.” “Hereby if this man does not do his penance and come back to the Islamic religion, the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives calls to take the citizenship away from this man as mentioned in the Maldivian constitution.” If case crossed into areas not covered by the laws of the country, “then the judges should rely on Islamic law,” the NGO stated, as per article 142 of constitution which says judiciary shall look into Islamic shar’ia on matters not covered in law, and sentence accordingly. “So it is requested that the commissioner of police run the legal research on this man and take this to the Prosecutor General’s office. We also request the Prosecutor General to go through this matter and to take this man to the criminal court for trial,” the Islamic Foundation said. A government official involved in the legal process, who requested that his name and department be kept anonymous, said he was “really worried” and described the case as “a very sensitive subject”. “Police are investigating the case,” he said. “My understanding is that the court authorities will give [Nazim] opportunities to change his mind. I think he will be given every opportunity to think about his decision.”
Archived links 01
MOHAMED NAZIM IS FORCED INTO RELIGIOUS COUNSELLING IN PRISON AS ARRANGED BY THE ISLAMIC MINISTRY
Islamic Ministry is arranging religious counseling for the Maldivian man who declared his atheist status to the public, the ministry has revealed Sunday. Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Baaree told Haveeru that the ministry has asked police to investigate the case of Mohamed Nazim, 37, and is preparing to give him counseling. “We are preparing for that [counseling]. We have to find out what kind of doubts he has about Islam,” he said. Police confirmed the investigation and said the Criminal Court granted a warrant to extend Nazim’s custodial period for five days. Nazim announced he did not believe in a religion during the Q&A session of a lecture given by visiting Indian scholar Dr Zakir Naik Friday evening. Two men were arrested for alleged assault on officers who tried to stop an angry crowd from attacking Nazim but were released later, Police said. Speaking to Voice of Maldives (VOM) Saturday, Baaree claimed Naik was “shocked” by Nazim’s revelation in front of some 11,000 people.
Archived link 01
1st June 2010
Mohamed Nazim apologizes and recites the shahaadhah before journalists to prove that he has repented and reverted back to Islam
The Maldivian man who declared his “non-Muslim” status to the public during the Q&A session of a lecture given by Indian scholar Dr Zakir Naik Friday evening has reverted to Islam. Mohamed Nazim, 38, repented and gave the ‘Shahaadha’ testimony before journalists at the Islamic Ministry Tuesday with a public apology. “... And as that action was very much related to the feelings of all Maldivians, I believe that it was an agony for the Maldivian people. I deeply apologise for that to all the Maldivians. Along with that, I would like to say that the major misconceptions I had regarding Islam have been clarified. Therefore, I am now a Muslim. I want Maldivians to accept me as a Maldivian and as a child of this community,” he said. Deputy Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Farooq said that Nazim reverted to Islam “on freewill.” “He was in police custody. [But] the only thing we did was, we sent two scholars and counselled him. We tried clarifying the misconceptions he had about Islam…[After] two days of counseling, he said that the misconceptions he had have been clarified and that he wanted to become a Muslim,” he said.
1st June 2010
Island superstition saves ‘dead’ Somalian man from being buried alive by police
A Somalian man has narrowly escaped being buried alive after he was found comatose along with with five other men drifting in a small boat near the island of Makunudhoo in in Haadhaalu Atoll. Makunudhoo islanders who rescued the men yesterday said it appeared the men had been drifting in the tiny 12-15 foot vessel for three months with little food or water. An island official who assisted with the rescue told Minivan News that the boat was recovered yesterday at 5:30 pm by a fishing vessel, and that the men were in very bad condition when they were brought ashore. ”Everyone was shocked and felt sympathy for them at first glimpse,” he said. “There was no food, water or medication in the boat.” Images and a video of the incident (below) showed the men badly emaciated and apparently suffering from severe malnutrition. Word spread quickly across the island and nearly the whole population gathered near the beach to see the boat as it brought ashore. Five of the men were rushed to the island’s health centre but the sixth man, curled up inside the boat’s anchor locker, was left on board as police assumed he was dead. ”We informed police of the incident immediately,” the official said. “They told us to leave the dead body and to take the rest of the men to health centre. They arrived later that night at 7:30 pm – people were really upset they came so late.” The official told Minivan News that police tried to bury the ‘dead’ man immediately but were prevented by island elders. ”Elderly people denied the body from being buried on the island because of an old legend that claims the island might become haunted if a rotten dead body was buried,” he said. The man was left in the boat’s anchor locker until this morning. However when the islanders came to take the man’s body to be washed prior to burial, they were surprised to see him moving. “Police insisted the body was not alive but was moving due to the motion of the water,” the official said. “But after a while he opened his eyes and started uttering something in his language which no one understood.” He said everyone was shocked and rushed the man to the health centre. ”People so angry with police because they confirmed the body was dead without doing a medical check-up,” the official said. ”The poor man could have lost his life being buried alive after surviving three months adrift.” He said all six men had now been admitted to hospital and their condition was improving.
Archived link 01
3rd June 2010
Hilath Rasheed writes “Letter on creating hope for Masodi Town”
At this ominous time, President Nasheed has to seriously get down to business – without himself getting drowned in the political game. Almost all Maldives’ politicians are to blame for awakening not one but two Sleeping (and quite evil) Giants: Gangsterism and Religious Extremism. In order to score political points, they dared open Pandora’s box and unleashed the Twin Evils into the Maldivian Society.
Archived link 01
10th June 2010
Islamic Sharia applies where Maldivian law silent, High Court clarifies
The High Court of the Maldives has clarified that Islamic Sharia law defaults in cases where crimes may not be specifically forbidden by Maldivian law, and instructed parliament to keep this in mind when amending the penal code. The High Court of the Maldives has clarified that Islamic Sharia law defaults in cases where crimes may not be specifically forbidden by Maldivian law, and instructed parliament to keep this in mind when amending the penal code. ”When bringing amendments to the penal code of the Maldives, I rule that the concerned state institution amend the penal code in a manner that does not obstruct the giving of penalties for crimes prohibited under Islamic Sharia,” Judge Abdul Gany Mohamed ruled. Judge Gany added the landmark ruling to the verdict in a case concerning a man who threatened a doctor last year in Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). The prosecution claimed that Sulhath Abdulla, of Maafannu Kurevi, went to IGMH in May last year and threatened a doctor who had refused to write him a prescription for a control drug. The Criminal Court of the Maldives last year ruled that there was no specific law forbidding Sulhath Abdulla’s actions, and therefore he could not be punished. Judge Gany said that although there was no Maldivian law for the crime he committed, anything prohibited under Islamic Shariah was consisted prohibited according to articles 2, 10, 19 and 59 of the constitution. ”Under article number 142[a], the courts must rule according to Islamic Sharia when deciding a matter on which [Maldivian] laws are silent,” Judge Gany said. Judge Gany sentenced Sulhath Abdulla for four years house arrest for objection to order and violating article 88[a] of the penal code. He explained that using foul words when addressing to people, threats to damage another’s body or property, intimidation, refusing to give samples necessary for investigations, obstructing investigation, using or possessing a sharp object that might cause “fear in society”, and using any object that could potentially be classed as a weapon should all be considered prohibited under article number 2, 10, 19 and 59[a] of the constitution.
Archived link 01
15th June 2010
Report condemns Maldives for inaction on human trafficking
The Maldives has been placed on the US State Department watch-list for human trafficking, following the country’s failure to “investigate or prosecute trafficking-related offenses or take concrete actions to protect trafficking victims and prevent trafficking in the Maldives.” The State Department’s 2010 Human Trafficking report, which comes less than a month after the Maldives was given a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, is scathing of government inaction, particularly regarding forced labour and exploitation of Bangladeshi nationals. “An unknown number of the 110,000 foreign workers currently working in the Maldives – primarily in the construction and service sectors – face fraudulent recruitment practices, confiscation of identity and travel documents, withholding or non-payment of wages, or debt bondage,” the report noted. “Diplomatic sources estimate that half of the 35,000 Bangladeshis in the Maldives went there illegally and that most of these workers are probably victims of trafficking.” The report noted that even legal workers were vulnerable to conditions of forced labor, and that the Maldives did not provide services such as shelter, counseling, medical care, or legal aid to foreign or Maldivian victims of trafficking. The government’s “general policy” for dealing with trafficking victims was deportation, the report said, “and it did not provide foreign victims with legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they might face hardship or retribution. On an ad-hoc basis, it provided extremely short-term housing for migrants immediately before deportation.” The Maldives did not comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons, however the US State Department conceded that the government “is making significant efforts to do so.” “Despite these efforts, the government lacks systematic procedures for identifying victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, and during the reporting period it did not investigate or prosecute trafficking-related offenses or take concrete actions to protect trafficking victims and prevent trafficking in the Maldives,” it said, placing the Maldives on a ‘tier 2 watch list’ alongside Afghanistan, Brunei, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Archived link 01
26th June 2010
Maldivian journalist and blogger found unconscious on Raa atoll
Well-known Maldivian writer and blogger, Ismail Khilath ‘Hilath’ Rasheed, 34, has been found unconscious from a suspected drug overdose on an uninhabited island in Raa atoll, according to a Haveeru report in Dhivehi. Hilath was found unconscious at a beach in Furaveri, a garden island where he had been staying since last Saturday. The caretaker of the island found him at the beach around 4:00pm last Wednesday, said the Haveeru report. Haveeru noted that Hilath was being treated at Ugoofaru hospital, and his condition was improving. Today Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said Hilath had been released from hospital and is now being held in police custody while police investigate the drug related-incident. “We tried to keep him under house arrest but his family refused and asked that he be placed in police custody,” Shiyam said, adding that the court had ruled that Hilath could be held for seven days.
Archived link 01
13th July 2010
Ismail Mohamed Didi hangs himself from the control tower of the Male’ International Airport after being refused asylum abroad for his apostasy
Ismail Mohamed Didi, the 25 year-old air traffic controller who was found hanged from the control tower of Male International Airport at 4:00am on Tuesday morning in an apparent suicide, was seeking asylum in the UK for fear of persecution over his lack of religious belief. Islamic website Raajjeislam reported yesterday that Ismail “was a person inclined to atheism” and had “declared his atheism to his friends.” The website alleged that Ismail had refused to follow religious sermons. “This is an issue that a Muslim government should consider,” the website said. “Because when these types of people die, they are buried in the same [cemetery] where Muslims are buried. Their funeral prayers and body washing are also conducted as for Muslims. It is questionable as to whether this is allowed according to Islam.” Over two emails sent to an international humanitarian organisation on June 23 and 25, obtained by Minivan News, Ismail admits he is an atheist and desperately requests assistance for his asylum application, after claiming to have received several anonymous threats on June 22. In the emails, he says he “foolishly admitted my stance on religion” to work colleagues, word of which had “spread like wildfire.” “A lot of my close friends and girlfriend have been prohibited from seeing me by their parents. I have even received a couple of anonymous phone calls threatening violence if I do not repent and start practising Islam,” he said. “Maldivians are proud of their religious homogeneity and I am learning the hard way that there is no place for non-Muslim Maldivians in this society.” Ismail claimed he had been “trying for some time to seek employment abroad, but have not yet succeeded. I would already have left the country if I was sure I could meet the required burden of proof in an asylum claim.”“I cannot bring myself to pretend to be I am something I am not, as I am a staunch believer in human rights. I am afraid for my life here and know no one inside the country who can help me.”
25th July 2010
Hilath Rasheed writes Letter to Amnesty International requesting temporary asylum as he feels unsafe within the Maldives
The Director
Amnesty International
Dear Sir/Madam:
On 24 June 2010 I was arrested by Raa Atoll Ungoofaaru Police Station where I was charged with “attempted suicide by overdozing on less than a gram of hash oil, atheism and homosexuality.”
However, quite strangely, only a vague reference to “drug abuse” appeared on the Court Order for my arrest.
While the officers of the Maldives Police Service at Male’ Custodial were very kind to me – understandably, due to my parents refusing to allow my transfer to house arrest due to the gravity of the charges – I feel vulnerable against corrupt elements, the remnants of former President Gayoom’s dictatorship, rampant in the Maldives Judiciary and other law enforcement agencies.
I also feel defenceless against extremists of all sorts and the extreme ideas prevailing in Maldives society, especially in relation to previous contributions to Minivan News.
Hence, I would greatly appreciate if you can help me find temporary asylum in a friendly democratic country until I feel it is safe for me to return to Maldives and continue my investigative work as a freelance journalist and independent blogger promoting human rights.
Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation.
Yours sincerely,
Ismail Khilath Rasheed
CC: Human Rights Commission of Maldives
U.N.C.H.R.
Reporters Without Borders
Archived link 01
1st August 2010
17 year old bleeds to death after gang-linked triple stabbing
Police are investigating the murder of a 17 year old boy who was stabbed to death by a group of men during an apparent gang fight. The 17 year old was stabbed in the leg on Friday afternoon near the Social Centre in Maafannu, Male’. He was admitted to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital and treated for more than eight hours in the Intensive Care Unit, but the knife severed a major artery and despite an emergency blood transfusion he died the following morning at 6:15am. He was was buried that afternoon at Aasahara cemetery. A person familiar with the matter told Minivan News the boy was stabbed when he climbed onto the back of a lorry after watching a football match at Maaziya football ground. “He was with his friends on a lorry and about to leave, when they were attacked by a group of people people armed with stones and sticks,” the source said. “After a while they came close and stabbed him with a knife. Two other boys were also stabbed, one in the chest and another in the leg.’’ All three victims were taken to IGMH around 6pm. One of the victims told Minivan News today that a squad of police were active in the area prior to the incident but were unable to control the eruption of violence in the area. ‘’Police officers were running around, but they seemed shocked and didn’t know what to do,’’ said the victim. “The police officers didn’t help, so I ran to IGMH with my friend.’’ The IGMH doctors stitched his wound and told him it was fine, he said. ‘’I was discharged from IGMH that night and I went home, but I did not feel well. I was having difficulty breathing, but since they said I was fine, I thought I was fine,’’ he said. “Later, I realised air was spreading inside my body and my back, chest, neck and arms were puffing up.’’ He said he went to ADK hospital last night. ‘’Doctors at ADK said that I had been stabbed in the lungs and that one of my lungs had stopped functioning,’’ he said. ‘’They said if I had been any later the air would have reached my brain and they would not have been able to help me.’’ He was admitted at ADK hospital and had a pipe inserted into his lungs due to stem the internal bleeding. He said that the other boy who was stabbed had been discharged. The following afternoon two more boys were stabbed in Mahchangolhi, one in the head and another in the back. A person familiar with the matter said neither were seriously injured. “One boy was stabbed neat Mahchangolhi cemetery and other was stabbed near Ameenee building,’’ he said. ‘’It was around 11:00 am in the morning – they were stabbed at the same time, one after the other.’’ Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed six people were stabbed over the weekend, one fatally. “Four people were injured on Friday and one of them died. Yesterday afternoon two were injured,’’ he said.
Archived link 01
10th August 2010
Woman alleges senior police officer sexually abused her inside police car
A woman has filed a case at police headquarters alleging she was sexually abused last Thursday by a group of people, including a chief inspector. Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the case had been filed and that police were now investigating the matter. “The person accused denies the charges,” he said. “She alleged there was also a police chief inspector included in the group she claimed had sexually abused her.” He declined to give further information on the case, saying police would disclose more information once the investigation was concluded. A close friend of the alleged victim told Minivan News the incident occurred near Seahouse restaurant in Henveiru. “She would not be older than 22 years, she was friends with the police inspector,’’ he said. “According to what she told me, she was partying with a group of four police officers, including a senior inspector, and they were all drunk.’’ He alleged that the incident occurred inside a police car. “She said they threw her onto the street after sexually abusing her,’’ he said. Meanwhile, local newspaper Haveeru reported that a group of people had burned the motorbike of the police inspector in an arson attack.
Archived link 01
17th August 2010
Exploitation of Bangladeshi workers worth hundreds of millions, says former High Commissioner
Exploitation of foreign workers rivals fishing as the second most profitable sector of the Maldivian economy after tourism, according to conservative estimates of the number of Bangladeshi workers showing up at their commission in Male’ after being abandoned at the airport by unscrupulous employment agents. Former Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the Maldives, Professor Selina Mohsin, who finished her assignment in July, told Minivan News that every day 40 Bangladeshi nationals were turning up at reception, “having come to the Maldives and found they have nothing to do. So naturally they come here to the High Commission.” Most of the stranded workers were recruited in rural areas of Bangladesh by local brokers, who would work alongside a Maldivian counterpart. “The Bangladeshi counterpart charges the worker a minimum of US$2000, but it goes up to $US4000. This money is collected by the counterpart and divided: typically three quarters to Maldivian broker and one quarter to the Bangladeshi counterpart,” Professor Mohsin explained, prior to her departure. “Many workers sell their land, their property, even their homesteads – putting their wives in a relative’s house – and come here for employment they have been told will fetch them between $US300-400 a month. But when they arrive, they find they have no employment.” Stranded in a foreign country and unable to speak English or Dhivehi, the workers either melt into the Bangladeshi community and become illegal workers, working for low wages in substandard conditions, or present themselves at the High Commission and beg for help. In some cases workers are collected from the airport by the brokers and have their passports confiscated before being dumped on the streets of Male’, Professor Mohsin explains. Typically the worker arrives with a local mobile phone number – inevitably disconnected – and does not know the name of the broker. “They eventually end up at my office,” she says, pointing to the Commission’s reception area. “Often they are in a state of shock at arriving to discover they have no employment. I try to put them in a guest house for 7-10 days and see if they can be repatriated, but many can’t and because they owe sums of money they take any job they can – sometimes US$70-80 a month.” Taking into account the Bangladeshi broker’s cut, and based purely on the numbers of stranded expatriates presenting themselves at the high commission, indicates an employment trafficking scam worth upwards of $43.8 million year. Even at conservative figures based on the numbers of Bangladeshi nationals presenting at the commission, this rivals the country’s US$46 million fishing industry (2007, Department of National Planning) as the country’s second largest export earner after tourism. That could likely be just the tip of the iceberg – Professor Mohsin believes the true figure is far higher, pinpointing one operation as bringing in upwards of $100 million.
Archived link 01
18th August 2010
Ibrahim Mohamed writes “Can we live in paradise without our Bangladeshi workers?"
Archived link 01
18th August 2010
Government decreases sentences of Sultan Park bombers under Clemency Act
The government has confirmed it has commuted the sentences of two of the three convicted terrorists responsible for the 2007 bombing of Sultans Park in Male’, under the Clemency Act. Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said the pair, identified by local media as Ahmed Naseer and Mohamed Sobah, were “not granted clemency, but had their sentences decreased.” The two men had their sentences changed from incarceration to three year suspended sentences under observation.
Archived link 01
22nd August 2010
Qur’an teacher Qari Hussein Thaufeeq arrested on multiple charges of child sex abuse
Renowned Qary (Quran reciter) Hussein Thaufeeq, widely considered to be one of the best Quran readers in the Maldives, has been arrested on multiple charges of child sex abuse. Thaufeeq hosts a daily Quran teaching programme on Television Maldives (TVM) for school children every evening after Isha prayers. He also leads Friday prayers and conducts sermons. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed Thaufeeq was in police custody after being arrested in connection with “many” child sex offences against girls, “some cases going back a long time.” ‘’The case is under investigation and further information cannot be provided at this stage,’’ said Shiyam. Police arrested Thaufeeq last week and presented him to the Criminal Court requesting for an extension of his detention. The Court granted an extension of custody to 15 days. State Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed declined to comment on the issue, “as the case is still under investigation.’’ President of the Adhaalath Party Sheikh Hussein Rasheed said that the party was “very concerned” over the issue, “not because a certain person may have done it, but because lately these sorts of crimes are increasing in number day by day,’’ Hussein said. ‘’I would not like to say anything regarding this [specific] case, because it hasn’t been decreed by a court of law and until then it is just an accusation.”
Archived link 01
29th August 2010
Police file case against Mohamed Nazim, despite reversion
The police have lodged the case of Mohamed Nazim/Machangoalhi Eynaz, who declared that he was a non-Muslim during the Q&A session of a lecture given by Indian scholar Dr Zakir Naik, with the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office. Nazim, 38, however, apologised publicly before journalists after three days of religious counselling given by Islamic Ministry and gave the ‘Shahaadha’ testimony on TV. Police also confirmed the case. However, the police did not disclose further details. While some local lawyers earlier claimed that Nazim is eligible for punishment both by Maldives laws and Islamic Shari’a, others argued that only Shari’a law could be evoked on him. Some of them also noted that Nazim’s citizenship could be revoked. Nazim’s announcement on May 28 sparked comments of hatred from an angry crowd of around 11,000 with many calling to kill him and eventually attacking him before police intervened and took him into custody.
Archived link 01
9th September 2010
Woman acquitted of killing newborn baby
The Juvenile Court has acquitted a woman who police alleged killed her newborn baby, ruling that her three confessions contradicted each other. Police alleged that at 2:00 on July 16, the then 16-year old woman drowned the baby after giving birth in the bathroom of her home, before putting its body into a plastic bag and throwing it into a lagoon on the south side of Dhanbidhoo in Laamu atoll. The court noted that according to article 52 of the constitution, no confession is admissible as evidence unless made in court by an accused who is in a sound state of mind. Haveeru reported that police checked all women on the island between the ages of 12 and 45 in the island after the dead infant was discovered in the lagoon.
Archived link 01
21st September 2010
Maldives Rehabs Extremists With ‘True Spirit Of Islam’ - Huffington Post
The string of more than 1,100 islands off India’s southern tip is now offering to export its success to nations seeking to combat extremism. Skeptics, meanwhile, say the program is built on Saudi Arabia’s strictWahhabi version of Islam, which some critics say actually foments extremism; 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attackers were Saudi citizens.The rehabilitation effort is sponsored by the country’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Minister Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari says there’s hope in the Quran for Muslims who have “gone astray.”
Archived link 01
28th September 2010
Revelations of a former apostate: Mohamed Nazim speaks to Minivan News
Many Maldivians are depressed and “collapsing inside” under the weight of the silence enforced on their questions of belief in Islam, Mohamed Nazim has said. Nazim, now often referred to as ‘The Apostate’ by many, openly expressed doubts over his belief in Islam at a public lecture given by Dr Zakir Naik, an Indian religious speaker, towards the end of May this year. Days later Nazim re-embraced Islam, equally publicly, having received counselling from religious scholars while on remand at Dhoonidhoo. Both events – Nazim’s renouncing of belief in Islam and the rapid reversal that followed -elicited a strong response from both liberals and conservatives both within the country and overseas. Whatever the opinion on either side, Nazim told Minivan News, the issue of faith – or lack thereof – was not going to go away “simply because it is ignored.” “Both the state and non-state agencies need to, at the very least, acknowledge that there are a substantial number of Maldivians who think about their faith and, sometimes, question it,” he said. Nazim said that acknowledgement of their existence was not tantamount to calling for a secular state, as many seem to assume, but rather the first step towards addressing the problems that inevitably accompany any serious questions regarding faith. Nazim’s repentance and return to Islam after his public proclamation that he was ‘not a Muslim’ happened within days. Reports said the change had been the result of counselling which Nazim had received while on remand. Details of what followed after his proclamation of ‘apostasy’, until now, have been vague.
Archived link 01
29th September 2010
Internet and ignorance to blame for religious extremism in the Maldives, says Dr Bari
Religious extremism in the Maldives is the long-term result of the previous government’s repression of religious debate and learning, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has said. “As Muslims, Maldivians were keen to learn about Islam”, Dr Bari told Minivan News. The country’s education system as well as certain government policies, however, shut the door to such knowledge. Dr Bari said many Maldivians were forced to travel abroad to seek religious enlightenment, and several ended up at the “wrong type” of institutions. Some Maldivians attended the religious schools or ‘madhrasaas’ of Pakistan, targeted in the US-led War on Terror as ‘breeding grounds’ for terrorists. In addition to those indoctrinated at the madhrasaas, Dr Bari said, several Maldivian extremists were radicalised over the internet.
Archived link 01
5th October 2010
Death penalty and Shari’a are the answer to escalating violence in the Maldives, say MPs
Imposing the death penalty, following Shari’a, and harsher prison conditions are the best way forward for solving the increasing violence in Maldivian society, several MPs have stated. Fares-Maathodaa MP Ibrahim Muththalib said the major problem faced by society today is the decision of the criminal justice system to ignore Shari’a. “We cast aside the Shari’a and adopted man-made sentencing laws”, he said, making today’s violent society possible. “Instead of being put to death, murderers are allowed to languish in prisons, given the opportunity to get married and to procreate. We cannot stop the violence without stopping such practices. We cannot stop such problems without a death for death policy”, Muththalib told the Majlis. “I believe that if you impose the death sentence on just two people in this country, there will no longer be anyone left who will kill. If you amputate the hands of two people in this country, there will be no more thieves left. We have to think about how we can establish these principles of Islam”, Muththalib said.
Archived link 01
6th October 2010
Qur’an teacher Qari Hussein Thaufeeq arrested on multiple charges of child sex abuse moved to house arrest
Former Qari Hussein Thaufeeq, arrested last month on multiple charges of child sex abuse, has been transferred to house arrest, reports Haveeru. Renowned Qari Thaufeeq, Maafannu Dreamy Light, was arrested on 17 August this year and faces up to 18 years imprisonment if found guilty. He was transferred to house arrest on Friday, as confirmed by the Criminal Court and the police. The penalty for child sex abuse, according to the Child Sex Abuse (Special Provisions) Act, is 10-14 years but can be extended to 15-18 years if the accused was in a position of trust with the childrenhe allegedly abused. Thaufeeq was a resource person at the Centre for Holy Quran in Male’ when the allegations were made against him.
Archived link 01
20th October 2010
Domestic violence accepted and justified in the Maldives, says report
The proposed Domestic Violence Bill will nullify some “God given rights” that no man-made law should be allowed to take away, according to some of the objections raised by MPs when it was debated in the Majlis last week. “Do not to call upon us to make haraam (forbidden) something that God’s law has permitted us to do. It is when we try to forbid things that God allows us to do that problems begin”, Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Musthafa said, according records of the debate. Several MPs said various parts of the Bill were against the teachings of Islam, and criticised it for “unduly favouring” women while at the same time making life “extremely difficult” for men, who they said, were wronged by women. A Ministry of Gender and Family study, the first comprehensive nationwide survey of domestic violence in the Maldives, showed that one in every three women between the ages of 15-49 has been a victim of domestic violence. It also showed there is general acceptance of domestic violence across the country and among both sexes, as ‘normal’ or ‘justified’. Seventy percent of Maldivian women believe, for example, that there are circumstances under which a man is justified in beating his wife. Infidelity and disobedience, most women accept, are valid reasons for taking a good beating from the husband. A majority of women also accept that women have a subordinate role to men, according to the report. One in every three Maldivian men who commit acts of domestic violence against women do so for ‘no reason’. One in four does it to punish the woman for disobedience, and one in five does it because he is jealous. One in every ten man beats up his partner because she refused him sex, and the rest of them do it for any number of reasons – lack of food at home, family problems, because they are broke or unemployed, because they are having problems at work, or because the woman is pregnant. Seven per cent of the men do it when they are drunk or on drugs.
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21st October 2010
Family Court seeks marriage registrars – women need not apply
The Family Court is looking for twenty marriage registrars. The conditions are that they be graduate followers of Sunni Islam, in possession of a sound mind, lacking a criminal record and, male. Article 142 of the Constitution states that judges should consider Islamic Shari’ah when deciding on matters on which the Constitution or the law is silent. On the issue of discrimination, the Constitution is clear. Article 17 prohibits discrimination against anyone on the basis of their gender while Article 20 states that ‘every individual is equal before and under the law’. Hassan Saeed, Chief Judge of the Family Court, and his deputy, Hassan Shafeeu were both unavailable for comment throughout the day. Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Shaheem, an expert on Shar’iah, told Minivan that he would need more time to study the issue before commenting. Shaheem also stated that he was unaware of a woman having been appointed as a registrar of Muslim marriages in any Islamic country.
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10th October 2010
Hate groups shut down the first ever attempt at a Maldivian Gay Pride March
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26th October 2010
Foreign couple mocked as “infidels” and “swine” throughout resort’s ‘wedding ceremony’
“You are swine” and “the children that you bear from this marriage will all be bastard swine,” a tourist couple renewing their marriage vows in the Maldives were told in a ‘traditional Maldivian’ ceremony conducted in Dhivehi at Vilu Reef Beach and Spa Resort. “Your marriage is not a valid one. You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage. One of you is an infidel. The other, too, is an infidel – and we have reason to believe –an atheist, who does not even believe in an infidel religion,” the ‘celebrant’ tells the couple, who appear completely unaware of the humiliation they are being subjected to. A 15-minute video of the ceremony was uploaded on YouTube on October 24 2010 by a member of staff. Vilu Reef Manager Mohamed Rasheed told Minivan News that the staff member who uploaded the video did it as “a joke”, without “realising the seriousness of the potential consequences”. Vilu Reef Beach and Spa Resort advertises itself as a place where couples can renew their wedding vows “hand in hand against a golden sunset backdrop” and where their “everlasting love” can be sealed by a “kaleidoscope of romantic hues” that covers the sky during the sunset. In the video the ‘celebrant’ briefs the couple in English, prior to the ceremony, that it will be conducted according to “not only Maldivian” but also “Arabic and Islamic” norms. Two wedding rings inside an open coconut, which appears to be lined with mother of pearl, are in front of the couple along with two fresh coconuts. The couple seem dressed for the ceremony, the woman in white as favoured by Western brides. “Don’t look at her chest”, a man – possibly the videographer – is heard saying as the woman leans over to take a sip from the coconut. She adjusts her neckline. Men, about ten or more, surround the area both outside and inside the palm fronds, which appears to be a make-shift wedding venue. The celebrant twirls his thumbs over a piece of paper that he appears to be studying with deep concentration. A male voice asks him if the document is “something new”. He replies that it is “the seventh Article of the Penal Code”. The document, of which there is a brief close-up in the video, has absolutely no relation to marriage laws in the Maldives. Words that are legible on the document refer to “staff employment”, suggesting that it is a document relating to employment regulations. Asking the couple and other ‘officials’ to raise their hands as is customary for Muslim prayers, the ‘celebrant’ begins his marriage vows. “Fornication has been legalised according to Article six, 1.11 of the Penal Code”, he chants in a tone favoured by religious scholars. “That is, frequent fornication by homosexuals. Most fornication is by males,” he continues. “Research has shown that men have a higher sex drive than women,” he says. “According to Article 8 to 6 of the Penal Code, converting to Islam, or circumcision, is not desirable under any circumstances. “Germs of anger and hatred will breed and drip from the tips of your penises,” he says.The ‘celebrant’ then switches from his improvised “Islamic and Maldivian marriage laws” to reading aloud from the document in front of him in the same ‘religious’ tone. This time, what he chants to the couple is to do with terms of employment. When he returns to the ‘marriage vows’, he refers to certain Articles of the Constitution and combines ‘Section e” and “Section f” to create the word “balhu”, which in Dhivehi means “swine”. ‘E’ in Dhivehi is the letter ‘baa’ and ‘F’ the letter ‘lhaviyani’. The ‘celebrant’ mixes the two letters to make the word ‘balhu’, the full version of which, as used by the ‘celebrant’, is ‘nagoo balhu’. The literal translation of the term is ‘crooked tail’, believed to refer to a pig’s tail, and is considered to be one of the worst insults in the Dhivehi language. “You are swine according to the Constitution,” he declares, solemnly. He then asks the couple to stand up and hold hands. The ‘officials’, too, stand up and place their hands on the couples’. They form a séance-like circle and the ‘celebrant’ begins chanting. “Aleelaan, baleelaan…”, he begins. What he is chanting is not a verse from the Qur’an, or marriage vows in Dhivehi, but are the words of a popular Dhivehi children’s game. Words of the game, too, are changed to say “black swine” instead of what is contained in the original. “Before buggering a chicken, check if the hole is clean. That is because the people of the countries that you are from are familiar with the taste of the ****holes of chicken,” he chants, still with hands held over the couples’. “Do not treat with kindness people against whom violence is being committed. Commit more violence against victims of violence. You are not people who have been sent to this world to commit violence.” He then returns to the matter of staff salaries, which he continues to chant in the same tone as he had done the insults. “Do not complain too much about salaries, or matters regarding salaries. That is against the Penal Code. This is not something I am saying for your benefit – it is a law that we have made.” He begins to chant loudly about “black swine”, stringing insult after insult and delivering it in the same rather ominous tone that Maldivian religious figures choose to deliver their sermons in. “You fornicate and make a lot of children. You drink and you eat pork. Most of the children that you have are marked with spots and blemishes… these children that you have are bastards,” he continues solemnly. Someone else is heard at this point to tell the ‘celebrant’ to “say a little bit more, and then quit.” The concluding chant is delivered in a gentler, softer voice: “Keep fornicating frequently, and keep spreading hatred among people. The children you will have from this marriage will all be bastard swine.” While the couple are putting rings on each other’s fingers, someone is heard saying that the recording should stop. “Don’t you worry about it,” says someone else, and the recording continues. “Aren’t they going to suck mouth?” someone is heard asking. “Make them suck mouth”, it is urged. ‘Sucking mouth’ is a term used by Maldivians to denigrate the act of kissing. “So now, in Maldivian law, in Islam, you are already married”, says the ‘celebrant’, returning to English. The hapless couple are then told to relax and enjoy the celebrations that are to follow, by the end of which a certificate of their nuptials will be ready for them.
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26th October 2010
Police arrest man on Noonu Atoll for sexually abusing daughter
A man has been arrested in Noonu Atoll for alleged sexual abuse of his 15 year-old daughter. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that a man was arrested in Noonu Atoll on charges of sexual abuse. He said that further information could not be provided at the moment. However, a person familiar with the matter told Minivan News that the case had been reported and the girl was being examined by police. He claimed the arrested person was the girl’s father, and that he had been charged with molestation. The source claimed the girl’s boyfriend had secretly “gathered evidence” that the abuse was occurring before presenting it to her and assisting her in reporting it to the police. The abuse had been occurring for some time, the source claimed.
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22nd November 2010
Sheikh Fareed denies second marriage was conducted in secrecy
Prominent religious scholar Sheik Ibrahim Fareed has denied rumors that his second marriage, which was conducted in Sri Lanka, was conducted in secrecy. Sheikh Freed’s lawyer Shaheem Ahmed told Minivan News that police officers yesterday went to Fareed’s house and questioned him about the marriage. ‘’Police officers told Sheikh Fareed that the case was reported to police by the Islamic ministry,’’ claimed the lawyer, ‘’and said that the Islamic Ministry had reported that the marriage was held in secrecy.’’A marriage cannot be held in secrecy, continued Shaheem, adding that it was furthermore not the position of the police to investigate such matters.‘’This is just a personal attack on Sheikh Fareed, it is very clear,’’ he said. He also said the Islamic Ministry had denied it reported the case to police.
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28th November 2010
Police search Hulhumale hospital during investigation of abandoned baby
An abandoned newborn female baby was discovered in some bushes near the Wataniya telecommunications tower in Hulhumale’ last week. The baby was first taken to Hulhumale’ hospital for treatment and now has been transferred to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
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2011
30th January 2011
Charges against Sheikh Fareed “political matter, not a religious issue”
The President of the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) Ibrahim Fauzy has called on the authorities to withdraw charges against Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed Ahmed, after he appeared in the Criminal Court charged for violating the former Religious Unity Act. The Court alleged that Sheikh Fareed had preached on some islands without permission from the government authorities in 2007. Sheikh Fareed was summoned to the Criminal Court today and was given the chance to respond to the charges. ”The former Religious Unity Act is contradictory to the new constitution, it is not acceptable to charge Sheikh Fareed over this issue,” said Fauzy. ”It is all related to politics. The former government confiscated his permission to preach, and later he only spoke at political rallies when he was in the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).” Sheikh Fareed was arrested alongside many MDP delegates while he was aboard a boat traveling from Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the year 2007, said Fauzy. ”Perhaps he sometimes gave advice to people at political rallies, but that cannot be considered preaching,” he said.”It is a political matter, not a religious issue.” Sheikh Fareed told Minivan News today that he was not sure about the nature of the charges against him.”They are saying that I preached without the permission of authorities,” said Sheikh Fareed. ”I have requested the Criminal Court provide me details of the case.” Sheikh Fareed said that he could only be certain of the case when he received the documents from the court.
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31st January 2011
Females cannot perform marriage ceremonies under Islam, declares Fiqh Academy
The Islamic Ministry’s Fiqh Academy has declared that women are not allowed to perform marriages or lead a marriage ceremony according to Islam, and therefore cannot be a judge when performing marriages. The declaration was announced by the President of Fiqh Academy and Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, together with eight other scholars of the academy. The Fiqh Academy explained that the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) had ruled that woman could not perform a marriage ceremony herself, and nor could she perform the marriage of another woman. The wife of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), Ummulmu’mineen Aisha, Ali and Abu Hurairath had also said that women could not perform marriages, the Academy explained, adding that all the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) also agreed that woman could not perform marriages. Furthermore, the Fiqh Academy said that as marriages were in the hands of judges, it was contrary to Islamic Sharia for a woman to be in such a position. Despite the fact that some religious scholars disagreed as to whether women could perform marriages,the Academy said it was inclined to side with the majority of scholars who had ruled this was inappropriate.
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21st February 2011
One in seven Maldivian secondary students have been sexually abused, finds 2009 report
Almost one in seven children of secondary school age in the Maldives have been sexually abused at some time in their lives, according to an unpublished 2009 study on violence against children. Rates of sexual abuse for girls are almost twice as high than for boys at 20 percent – one in five girls have been sexually abused – while the figure for boys was 11 percent. Girls are particularly at risk in the capital Male’, the report found. The National Study of Violence Against Children, produced by UNICEF and the Ministry of Gender and Family and conducted by global research firm TNS, was heavily cited at last week’s Conference on Child Protection held at Bandos. The stud – currently unofficial – is the first large-scale national study on the issue of physical and emotional punishment against children in the Maldives, interviewing almost 17,035 people in 2500 households as well as 2000 children in schools. The study found that 47 percent of Maldivian children under the age of 18 have undergone physical or emotional punishment at home, school or in the community. “The use of emotional punishment is considerably wide-spread and is also supported by the parents’ beliefs that this is an effective way of teaching children the proper behaviour,” the report found. Boys were more susceptible to physical punishment while large numbers of girls at secondary school level reported emotional punishment. Eight percent of school students, mostly boys, reported physical punishment from their school teachers. Physical violence was more common among students attending secondary school in the atolls, with one in four reporting they had been hit by adults or other children during the past year. The figure for Male’ was 14 percent. 30 percent of children at secondary school reported being hit by at least one of their caregivers, while 21 percent said at object had had been used to do this. A quarter of all carefivers said they believed that physical punishment had a positive effect on the rearing of children. Furthermore, “children who suffer from a handicap – however light – have experienced significantly more emotional punishment than children without such handicaps,” the report said. The study also revealed a lingering distrust of authorities and their ability to deal with issues relating to physical or sexual abuse of children. “When aware of a case of abuse in the community, the majority [of respondents] chose to not inform the authorities, not [to] cause any trouble and/or due to limited belief in the efficiency of the system.” The report identified that despite high awareness of the issue, the cultural background of the Maldivia society “does not particularly prohibit emotional or physical punishment of children.” Efforts to increase the level of discussion were “hampered by the notion that such events should be solved in the home and not discussed publicly.” Resolution of cases within the legal system was a particular change for the Maldives, especially cases involving child sexual abuse. “The victim itself might turn out to be made liable for such an event and might be subjected itself to penal proceedings if the perpetrator does not plead guilty or four witnesses for the prosecution cannot be found,” the report noted. It urged the education of caregivers as to the negative impact of violence against children, and highlighted particular discrepencies in the education system. “Over 30 percent of teachers in the Maldives are untrained because 80 percent of staff training costs are transport related. In a country where 70 percent of the population lives on islands far from the capital, and where transport among islands can be prohibitively expensive, many children are at the risk of being invisible,” the report warned. The report also produced some interesting demographic findings about the structure of the Maldivian families. In 24 percent of cases, a child’s male caregiver is not their biological father – in seven percent of cases, this role is performed by an older brother, and only rarely (two percent) by a stepfather or uncle. 87 percent of children have their biological mother as a caregiver. A quarter of all children reported health difficulties. The majority of these concerned problems seeing, and to a lesser extent, “walking or climbing stairs”. Domestically, arguments between children and their caregivers in the home revolve around fairly universal themes: watching TV (10 percent), household chores (10 percent), homework (12 percent), and staying up late (seven percent). The main source of domestic arguments for girls were household chores (15 percent) – the second highest source of friction for boys was hairstyle (12 percent).
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7th March 2011
Sheikh Fareed set to retire with farewell sermon on Friday
The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) has announced that famous religious scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed will deliver his ‘Farewell Sermon‘ this Friday night at the artificial beach.”This may be his last sermon,” said President of Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) Ibrahim Fauzy. ”On Friday night he will announce whether he is retiring or not,” he said. ”As everyone know very well, Sheikh Fareed has a pending case in court, which could make him stay in prison for more than 10 years, if found guilty.” Fauzy said that in the recent years as well as today religious scholars faced many obstacles to their work.”Today also we do not have the real freedom – the culture of obstructing religious scholars is still alive,” he said. ”He will refer to the Khuthbathul-Wadhaau(Last Sermon of Prophet Mohamed PBUH) and will also preach about the current situation,” said Fauzy.
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17th March 2011
Supreme Court disputes allegations of corruption against judges
The Supreme Court of the Maldives has issued a press releasedisputing the corruption allegations made against former Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, who is currently a member of the Supreme Court bench, and a second Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed. ”The stories published are all untrue,” the statement said. ”We advise not to conduct any attempts that will harm the sanctity of the courts and its judges and to keep all actions within the constitution of the Maldives.” The statement said that repairing Supreme Court’s cars and vehicles was not within the job description of the judges and judges had no role to play in repairing the Supreme Court’s vehicles, after allegations that Hameed had twice repaired his car with Supreme Court funds. No judge at the Supreme Court had ever received phone allowances or any other allowance, and no judge at the Supreme Court receives any allowance not mentioned in the constitution or laws, said the Supreme Court in its statement. Local radio station SunFM yesterday reported that the two judges were accused of corruption and a case was filed in the ACC, alleging that the two judges had paid their personal telephone bills from Supreme Court funds. SunFM quoted a senior staff member at the judiciary as saying that the phone bills of each of the judge totaled over Rf 17,000 (US$1323) each month. ”Last month judge Abdulla Saeed’s spent Rf 25,000 (US$1945) of the Supreme Court’s money as phone allowance,” SunFM quoted the source as saying. SunFM also reported that judge Ali Hameed’s car was damaged twice in accidents and was also repaired using Supreme Court money. The source in the judiciary also alleged that Ali Hameed had threatened a staff member at the Finance Department of the Supreme Court saying that he would be sacked if the did not hand over the money to fix the car after the second accident.
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23rd March 2011
Cab driver accused of attempted rape
A taxi driver has been reported to police for allegedly trying to sexually assault a girl inside the cab. Police Lance Corporal Abdul Majeed Moosa told Minivan News that the incident occurred in Male’ inside a taxi yesterday. ”No person was so far arrested in connection with the case,” he said. ”We are now investigating the case.” Local media has reported that the girl was 20 years-old and had called the taxi dispatch to send a taxi to take her home during her break at noon yesterday. Instead the cab driver allegedly took her to a pickup parking lot near the Customs Office in Maafannu and attempted to take advantage of her, according to local medias, tearing her dress in an attempt to remove her clothes. Media reported that the girl cried out and tried to knock on the car windows during the attempted rape, but the car had darkly tinted windows. Then the driver took to Chandanee Magu, where she escaped and ran home. The driver had tried to hold her inside the taxi by covering her mouth using his hands, however the girl attacked him with a pin, local media reported.
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27th March 2011
Bangladeshi arrested for alleged rape attempt of 13 year-old girl
Police have arrested a Bangladeshi man who allegedly attempted to rape a 13 year-old girl in Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll. Police Lance Corporal Abdul Majeed Moosa told Minivan News that police were called about the incident this morning at 2:30am. ”He was been arrested early this morning,” Moosa said. ”We can’t give more information as the investigation has not been concluded yet.” The Bangladeshi man was 22 years-old, he added.Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the Bangladeshi man entered the girl’s room at midnight while she was asleep and attempted to rape her. According to Haveeru she bit his finger and he left. The man was naked when he entered the girl’s house, Haveeru reported according to sources.
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7th April 2011
Former ‘Mr Maldives’ wins unfair dismissal case
The Civil Court ordered the Maldives Police Service yesterday to reinstate Constable Husham Hameed to his post after the former ‘Mr Maldives’ was fired last year on suspicion of sexually assaulting a young woman inside a police car. According to newspaper Haveeru, Judge Aisha Shujoon ruled that the police disciplinary committee’s decision to dismiss Husham was both inconsistent with section 24(b) of police regulations and disproportionate to the alleged offence. The judge added that the committee’s action against Husham violated his rights under articles 37 and 38 of the constitution, ordering police to reinstate Husham within 15 days and pay his lost salary and allowances in 30 days. The three other police officers dismissed along with Husham – Corporal Mohamed Fayaz, Corporal Ali Nasheed and Chief Inspector Risheef Thoha – have ongoing unfair dismissal cases at the Civil Court.
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19th April 2011
19 year old man arrested for alleged rape of 74 year-old woman
Police have arrested a 19 year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting a 74 year-old elderly woman on Hithadhoo in in Seenu Atoll. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police were informed of the incident, which occurred this morning, but offered no further information. ”We are currently investigating the incident,” Shiyam said.
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8th May 2011
Doctors examining the body of a dead infant found in a bag in the swimming track area reported that the baby’s body had cuts, bruises and other wounds
Doctors examining the body of an dead infant found in a bag in the swimming track area have reported that the baby’s body had cuts, bruises and other wounds. A police officer swimming in the track area on Thursday discovered the corpse of the premature baby underwater. “The doctor said there were three cuts in the arms, not very deep cuts,’’ said spokesperson for Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Zeenath Ali. ‘’There were two bruises on a leg and two wounds to the head,” she added. She said it was difficult to say the cause of the injuries. ’It may be the ropes in the area caused these injuries,’’ she said, adding that the infant appeared to have been born 26-28 weeks prematurely. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam also confirmed that several injuries were found on the infant’s body. ‘’We cannot say the cause of the injuries exactly,’’ Shiyam said. ‘’The dead body has now been laid to rest.’’ He said police were currently investigating the case.
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21st May 2011
Corpse of a premature baby boy discovered inside a Coast Milk tin on the island of Villingli
The corpse of a premature baby boy was discovered yesterday inside a Coast Milk tin on the island of Villingli, the second abandoned infant found in as many weeks. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that the dead child, believed by forensic examiners to have been born three months premature, was discovered in the discarded container near the powerhouse area of the island. The baby was taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ for forensic examination before being buried, according to the police. On May 5 a dead infant was been found in a plastic bag in the swimming track area of Male’. A medical examination later concluded that the baby’s had sustained cuts, bruises and other wounds. Shiyam said that yesterday’s discovery of the dead infant on Villingli was not believed by police to reflect an escalating problem in the country concerning child abandonment or abortion. However, he said police did have serious concerns about the health implications for mothers of these abandoned children. “Although we know this [abandonment] is happening, it is not something we believe is a growing issue. However, we request the public not support people who are thinking of abandoning a baby,” he said. “We are very concerned about the health of the mothers of these children, who are not receiving proper medical treatment or the drugs they may require for recovery.”
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22nd May 2011
Two women arrested in connection with the discovery of dead baby in Villingili
Deputy head of police Serious and Organised Crime Department Inspector Abdulla Nawaz told media today that police had arrested a 30 year old woman from Noonu Atoll who was the suspected mother of the baby, and a 24 year old woman from Kaafu Atoll who was alleged to have assisted her deliver the baby prematurely. Nawaz said that police were now examining the body of the 30 year old woman after she confessed to giving birth two days ago but was unable to tell police where the baby was. The 24 year old had meanwhile confessed that she had assisted Shaira in delivering the baby prematurely, Nawaz said. Abortion is illegal in the Maldives, although an unreleased 2007 by the International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) found the practice was believed to be widespread due to the social stigma faced by a woman bearing a child out of wedlock.
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Corpse of newborn baby discovered in a park in Hulhumale’ strangled with underwear, hospital confirms
The body of a newborn baby boy discovered in a park in Hulhumale’ this morning was found with underwear tied tightly around his neck. Spokesperson for Hulhumale’ Hospital Dr Ahmed Ashraf said the baby may have died from asphyxiation. "When the baby was found the knot was a bit loose, but the marks on its neck shows that it was tied tightly around the neck,’’ Dr Ashraf said. Dr Ashraf said the baby was dead when discovered, and was first brought to Hulhumale’ hospital before the police took the body for forensic investigation. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the baby was male and appeared to have competed nine months gestation. The dead baby is the third to have been found abandoned in the last few weeks. On Friday the corpse of a three-month premature infant was discovered in a Coast Milk tin in Villingili, while on May 5 another premature baby was found in a plastic bag in Male’s swimming track area. A medical examination later concluded that the baby had sustained cuts, bruises and other wounds.
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23rd May 2011
Third female arrested in connection with dead infant found in Villingili
Police have arrested a third female in connection with the prematurely abandoned baby found inside a Coast Milk Tin in Villingili last week. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the arrest was made. ‘’She’s an 18 year-old female,’’ said Shiyam, adding that investigation was ongoing.
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24th May 2011
Yameen Rasheed writes “Dead babies do not lie”
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25th May 2011
Five men gang rape 18 year-old girl in Laamu Atoll Maabaidhoo
A group of five men allegedly gang raped an 18 year-old girl on Maabaidhoo in Laamu Atoll, police have confirmed. According to the ‘Laamuatoll’ newspaper based on Maabaidhoo, the group of five men snatched the 18 year-old girl as she was walking down a street last night, and took her to the other side of the island before gang raping her. “Her mother noticed she was missing at 7:00pm and set out searching for her,’’ said the paper. ‘’At 9:00pm last night her mother found her sitting under a coconut palm tree, barely covered as her clothes were torn.” The paper also reported that the group of men had blindfolded her using her headscarf, and dropped her to the ground hurting her head. She was carried to the hospital on a vehicle as she could not walk properly due to the injuries she received, said the paper. At the hospital police were called and informed about the incident, but reportedly could not make it to the island because of poor weather. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the incident had occurred and that police were now investigating the case. ‘’We have arrested one person in connection with the case,’’ Shiyam said. ‘’We will provide more details after the investigation.’’
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21st June 2011
Abandoned baby discovered inside garage in Thinadhoo
An islander on Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll today discovered an abandoned newborn baby inside a garage this morning. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the incident occurred and said the police were currently trying to trace the baby’s mother. ‘’It was a male baby and he was in a good condition when found,’’ Shiyam said. ‘’So far no arrests have been made.’’ Shiyam said the investigation was still on going and details would be revealed later. Local media reported that the baby was admitted to Thinadhoo hospital and that an anonymous woman had phoned the hospital and claimed the baby.
Archive 01
28th July 2011
Maldives remains on US State Department’s human trafficking watch list for second year
The Maldives remains on the US State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List for human trafficking, a list signifying an increasing number of victims and little evidence of increased efforts to tackle the problem. The report comes days after the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) was called to temporarily take over the front line work of the Immigration Department and Human Resources Ministry pending an investigation into corruption and falsification of work permits. Migrant workers from Bangladesh and to a lesser extent, India, are being subjected to forced labour in the Maldives, primarily in the construction and service sectors, while women and girls are also being subjected to sex trafficking, the report said. An unknown number of the up to 110,000 foreign workers in the country – a third of the population – “face conditions indicative of forced labor: fraudulent recruitment practices, confiscation of identity and travel documents, withholding or nonpayment of wages, or debt bondage,” the report noted, adding that 30,000 workers had no legal status in the country. Bangladeshi nationals were especially vulnerable to labour trafficking, the report stated, citing “diplomatic sources” as claiming that half the Bangladeshi workers in the country had arrived illegally, having paid between US$1000 and US$4000 in ‘recruitment fees’. “In addition to Bangladeshis and Indians, some migrants from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal reportedly experienced recruitment fraud before arriving in the Maldives,” the report noted. “Trafficking offenders in the Maldives usually fall into three groups: families that subject domestic servants to forced labor; employment agents who bring low-skilled migrant workers to the Maldives under false terms of employment and upon payment of high fees for purposes of forced labor; and employers who subject the migrants to conditions of forced labor upon arrival,” the report revealed.
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23rd July 2011
“Ideology of Adhaalath party and DRP is very close”: Gayoom
The ideology of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and religious conservative Adhaalath party “is very close,” former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said at a rally Thursday night. “Adhaalath party’s ideology and DRP’s ideology is very close,” he said. “That is because Adhaalath party’s main priority is securing Islam in the country, promoting Islam, reviving the spirit of Islam in the Maldives and ensuring that the country remains a 100 percent Muslim nation.”
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25th July 2011
Human trafficking worth US$123 million, authorities estimate
An ongoing police investigation into labour trafficking in the Maldives has uncovered an industry worth an estimated US$123 million, eclipsing fishing (US$46 million in 2007) as the second greatest contributor of foreign currency to the Maldivian economy after tourism. The authorities’ findings echo those first raised by former Bangladeshi High Commissioner Dr Selina Mohsin, reported by Minivan News in August last year, and which saw the country placed on the US State Department’s Tier 2 watchlist for human trafficking. However prior to the current investigation, ordered by President Mohamed Nasheed and which involved the military taking over immigration and human resources duties for a two week period, few facts were known about the Maldivian side of the operation. “People have been creating fraudulent companies and using them to apply for fraudulent work permit quotas, and then diverting these quotas to keep bringing in illegal workers,” said President Nasheed’s Spokesperson, Mohamed Zuhair. “A would-be worker [overseas] pays money and ends up here on fraudulent papers obtained by a bogus agent, from quotas at a non-existent company,” Zuhair said. “Sometimes they are expected to work for 3-4 years to make the payment – workers have told police that this is often as much as US$2000.” Authorities currently estimated the industry to be worth US$123 million a year, he said. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that many illegal workers identified by police through the investigation – the majority from Bangladesh – had sold their land, their property and moved their families to pay the fees demanded by the bogus recruiters. When they arrive they find the job a totally different prospect from what they were led to expect, he said. “Sometimes there is no job and they are released straight onto the street. We found some people who had paid before coming – they arrived at the airport and nobody came to pick them up,” said Shiyam. ”The case is very serious – this is not the way things should be, and it has been going on for a long time.” Zuhair said that in some cases workers brought to the Maldives were themselves recruited to help enlist others from their country – in addition to seven Maldivians, 12 expatriates have been arrested during the case so far. The expansive investigation has seen 18 ‘paper companies’ raided by the police commercial crime unit, headed by Inspector Mohamed Riyaz, who revealed to the media last week that police had seized 4000 passports confiscated from trafficked workers. Two of the seven bogus companies identified as trafficking workers, Ozone Investments Pvt Ltd and Arisco Maldives Pvt Ltd, had brought in 3000 workers between them. Using the fake companies, the traffickers fraudulently obtained work permit quotas for non-existent projects from the Human Resources Ministry by stealing the identities of unwitting Maldivians, or even the deceased. Police had received many complaints about such forgeries from the confused third party, Riyaz told the media. Moreover, many of the quotas requested from the Human Resources Ministry had been approved despite obvious warning signs such as the importing of construction workers for specialised IT projects, Riyaz said. Zuhair told Minivan News that while he was unable to “point fingers” as the investigation was ongoing, the current findings implicated senior officials in both the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Human Resources. In addition, the persistent use of fraudulent companies implied further scrutiny of the Ministry of Trade was required, Zuhair said. Trade Minister Mahmoud Razee confirmed to Minivan News that the Ministry was providing information to police as requested. Establishing a company in the Maldives carried few requirements under existing laws, he explained, “and even before this we have been proposing amendments to company law to require additional clearances for directors, based on their records.” Even for those individuals found guilty of the crime labour trafficking presently represents a violation of the Employment Act, and only carries a small fine. Zuhair said punishment was a matter for the judiciary “and I’m confident justice will be done”. However he acknowledged that the greatest impact would come from exposing those involved: “The people involved will be named and shamed,” he pledged, which would limit their capacity for further fraud or criminal enterprise and hopefully ward off further victims. The investigation was ordered by the President, he noted, as the Immigration Department and the Human Resources Ministry “were each accusing the other for the problem. The government has stepped in as a neutral party to conduct a holistic investigation, without incrimination.” He said the government would need to “seek assistance” to deport the large numbers of illegal workers the investigation was likely to uncover. “The origin countries also have a responsibility to repatriate their nationals,” he said. Minivan News asked Zuhair why the government had only acted after several years of accusations that labor trafficking was prolific in the country – the US State Department recently renewed the Maldives’ position on the trafficking watch list for the second year running. “The accusations have been apparent for the last few years, but the extent to which the situation has developed, and the lines between system error, human error and intentional fraud have been unclear. It has now become clearer,” he said.
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4th August 2011
Five men arrested on Innamadhoo for alleged rape of 16 year-old girl
Minivan News contacted the island office and spoke to an Innamaadhoo councillor, who insisted that the five men “would have had sex with her consent.” “I cannot believe that one would have to rape her, because she is a very wanton girl,” the councillor told Minivan News. “I think her brother somehow found out about it and reported it to police.” The councillor further added that the 16 year-old girl was not from Innamaadhoo and was a “very bad girl.”
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22nd August 2011
Mother of self-declared Addu apostate launches media appeal seeking scholars’ help
The mother of a 22 year-old girl from Addu City who publicly declared her apostasy has launched an appeal in the local Maldivian media seeking the help of religious scholars to make her daughter repent. “She’s been a bit odd ever since she was in the seventh grade, but at the time she did not say the things that she says now,” the 49 year-old mother told Minivan News. “Every time I try to advise her she shouts at me and asks me what I was trying to make her believe, and says that she cannot believe the existence of Allah,” the mother said. The mother said her daughter was currently being held under house arrest while being investigated for allegedly giving birth to a child out of wedlock. “She has misbehaved since she was young, and is saying things that should not be said in front of the children. She has even been calling me balhu (dog).” The mother said that whenever she tried to inform her daughter about death, the afterlife and the punishments for apostasy, her daughter would reply that it was “not a problem for her, and not to worry.” “I admit that it was our negligence as well that allowed her to come this far. We knew about this a while ago and we could have been more careful then,’’ the mother said. “I have been asking around my neighbors and everyone about what to do, but all I can do is remain in this grief thinking about her.” The mother said she “had no solution” to her grief. “There’s still some good inside her. I know that because she has been advising her younger sisters not to be like her,’’ she said. ‘’It’s because she can believe that she is not going the right way.’’ The mother said there “was a reason why this had happened to [her daughter],” but said it was “a long story”. President of Islamic Foundation of the Maldives, Ibrahim Fauzee said the organisation had heard of the appeal and that its local branch was looking into the matter. “For sure, we will provide her assistance,’’ Fauzee said.The Islamic Ministry said it had not received official notice of the matter. The Maldivian Constitution states that the Maldives is a “100 percent” Sunni Muslim country, and the country maintains a reservation to article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on freedom of religion. The last Maldivian to publicly declare apostasy, Mohamed Nazim, did so in front of an 11,000-strong audience attending a lecture in May 2010 by well-known Islamic speaker Dr Zakir Naik.
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25th August 2011
Police release suspects in human trafficking case
Police have released suspects arrested for their alleged involvement in the human trafficking network that exposed last month, Haveeru reports, after the Criminal Court found no grounds to detain them. The number of suspects released is unknown. Five Maldivians and 12 expatriates were previously arrested for their alleged roles in the human trafficking network, said to worth up to US$123 million. The ring reportedly to forged over 70 local investments using copies of national identity cards belonging to individuals who were uninformed or deceased. None of the suspects released today were expatriates involved in that particular case, Haveeru News reports. Minivan News earlier reported that human trafficking has replaced the fishing industry as the Maldivian economy’s second greatest contributor of foreign currency.
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28th August 2010
Salim Waheed writes “Pigeons and slaves” about exaptriate workers and human trafficking
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12th September 2011
Social stigma limiting employment of local women in resort industry, report finds
A new study finds that Maldivian women are the least employed demographic in the resort industry, accounting for only three percent of the total eight percent of female workers at resorts in 2010. Local and foreign men constitute 92 percent of the industry.
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14th September 2011
“Freedom of religion remains severely restricted”: US State Department
Legal restrictions on freedom of religion in the Maldivian constitution and laws are generally enforced in practice by the government, observed a US State Department ‘July-December 2010 International Freedom of Religion Report’ made public yesterday. The new constitution enacted in 2008 designates Islam as the official state religion and states that “a non-Muslim may not become a citizen of the Maldives.” “There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the reporting period. Freedom of religion remained severely restricted,” the report found. “The government required that all citizens be Muslims, and government regulations were based on Sharia (Islamic law).” However it added that “[t]here were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice.” On constitutional restrictions to freedom of religion and conscience, the report noted that religion was “excluded from a list of attributes for which people should not be discriminated against.” Meanwhile under the Protection of Religious Unity Act of 1994, any statement or action contrary to the law could be punished either by a fine or imprisonment. Following the 2008 presidential election, the report noted, President Mohamed Nasheed replaced the former Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs with the current Ministry of Islamic Affairs and appointed the head of the religious conservative Adhaalath party as its minister. “Minivan News reported that every Friday prayer since President Nasheed’s inauguration had been led by a religious figure from the Adhaalath Party,” the report noted. “It stated that in this way, Islam was being controlled by one group at the expense of other prominent scholars. The same report observed that a new ministry newspaper published every Friday, called Road to Steadfastness, printed only articles written by Adaalath Party members. According to government officials, the purpose was to maintain a moderate Islamic environment rather than an extremist one.” The report also referred to the ministry’s ban on religion groups holding independent or separate Friday prayer congregations earlier than the fixed time of 12:35pm: “The ministry justified the ban, stating that separate prayer groups violated the Protection of Religious Unity Act that was intended to promote religious homogeneity.” Although apostasy or conversion by a Maldivian Muslim to another religion was interpreted as a Shariah law violation, “there were no known cases of the government discovering converts and rescinding citizenship as a result of conversion.” “During previous reporting periods, would-be converts were detained and counseled to dissuade them from converting; however, according to press reports, a handful of persons in the country’s blogging community reportedly identified themselves as atheist or Christian,” the report stated. Referring to reporting by Forum 18, a Norwegian human rights organisation that promotes freedom of religion, the State Department report noted that “many persons, especially secular individuals and non-Muslims, voiced their concern over the restrictions on religion in anonymous weblogs. The organization stated fear of social ostracism and government punishment prevented this concern from being openly expressed.” On social pressure restricting religious freedom, the report found that “there has not been a pattern of discrimination, intolerance or harassment.” The report however referred to the suicide of Ismail Mohamed Didi, an air traffic controller who was found hanged from the control tower of Male International Airport on July 11, 2010. “An e-mail written by Ismail, released shortly after his death, revealed that he had been seeking asylum abroad for fear of persecution over his lack of religious belief,” it stated. “Ismail had admitted he was an atheist to his work colleagues and at the time of his death, he was the subject of an internal investigation for professed apostasy. He subsequently had been harassed at work and received anonymous phone calls threatening violence if he did not repent.”
Archived links 01
22nd September 2011
Islamic Foundation files court case seeking repeal of Religious Unity Regulations
Religious NGO Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) has filed a case at the High Court requesting the court rule that the Religious Unity Regulations are inconsistent with the constitution. Controversial new religious unity regulations were published in the government’s gazette last week, cracking down on extremist and unlicensed preaching of Islam in the Maldives. Local media reported that prominent religious scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed, who currently faces charges for allegedly violating the Religious Unity Act, filed the case in the High Court and spoke to the media outside the court. Media reported Sheikh Fareed as stating that the regulation was inconsistent with the constitution as well as the Quran. Fareed was quoted as saying that romantic thoughts, social talks and religious speeches were part of the fundamental right of freedom of speech as stated in the constitution. Meanwhile, religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf and the religious council of the Adhaalath Party voiced opposition to the regulations. Sheikh Fareed today told Minivan News that the regulation was “very” inconsistent with the Quran and the constitution.
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19th October 2011
Mother of abandoned milk can infant sentenced to one year imprisonment
The Criminal Court sentenced the mother of a prematurely born baby found inside a milk can in ViliMale’ on May 19 to one year imprisonment. Aminath Shaira, 30 of Manadhoo in Noonu Atoll, was charged with disobedience to an order under article 88(a) of the 1968 penal code as well as violations under the Child Protection Act. Her accomplice in the crime, Mariyam Rizna, 18, of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll, was sentenced to six months for assisting Shaira in delivering the baby. Rizna’s fingerprints were found on the Coast Milk can. The third suspect however, Aishath Aniya, 24, of Huraa in Kaafu Atoll, was released after the court determined that there was not enough evidence to prove that she provided abortion pills to the defendant.
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25th October 2011
Expat nurse working in Gulhi raped
Police have arrested two men and a minor on suspicion of raping an Indian nurse working in the island of Gulhi in Kaafu Atoll. Deputy Chair of the Gulhi Island Council, Abdulla Shiham, told Minivan News that the incident occurred last Friday night. “That night a council member was phoned and informed about the incident at 12:30am in the morning,” he explained. “I myself went to the house where the nurse was staying and we reported it to the police right away. Police arrived the next morning because the weather was bad and no speedboat was available at the time.” Police started their investigation the following morning, said Shiham, and arrested a 19 year-old, a 24 year-old and a minor. “The nurse has worked for the island for almost five years and she has helped the islanders in many ways,” he continued. “We condemn this action with the strongest possible terms and we call on police and judiciary to give them the harshest penalty possible, even to the minor.” Islanders were all frustrated and sad about the incident, the council chair said. “When the doctor in the island health centre goes for vacation the nurse will not let us feel the absence of the doctor, she cares for the islanders very well, even if we asked she would open the health centre at midnight,” he added. While the nurse wanted to come back to work for the island, Shiham said her husband did not want her to stay there any longer and she left the next day. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the arrests were made and said the investigation was underway.
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27th October 2011
Mother of deceased premature baby receives 100 lashes for fornication
Aminath Shaira, age 30 of Finolhu/Noonu atoll Manadhoo, was publicly lashed 100 times outside the Justice Building for committing fornication. Lashing is the standard punishment for intercourse outside of marriage under Maldivian law. Shaira was sentenced to one years’ imprisonment after she was identified as the mother of a premature baby that was found on 19 May in a Coast Milk tin in the bushes near the Vilimale’ powerhouse. Forensic experts at the time claimed the baby was dead upon birth, and had been aborted after a five-month pregnancy. Shaira was also sentenced to 100 lashes and one year’s house arrest for fornication, the Criminal Court confirmed today. Officials said she would be transferred to a prison in the next few days. Shaira had been charged with disobedience to an order under article 88(a) of the 1968 penal code as well as violations under the Child Protection Act. Fingerprints belonging to Mariyam Rizna, 18, of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll, had been found on the Coast Milk tin at the time. Rizna was sentenced to six months in prison for helping Shaira deliver the baby. A third suspect, Aishath Aniya, 24, of Huraa in Kaafu Atoll, was released after the court determined that there was not enough evidence to prove that she had provided abortion pills to the defendant. Police were unable to identify the baby’s father at the time, and Shaira did not reveal his name. Abortion is illegal in the Maldives except to save a mother’s life, or if a child suffers from a congenital defect such as thalassemia. Anecdotal evidence, however, points overwhelmingly to a high rate of abortion and unwanted pregnancy.
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30th October 2011
Reported increase in practice of female circumcision raises alarm
“We are beginning to hear reports of this occurring, and I have heard on radio and television people justifying the practice. It is quite disheartening,” said Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, speaking at a UN event last week.
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14th November 2011
Pakistan’s ‘idolatrous’ SAARC monument set ablaze by protesters
A group of people in Hithadhoo, Addu City, have set fire to the allegedly “idolatrous” Pakistani monument erected for the SAARC summit in the early hours of the morning. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the incident occurred before dawn today, and the perpetrators escaped before police arrived at the scene. It is believed that the group threw objects lit with petrol and burnt one side of the monument, Shiyam explained, adding that no arrests have been made yet and police are investigating the act of arson. According to an eyewitness in the Hithadhoo Power Park restaurant last night, which is located next to the monument, a group of people first attempted to torch the monument using petrol around 11pm. However, their attempts were unsuccessful and the fires were quickly put out by Hithadhoo residents at the area. Meanwhile, two young men who toppled the monument during an earlier protest led by members of opposition parties last Wednesday remain in custody, facing charges of damage to private property. The protesters contended that the monument featured “idols and objects of worship” and demanded it be taken down. The monument, which features engraved symbols of ancient civilisation of Pakistan and a bust of the country’s founder Mohamed Ali Jinah, had been removed by the Addu City Council last Tuesday night but was replace back on its plinth with a cover ahead of Thursday’s unveiling ceremony. Monuments representing the eight SAARC nations were erected across Addu City and unveiled by heads of state and government during the summit. A large crowd of Hithadhoo residents gathered for the official unveiling by Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, after which they took photographs in front of the monument. A member of the Pakistani delegation at the unveiling ceremony explained to Minivan News that the monument represented artifacts of the ancient Indus Valley civilisation and were not specifically religious symbols. Following the first attempt to vandalise the monument, a second member of the Pakistani delegation told Minivan News that they approached the Foreign Ministry over the incident but was informed by an official that it had not occurred, and was a rumour spread by the opposition. Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem said yesterday that the delegation had not expressed concern to the Foreign Ministry, and noted that besides prosecuting those responsible for the damage, there was “little we can do.” The attacks on the monument, said Naseem, had been instigated by people with “strange ideas”. He observed that there were statues of Buddhas in the National Museum in Male’. “Some people are not happy, but I’m not too excited about it,” he said.
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18th September 2011
New religious unity regulations crack down on extremist preaching in Maldives
The regulations reflect the enforcement of the Religious Unity Act and were originally put forward by the Islamic Ministry, but have undergone numerous drafts and revisions over the past year. The penalty for violating the regulations under the Act is 2-5 years imprisonment, banishment or house arrest.
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22nd September 2011
Islamic Foundation files court case seeking repeal of Religious Unity Regulations
Religious NGO Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) has filed a case at the High Court requesting the court rule that the Religious Unity Regulations are inconsistent with the constitution. Controversial new religious unity regulations were published in the government’s gazette last week, cracking down on extremist and unlicensed preaching of Islam in the Maldives.Local media reported that prominent religious scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed, who currently faces charges for allegedly violating the Religious Unity Act, filed the case in the High Court and spoke to the media outside the court. Media reported Sheikh Fareed as stating that the regulation was inconsistent with the constitution as well as the Quran. Fareed was quoted as saying that romantic thoughts, social talks and religious speeches were part of the fundamental right of freedom of speech as stated in the constitution. Meanwhile, religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf and the religious council of the Adhaalath Party voiced opposition to the regulations. Sheikh Fareed today told Minivan News that the regulation was “very” inconsistent with the Quran and the constitution.
Archived link 01
19th November 2011
Hilath Rasheed’s blog (www.hilath.com) is blocked by the Communications Authority of Maldives on the orders of the Islamic Affairs ministry on the grounds that it contained anti-Islamic material
Reporters Without Borders condemns the closure on 19 November of the blog run by Ismail Khilath “Hilath” Rasheed (www.hilath.com) by the Communications Authority of Maldives on the orders of the Islamic affairs ministry, on the grounds that it contained anti-Islamic material. "The increase in acts of religious intolerance is a threat to the Maldives’ young democracy", the press freedom organization said. "Incidents involving media workers are rare but that is only because most of them prefer to censor themselves and stay away from subjects relating to Islam, unlike Ismail Khilath Rasheed." "We request the immediate reopening of his blog. The government should not give in to the fanatical minority but must do all it can to ensure the media are free to tackle any subjects they choose. The Religious Unity Act should be changed to allow this." According to Rasheed, the Islamic affairs ministry had his blog in its sights because he is a Sufi Muslim, not a Sunni like most Maldivians, and has always been highly critical of religious fundamentalism. He said his blog, the first to be shut down since January 2009, is just the fist victim of an impending crackdown by the conservative fringe in charge of the Islamic affairs ministry. The blogger intends to bring his case to court, since a website shut by the government can only be reopened by a court order. Rasheed received anonymous death threats via the Internet in March last year. There are harsh penalties for blasphemy under Maldivian law and in September the government toughened the 1994 Religious Unity Act. The law bans the media from circulating any material that “humiliates Allah, his prophets, the Koran, the Sunnah or the Islamic faith”. The publication of material about beliefs other than Sunni Islam, the state religion, is punishable by between two and five years’ imprisonment. The Maldives is ranked 52nd out of 178 countries in the world press freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Border in 2010.
23rd November 2011
“Don’t give in to fanatical minority”, Reporters Without Borders urges government
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have issued a statement urging the government “not to give in to the fanatical minority” and to do “all it can to ensure the media are free to tackle any subjects they choose.” The statement came in response to the Islamic Ministry’s ordering of the Communications Authority of the Maldives (CAM) to block the website of controversial blogger, Ismail Khilath “Hilath” Rasheed, on the grounds that it contained anti-Islamic material. “The increase in acts of religious intolerance is a threat to the Maldives’ young democracy”, RSF said its statement, requesting the “immediate reopening of [Hilath’s] blog.” RSF noted that there were harsh penalties for blasphemy under Maldivian law following new regulations enforcing the 1994 Religious Unity Act, which bans the media from circulating any material that “humiliates Allah, his prophets, the Koran, the Sunnah or the Islamic faith”. Incidents involving media workers are rare in the Maldives, RSF observed, “but that is only because most of them prefer to censor themselves and stay away from subjects relating to Islam, unlike Ismail Khilath Rasheed.” “According to Rasheed, the Islamic Affairs Ministry had his blog in its sights because he is a Sufi Muslim, not a Sunni like most Maldivians, and has always been highly critical of religious fundamentalism.” RSF compiles the annual Press Freedom Index. The Maldives is currently ranked 52nd out of 178 countries
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24th November 2011
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay tells people Majlis that flogging for fornication is “inhumane and degrading violence against women”
In a keynote address titled ‘Responding to the Past while Safeguarding the Future: the Challenge of Protecting Human Rights in the context of Democratic Transition,’ Pillay observed that as democratic transitions “are always fragile,” the recent history of the Maldives contained lessons for newly-established democracies. Pillay praised the reform milestones achieved by the Maldives since 2003, including the establishment of a Human Rights Commission, the introduction of political parties, accession to main international human rights instrument, the drafting of a “new and very progressive constitution” and the first multi-party elections that followed its ratification in August 2008. “This year, we have witnessed the same strong aspirations for democracy and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa which have brought dramatic and positive changes to the political environment of the region,” she said. “After decades of oppression and systemic human rights violations, men and women of different ages, political orientations and social origins have come together in an unprecedented movement to bring about political change and to demand social justice.”
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26th November 2011
Maldivian Islamic groups call for arrest of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay for her criticism of the Maldivian constitution, namely its provisions endorsing flogging and mandating that every Maldivian be a Muslim
Protestors gathered outside the United Nations Building in Male’ on Friday afternoon to condemn UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay for her criticism of the Maldivian constitution, namely its provisions endorsing flogging and mandating that every Maldivian be a Muslim. The protestors carried signboards with angry slogans, including “Islam is not a toy”, “Ban UN” and “Flog Pillay”, and called on authorities to arrest the UN High Commisioner. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that the sizeable protest was contained and there were no confrontations. “Police cordoned off the area so people could not enter the UN building or the roads leading to the building. The protest was pretty heated, but there were no confrontations or arrests,” he said. After a break for Sunset Prayer, protesters renewed their efforts at the Tsunami Memorial. Shiyam said police guarded the UN building during the evening protest, and kept appraised of its movements.
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27th November 2011
The Maldivian Foreign Ministry opposes support open debates on issues raised by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, namely the provision for flogging as a punishment for extra-marital intercourse and the requirement that all Maldivians be Muslims
“What’s there to discuss about flogging?” Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem was reported as saying in newspaper Haveeru. “There is nothing to debate about in a matter clearly stated in the religion of Islam. No one can argue with God.”
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4th December 2011
Pillay controversy a missed opportunity to demonstrate nobility of Sharia: President Mohamed Nasheed
The Maldives missed an opportunity to demonstrate “the nobility of Islamic Sharia” to the world by reacting in “a Jihadispirit” to controversial statements made by visiting UN human rights chief last month, President Mohamed Nasheed said at a rally Friday night. A call for a moratorium and public debate on flogging as a punishment for fornication by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in an address to parliament on November 24 was unequivocally condemned by the Islamic Ministry, religious groups and political parties as an unconstitutional challenge to a Quranic precept. “That the punishments and rulings of Islamic Sharia are not inhumane is very clear to us,” Nasheed said. “We have the opportunity to show the whole world how noble and civilised Sharia is. That is because we are the only Islamic nation with a democratically-elected government.” “Wasting that opportunity in a Jihadi spirit” with the claim of “defending Islam” was unacceptable, Nasheed told supporters at the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally at Dharubaaruge, which saw the launching of a ‘Plus One’ campaign to double party membership ahead of the 2013 presidential election. “Opposition parties will always attack us by using religion as a weapon,” he said. “[But] believe that this country is the only Islamic nation where Islamic Sharia has been practiced uninterrupted for 700 years.” Islamic chief justices and principles of Sharia law had “a sacred place” in the Maldives’ long history, Nasheed observed, which “will not be shaken.” “Maldivians are not a people who will allow the slightest harm to Islam,” he said. “We know how civilised the religion of Islam is.” MDP understood that Islam “brought the world out of jahiliyya[ignorance] onto the path of civilisation,” he continued, adding that the party was committed to protecting the culture and traditions of the country. In the past three years, he noted, the government spent Rf1.2 billion on “the protection of Islamic faith” (page 200 of the MDP manifesto), including the construction of 40 new mosques across the country.
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10th December 2011
Participants of a silent protest for religious tolerance are attacked and threatened with death in broad daylight. Hilath Rasheed is hospitalised after his skull is fractured
Police are investigating a violent attack on a ‘silent protest’ calling for religious tolerance, held at the Artificial Beach to mark Human Rights Day. Witnesses said a group of men threw rocks at the 15-30 demonstrators, calling out threats and vowing to kill them. One witness who took photos of the attacked said he was “threatened with death if these pictures were leaked. He said we should never been seen in the streets or we will be sorry.” Among those injured in the attack was Ismail ‘Khilath’ Rasheed, a controverisal blogger whose website was recently blocked by the Communications Authority of the Maldives (CAM) on the order of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Rasheed suffered a head injury and was rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). “They started hitting us with bricks. They were aiming at our heads – we could tell they were serious and wanted to kill us,” Rasheed told Minivan News from hospital. “I was taken on a motorcycle to IGMH, but I could see them behind me still hitting my friends.” Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police attended the scene after the attackers had departed, and were currently investigating the cause of the violence. No arrests had yet been made, he added. The protesters, calling themselves ‘Silent Solidarity’, had earlier issued a press release stating that their intention was to “make the Maldives and the international community aware of the rising religious intolerance in the Maldives, and to condemn the Constitutionally endorsed suppression of religious freedom. We also denounce the increasing use being made of Islam as a tool of political power.” “Silent Solidarity will be protesting against discrimination of all races, gender, sexual preferences and religious beliefs and supporting freedom of thought and expression. In our silence, we speak volumes,” the group’s statement said.
11th December 2011
Yameen Rasheed writes “Sun, sand and intolerance” in response to the attacks on the silent protest
Saturday’s attack on a group of people silently protesting against religious intolerance is just the latest in a series of orchestrated, well-choreographed acts of violence, hatred and intolerance sweeping across the nation in recent months. Independent journalist and blogger, Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed, whose personal blog was censored by the Maldivian government last month, was among those attacked, sustaining serious injuries to the head. Others who attempted to intervene also suffered minor injuries. Ahmed Hassan, one of the protesters, said, “We planned a silent sit down protest in order to make a statement over the lack of religious freedom for minorities, especially those who aren’t Sunni Muslims.” “We are entering the fourth year of democracy but unfortunately, many basic freedoms and rights have yet to be achieved for all Maldivians. It is unacceptable in this day and age that non-Muslim Maldivians are discriminated against in their own country,” he said. “This is their country as much as ours.” He further added “I would like to say to those that attacked us today that violence is not a part of Islam. Islam is a religion of love, peace and shura (consultation). The unprovoked attack is clearly an act of intimidation. We realize that as our movement grows, we could face many more such attacks, but we will not be backing out. We will not be intimidated into silence.” Local writer and blogger, Aminath Sulthona, who was also among the protesters said, “These are not people worthy of being termed ‘religious’, but they are misguided thugs spreading terror and violence in the name of religion.” Sulthona complained that the police at the scene failed to carry out their duties. “I was being openly threatened and verbally abused in the presence of a police officer who paid no heed to the man… I managed to take pictures of the attackers, but as soon as I got home I started receiving calls saying I would be attacked on the streets if the pictures were leaked.” The injured protester, Hilath, has also previously faced death-threats over his vocal criticism of Islamic radicalism on his personal blog.
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12th December 2011
Government expresses concern over protest’s call for “slaughter and murder”
A coalition of religious NGOs and opposition parties organising a religious protest on December 23 have launched a social media campaign and website, which this morning contained a list objectives including to “fight against all un-Islamic ideas” and to “slaughter anyone against Islam”. The website, 23December.com, was launched by the President of the Adhaalath Party Imran Abdullah and includes news updates on the protest and religious articles aimed at promoting the event. The list of slogans published on the site initially included statements such as: “Today’s law is to slaughter anyone against Islam”, and a call to “take the life” of anyone who challenged Islam “regardless of their party affiliation”. The calls for violence were subsequently removed from the website, but not before the government expressed “deep concern” that “some people are using religion as a tool to call for murder and violence.” “They are calling for slaughter and murder,” said President Mohamed Nasheesd’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair, urging “relevant authorities” to take action.
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13th December 2011
“Kill me before you kill a fellow Maldivian”: President condemns calls for religious violence
“Kill me before you kill a fellow Maldivian,” President Mohamed Nasheed has said, after several slogans calling for the “slaughter of anyone against Islam” were published yesterday on a website calling for a religious protest on December 23. The organisers of the protest yesterday removed the slogans calling for murder, attributing them to “a mistake on the technical teams’ side.”
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14th December 2011
Reeko Moosa calls for investigation of protesters who called for religious tolerance
MDP MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik has called for an investigation of the “silent protest” for religious tolerance, held last weekend at the Artificial Beach. The religious Adhaalath Party and NGO Jamiyyathu Salaf have also asked the police to investigate the participants. The group, who dubbed themselves ‘Silent Solidarity’, issued a press release following the event stating that the cause of the gathering was “to make the Maldives and the international community aware of the rising religious intolerance in the Maldives, and to condemn the constitutionally-endorsed suppression of religious freedom. It is also intended to denounce the increasing use being made of Islam as a tool of political power.” The actual protest, held on International Human Rights Day, turned into a bloody affair when controversial blogger Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed was struck on the head with a stone. The other 15-30 protestors were also attacked.
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Hilath Rasheed arrested for his involvement in the silent protest for religious tolerance
Controversial blogger Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed was arrested this evening for his involvement in last Saturday’s ‘silent protest’ for religious tolerance, which turned ended in violent after several individuals attacked the group with stones. Hilath was taken to the hospital with head injuries. According to the Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam, Hilath was arrested under a Criminal Court order issued today. Rasheed’s arrest follows the blocking of his blog by the Communications Authority of the Maldives (CAM) on the order of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The Ministry made the request on the grounds that the site contained anti-Islamic material. Police are currently interrogating some of the approximately 30 individuals who gathered at Artificial Beach on Saturday. Calls for an investigation of the protest were made by religious conservative Adhaalath party, NGO Jamiyyathu Salaf, and ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik. While pursuing its investigation of the protest for religious tolerance, police have also summoned the developer of the website 23December.com, which this week published slogans calling for the murder of anti-Islamic activists in what organisers later described as a “technical mistake”. Developer Ali Ahsan told Haveeru that police wanted to understand who was responsible for the website’s conception, development and published material. “The police also questioned whether those inappropriate phrases or those slogans [calling for the killing of people] were present when the information was published on the website,” he said. Ahsan, who also edits online publication DhiIslam, said police had confiscated the hard drive used for the development of 23December.com, Haveeru reports. The investigation into the aggressive error began yesterday, when police questioned Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla and Civil Coalition official Abdulla Mohamed over the death threats. Sheikh Imran and Mohamed did not speak directly to the press, however their lawyer, former State Minister of Islamic Ministry Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, confirmed that police asked them about the slogans published on the website. Shaheem said that slogans calling for murder were not on the website when it was launched, adding that the “content were manipulated by some people spying on the website”. Abdullah, who is the lead organiser of the the protest, also told Minivan News on Tuesday that the team had not seen the slogans calling for murder until the day after the launch. ”We corrected the mistake as soon as it was brought to our notice,” Abdullah said. He said the slogans were earlier attributed as a “mistake on technical team’s side” after they identified some loop holes in the website security, adding that their “suspicions were confirmed” when the website was hacked on Tuesday morning. President’s Office Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair today issued a statement blaming organisers of the 23 December demonstration for disrupting public order to achieve “hidden agendas”. He said he not believe that removing the violent slogans from the promotional website was sufficient proof of non-violent intentions.
15th December 2011
Police arrest four men for abducting, drugging and gang-raping 16 year-old girl
Police have arrested four suspects for the abduction and gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a guest house in Male last weekend. The girl was grabbed by the men while she was walking down the road around midday on December 11, forced into a car and taken to a guest house, Head of the Police Child Protection Unit, Superintendent Ali Shujau told the press on Thursday. She was drugged by the men and gang raped, he said, adding that the men filmed the crime. The four suspects were identified by the Police as 20 year-old Azmeel Ahmed of Hithadhooge, Seenu atoll Hithadhoo, 25 year-old Mohamed Azum of White Sea, Seenu atoll Maradhoo-Feydhoo, 19 year- old Ismail Muneez of Maafannu Hiyama and 21 year-old Ahmed Nabeeh Moosa of Maafannu Fennairu. They all were arrested withing 34 hours after the police were alerted to the crime. All the suspects have previous criminal records for drug abuse and assaults, Shujau added. According to the police the family reported the crime after the girl went home and told about it. Police did not reveal how the victim reached home. Shujau noted that the girl could not give a clear statement of the attack, although she identified two of them by their “gang names”. He also added that it is too soon to say whether the attack was directed to her.
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17th December 2011
Criminal court extends detention of Hilath Rasheed by 10 days
The Criminal Court has extended the detention of controversial blogger Ismail ‘Khilath’ Rasheed by 10 days. Rasheed was arrested on the evening of December 14 for his involvement in a ‘silent protest’ on Human Rights Day, December 10, calling for religious tolerance. The protest ended violently after a group of men attacked the protesters with stones, and Rasheed was taken to hospital with head injuries. Rasheed is one of only a few Maldivians who have openly called for religious tolerance on a blog under his own name. The blog was recently blocked on the order of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs on the grounds that it contained unislamic material. “I am a Sufi Muslim and there is nothing on my website that contradicts Sufi Islam. I suspect my website was reported by intolerant Sunni Muslims and Wahhabis,” Rasheed said, following the blocking of his blog. “Under the Maldivian constitution every Maldivian is a Sunni Muslim. The constitution also provides for freedom of expression, with Article 27 reading ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought and the freedom to communicate opinions and expression in a manner that is not contrary to any tenet of Islam,'” Rasheed claimed. While the Maldivian Constitution guarantees freedom of assembly, it outlaws the promotion of religions other than Islam, and all Maldivians are required to be Sunni Muslim. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that Rasheed was being investigated for campaigning for something against the Constitution. “Calling for anything against the constitution is illegal,” Shiyam said, agreeing that the circumstances were the same as if the group had been campaigning for something similarly illegal, such as the legalisation of marijuana. “Once we have finished the investigation the Prosecutor General will decide whether to take action against him.”
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18th December 2011
High Court upholds arrest of police officer charged with rape
The High Court has supported Addu City Court’s order to extend the detention of a police officer arrested on charges of raping a married woman, taking nude photographs of her and letting his friends abuse her. The arrest warrant was appealed at the High Court after the Addu City Court extended the police officers detention. The High Court said most of the evidences presented against the officer was found on his mobile phone. The court also said that there was enough evidence to believe that the officer was involved in the incident.
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21st December 2011
Yameen Rasheed writes “The Intolerant Constitution”
The broken, still smiling Buddha in the National Museum bears witness to our long history of stubbornly refusing to accept reason. But today, more than ever, it is necessary to ask difficult questions and face hard facts, because the line that marks where the debate stops also marks the point where, as Thomas Jefferson feared, we become enslaved to the past.
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23rd December 2011
Two much-anticipated protests, one to defend Islam in the Maldives and another to exhibit support for a “moderate Islam” drew crowds of thousands along Male’s eastern coast this afternoon, and thousands more on islands across the country
Banners bearing slogans including “We stand united for Islam and the nation”, “No idols in this holy land”, “No to the Zionist Murderers”, “No to El Al Airlines” and “We stand for peace” lead participants to gender segregated areas across from the Tsunami Memorial area, where approximately 20 protest leaders spoke from a mounted podium. “We don’t know there is a moderate, higher or lower Islam. We only know Islam, which is above all the religion. The only road we must follow is based of Allah’s callings,” said Jumhoree Party Leader and tourism tycoon Gasim Ibrahim. ”Today they are asking whether churches could be built and idols could be kept,” Abdulla Yameen said. ”And, the police do not have to defend the idols.”Meanwhile at the MDP rally held at Artificial Beach, President Mohamed Nasheed said the government will continue to practice a tolerant form of Islam, reminding listeners that Islam in the Maldives has traditionally been tolerant.
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25th December 2011
Expat nurse working in Gulhi raped. Police have arrested two men and a minor on suspicion of raping an Indian nurse working in the island of Gulhi in Kaafu Atoll
Deputy Chair of the Gulhi Island Council, Abdulla Shiham, told Minivan News that the incident occurred last Friday night. “That night a council member was phoned and informed about the incident at 12:30am in the morning,” he explained. “I myself went to the house where the nurse was staying and we reported it to the police right away. Police arrived the next morning because the weather was bad and no speedboat was available at the time.” Police started their investigation the following morning, said Shiham, and arrested a 19 year-old, a 24 year-old and a minor. “The nurse has worked for the island for almost five years and she has helped the islanders in many ways,” he continued. “We condemn this action with the strongest possible terms and we call on police and judiciary to give them the harshest penalty possible, even to the minor.” Islanders were all frustrated and sad about the incident, the council chair said. “When the doctor in the island health centre goes for vacation the nurse will not let us feel the absence of the doctor, she cares for the islanders very well, even if we asked she would open the health centre at midnight,” he added. While the nurse wanted to come back to work for the island, Shiham said her husband did not want her to stay there any longer and she left the next day. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the arrests were made and said the investigation was underway.
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27th December 2011
Hilath Rasheed detained for another 15 days as Islamic Minister Dr. Majeed Abdul Bari requests proper punishment
The detention of controversial blogger Ismail ‘Khilath’ Rasheed has been extended by another 15 days, following Sunday’s Criminal Court hearing. Meanwhile, Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has requested that appropriate punishments for those who call for religious freedom be added to the nation’s penal code. Rasheed, a self-declared Sufi Muslim, was arrested on December 14 by a Court Order for his involvement in a silent peaceful protest calling for religious tolerance in honor of International Human Rights Day. The protest ended violently when a group attacked the approximately 30 protestors with stones, sending Rasheed to the hospital with head injuries. His detention was extended by 10 days on December 17. He has been held without charges. The Criminal Court has cited Rasheed’s blog, which was shut down on the Islamic Ministry’s order in November for its alleged anti-Islamic content, as grounds for his extended detention, Haveeru reports. Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik called for an investigation into the gathering, along with religious conservative Adhaalath Party and NGO Jamiyyathu Salaf. The parliament’s National Security Committee (NSC) currently reviewing the silent protest had summoned Rasheed for questioning today, however it was cancelled when officials decided “not to proceed with the hearing at this time,” said an NSC official. The parliamentary committee did hear Islamic Minister Dr Bari, who observed that the law lacks any clear punishment for individuals promoting religious freedom. “The protestors did not announce that they had abandoned their religion but they called for religious freedom. The law has no defined punishment. They are just defying the religious unanimity of the country. I don’t believe there is any legal action against the call as no legal action can be taken until one publicly declares apostasy,” he said. Dr. Bari requested parliament to pass these “much-needed legislations”, and advised that the punishments be added to the Penal Code currently under review.
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Police vow thorough probe into religious freedom gathering, Islamic Minister cites legal difficulties
Police chief today vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the gathering that called for religious freedom in Maldives despite legal difficulties cited by Islamic Minister in taking actions against the religious freedom activists. Police commissioner Ahmed Faseeh told the parliamentary national security committee that "no stone will be left unturned" in the police investigation into the gathering held in capital Male on December 10. Faseeh declined to provide details of the investigation claiming that the case is considered a serious matter. "I will share the details as soon as the investigation is complete. I expect the investigation to be over and the case be sent to the PG [Prosecutor General's] Office in about 15 days. I will share the details with the media and I can bring the investigators along with me if you want," he said. The police commissioner said a suspect has been arrested over the case. Police arrested controversial blogger Ismail Hilath Rasheed on December 14 under an arrest warrant over his alleged involvement in organising the gathering. The Criminal Court extended Hilath's detention to an additional 10 days after the police raised the issue of his writings on his blog. Faseeh stressed that Hilath was arrested under a warrant because the police did not get the chance to arrest him from the crime scene. "I will give the details [later] and I will point out everything even if it includes negligence on our side," he said. "We have done a lot and several have been summoned. We are determining the identity of those believed to have had participated in the gathering via CCTV footage and video clips received from the public and we are summoning them." However, Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari told the committee members that the law does not state a clear punishment for religious freedom activists. The minister requested the parliament pass the much-needed legislations and suggested that punishments for such actions be included in the Penal Code being revised by the parliament.
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2012
1st January 2012
The December 10 silent protest for religious tolerance is a “warning” of the Maldives’ weakening Islamic faith, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussein saidThe December 10 silent protest for religious tolerance is a “warning” of the Maldives’ weakening Islamic faith, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussein has said
Faiz’s claim that the demonstration “shocked the nation” was made yesterday at the opening of the Islamic Scholars Symposium, reports local media. “It was a warning that showed us the increased role religious scholars are required to play and the work they need to do,” he said. Recommending that the scholars focus on strengthening the Islamic faith rather than debate contentious issues, Faiz said students and lawmakers required further education about the Shariah penal code. The December 10 demonstration was originally planned for International Human Rights Day as a peaceful, silent protest. However, the 30 participants were attacked with stones, and blogger Ismail ‘Khilath’ Rasheed was taken to the hospital with head injuries. Rasheed was subsequently arrested without charges following requests from religious NGOs and ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik that police investigate the demonstration. Rasheed’s detention was extended a second time last week, after Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticised the claim that the gathering had violated national laws, and Amnesty International declared Rasheed a prisoner of conscience. Meanwhile, Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has requested the parliamentary National Security Committee to include appropriate punishments for those who call for religious freedom in the nation’s penal code. In discussions, he said the punishments available under Penal Code Article 88(a), (b) and (c) were “soft.”
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3rd January 2012
Juvenile Court acquits minor of terrorism charges over Himandhoo confrontation
The Juvenile Court has acquitted a minor charged with terrorism in the wake of a violent confrontation in the island of Himandhoo in Alif Alif atoll between a breakaway religious group and security forces. The confrontation occurred in 2007 after police and military were dispatched to the island to shut down a private mosque and arrest suspects in the Sultan Park bombing incident. Juvenile Court Spokesperson Zaeema Nasheed confirmed that the case was concluded today. “This morning the case was concluded that he was found innocent,” Zaeema said. “He had been charged with terrorism.” More than 50 people were arrested in the aftermath of the clashes in Himandhoo after islanders donned red motorcycle helmets and armed themselves with batons and knives to defend the Dhar al Khuir mosque on 6 October 2007. Police and soldiers were searching for suspects in the Maldives’ first Islamic terror investigation following a bomb blast in Sultan Park that injured 12 tourists. On 2010 February 9, senior members of the current administration met with 16 people arrested and sentenced for the Himandhoo protest to inform them that President Mohamed Nasheed had decided to commute their sentences under the Clemency Act. The confrontation in Himandhoo left one policeman with a severed hand while four others were injured. An officer was also held hostage by the group, who surrendered to the army after a last warning to evacuate the mosque by force.
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4th January 2012
Police arrest five suspects in Addu City gang rape
Police have arrested five suspects for allegedly gang-raping a 17 year-old girl in Addu City after midnight last night. A police spokesperson told Minivan News that the incident occurred at about 1.00am. “Police received information about the incident at about 1.50am,” he said. ”Police are now investigating the case.” In addition to two minors aged 17, the other three suspects were aged 19, 20 and 23, police said. According to local media reports, the victim was abducted and taken to an abandoned house while she was on her way to work. Newspaper Haveeru reported that a man who drove her to work was involved in the rape and took her to the abandoned house. In a similar case reported in Addu City during November’s SAARC summit, a police officer was arrested on charges of raping a married woman with two other men.
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7th January 2012
Hilath Rasheed released from custody
Ismail ‘Khilath’ Rasheed was released from police custody last night, where he had been held since December 14 without charges while police investigated his role in a peacefully-intended protest held on December 10. Police confirmed that Rasheed was released on a court order, and said that the investigation into his involvement in a silent peaceful protest on December 10 had been concluded with no findings against him. Rasheed was arrested on December 14 for his involvement in a protest for religious tolerance held at Male’s Artificial Beach on International Human Rights Day. The group of approximately 30 protestors were attacked with stones, and Rasheed was taken to the hospital with head injuries. Rasheed’s detention was twice extended by the court, which subsequently launched an investigation into the contents of his controversial blog which was previously blocked by the Islamic Ministry on the grounds that it contained anti-Islamic content. After Rasheed’s detention was extended a second time on December 27, Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari requested parliament’s National Security Committee to include a clear, strong punishment for those advocating religious freedom within the Maldives in the new Penal Code currently at committee stage. Meanwhile, Amnesty International declared Rasheed a prisoner of conscience, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) challenged Bari’s argument that calling for freedom of religious was unconstitutional within a democratic Muslim society.
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10th January 2012
Maldivian fishing crew arrested on sodomy charges
A Maldivian fishing crew including five men and a minor have been arrested on charges of sodomy. According to a police media official, the men were arrested on Saturday following reports that they were committing acts of sexual misconduct on the boat. “We summoned the boat to dock at Villingilli in Gaaf Alif Atoll on Saturday while they were out fishing. They were all arrested upon their return and are now kept under Villigilli police station custody,” the official said. As the investigation is ongoing, the official declined to reveal the identity of the crew and where the boat is from. “All we can confirm is that they are all Maldivian and one is a minor,” the official added. According to a report on Raajje TV, the captain of the yellow fin tuna fishing dhoni filmed the five crew members in the act and reported it to police. Under the 1968 penal code, homosexuality is punishable by either a fine, up to ten years in jail, banishment for 9-12 months or 10-30 lashes.
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11th January 2012
Hilath Rasheed alleges prison conditions “unchanged since Gayoom’s time”
Despite the Maldives’ international stand on human rights issues, the prisons “remain unchanged since Gayoom’s time”, Rasheed told Minivan News, following his release. During the police investigation of his involvement with the protest, the blogger was locked for three weeks in a small, three-sided room with 11 other people. Despite the opening there was no airflow, the room was unventilated and the fan in the room was broken, Rasheed said. The room was so small and crowded it was impossible for 12 people to fully stretch out and sleep properly, and despite provisions requiring inmates be allowed out for at least an hour’s exercise every day, no one was allowed outside during his detention, Rasheed said. Inmates had to summon the duty officer to be taken to the toilet, which did not flush. There was no shower, and inmates washed themselves by filling a bucket at the water basin, which was also used to flush the toilet. Inmates in other cells with attached toilets were not allowed out at all. The prisoners had no bedding apart from a small pillow, and slept on the tiles. Every three days they were given a small amount of detergent to wash the floor of the cell. Rasheed said that the Prosecutor General (PG)’s office visited once during his detention and observed that prisoners were not being properly treated. “There were no medical facilities, or means of treating heroin addicts going into withdrawal. One of my cellmates had a [withdrawal] fit and we had to put a slipper in his mouth [to stop him swallowing his tongue],” Rasheed said. “I held his hand.” Most of the cell’s occupants were awaiting prosecution for drug offences, muggings, theft, and for carrying weapons. “People had been in there for three months and were very frustrated, and were venting that frustration against the government. The Constitution sets limits to people’s detention, but people are in limbo. One guy accused of murder has been in there for 1.5 years, and still his case has not been sent to the PG’s office for prosecution,” Rasheed said. The blogger was presented to the court following the expiration of the first 24 hour detention period.“The investigating officer stated that I was the organiser of the protest and should be detained as I was disrupting the religious unity of the Maldives, and was a threat to society,” Rasheed said.
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24th January 2012
MNBC journalists beaten, tasered during protest
State television journalist Moosa Naushad was attacked by approximately 15 individuals while filming the opposition-led protest outside Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) last evening. Naushad was struck down from behind. After showing his media badge the badge was taken from him and he was continuously kicked and beaten while lying on the ground, MNBC Director Adam Shareef said. MNBC Editor Thoyyib Shaheem intervened by showing his own media badge, but was tasered in the stomach. Naushad was taken to Indira Ghandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) at 1:00am on January 24 where he was treated for a broken hand. Shareef said the journalist had sustained fractures in his shoulder blades and feet, but had no internal damage. Naushad had not been released from IGMH at time of press. The protesters, including opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MPs Ilham Ahmed and Ahmed Mahlouf, allegedly made violent gestures with stones and wooden sticks while advancing on the MNBC building. MNBC have asked why their offices and staff have been targeted, “as if MNBC was ruling this country.” MDP supporters were also reported protesting near the judiciary, before heading south towards the Haruge and clashing with opposition supporters. “Over the past several nights our reporters have been verbally abused, threatened and warned they would would be killed by hanging or drowning,” said an MNBC official.
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2nd February 2012
Protests to continue as police threaten zero-tolerance
Maldives Police Services has said it will adopt a zero-tolerance policy during protests if opposition demonstrators continue their current, increasingly violent trajectory which has sent four police officers to the hospital in the past two days. Citing protesters’ recent use of fireballs, petrol bombs and bricks, police have said they will exercise full legal authority to prevent the ongoing anti-government protests from developing into acts of terrorism. Opposition rotesters have demonstrated every night since January 16, when Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by military forces and detained at a training facility in Kaafu Atoll Girifushi. Opposition party members have drawn crowds of approximately 200 to 300 nightly to the area in front of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) near the Male’ fish market, while ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members have taken to gathering at their party camp on the other side of the island. Police and military forces have patrolled key areas of the island on a regular basis, nightly arresting individuals for violent activities.
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7th February 2012
President Mohamed Nasheed forced to resign after successful coup by opposition and military / police. Most of the factions involved are the same as the ones who organised the 23rd December 2011 protest to “protect Islam”.
Several historical artifacts exhibited at the Maldives National Museum, including pre-Islamic Buddhist statues were destroyed in a mob attack during the coup
Speaking to Minivan News, a museum official said that a group of five to six men stormed into the building twice, “deliberately targeted the Buddhist relics and ruins of monasteries exhibited in the pre- Islamic collection, destroying most items “beyond repair”.The official said that the details of the damage cannot be released as the police have asked the museum to withhold the information until the investigation into the attack is pending.”‘But I can say that attackers have done unimaginable damage,” he added. “This is not like a glass we use at home that can be replaced by buying a new one from a shop. These are originals from our ancestors’ time. These cannot be replaced ever again,” the official exclaimed.
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13th February 2012
Police fired gun in takeover of MNBC, video reveals
Video footage taken during the storming of Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) on February 7 reveals that a police officer used a firearm to break down the gates of the station headquarters in capital Male’, allowing dozens of police and military forces (MNDF) as well as some civilians in plain clothes to forcefully take over the station.
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14th February 2012
Perpetrators immediate beneficiaries of new Maldives regime: Eurasia Review
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18th February 2012
Azra Naseem writes “Operation Haram to Halal – the Islamist role in replacing Nasheed with Waheed”
Maldivian Islamists played an instrumental role in the events of 7 February 2012, which forced the country’s first democratically elected president Mohamed Nasheed to ‘resign.’ Coup Deniers and followers of Islamists vehemently object to any such claim. The Islamists themselves, however, have been very public, and very publicly proud, of the ‘religious duty’ they performed by facilitating the removal from power of Nasheed – in their opinion an anti-Islamic heretic. This is clear from the many proclamations and announcements they made in the lead up to and in the aftermath of Nasheed’s ‘resignation’. Having declared Nasheed a heretic on 7 February, Adhaalath Party put out a press release on 8 February, the worst day of violence since transition to democracy. It called on people to stand up against Nasheed, “with swords and guns” if needs be. Any Maldivian who failed to do so was a sinner, and had no right to live in the country. Fight Nasheed or emigrate; Jihad against him or be eternally damned, it said. The ‘truth’ of their words was bolstered by selective quotations from Islamic teachings. Accepting Waheed—”a just ruler”—was portrayed as a religious duty of Maldivian Muslims. Replacing Nasheed with Waheed, the ‘haram’ president with the ‘halal’ president, appears to be what Adhaalath President Sheikh Imran Abdulla referred to on 31 January as ‘Phase Two’ of ‘the work we have been doing until today.’ What was the work Adhaalath and its allies had been doing until then?
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13th March 2012
“Senior activists and coup leaders” among President’s 18 new deputy ministers: MDP
President Mohamed Waheed Hassan appointed 18 new deputy ministers to 11 ministries on Tuesday. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) criticised the appointments as rewards for participation in the alleged coup d’état of February 7, that saw Mohamed Nasheed resign “under duress”. “All of these people were senior activists in leading the coup d’état. Many of them were present at the Republican Square on February 7. They are unqualified and inexperienced,” MDP spokesperson and Maafannu Uthuru MP Imthiyaz Fahmy contended. However, President Waheed’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the positions were awarded based on political party affiliation and qualifications, not based on “political activity or their presence at a certain place.” He also said the appointments reflected President Waheed’s desire to “formulate a national unity government”.
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12th March 2012
Leaked footage from police HQ suggests opposition was prepared to use “military force” on Feb 7
Local television station Raaje TV aired a video clip on Sunday showing senior then-opposition figures inside police headquarters on February 7, prior to the resignation of former President Mohamed Nasheed. In the video, Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim makes a comment thanking Allah that former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned before the use of military force. Minivan News is currently seeking to obtain the unedited footage. In the Raajje TV clip, Gasim first says, “that we are saved from this cruel regime…” Rajje TV then repeats the frame of Gasim saying, “that this ended without using the military, Allah [rest is unclear]”. Raajje TV alleges the clip suggests Gasim was ready to resort to military force had Nasheed refused to resign. Minivan News was unable to reach Gasim at the time of press. Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, shown standing directly in front of Gasim at the time, told Minivan News that he does not recollect Gasim’s statement. “It was very loud,” Thasmeen said. The video clip depicts former opposition leaders at the time celebrating inside the police head quarters, exchanging hugs, and shouting “Allah Akbar” and “Thank Allah” shortly before Nasheed’s public television resignation of February 7. Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) spokesperson Hamid Abdul Gafoor said he believed the video is proof of “Gasim’s blatant complicity in the coup d’état.” He also raised questions over the presence of opposition leaders inside the police HQ on February 7, while Nasheed remained held-up inside the military barracks.
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14th March 2012
Police raid ‘Natural Beauty Care’, arrest 10 expat women and three Maldivian men on prostitution charges
Police raided the ‘Natural Beauty Care’ salon on Monday night and arrested 10 expatriate women, three Maldivian men and an Indian national while they were allegedly involved in sexual activities.In a statement, police said that officers entered salon, located in Sherin in the Maafannu district of Male’, after receiving reports that prostitution was conducted widely on the premises. According to police, the women arrested included four Thai nationals, three Sri Lankans, one Chinese and one Nepalese national.
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21st March 2012
Free media too much for Maldives to digest: Maldives Media Council
Following the attacks on media property during Monday’s unrest, Maldives Media Council (MMC) President Mohamed Nazeef has expressed doubt over whether a free media can flourish in the Maldives at the present time. “We see that although we talk of democracy and freedom of media and expression, I don’t think society is ready to digest a free media,” said Nazeef. After protests against the reconvening of the People’s Majlis turned violent, Villa Television (VTV) bore the brunt of the angry demonstrations. Projectiles aimed at the studio included bricks – and in one instance, a bicycle – while the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) personnel manned the building’s entrance. The anger of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters towards VTV has been building since the events of February 7 when staff of the then-state broadcaster Maldives National Broadcast Corporation (MNBC) were ordered to patch through the VTV broadcast.
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3rd April 2012
ACC investigates awarding of state-owned apartments to judges
Judges occupying state-owned apartments while simultaneously receiving living allowances are currently under investigation following accusations that they are receiving unfair privileges, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has confirmed. “We have received complaints that some judges are living in government flats and taking living allowances. The complaint states that giving flats to only certain judges is giving them unjust privileges,” ACC Deputy Chair Muaviz Rasheed said. Three judges are living in flats leased to the former Justice Ministry, including Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed, High Court Judge Ahmed Shareef and Civil Court Judge Abdullah Adheeb, according to local newspaper Haveeru. Meanwhile, Haveeru also reported that the parliament’s Finance Committee has decided to grant the ownership of those flats to the judges and has forwarded the matter to the floor for a vote. A Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP belonging to the finance committee confirmed the decision was taken in his absence during a committee meeting last month. Minivan News could not get details of the decision at the time of press.
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9th April 2012
“No Islamic fundamentalism in the Maldives”: Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdulla
He expressed disappointment over statements made by officials of Nasheed’s government that the Maldives had a growing issue with Islamic radicalism and fundamentalism. Samad further went onto dismiss such claims and said that religious fundamentalism did not exist in the country, and said he had assured Indian authorities that neither the transfer of power nor the vandalism of Buddhist relics in the National Museum on February 7 had involved any religious sentiment.
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16th April 2012
Four arrested on prostitution charges in police raid of salon
Police last night arrested two Thai women and two local men on prostitution charges after raiding a Male’-based business suspected of operating as a massage parlor. The business, called Maldivian Care, was located on the first floor of H.Hulhugali, a property belonging to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Former President Ibrahim Zaki – who has not been implicated in the raid.
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22nd April 2012
Kolamaafushi Court in Gaafu Alifu Atoll sentenced a man to 39 lashes and 16 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping his mother, in the presence of a minor
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3rd May 2012
Department of Judicial Administration failed to distribute RF1.3 million in child support
The Director of the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) has made no effort to distribute child support money worth over Rf1.3 million (US$85,000), according to the Auditor General, while large amounts of money owed after court rulings has not been collected from offenders or distributed to successful plaintiffs. According to a 2010 audit report on the DJA released on Thursday, auditors found that if the recipients of the child support did not explicitly collect the money from the court, the money remained undistributed and no additional measures were taken by the court deliver the child support to its rightful recipient. “Until December 2010, a total of Rf1,301,767.67 million remains undistributed with the court. However, the documents indicate that the court has made no efforts to distribute the money,” the report reads. Following the breakdown of a marriage, husbands are mandated to make payments to their former spouses to cover the costs of childcare. The report further notes that “as the records on child support money received by the court so far have not been maintained by the court properly”, it was unclear as to how much money the court was also supposed to receive as per the court orders. The audit report noted that the DJA had not collected a total of Rf 1.6 million (US$104,000) owed by men found guilty of divorcing their wives outside the court. A total of Rf2.1 million US$136,000) needs to be collected by the Civil Court as of February 2011, while a significant sum of Rf22 million (US$1.42 million) is owed to the Criminal court following court rulings and remained uncollected as of January 2011. “The Department of Judicial administration has not done adequate work to collect the funds,” Auditor General Ibrahim Niyaz observed in the report. Niyaz refrained from issuing an opinion on the financial statements provided the DJA, citing that the statements were not prepared in accordance with international public sector accounting standards (IPSAS) following principles of “accrual accounting” or the “financial reporting under cash basis of accounting” issued by the IPSAS board, while several “fundamental records” were unaccounted for in the statements. He noted that earnings from the magistrate court amounting to almost Rf4.9 million (US$318,000) were not recorded as income in the financial statement, while the funds remained in court safes and bank accounts. Similarly, Rf6.9 million (US$448,000) dispersed in advance to magistrate courts were recorded as an expenditure in the financial statement, while the auditors found that the funds remain “unspent” by the courts. In an issue highlighted in previous audit reports of state institutions for 2010, the AG noted that between October 2008 and December 2011, Supreme Court judges had paid their phone bills amounting to Rf281,519 from the state budget, despite the fact that parliament had not allocated any phone allowances to the judges. Therefore he recommended the amount be reimbursed and that the granting of phone allowances be determined as per parliament’s decision. Meanwhile, Rf117, 832 (US$7640) was found to have been overspent on wages and allowances to the driver of a judge’s car. [Ali Hameed scandal]
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21st May 2012
Islamic Ministry to formulate guidelines for alternative medicine centres, spas and beauty salons
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is formulating rules and guidelines for registering and operating alternative medicine centres, spas and beauty salons to prevent the use of such establishments as a front for prostitution. Shutting down spas and massage parlors doubling as brothels was a key demand of a ‘mega protest’ on December 23 organised by eight political parties and religious NGOs to‘Defend Islam’ against the allegedly liberal policies of the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government.
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23rd May 2012
National Museum vandalism case forwarded to PG
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has forwarded a case to the Prosecutor General against four persons suspected of destroying historical artifacts in February at the Maldives National Museum. Around 35 exhibits — mostly images and carvings of Buddha — were destroyed when half a dozen men stormed into the museum amid the political chaos of February 7, and ransacked a collection of coral and lime figures. They included a 1.5-foot-wide representation of the Buddha’s head – one of the most historically significant pieces at the museum. The vandals destroyed “99 percent” of the Maldives’ pre-Islamic artifacts from before the 12th century – most of them beyond repair – according to the museum director Ali Waheed. An official at the museum told Minivan News following the incident that the group “deliberately targeted the Buddhist relics and ruins of monasteries exhibited in the pre-Islamic collection, destroying most items beyond repair.” “This is not like a glass we use at home that can be replaced by buying a new one from a shop. These are originals from our ancestors’ time. These cannot be replaced ever again,” the official said.
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27th May 2012
Finance Committee decision to grant ownership of state-owned flats to three judges “unconstitutional”, finds ACC
Approval by parliament’s Finance Committee to three judges occupying state-owned apartments to purchase the flats was granted in violation of the constitution and Judges Act, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) revealed today, informing the committee to review its decision. A press statement by the ACC explained that it investigated a complaint alleging three senior judges were occupying state-owned apartments while simultaneously receiving living allowances. “The complaint states that giving flats only to certain judges is giving them unjust privileges,” ACC Deputy Chair Muaviz Rasheed told Minivan News in April. The three judges living in flats leased during President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration by the former Justice Ministry and High Court – under terms that would see the now-defunct ministry and High Court gain ownership upon completion of full payment – are Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, High Court Judge Ahmed Shareef and Civil Court Judge Abdullah Adheeb. The three judges had reportedly been paying rent for the flats in the government-owned Sina-Male’ apartment blocks when the committee decided to grant them ownership upon completion of full payment. According to its statement, the ACC found that the Finance Committee’s decision to register the flats to the judges was in violation of article 102 of the constitution and article 38 of the Judges Act as well as section 100(a)(11) of the parliamentary rules of procedure.
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4th June 2012
Ismail Hilath Rasheed is left in critical condition after being stabbed in the neck near his house in Male’
Prominent Maldivian blogger and journalist Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed is in a critical condition after he was stabbed in the neck near his house in Male’ on Monday evening. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that Rasheed was stabbed around 8:15pm and was undergoing emergency treatment in ADK hospital. No arrests have been made, “however there is CCTV in the area and we are trying to get something on it,” Haneef stated. Police had cordoned off the area around the blood-stained pavement at time of press. There was on Monday evening no indication as to the motivation of the attack. An informed source at ADK hospital said Rasheed was bleeding but conscious when he was brought to the hospital, and that he was expected to remain in surgery until 2:30am. “They slit his throat clean through the trachea, and missed a vital artery by millimetres,” the source said, around 11:30pm, giving Rasheed a “five percent chance … It doesn’t look good.” Early on Tuesday morning the source reported that Rasheed’s condition had stabilised: “He’ll be in intensive care for a couple of days. He’s breathing through a tube now.” Sub-Inspector Haneef said a second individual was stabbed in the back at 11:00pm near Male’s garbage dump and had been taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in a critical condition. Local media reported that the victim was believed to be a Bangladeshi national. Rasheed, a once outspoken blogger against extremism and former editor of newspaper Haveeru, was previously attacked by a group of men on December 10, 2011 – Human Rights Day – while attending a protest calling for religious tolerance. A group of men attacked the protesters with stones, and Rasheed was taken to IGMH with a fractured skull. He was subsequently arrested by police for questioning over his involvement in the protest gathering, and jailed for over three weeks.
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10th June 2012
Five arrested for fornication in beauty salon raid
Police have arrested four Thai women and one Maldivian man on suspicion of sexual misconduct during a raid of a beauty salon in Male’ on Saturday. Police raided the ‘Sabai Salon’ on the fourth floor of Ufuriyaage in the Galolhu ward of Male’, the ninth salon to be shut down for prostitution charges since February 2012.
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11th June 2012
Two arrested in connection with the stabbing of Bangladeshi man
Police have arrested two Maldivian men who were allegedly involved in the stabbing of a Bangladeshi man last night at about 12:30am, while he was near Personal Computers, a computer shop in the Maafanu ward of Male’. The names and identity of the pair arrested were not disclosed to the media but police said one man was 18 and the other was 19 years-old. Police said they have confiscated the sharp weapon the assailants used near Maafannu Vakkaru house, with blood on it. According to police the Bangladeshi man was stabbed in the neck from behind, and he was taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) for treatment. A statement police issued today said that the man’s condition was improving. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef today told Minivan News that police have information that four persons were involved in the attack on the Bangladeshi man. ‘’We are searching for the other two involved,’’ Haneef said. ‘’We are not very clear on the motive behind the attack.’’ The stabbing is the latest in a wave of similar incidents across Male’, some of which have proven fatal. Early last week, prominent Maldivian blogger and journalist Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed was left in a critical condition after his throat was slashed outside his house in Male’. A Bangladeshi man was also stabbed the same evening and suffered minor injuries. On May 30, the dead body of 16 year-old Mohamed Arham was discovered by police inside the park behind Kulliyathul Dhirasathul Islamiyya. On May 31, 65 year-old Hassan Abubakur was found murdered inside his own house on the island of Maafaru in Noonu Atoll. Police have arrested suspects for every stabbing incident with the exception of the attack on Hilath.
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17th June 2012
Independent Institutions Committee investigating CSC Chair for alleged sexual harassment
Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has launched an investigation into alleged harassment of a female staff member by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chair, Mohamed Fahmy. Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the incident occurred on May 29 and the victim was a female senior research officer. According to the paper, both Fahmy and the victim were summoned to committee after the complaint was lodged in the first week of June. Fahmy was alleged to have called the female staff member over to him, taken her hand and asked her to stand in front of him so that others in the office could not see, and caressed her stomach saying ”it won’t do for a beautiful single woman like you to get fat.” According to local media, the woman told her family about the incident, who then called Fahmy. Fahmy then sent her a text message apologising for the incident, reportedly stating, “I work very closely with everyone. But I have learned my lesson this time.” Speaking to Minvian News today, Fahmy said the allegation was false “and a blatant lie.” “The female staff member concerned did not win a scholarship to Singapore, and that is why she is doing this in return,” Fahmy said. He alleged the claim was politically motivated issue, as she would have otherwise filed the case with police and not parliament. “All I have to say is that it isn’t true,” he added. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said the police cases database did not show that the case had been reported.
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24th June 2012
Seventeen year-old boy and an expatriate worker stabbed
A 17 year-old boy and an expatriate worker were stabbed in two different areas of Male’ on Saturday evening, according to police. According to police, the 17 year-old boy was stabbed by two men that arrived on a motorbike last night at about 4:30am while he was walking near Olhuveli Road in Maafannu ward. The boy was stabbed in the back and is currently undergoing treatment at Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Police said the expat attacked last night was a 29 year-old man who was attacked while he was on Sosun Magu in Henveiru. The man was also stabbed in the back by two men that came on a motorbike, police said. According to the police, the victim is currently undergoing treatment at ADK Hospital. Neither victim was critically injured, police said. No arrests have been made following the incidents but police are searching for the assailants. Police have not revealed names of any suspects. So far in June 86 cases of assault have been reported to police, according to police statistics.
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25th June 2012
Maldives on Tier 2 Watch List for Human Trafficking three years running
The Maldives has appeared on the US State Department’s Tier Two Watch List for Human Trafficking for the third year in a row. Having “not demonstrated evidence of increasing efforts to address human trafficking over the previous year”, the country only narrowly avoided a descent to Tier 3 – the worst category – after presenting a written plan that, “if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” Particular areas of criticism included “a lack of systematic procedures for identifying victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, and not taking sufficient law enforcement steps or concrete actions to protect trafficking victims and prevent trafficking in Maldives.” “Counter-trafficking efforts are impeded by a lack of understanding of the issue, a lack of legal structure, and the absence of a legal definition of trafficking.” The report noted that in 2011, “13 suspected victims of human trafficking and two suspected human traffickers were intercepted and deported in three cases of human trafficking identified at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).” The Maldivian government’s response to trafficking victims was to deport them, the report noted, without providing access to services “such as shelter, counseling, medical care, or legal aid.” “It did not provide foreign victims with legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they might face hardship or retribution,” the report noted. “Authorities did not encourage victims to participate in the investigation or prosecution of trafficking offenders. Due to a lack of comprehensive victim identification procedures, the government may not have ensured that migrants subjected to forced labor and prostitution were not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalised for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of [their] being trafficked.”
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26th June 2012
Discovery of dead baby in outdoor shower a distressing reminder of the Maldives’ failure to address unwanted pregnancies
The police have recovered the body of a newborn infant buried in the outdoor shower of a house on Shaviyani Feydhoo island. The baby’s mother was identified as a 15 year-old school student. This incident is a reminder of the pervasiveness of underage and out of marriage pregnancies in Maldives, and the subsequent acts of infanticide and abortions – a distressing flaw in the social fabric of the island nation which continues to be unacknowledged and under-addressed by authorities. According to local news outlet Sun, Feydhoo island girl was allegedly sexually abused and impregnated by her own stepfather. The allegation has not been confirmed by the police. Media official Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said “the case is sensitive” as the girl is a minor, was being investigated in collaboration with the Gender Ministry. He also refrained from confirming local media reports that the girl is now under arrest. However, he noted that four people, including the girl’s legal guardians, mother and step father, were now under police custody in relation to the case. He added that the suspects resisted arrest, causing a scene on the island of approximately 700 inhabitants. “We are investigating allegations of giving birth outside wedlock, killing and burying the baby,” Haneef explained. Doctors confirm the baby was already dead when found by the police at around 6:30pm, he observed, adding that the police are investigating the cause of death as well. However, without post-mortem services and an absence of visible wounds on the infant’s body, proving infanticide in the Maldives is almost impossible without a confession from the suspects. [Beginning of the case of the 15 year old from Shaviyani atoll Feydhoo]
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2nd July 2012
Hilath Rasheed claims attack was targeted assassination by Islamic radicals
Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed got out his mobile phone and called for a taxi, but no sound came from his throat. Instead the Maldivian blogger, journalist and former Amnesty prisoner of conscience, infamous for his willingness to tackle taboo subjects, particularly religious tolerance – felt air escaping from his neck. “A very bad kind of panic came at that moment. I knew my trachea was cut. I knew it was a deep cut, and not just on the surface of the skin,” the journalist told Minivan News, prior to fleeing his own country in fear of his life. Moments before, on the evening of June 4, Rasheed had turned into the dark alleyway leading to the door of his apartment block to find a man in a yellow shirt waiting for him. “Then I heard someone call me by name from behind, and two more entered the alley. As I was turning the guy in a yellow T-shirt came up beside me, grabbed me from behind, put a mid-size box cutter to my neck and started slashing. “I put my hand up to try and stop him, but he kept slashing.” Rasheed holds up his hand – besides the jagged slash mark across his neck that almost claimed his life, the blogger lost a digit of his index finger trying to protect himself from the knife. “That was why they missed a vital artery. I tried to prevent it – they cut the finger to the bone.” Job done, the three men walked “very calmly” out of the alley in separate directions, leaving Rasheed to bleed to death in the alley. “I got a look at their faces, but it was too dark to identify them,” he says. “They all had beards, and they were very young – I would say between 18 and 24. When the man in the yellow shirt was slashing my throat I smelled his breath – it smelled of alcohol.” Acting on instinct, Rasheed held his neck and did not let go. “I didn’t know how bad it was – because it was a box cutter, it was a very clean cut – it wasn’t painful,” he says. “I thought about going upstairs to inform my parents, but I thought I better go straight to hospital rather than go up all the stairs.” Leaving the alleyway, holding his head down to prevent blood loss, Rasheed tried to flag down a passing motorcycle. In the distance, he saw two of his attackers ride away on a motorcycle, while the walked round the corner. “I knew it was pointless to go after them as I needed to get to the hospital,” he recalls. Three motorcycles passed without stopping to help him, even though the front of his shirt and trousers were by now drenched in blood. That was when he tried to call the taxi, only to realise the extent of his injury. “Even at that moment, a thought came into my mind. All the people who brought change to the world, most of them died for that cause – they didn’t live to see the fruits of their effort. “When this thought came into my mind, survival instinct took over and I felt a rage: ‘I am going to survive, I want to live to see the fruits of my work – the fight for human rights,’” he tells Minivan News. A young couple walking down the street noticed him – and the girl began screaming. A young man on a motorcycle motorcyclist heard the sound as he came around the corner, and stopped so Rasheed could get on behind him. “I was still holding my neck, and not talking, and pointed in the direction of the hospital. With my right hand I held onto his shoulder – I was afraid I might faint because of the blood loss and fall off. There was so much blood – there was a pool forming in front of me.” Fighting off unconsciousness, Rasheed stumbled into the lobby of ADK hospital, the young man behind him. “I was very appreciative but I couldn’t talk to thank him,” Rasheed says. “Because I couldn’t say thank you I just gave him a thumbs up and walked into the hospital. A doctor later said the guy promptly fainted in the doorway.” Still holding his neck, Rasheed walked into the the emergency room: “The people waiting in the lobby started screaming as I went passed – I think they were shocked,” he says. A Maldivian girl and a couple of foreign nurses took Rasheed to a bed – “I saw a lot of ADK officials and police officers coming in. The Maldivian girl asked me to show them the injury. I knew I had to show them the extent of the damage so they knew what kind of treatment was needed,” he says. “I lifted my head all the way back. And quickly back down. A doctor later told me that a nurse and a police officer fainted.” The foreign nurses quickly inserted a tube into his neck so he could breathe, and pressed bandages to his neck to try and stem the blood loss. The staff put him on a bed and rushed him to the operating theatre. “They gave me anaesthetic. It took a while for it to work, but I didn’t feel any pain. I could see them opening my neck, putting their hand inside. I knew they were trying to assess the damage and from what they were saying, that my trachea was severed.” The hospital kept Rasheed under anesthetic for 48 hours – “they didn’t want to wake me up,” he says. “My father later told me that I happened to go into the hospital when the new shift was coming in All the old shift doctors stayed on – there were 6-8 of them. My father said at that moment they told him that I had a less than one percent chance of survival, but that they would try everything they could.” Rasheed was later told by friends who had gathered outside the operating theatre that while he was undergoing emergency surgery, one of the men who had attacked and hospitalised him during a protest for religious tolerance on December 10 – Human Rights Day – came and waited outside the emergency room. “A relative spotted him and asked him what he was doing there – he said he was there for scans – so the relative asked him why he was waiting in front of emergency. He was the guy who attacked me with a stone on December 10 and fractured my skull, and his excuse was that he was there for a scan,” Rasheed says.That was the first of several unsettling incidents to happen while Rasheed was in hospital. Conscious of security concerns, ADK staff forbade access to Rasheed for all apart from his parents. “While I was under anesthetic, I was told by a friend of a friend – a gang member – that someone had been sent into the hospital to kill me – to pull the plug. Nobody would have noticed,” Rasheed says. “This bearded guy came into the Intensive Care Unit posing as my father. While he was near me a doctor who knew my father just happened to come into the ICU. The doctor was suspicious, and asked him who he was – he said he was my father. The doctor said ‘I know Hilath’s father, you are not his father,’ and called security to have him thrown out. He’s on the hospital’s CCTV footage.” Four days later, Rasheed woke up on a ventilator, astounding doctors at his miraculous recovery. “They said they had never seen anyone recover so fast from such an injury,” he says. Rasheed has no doubt in his mind as to the motivation behind his attack – the third in just a few months. The attack was unusual in that most of the wave of recent gang stabbings in the Maldives have involved multiple stab wounds to different parts of the body – targeted throat slashing is new. In July 2009, Rasheed broke news of a story on his blog concerning an under-age girl allegedly being kept by a family as a ‘jaariya’ – a concubine. Concerns were initially raised when the girl was taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and was found to be pregnant. “Ever since I reported the story on my blog I have received death threats. Things like: ‘If we see you on street we will slash your throat’, ‘we will behead you’, ‘don’t walk in a dark alley,’ things like that,” says Rasheed. One of only several Maldivian bloggers to write under his own name, Rasheed courted controversy by continuing to tackle taboo subjects in the Maldives – particularly religious intolerance, and the constitutional provision that all Maldivians were required to be ‘100 percent Sunni Muslim’. This was at odds, Rasheed argued, with the country’s Sufi history and new-found commitment to freedom of expression – which had ironically, he argued, also given a voice to more extreme interpretations of the religion. The attitude of many to Rasheed’s work was summarised in comments made by spokesperson for former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and newly-appointed Minister for Human Resources, Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, who told AFP following the attempt on the blogger’s life that while the government condemned the attack, “Hilath must have known that he had become a target of a few extremists.”“We are not a secular country. When you talk about religion there will always be a few people who do not agree,” Shareef said. Both the administrations of Nasheed and Waheed showed little interest in prosecuting those who threatened and attacked Rasheed – regardless of the number of photos and witnesses.“I reported the threats to police. In fact an intelligence officer met me after the concubine story. Nothing came of it. The man who attacked me with the stone on December 10 – there were photos of him, I gave his identity and everything. Police never arrested him, and as far as I know he’s still roaming free around Male.” Police are investigating the latest attack on Rasheed, but despite claiming to have access to CCTV footage of the area, no arrests had been made at time of press. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that while the investigation was proceeding, the case was “sensitive”. The reason for that, Rasheed says, “is very obvious.” “This coup government is collaborating with Islamic extremists. The extremists together with the Adhaalath party are now in power. I don’t think they will arrest my three attackers, even this time, and I don’t think I will get justice as long as Waheed’s coup government is in power,” the blogger says. Days before the attempt on his life, Rasheed and a friend were passing the Furqan mosque in Male’ on their way to the swimming tracks. Six members of the same gang who attacked him on December 10 – who were inside setting up a sermon – came out and began punching him in the face. “They cornered me, and pushed me into the wall. And started punching my face. As they were punching me I told them I had repented and was a Muslim. One of them said: ‘We don’t know that. You have to make a public announcement that you are a Muslim. Otherwise we will kill you.’” The sight of a passing police jeep caused the group to cease their attack and scatter – “apart from one. He was one of those who threw stones on December 10,” Rasheed says. “Right in front of the police, he punched me in the face.” The police saw the incident, came out of the jeep and arrested his attacker, says Rasheed. “They asked me and my friend to come to the police station. We filed a case. That night they took him to court and extended his detention by five days.” However while Rasheed was at home one of the gang members “called me, and told me to withdraw the case, and that in return I would never be attacked by Maldivian Wahabis again.” The following morning Rasheed went to the police station and withdrew the case. He rang the gang member, “who said he was very happy.” “A few days later this happened,” says Rasheed, pointing to his scarred throat. “I guess they are not good at keeping their word,” he laughs bitterly. While Rasheed cannot identify his attackers in the June 4 attack, he claims that besides calling out his name, the assailants told him the attack was “compliments” of three senior political and religious figures in the country. “I was told by a friend of these gang members that [two of these figures] met this gang and told them to murder me, and that it would not be a sin, and that in fact they would go to heaven because I had blogged about freedom of religion and gay rights,” Rasheed says. “The friend also told me via the gang member that the extremists have drawn up a list of MDP members and supporters who are advocating secularism on Facebook and Twitter. I haven’t seen this list, but I’m told it exists. I have advised all my friends to be extra careful about their personal safety.” Both sides of the political spectrum in the Maldives have on occasion accused the other of employing gangs for political purposes, such as attending and disrupting political rallies, in exchange for money and alcohol. However, Rasheed’s allegation that radicalisation is now being used as a control technique is new. “These gangs are very easy to radicalise,” Rasheed explains. “They have committed all kinds of evil acts and sins, and it is very easy to brainwash them. These Sheikhs go and tell them that because they have done all these activities, the only way for them to get salvation is to subordinate themselves to Allah and undertake jihad against secularists and unbelievers. It is very easy. “I think because the Islamists are now in power these people feel powerful and immune, and protected by this new culture of impunity. They are doing what they want to do, and what they are told to do. As long as this coup government is in power, this country will be lawless with gangs and Islamic extremists dictating our lives and murdering their opponents who disagree with them.” Some of the more conservative Sheikhs have even privately expressed concern about the growing radicalisation of gang members, Rasheed says. “One of them told a relative of mine that it was a disgrace – that these were gang members, taking heroin, abusing alcohol, that they were just criminals posing as Salafis,” says Rasheed. “He said he was really concerned about groups taking over mosques because it was giving a bad name to Salaf and all the other Wahabis.”
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15th July 2012
Islamic Foundation of Maldives launches country’s first religious TV station
The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) today launched a new television channel said to be exclusively geared towards religious programming, local media has reported. The channel, known as MVTV, is planned to be broadcast on a daily basis between 2:00pm and midnight across the country on both the Maldives’ digital terrestrial network and satellite services. Speaking to Sun Online, Ibrahim Mohamed, who heads the station’s production and broadcasting, claimed that the channel would make use of sheikhs “not active in politics” to provide religious information to viewers.
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8th July 2012
Home Minister Dr. Mohamed Jameel and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon to defend Maldives’ human rights record at UNHRC
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10th July 2012
Hilath Rasheed attack “nothing to do with religious extremism”, Maldivian government claims
The Maldives government has told international media that an attack last month on prominent blogger Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed was the work of “rival gang members”and not religious extremists as alleged by the victim. Rasheed – a controversial figure in the Maldives for his willingness to tackle taboo subjects, particularly religious tolerance – was left in a critical condition after being stabbed in the neck near his home in Male’ last month. Having since fled the country, Rasheed has told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news service that he believed the attack, which literally silenced him temporarily after his trachea was sliced clean through, was conducted by extreme religous elements in the country. “I was attacked because I advocate secularism. The Islamists want Maldives to remain a 100-percent Islamic country,” he stated in an interview the AFP said was conducted through Twitter and email. However, the government hit out at the blogger’s accusations when contacted by the AFP, claiming Rasheed was targeted for an attack due to gang rivalry, not because of “religious extremism” or the focus of his blog and journalism. “He is a member of a gang and had been attacked by rival gang members in the past too. It is unfair to blame this attack on anything else,” President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad told the news service. When contacted by Minivan News today the Maldives Police Service said that investigations were continuing into the case and it was therefore unable to say if there was a specific motive behind the attack. “So far we do not have a suspect,” Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said. “We are continuing to investigate and are tracing CCTV camera footage in attempts to locate the culprit.” Despite the government’s insistence that there was no religious motivation behind the attack on Hilath, in a previous interview with the AFP, the recently appointed Minister for Human Resources Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Shareef said that, “Hilath must have known that he had become a target of a few extremists.” “We are not a secular country. When you talk about religion there will always be a few people who do not agree,” Shareef said whilst condemning the attack.
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9th August 2012
Reporters Without Borders condemns Raajje TV sabotage, “growing media polarisation”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the sabotage of opposition-aligned broadcaster Raajje TV that terminated the station’s broadcast, after critical cables in the control room were cut. “This targeted and well-prepared operation was the foreseeable culmination of the new government’s escalating verbal attacks on Raajje TV,” said RSF in a statement. “How the authorities respond will be seen as a test of their commitment to media pluralism.” The press freedom organisation noted that the “growing media polarisation between ’pro-Nasheed’ and ’pro-Hassan’ camps has reached a toxic level and the right to receive and impart news and information is the first victim.” “Many journalists have been arrested, attacked or threatened in recent months during demonstrations organized by Nasheed’s supporters to press their call for early elections. While appealing to all sides to calm down and reflect on the role they should play in a democratic debate, Reporters Without Borders condemns these repeated attacks on journalists by the authorities,” RSF stated. “The government and police have played a leading role in the deterioration of the situation. Instead of trying to create a healthy environment that would assist the development of a free and pluralistic press, they have exacerbated the rivalry and used the media for political ends.” RSF called on authorities “to moderate their criticism of Raajje TV, to ensure that the sabotage of the station is fully and impartially investigated, and to make sure that journalists are not subjected to further attacks. At the same time, we urge Raajje TV’s journalists to make a clear distinction between their political involvement and their professional work.” Cables in Raajje TV’s control room were cut early on the morning of August 7, after intruders shut down electricity to the building causing the station’s electronic locking system to fail. “We suspect that either the culprit knows this place very well, or that this was done with the cooperation from a person who knew the place very well,” said the station’s Deputy CEO, Abdulla Yamin. Following the incident, Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz on twitter “[Condemned] the attack on Raajje TV. All resources will be used to investigate to find the perpetrator(s).” Meanwhile, police also told local media that they would reconsider a decision not to cooperate with the station’s reporters, including denying them access to secure areas during protests, after urging from the Maldives Broadcasting Commission. The Maldives is ranked 73rd out of 179 countries in the 2011-2012 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, which was released before February’s events. “The media situation has deteriorated dramatically since then,” the organisation observed.
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9th August 2012
Police arrest 37 year-old man on suspicion of raping two teenage girls
A 37 year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping two teenage girls after forcing them to drink alcohol. The girls – aged 15 and 16 – were raped in the late hours of Tuesday at a rented house on Hulhumale’ island, according to the police. Staff Sergeant Ismail Ali said the case was reported to the police around 2:30am. The man alleged to have raped the girls was arrested soon afterwards. The identity of the suspect was not revealed by police as the investigation is ongoing. “This case is very serious and we are currently investigating it. So no further information can be revealed about the suspect or the case at this stage,” Staff Sergeant Ali noted.
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16th August 2012
High Court orders reinstatement of Police Chief Inspector Risheef Thoha
The High Court has overruled a decision made by the Civil Court regarding a suit filed against Police Chief Inspector Risheef Thoha, after he was dismissed by the Police Disciplinary Board over allegations that he raped a woman in a police car. The court ordered that Chief Inspector Thoha be reinstated. In August last year, a woman filed a case at police headquarters alleging she was sexually abused by a group of police officers, including the chief inspector. In December 2010 Thoha appealed the decision of the Disciplinary Board at the Civil Court, which ruled that the Board’s decision was lawful and that there was enough evidence to dismiss Thoha from police duty. The Civil Court noted at the time that Thoha’s call records showed he had contacted the other accused officers several times, and that the officers had also contacted him. When the locations of the phones were determined, they showed that the car had travelled the routes the woman had said, the Civil Court’s ruling stated. The ruling also said that the girl was thrown out of the car naked near Thoha ‘s house, Mainz in Maafannu, and that Thoha had admitted to being in the area a few minutes later. However the High Court today ruled that Thoha be reinstated at the position of Chief Inspector of Police, and paid the salary he had not received during the time he was dismissed. In August 2011 a close friend of the alleged victim told Minivan News the incident had occurred near Seahouse restaurant in Henveiru. “She would not be older than 22 years, she was friends with the police inspector,’’ the source said. “According to what she told me, she was partying with a group of four police officers, including a senior inspector, and they were all drunk.’’ He alleged that the incident occurred inside a police car. “She said they threw her onto the street after sexually abusing her,’’ the source added. Former ‘Mr Maldives’ Police Constable Husham Hameed was also dismissed after being accused of the same crime, but in April last year the Civil Court ruled that his position also be reinstated.
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22nd August 2012
Man who raped mother receives 16 years’ prison, 39 lashes
Kolamaafushi Court in Gaafu Alifu Atoll has sentenced a man to 39 lashes and 16 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping his mother, in the presence of a minor. According to police, 31 year-old Abdulla Nizam was sentenced to six years imprisonment and 39 lashes for the rape of an “unmarriageable” person, and a further 10 years imprisonment for having sex in the presence of a minor. The latter charge is a criminal offence under the Child Sex Abuse Special Provisions Act. The investigation of the rape was concluded and sent to the Prosecutor General’s Office in April 2010, while the investigation into the presence of the minor was was concluded in September the same year. The case was investigated by the Villingili Police Station based on the island of Villingili in Gaa Alifu Atoll. In October last year, police arrested a 26 year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting his 62 year-old grandmother on the island of Hithadhoo of Addu City. Local media Haveeru reported that time that the 26 year-old man was a grandson of the woman, who was half-paralysed. In April 2011, a 19 year-old man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 74 year-old elderly woman on the same island.
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3rd September 2012
Hulhudhufaaru Magistrate Court in Raa Atoll sentences 16 year old girl to 100 lashes for having sex with 29 year-old
A 16 year-old girl has been sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months house arrest by Hulhudhufaaru Magistrate Court in Raa Atoll, for fornication. The court also sentenced a 29 year-old man to 10 years imprisonment, after the court found him guilty of having sex with the girl. As she is a legally a minor, the court stated that the girl’s sentence would be implemented when she turned 18. An official from the told the local media that the man travelled to the island after the girl invited him. The the girl’s family noticed that she was not at home and went looking for her, the official said. The pair were found that night in some bushes behind the island’s power house, he added. The court official said the the girl’s family pressed charges, which were denied by the man. However the girl confessed, local press reported. The Hulhudhufaaru Court identified the 29 year-old as Ahmed Rasheed of Angolhitheemu Island in Raa Atoll. The man was sentenced under article 3[a][c] of the Child Sex Abuse [Special Provisions] Act which states that if a person touches a minor with the intention of having sex, then it is a punishable crime. A person found guilty of such a crime can be sentenced to a term of 10-14 years in prison. According to statistics revealed by the Gender Department in April this year, between December 2010 and October 2011, 1,138 cases of child abuse were reported from atoll family and children service centres. 1,005 of these cases involved minors while 133 of these cases involved victims aged older than 18. Approximately one third of the 81 cases involving children less than one year involved neglect. Sexual abuse was reported in a quarter of the 192 cases for age group one to five, and in a fifth of the 230 cases age group five to 10.
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11th September 2012
Hilath Rasheed speaks at UN Human Rights Council while in self imposed exile
Maldivian journalist and blogger Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed last week spoke at the United Nation’s Palace of Nations during the 21st session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). In a side event dedicated to the Maldives, Hilath spoke of his fears of rising fundamentalism in his home country and called for the international community to keep a close watch on the Maldives to ensure the protection of human rights and democratic freedoms. “Maldives may be a small country but it is not insignificant. It lies at a strategic crossroads and the cultural and political invasion of Maldives by Saudi-funded Wahhabi extremism will definitely have regional and global repercussions,” said Hilath. Hilath was forced to flee the Maldives earlier this year after an assassination attempt left him within millimetres of death when a group of men slashed his throat just yards from his home in Male’. Hilath later attributed the assassination attempt to Islamic radicals who had threatened his life on numerous previous occasions. As well as making international headlines, Hilath’s case has been championed by both Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and, more recently, by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). Both organisations called for an immediate investigation into the attack, the latter criticising the authorities for failing to adequately investigate the incident. “Until 2003, for the past 800 years, the Maldives had been a moderate and liberal Islamic country,” said Hilath, whose speech is also available on his blog which has been blocked by the authorities since November.“However, in the last years of [Maumoon Abdul] Gayoom, due to poverty and oppression, and also as a result of the forced imposition on the Maldivian people of Gayoom’s own version of Islam, extremism took a hold, and though it is still a minority, it is a very vocal and formidable one that both [Mohamed] Nasheed’s and [Mohamed] Waheed’s governments have been unable to tackle,” he continued. “But a stark difference has been that while Nasheed’s government officially acknowledged there was an extremist problem in Maldives, Waheed is refusing to acknowledge the problem. While Nasheed sought to keep extremism in check by bringing them into his government, in the form of the Adhaalath Party, Waheed came into power on the back of extremism, and therefore is giving free reign to extremists,” said Hilath. Prior to this year’s transfer of presidential power, Hilath suffered a fractured skull after an attack during a silent protest in support of religious tolerance last December. He was later arrested in relation to the protest after the religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) wrote a letter to the police. This prompted Amnesty International to declare him a prisoner of conscience and to demand his immediate release. The 2008 constitution defines the Maldives as a one hundred percent Sunni Islamic nation and makes observance of the faith a prerequisite of citizenship. “What is worrying is that while Nasheed allowed extremists to spread their propaganda through private channels, Waheed’s government is directly sanctioning the promotion of the extremist agenda through official religious channels,” said Hilath. “The Adhaalath Party, under whom extremists operate, and under whose umbrella the Islamic Affairs Ministry has been under both Nasheed and Waheed, is now using Friday prayer sermons, also known as khuthubas, to spew bigotry, mysogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, racism, sexism and other sorts of discrimination, and to issue fatwas or religious rulings proclaiming the arts and humanities, such as photography, art, music, singing, dancing and acting as haram or sinful,” he added. Two days after Hilath’s speech in Geneva, the Islamic Ministry distributed a circular calling for the banning of mixed gender dancing. This news put the Maldives in the global media spotlight for the second time this month after the sentencing of a 16 year old girl to 100 lashes for fornication – in accordance with Islamic Sharia – had already made international headlines. Last Friday also saw a gathering of religious protesters outside of the United Nations (UN) building to register their anger at the anti-Islamic film “Innocence of Muslims”. Protesters burned the American flag and waved banners, one of which read “Maldives: Future graveyard of Americans and Jews”.
15th September 2012
MP Nasheed proposes bill criminalising sexual offenses
Independent Member of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed [not Anni] has published on his personal blog a bill he submitted to parliament in June this year, proposing to criminalise sexual offences. The bill defines actions to be taken against specific types of sexual offenses, including rape, spousal rape, prostitution, bestiality and incest. Nasheed stated that he felt a bill like this is immensely important because of the serious nature of modern day sexual offenses. He states that the current legislative framework governing such offenses is too lenient, and that the proposed bill would provide a stronger penalisation structure. Nasheed has said that he believes it is equally important to criminalise sexual offenses against adults, similar to the existing laws criminalising such acts against children.
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Protests over anti-Islamic movie spread to the Maldives
Crowds of protesters gathered in front of the UN building on Friday, protesting against the movie “Innocence of Muslims”, perceived as offensive to the Prophet Mohamed. Similar protests have erupted across the Arab world following the release of video offensive to Muslims on the the video-sharing website, YouTube. The UK’s Guardian newspaper reported that the video was promoted by radical Islamophobic Christians in the US and then broadcast in Egypt by Islamic activists. Protests have occurred in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Jerusalem and the West Bank, Kashmir, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Nigerian city of Jos. The most serious incident was in Libya, where demonstrators killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three embassy employees by firing a rocket-propelled grenade at their car. British and German embassies have also been attacked. On Friday in Male’, a leaflet was distributed inviting persons to the protest at 4:00pm, titled “In Protection of Prophet Mohamed”. The leaflet did not specify who the organisers of the protest were.
Police had cordoned off the area ahead of the time, and protesters initially gathered opposite Billabong International School. Placards were mostly in English, and had a range of messages expressing their anger against the movie and the US in general. Some of the placards in the front row read: “Behead those who insult our Prophet”, “Our prophet is dearest to us than our mother”, “May Allah curse America”, and “Maldives: Future graveyard of Americans and Jews”. In less than an hour protesters broke through police barricades, shoving police away angrily and approached the UN headquarters. The few police officers present cleared the entrance of the building, but let protesters remain right in front of it. Female protesters remained at the far end of the road, near the Billabong school. A US flag was set on fire, with protesters surrounding it chanting “Allah Akbar”. A number of speeches were made, accompanied with chants. Some of the most repeated chants include asking President Waheed to return America’s US$20,000 contribution to restore the historical Buddhist artifacts in the museum, which were destroyed by a mob of vandals during February’s political turmoil. Some protesters stated loudly that if the idols were restored, they would promptly destroy them again. At one point, protesters demanded the resignation of Minister of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed. A lecturer at the Maldives University, Sheikh Mohamed Thoyyib, was given protection by the police after his speech asking protesters to show patience and compassion like the Prophet enraged some of the people gathered there. Young children accompanied some of the protesters, with some children and their parents holding toy guns in their hands. The protest was adjourned in time for maghrib prayers, at around 6:30pm. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs released a statement on Thursday condemning the movie. It stated that the enemies of Islam had always used tools of the times to insult the Prophet, but that such efforts would not at all harm the character of the Prophet, as he was held in high regard all over the world. The statement called on people to show restraint and to offer prayers for the Prophet. The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives also issued a press release today, stating that “Countless numbers of Muslims all around the world intensely revere the person of Mohamed, in fact they revere him more than their own lives, and therefore it is extremely offensive for them to defame Prophet Mohamed (PBUH).”
16th September 2012
Communications Authority of Maldives CAM working to block controversial ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Trailer
The Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) has said today that it is working to block the trailer of a film titled ‘Innocence of Muslims’ from being viewed in the Maldives. The controversial film has been at the centre of perceived anti-American protests across the world. International media has reported that in certain cases, these protests have descended into violence, resulting in the deaths of a number of US nationals at certain embassies in Africa and the Middle East. Addressing the availability of the trailer in the Maldives, CAM Chief Executive Ilyas Ahmed has said that the usual course of action in dealing with cases of offensive on-line content in the country was to block an entire website found to be hosting the material. However, since the trailer in this case was hosted on public video-sharing website YouTube, Ilyas said he was trying to find a way to block the video alone. “Since YouTube is a popular site used by many people, it is not practical to block it. So instead of blocking YouTube, we are instead talking to Google first and trying to have this trailer alone blocked,” has was reported as telling local media. Ilyas stated that this is the first time in the Maldives that content was being sought to be blocked in this manner. He added that the CAM had taken up the work after receiving a formal written request from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The ministry had previously released a statement on Thursday (September 13) which called on people to show restraint, while condemning the movie. Meanwhile, Adhaalath Party, the religious conservative party to which Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed belongs to also released a press statement the same day. In the release, the party stated that the objective behind people being offensive to Islam was to drive millions of Muslims over the world to create unrest and do wrong. The statement also asked protesters to refrain from causing harm to innocent people and damaging government or public property. Crowds of people protested against the offensive movie ‘Innocence of Muslims’ in front of the UN Building on Friday. Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed was not responding to calls at the time of press.
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High Court upholds lower court’s ruling to reinstate officer accused of rape
The High Court has upheld a Civil Court ruling to reinstate Police Lance Corporal Ali Nasheed to active duty, after he was accused of raping a young woman after abducting her in a police car in August 2010. The High Court ruled there was not enough evidence to prove that Ali Nasheed was guilty of the crime and determined that he could only be relieved of duty if there was enough evidence to prove him guilty. The state was unable to prove with the police investigation that Ali Nasheed was guilty of the crime, the court stated. The High Court ruling stated that Ali Nasheed was dismissed by the Police Disciplinary Committee after allegedly violating the Police Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. The only evidence submitted to the court against Ali Nasheed was the call log of his cell phone on the night of the incident, and the areas in which the cell phone had been used that night. Those areas were related to the incident, the court was told. The High Court noted that Nasheed had told the lower court that he was sleeping at the time of the incident and that his brother went out with his cell phone that night, and that he had nothing to do with the call log. Nasheed produced his brother to the court who confessed that he was the one who went out with Nasheed’s mobile phone. The High Court said that when the Disciplinary Board investigated the case they did not obtain fingerprint evidence or DNA evidence from the police car S5241 that was alleged to be involved in the incident. There was no evidence provided to the court to prove that Nasheed had met with or contacted the woman who was allegedly raped, the court stated. Police Chief Inspector Risheef Thoha and Former ‘Mr Maldives’ Police Constable Husham Hameed alleged of being involved and playing a significant role in the incident.
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18th September 2012
The National Classifications Bureau (NCB) announces a ban on watching or bringing in copies of the controversial “Innocence of Muslims” movie to the Maldives
The National Classifications Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday announced a ban on watching or bringing in copies of the controversial “Innocence of Muslims” movie to the Maldives. The NCB is reported as saying that watching or sharing the movie is an offence under the law defining material which is not allowed to be brought into the country (Act No. 4/74). Such material includes other contraband such as pork, alcohol, and religious items not for personal use. According to Article 4 (a) of the said Act, bringing into the country, creating, owning, selling, sharing or spreading material which is against the principles of Islam is an offence. The penalty for the said offense, as defined in Article 13 (c) is a jail sentence, banishment or house arrest for a period between 3 to 8 years. Meanwhile, the Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) has announced on Sunday that it is working to block the offending trailer from the online video sharing channel YouTube. CAM Chief Executive Ilyas Ahmed said at the time that they were attempting to just block the video alone, instead of the site itself, as blocking YouTube was ‘not practical’. Pakistan is reported in international media as having blocked access to YouTube in the country after the owners of the site refused to block the offending video. Following similar protests across the globe, protesters in the Maldives gathered in front of the UN Building on Friday September 14. Protesters carried placards with messages ranging from “Maldives: future graveyard to Americans and Jews” to “May Allah curse America”.
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27th September 2012
Maldivian police have revealed that they have arrested 98 prostitutes in Male’ since March this year, including some expatriate males
According to police, 58 of the alleged prostitutes have now been deported and sent back to their countries. In one instance police said a Bangladeshi expatriate who was caught and deported had changed his name and crossed the Maldivian border by changing his information. Police said the person was arrested a second time for involvement in prostitution. Police custody currently hold four Thai women, two Bangladeshi women and men, and three Maldivians in detention, all of them whom arrested in massage parlors on suspicious of being involved in prostitution.
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1st October 2012
Judicial statistics show 90 percent of those convicted for fornication are female
Almost 90 percent of the people found guilty of “Zina” – fornication – and sentenced to flogging in 2011 were female, according to new statistics published by the Department of Judicial Administration last week. A total of 129 fornication cases were filed last year and 104 people sentenced, out of which 93 were female. This includes 10 underage girls (below 18), 79 women between age 18-40 and and four women above 40 years. Of the 11 males who were sentenced, only one was a minor, with the others aged between 25-40. Compared to 2010, the overall sentences in fornication increased by 23 percent in 2011, but the number of males sentenced for flogging decreased by 15 percent while the women increased by 30 percent. According to Maldivian law, a person found guilty of fornication is subjected to 100 lashes and sentenced to one year of house arrest or banishment while a minor’s flogging is postponed until she or he reaches 18. It takes four witnesses or a confession to prove the offence in court based on Islamic Sharia. The Maldives’ legal system consists of elements of both common law and Sharia.
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2nd October 2012
Maldivian MP and Moderate Religious Scholar Dr. Afrasheem Ali is stabbed to death at his home in Male’ City
MP of the government-aligned Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Dr Afrasheem Ali, was brutally stabbed to death outside his home on Monday night. The member for Ungoofaaru constituency in Raa Atoll was murdered after returning home from appearing on the TVM show “Islamee Dhiriulhun” (Islamic Life) with Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Qubad Aboobakuru. The show finished around 11:00pm, and Afrasheem’s body was discovered by his wife at the bottom of the stairs of their apartment building shortly after midnight. The MP had been stabbed four times in the back of the head and a chunk of his skull was missing, according to reports on VTV. He also suffered stab wounds to the chest and neck. The MP was rushed to ADK hospital where he was pronounced dead. The hospital was placed under heavy security. Others present at the hospital in addition to police officers and citizens included former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his daughter and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dhunya Maumoon, his half-brother and People’s Alliance (PA) leader Abdulla Yameen, Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, Deputy of the PPM Umar Naseer, Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb, Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Reeko Moosa Manik, and a large number of MPs.
10th October 2012
Waheed government submits bill to facilitate death penalty; motivated by the murder of MP Dr. Afrasheem Ali
The government has announced its intention to introduce a bill to the People’s Majlis in order to guide and govern the implementation of the death penalty in the country. “It is currently a punishment passed by the judiciary and a form of punishment available within the penal system of the Maldives,” said Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed. “But for full guidance and matters governing the matter, legislation is required,” he added. A meeting of the cabinet yesterday strongly condemned last week’s murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali and urged President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to start taking immediate measures to ensure safety and security in the country. President’s Office spokesman Masood Imad said that the government had received a large number of calls for implementing the death penalty. “We are having enormous pressure since these high profile murders,” he said. “We have indications – the talk around the town – that there will be more murders.” The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has this week proposed a no-confidence motion against the home minister, citing the unprecedented instances of murder and assault in the country since he assumed office in February. Afrasheem’s murder was the 10th in the small country this year, sparking much debate on the death penalty. Following the murder of high profile lawyer Ahmed Najeeb on July 1, two people were sentenced to death after Najeeb’s heirs opted for qisas (equal retaliation) rather than blood money. Public outcry over Najeeb’s murder prompted Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz to declare that full enforcement of the courts’ rulings is necessary to maintain the effectiveness of the judiciary. A case was submitted to the High Court in August, requesting that it annul the President’s ability to commute death sentences to 25 years imprisonment, provided in the Clemency Act. Similarly, in April Ahmed Mahloof – parliamentary group member from the government-aligned Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) – proposed an amendment to the Clemency Act to ensure that the enforcement of the death penalty be mandatory in the event it was upheld by the Supreme Court. In a comment piece written for Haveeru following Najeeb’s murder, however, Special Advisor to the President Dr Hassan Saeed warned that implementing the death penalty could be both arbitrary and prohibitively expensive.
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1st November 2012
Bill on death penalty drafted, unclear on action on past sentences: AG Azima Shakoor
Attorney General (AG) Azima Shakoor stated on Thursday that the government’s bill on implementing death penalty would be made public early in the coming week. Speaking at a press conference in Velaanaage, Shakoor confirmed that the AG’s office had completed drafting the bill, which was now in the final stages of discussion. She confirmed that the bill would be made public on the office’s website in the coming week, stating the matter “is very much connected to public sentiments and a large number of people feel this matter needs a fast solution”. Saying that “it was a pity” that three weeks had passed in the drafting stage, Shakoor said that unlike most other bills, the death penalty implementation bill was going through processes of in-depth research and further discussions among a high-level group appointed by the government. According to Shakoor, the research took much longer than the state had expected, adding that the AG office had included the legal systems of Medina, Egypt and America in its research. “I would like to point out that the death penalty is still implemented in over 50 countries across the world even today. Not all of these are even Islamic states. Nor is murder the only crime for which the sentence is given. For example, some countries sentence people to death for being caught trying to bring in narcotics to the country. We are considering all of these points and have made a comparative legal assessment,” Shakoor explained. Other crimes besides murder which are punishable by death according to Islamic Sharia include apostasy, adultery, sodomy, rape and high treason. “We need to conduct an academic exercise since we are trying to do this through a rather weak penal code,” Shakoor said. “If this can be done before the penal code pending in parliament is passed, it might be best to include this as part of that code. Right now, we have drafted this with the thought that if the penal code gets passed up front, then this can be passed as a separate act on death penalty.” Shakoor said that the bill was important as the current practice was to charge murder convicts under Article 88 of the existing penal code. Article 88 of the Penal Code states that disobedience to order is a crime, while Article 88(c) details that if the result of violating the article leads to a death, the case should be dealt with according to Islamic Sharia. Shakoor provided details of the drafted bill, stating it would be looking at the investigation stages, prosecution stages, sentencing and the implementation of sentences.
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10th November 2012
Azra Naseem writes “Maldivian faith to Maldivians”
Political prostitutes who pose as religious scholars and sell their Islamic learning to the highest bidder have become some of the biggest contributors to the current socio-political and economic turmoil in the Maldives
20th November 2012
Parliament votes out CSC President Fahmy over sexual harassment allegations
Parliament on Tuesday voted out President of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Mohamed Fahmy on charges of sexual harassment against an employee. The 70 members who partook in the vote were split 38 for removing Fahmy, 32 against and 2 abstentions. The parliament debated on the report on the case submitted by the Committee on Independent Institutions prior to the vote. Chair of the Committee, Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed, said that in addition Fahmy himself and the employee who had submitted the complaint Aminath Shahma, other members of the CSC and staff members had been questioned by the committee. Nasheed said that other staff members, including Fahmy’s personal secretary, had made statements which backed Shahma’s allegations, while Fahmy’s defense had nothing to support it. He added that the committee had asked both Fahmy and Shahma if they were willing to repeat their statements under oath, to which Shahma had agreed while Fahmy refused to respond. After much debate by MPs with opposing views on the parliament floor, Nasheed responded saying the the Committee on Independent Institutions had oversight mandate over the CSC, and that it did not need to conduct a criminal investigation to remove Fahmy from his post. “What we applied are widely accepted civil standards. Based on our findings, 7 out of the 10 committee members decided that it was more likely that Fahmy had committed this act than that he did not. And that is enough to remove him from his post,” Nasheed said. He added that this had no relation to Fahmy’s role in the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) – of which the CSC president is by default a member. He also clarified that unlike the claims of some MPs who had spoken in Fahmy’s defense, the Prosecutor General’s office had not sent the case back to the police but rather had asked for additional clarifications. [Ali Hameed scandal]
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22nd November 2012
Ibrahim Zaki, special envoy to former president Mohamed Nasheed, warns on rising fundamentalism within the Maldives being a threat to Indian interests
Ibrahim Zaki, special envoy of former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, on Thursday warned India against the rise of fundamentalist forces in his country that were, he said, also threatening Indian economic interests there. Zaki, 67, a former minister in successive Maldivian governments headed by former presidents Maumoon Gayoom and Nasheed, said he would have called for Indian forces to protect the multi-million-dollar investment by Indian infrastructure firm GMR Group. “The attack on GMR contract is an Islamic fundamentalist issue,” he told reporters, adding that a majority of people in Maldives were not against the project. “If we were in the government, definitely we would have done it by now... definitely (asked for) their (Indian forces) to be on the ground,” said Zaki, who is known in India as the man who telephoned then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to seek help when Gayoom was threatened by a coup in 1988. In response, India had sent elite paratroopers to prevent Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries from ousting Gayoom. New Delhi considers Maldives atoll nation within its sphere of influence, given that the islands sit astride some of the busiest shipping lanes connecting Asia, Africa and West Asia. Delhi is also wary of growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region—in Sri Lanka and Maldives. “When Islamic fundamentalism takes over the country, if the Lashkar-e-Taiba can take over the country, then I have no choice” but to call in forces from India, Zaki said referring to the Pakistan-based militant group that India blames for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack. The $511-million airport development project, a joint venture between GMR Infrastructure Ltd and Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd., has been in the eye of a political storm in the Maldives in recent months after Nasheed quit in February. India was one of the first countries to recognize current President Mohammed Waheed Hassan’s government after the resignation of Nasheed, who came to power in elections in 2008 at the end of the three-decade-old rule of Gayoom. A day after quitting as president, Nasheed alleged he had been forced to quit “almost at gunpoint” in a coup. It was Nasheed’s government that gave the go-ahead to the GMR project in 2010 but the project has run into trouble with the Adhaalath Party, which is part of Waheed’s coalition government, demanding that the present administration scrap the “illegal” project signed despite opposition from the country’s parliament, according to news reports. According to Zaki, who met India’s national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and other senior officials since his arrival in India on Wednesday, many top figures in the Adhaalath Party are educated in Pakistan and draw their philosophy from the hardline Salafist form of Islam. He described the selection of GMR and its Malaysian partner as a fair process in accordance with international best practices. “So nobody should blame us,” he said, adding that Nasheed had mobilized his supporters to protect the project against the fundamentalists. Security analyst C.U. Bhaskar, associated with the South Asia Monitor thinktank in New Delhi, was of the view that it was not “improbable that the Indian card would be used (by rival Maldivian parties) to seek advantage in their internal contestation.”
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24th November 2012
Ibrahim Zaki’s remarks “threat to national security,” claims Defence Ministry
The Ministry of Defence has said widely-reported remarks by Special Envoy of former President Mohamed Nasheed, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki that the previous government would have sought Indian military assistance to protect its economic interests in the Maldives, constitute a “threat to national security”. In a statement on Friday, the Defence Ministry condemned the remarks “in the harshest terms” and contended that “such actions are very dangerous [threats] to national security and encourage activities that would harm the country’s independence and sovereignty.”
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26th November 2012
Adhaalath Party MP Muthalib calls for killing of former President’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussain Zaki
Adhaalath-aligned MP Ibrahim Muthalib has called in parliament for former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Special Envoy, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, to be “hanged to death” as a “traitor to the Maldives”. Speaking in the parliamentary chamber on November 26, Muthalib called for the arrest of Zaki, claiming that “traitors have to be killed” else they will “destroy the country”. Muthalib’s comments follow those made by Adhaalath Party Leader Sheik Imran at the ‘GMR go home’ rally earlier this month. Speaking at the rally, Sheik Imran reportedly stated that Zaki would “leave both worlds” on the day GMR is “chased out of the country”. The latest threat comes after Zaki warned India that rising fundamentalism in the Maldives threatened the country’s economic interests
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5th December 2012
Criminal court grants police warrant to obtain IP address of Minivan News commentator accused of “violating Islamic principles” for using “Maai allah” as his screen name
The Criminal Court has granted a warrant for police to obtain the email and IP address of a Minivan News commentator accused of “violating Islamic principles”. In a letter signed by Police Inspector Moosa Ali, Head of Fraud and Financial Crime, states that a case was filed at police regarding the commentator’s use of the identity ‘Maai Allah’, and requests Minivan News provide the email and IP address for the investigation. The letter also asks Minivan News to remove the comment, located on a story dated November 28 titled: ‘Government “cynically used xenophobia, nationalism and religious extremism” to attack foreign investor: former President’. “As you know, the Maldives is a 100 percent Muslim nation and as no human being has been empowered to take for himself the almighty status using the name of Allah, and as this is insulting to the noble name of Holy Allah and undermines noble Islamic principles or tenets, we require information of the person who made this comment for our investigation,’’ the letter stated. ‘Maai’ is the Dhivehi word for ‘holy’. The accompanying court warrant was signed by the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, and issued in connection with a case filed by the Cyber Policing Department of the Maldives Police Service. Minivan News understands that this the first time police have requested the details of an internet commentator in connection with a case filed on religious grounds. As a Maldives-registered media outlet Minivan News has complied with the warrant and removed the comment as obliged under Maldivian law. The particular IP address requested by police is registered in a foreign country. Police informed Minivan News that the case was filed by religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf. The serving of the court warrant follows a statement released by religious Adhaalath Party on December 3 stating that “approving and publishing such comments is a failure to properly fulfill the responsibilities of journalism”, and “calling on the person who wrote the comment and who published it to repent and reform [themselves].” “A person has commented on Minivan News, a newspaper published online in the country, claiming to be Allah. This is something that involves a serious wrong in it. The reason is because the phrase ‘Allah’ refers to the name of Creator Allah, whom Muslims pray to, seek strength from and whom people find peace in their hearts by praising. Therefore, no human can say I am ‘Maai Allah’ [Holy God]. [They should] instead say ‘Abdullah’ or ‘slave of Allah’,” the party explained. “If the intention of the person who wrote the comment was to characterise himself as a Khaleefa [steward] of God, that too is a serious wrong. The reason is because all things were created by Allah. And all things are possessed by Allah. Nothing escapes the knowing or possession of the deity. Therefore, only Allah would know whom he would appoint a steward on this earth. A person cannot claim on his own that he is the ‘steward of Allah’.” “As such problems are a recurring one in the aforementioned newspaper, we urge the relevant authorities to investigate this and take action,” the party urged. A media monitoring report by Transparency Maldives published in December 2011 found that Minian News’ coverage of the Adhaalath Party was 100 percent positive. Editor of Minivan News JJ Robinson said: “Whistle-blowers entering a source relationship with a journalist for a story in the public interest are entitled to legal protection from identification under the Maldivian Constitution. However without a prior journalist-source agreement commentators have no such protection, and need to be aware that under Maldivian law news websites registered in the country cannot guarantee the publication of comments, or anonymity.” “A platform such as Minivan News is no more accountable for the opinions and statements of its readers than an internet service provider (ISP) is for the content viewed by its subscribers, yet under Maldivian law is obliged to remove comments where advised by relevant authorities,” Robinson said.
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15th December 2012
26-year old male and 20 year old woman arrested in Seenu Atoll in connection with the discovery of a five month-old foetus found buried on a beach on the island of Maradhoo Feydhoo in Seenu Atoll
Local media has announced that the two suspects, reported to be a married couple, were presently being held in custody. Police discovered the foetus buried on a beach on Maradhoo Feydhoo after local witnesses reported a motorist acting suspiciously in the area on Friday evening, according to local newspaper Haveeru. Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef was not responding to calls at the time of press. Dr Aishath Rameela, State Minister for Gender, Family, and Human Rights, told Minivan News that her department had not received any official report from the police or the local council on the matter. Dr Rameela added that the Gender Ministry was awaiting an official report by the Maldives Police Service before it could begin providing assistance in the case. “Right now as the situation stands, we are not actively involved [with the case]. All we know is that there is a deceased child,” she said, adding that she had, at the time of press, only received information on the case through local media. “In terms of this case, we don’t know who the mother is or is she is under-age. We also do not know who the culprits may be.” Dr Rameela added that in cases of under-age pregnancy or suspected child abuse her department worked to support police in their investigations, with law enforcement officials unable to question children without a case worker assigned from the Gender Ministry. She stressed that the ministry, through 19 island centres across the country, sought to provide protection to child victims of sexual abuse and ensure they remained safe following an incident.
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20th December 2012
AG Azima Shukoor drafts bill outlining executing death sentence, favours lethal injection
Attorney General Azima Shukoor has drafted a bill outlining how the death sentence should be executed in the Maldives, with lethal injection being identified as the state’s preferred method of capital punishment. Shukoor today held a press conference to provide local media with information about the bill, which is also to be opened for public comment. The Attorney General’s Office has said that it has looked to procedures followed by Egypt, Malaysia and the US in carrying out the death sentence, while also obtaining the opinions of religious scholars and lawyers when drafting the bill. With the bill favouring the use of lethal injection to execute suspected criminals, Shukoor said the proposals would be open for public comment for one month.
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26th December 2012
A baby discovered abandoned on the side of a road in the Maafannu Ward of Male’
A baby was discovered abandoned on the side of a road in the Maafannu Ward of Male’ early this morning, police have announced. According to the Maldives Police Service, the child was discovered at 5:45am today on the pavement in front of a house called Release. Local media has reported that the child, thought to be female, was discovered by a woman in the house after she had heard its cries. The baby was claimed to have been discovered placed on top of a plastic bag. Authorities have confirmed that police officers were called to the scene early this morning before taking the child to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in the capital. A police statement has said that the child was found to be in a healthy condition by doctors at IGMH. The Police Family and Child Protection Department is now investigating the case, while no arrests in connection with the incident have been made at present. There have been a number of recent incidents reported in the media where pregnant women have been forced to take desperate measures such as self-induced abortions, infanticide or abandoning infants. Earlier this month, a 26-year old male and 20-year old female were reportedly arrested in connection to the discovery of a five month-old foetus buried on a beach on the island of Maradhoo Feydhoo in Seenu Atoll. Meanwhile in June, police recovered the body of a newborn infant buried in the outdoor shower of a house on Shaviyani Feydhoo island. The baby’s mother was identified as a 15-year old school student.
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30th December 2012
Rape suspect arrested in Vili-Male’. Police have arrested a 33 year-old male in connection with the rape of a girl below 16 years of age in Vili-Male’ on Saturday (December 29)
Mohamed Abdushukoor, 33, of Galolhu Red Coral, was taken into custody last night with assistance from the public, the police said. Abdushukoor reportedly forced the under-aged victim into a house in Vili-Male’ at about 1:00pm yesterday while she was out walking with her 14 year-old brother. Police accused the suspect of keeping the pair in separate rooms as he sexually abused the girl. The incident was reported to the Police Family and Child Protection Unit late yesterday afternoon. Police then made a public announcement publishing a photo of Abdushukoor, who it said has a criminal record, appealing for assistance in searching for the suspect. He was arrested in Vili-Male’ shortly before midnight on Saturday, police said, and expressed gratitude to the public for their help in locating the suspect. He was arrested in Vili-Male’ shortly before midnight on Saturday, police said, and expressed gratitude to the public for their help in locating the suspect. According to an unpublished 2009 study on violence against minors, almost one in seven children of secondary school age in the Maldives have been sexually abused at some time in their lives. The sexual abuse rate of girls in the country was found to be almost twice as high than for boys at 20 percent, according to the study. One in five Maldivian girls has been sexually abused – while the figure for boys was 11 percent. Female minors were particularly at risk in the capital Male’, the report found. A 2007 study on Women’s Health and Life Experiences meanwhile found that one in three Maldivian women aged 15 to 49 experience either physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, including childhood sexual abuse. In recent years, local authorities and NGOs have released a number of findings highlighting the extent of child abuse and wider sexual assaults within society. The state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital’s (IGMH’s) Family Protection Unit reported in 2010 that the centre was notified of 42 cases of rape between 2005-2010. Most of these cases were found to involve minors. According to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, 13 rape cases were reported last year alone, the majority of which most were gang rapes or assaults involving minors.
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2013
14th January 2013
Footage leaked of museum vandals (February 7th 2012) destroying pre-Islamic artifacts
Private broadcaster Raajje TV has aired leaked security camera footage showing a group of men vandalising pre-Islamic artifacts in the national museum on February 7, 2012. Around 35 exhibits were destroyed when half a dozen men stormed into the museum amid the political chaos of February 7, after former President Mohamed Nasheed resigned under controversial circumstances during a police and army mutiny. The footage shows a group of men entering the museum, knocking over glass cases and smashing Buddhist-era statues. Local daily Haveeru reported today that it had learned the men were “religious extremists” who belonged to a local group.
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15th January 2013
Museum vandalism “tremendous loss to our country, our culture and our history: former President Mohamed Nasheed
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16th January 2013
The Prosecutor General’s (PG) office has “no intention” of reversing the decision to charge a 15 year-old child abuse victim with fornication, local media reported
An official from the PG’s office told local newspaper Haveeru that the decision to charge the 15-year-old from Shaviyani Atoll Feydhoo with fornication was made after extensive assessment of the case.
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21st January 2013
Maldives government ratifies ILO conventions on worker rights
The Maldives government has ratified eight “fundamental” International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions designed to bring legislation on employee rights and trade unions in line with international standards. According to the ILO the conventions, which were ratified by authorities on January 4 this year, outline rights in a number of areas including allowing staff freedom of association and the prevention of child labour and discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, race or age. The ratification of the conventions comes as foreign governments and civil society organisations continue to raise concerns about rights abuses of expatriate workers in the Maldives. Foreign labourers are estimated to account for a significant proportion of the country’s workforce. Just over a quarter of the Maldives population of 394,451 people is estimated to be made up of foreign workers, according to recent statistics supplied by the Department of Immigration and Emigration. The official immigration figures found that the expatriate workforce in the Maldives had risen by September 2011 to 99,369 people from just 57,968 registered workers in December 2009. According to the local coordination team overseeing the ILO’s work in the Maldives, many of the rights outlined in the eight fundamental conventions are already included in the country’s constitution and the Employment Act 2008. However, the project’s organisers told Minivan News this week that its main challenge was to try and implement these laws by working with the government as well as employer and employee organisations.
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24th January 2013
Hearing cancelled for 15 year-old girl facing fornication charges
The hearing of a 15 year-old girl charged with having “consensual sexual relations” was cancelled on Wednesday (January 23) following a request from the Prosecutor General (PG). Juvenile Court Official told local media that the PG wanted to cancel the hearing as “charges had been raised against an individual for engaging in sexual activity with an underage person while holding a trustworthy position”, local media reported. The hearing – to take place in Juvenile Court – had been cancelled in order for the PG to see if there was any reason to withdraw the fornication charges against the girl. According to local media, the letter sent by the PG to Juvenile Court requesting the cancellation of the hearing did not mention who the “trustworthy” person was. Earlier this month, a PG’s Office spokesperson confirmed that the charges against the minor were related to a separate offence under Sharia Law, which had been filed on November 25, 2012. The 15 year-old, who is from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, last year gave birth to a baby that was discovered buried in the outdoor shower area of a home on Feydhoo. Her stepfather was later charged with sexual abuse, possession of pornographic materials and committing murder without intent. According to local media, the mother is now facing charges of concealing a crime. The PG’s Office and the Juvenile Court were not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press. The charges against the 15 year-old have been labelled an “absolute outrage” by NGO Amnesty International. In a statement Amnesty International’s Maldives Researcher Abbas Faiz stressed that suspected victims of rape and sexual abuse required counselling and support rather than criminal prosecution. “We urge the Maldivian authorities to immediately drop all charges against the girl, ensure her safety and provide her with all necessary support,” the NGO’s statement read.
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27th January 2013
The case of a 15 year-old minor charged for having “consensual sexual relations” is to continue in the Juvenile Court on Wednesday (January 30), despite the Prosecutor General (PG’s) Office confirming it is reviewing its decision to prosecute the minor
A Juvenile Court Spokesperson confirmed to Minivan News that the case was expected to continue this week despite calls during the previous hearing on Wednesday (January 23) from the PG’s Office for the case to be delayed pending review.
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5th February 2013
Police decision to ostracise Raajje TV unconstitutional, rules civil court
The Civil Court has ruled that a decision by the Maldives Police Service to cease cooperating with opposition-aligned TV station Raajje TV was unconstitutional. Police announced in July that they had stopped cooperating with the local broadcaster, alleging that the station was broadcasting false and slanderous content about the police which had undermined its credibility and public confidence. Raajje TV subsequently filed a suit in the civil court challenging the legality of the decision and requested the court to order police take back their decision. Delivering the verdict, Civil Court Judge Mariyam Nihayath said the court was of the view that the police decision had been to completely suspend cooperation with the TV station, rather than just barring the channel from specific events and functions. The judge added that the court believed such a decision was “extremely dangerous and significantly serious” and could result in “chaos and infringement of social harmony.” Dismissing the police argument that it had the sole discretion to decide who to invite to press conferences and functions, the court stated that the action more resembled a deliberate attempt to limit the constitutional rights of freedom of expression, freedom of media and the right to information. “Therefore, the court finds the decision by the Maldives Police Service to not to cooperate with Raajje TV a violation of the constitution of the Maldives and the Maldives Police Services Act, and orders the Maldives Police Service to provide protection for the employees and property of the station, and to not discriminate against the TV station when providing information,” read the verdict. Following the decision, police media official Superintendent Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that police would fully respect the court’s decision. He further said that a police legal team would be reviewing the judgement and if the need arose, would appeal the decision in the High Court.
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10th February 2013
No effort made to follow up promises on human trafficking: HRCM
The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has accused state and private sector employers in the country of lacking consistency in their efforts to address human trafficking, preventing “real” change in controlling illegal migration. HRCM member Jeehan Mahmoud told Minivan News that despite attempts under the present government to try and introduce new legislation, the Maldives had made little progress towards improving the treatment and rights of foreign workers over the last four years. The government has in recent months launched a special campaign intended to raising awareness of the rights of foreign workers, while also last month ratifying eight “fundamental” International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions intended to bring legislation on employee rights and trade unions in line with international standards. However, independent institutions in the Maldives have maintained that the country is yet to ratify a core convention on protecting migrant worker rights, while no legislation is in place to punish those involved in smuggling workers though the country’s borders. The Prosecutor General (PG’s) Office has confirmed that a lack of legislation has meant no cases have been prosecuted against human traffickers in the Maldives.
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11th February 2013
Young Indian teacher hospitalised in “very serious condition” after alleged rape
A young Indian teacher working on the island of Dhangethi in Alif Dhaal Atoll has been hospitalised after a group of people broke into her home on Sunday night and allegedly raped her. The 25 year-old woman is in a “very serious condition” following the attack, said the Island Council President Azim Adam.
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13th February 2013
Police arrest three men in connection with rape of Indian teacher on Dhangethi
The police have arrested three men in connection with the rape of an Indian teacher on the island of Dhangethi in Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, a source with knowledge of the investigation has confirmed to Minivan News. ‘’The three men were arrested and have been taken to the island of Mahibadhoo in Alifu Dhaalu Atoll,’’ the source said. None of the men arrested were over the age of 23, he added. The incident occurred on Sunday (February 10) – some time between 2:30am and 2:45am, the source said. “The victim was taken to Mahibadhoo Hospital where she is being treated for the injuries she suffered from the incident. There was blood all over her room when the police attended the scene,” Minivan News was told. The source said the three men were accused not only of raping the 25 year-old computer teacher, but of stealing her mobile phone, an Acer laptop, and MVR 9000 (US$583) in cash. ‘’She lived alone in a big house consisting of three rooms. The suspects may have climbed over the wall to get in,’’ the source said, adding that the victim had not spoken to anybody following the incident. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed to Minivan News this morning that there had been some “developments” in the investigation, and that police would be releasing a statement. “She is in hospital recovering and is getting better day by day,” he said.
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16th February 2013
Construction chief not ruling out “organised crime” behind foreign worker surge
Almost half the employees in the Maldives’ construction industry are unregistered, the head of the Maldives Association of Construction Industry (MACI) has told Minivan News. MACI President Mohamed Ali Janah said an estimated 40 percent of the foreign employees in the sector were thought not to be legally registered. Considering these numbers, Janah said he could not rule out the involvement of organised crime in certain employment agencies, which supply a large amount of foreign labour to building sites in the Maldives. Earlier this month, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) accused state and private sector employers in the country of lacking consistency in their efforts to address human trafficking. Janah claimed that 95 percent of construction groups operating in the country were Maldivian owned. However, as the country’s second largest industry on a GDP basis, the vast majority of employees in the sector were migrant workers, he said.“We employ a huge workforce of some 60,000 to 70,000 people,” Janah explained. “Of these people, sadly we have 40,000 to 50,000 who are expatriates. We estimate there are some 15,000 to 20,000 Maldivian staff, which includes management through to the supply chain.” Of these migrant labourers, Janah said only some 30,000 were registered as construction workers. “There are no records of where [these workers] come from. This is something we need to correct,” he said. Highlighting the huge growth in the country’s unregistered migrant workforce, Janah said that in 2003 there were just 3000 foreign employees working illegally. “At the time we thought that number was too high. Today, it has exceeded 50,000. This is hearsay. We don’t have the right statistics on this, it could be 100,000, but who knows,” he said. “The truth is that the economy is thriving because of these people,” Janah added.
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17th February 2013
A Bangladeshi waiter was stabbed with a knife on the island of Hinnavaru in Lhaviyani Atoll whilst delivering food, local media reports
A Bangladeshi waiter was stabbed with a knife on the island of Hinnavaru in Lhaviyani Atoll whilst delivering food, local media reports. A council member from Hinnavaru told local media that the victim had worked at “Ibiza” restaurant on the island, and was stabbed while delivering food to a house. The councillor said that the Bangladeshi man was stabbed in the stomach, and is currently being treated in the island medical centre. His condition is not serious, the councillor said. Police told local media that a 17-year-old had been taken into custody in relation to the attack.
23rd February 2013
Dhangethi rape victim suffering from “serious sexual trauma”: Police
A young Indian teacher who was raped on the island of Dhangethi in Alif Dhaal Atoll on February 11 has suffered serious sexual trauma, according to police. Head of Serious and Organised Crime Department Mohamed Dawoodtold local media that the woman – who was allegedly raped at knife point – was being treated in the atoll hospital for injuries sustained in the attack.
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23rd February 2013
Raajje TV journalist in critical condition after attack
A reporter for private broadcaster Raajje TV is in a critical condition after he was badly beaten in Male’ early this morning. Ibrahim ‘Aswad’ Waheed, a senior reporter for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)-aligned television station, was attacked with an iron bar while riding on a motorcycle near the artificial beach area. The attack left him unconscious, and he has been transferred to a hospital in Sri Lanka for treatment. Speaking by phone from Sri Lanka, Raajje TV Chairman Akram Kamaaluddin said Aswad’s condition had not improved at time of press. “I am at the hospital in ICU with him right now. He is very critical but I can’t say anything else right now,” he said. “We don’t know what will happen at present.” Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that no arrests had so far been made in connection with the attack and that it was too early to attribute a motivation to the incident. Investigations were ongoing, he said. Police also confirmed that two reporters working for state broadcaster Television Maldives (TWM) were also hospitalised after they were hit by projectiles containing some kind of irritant, which local media reported to be paint thinner. The TVM reporters – identified as Aishath Leeza and Journalist Aminath Saanee – were later discharged, according to police. “TVM reporters were also attacked last night; we believe by a protester or group of protesters,” Sub-Inspector Haneef said. “We seriously condemn the two incidents and are trying to locate the suspects with all our means. We will be using all evidence we can get.” An estimated 1000 to 1500 protesters were witnessed by Minivan News gathered on Sosun Magu in Male’ during Friday night’s protests. The demonstrations appeared calmer than in than recent nights, with music and flag waving, and minimal police presence. A car belonging to Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed was also set alight.
25th Feburary 2013
“No idea” why criminal court has taken so long to process museum vandalism case: PG’s Office
The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office has revealed it has “no idea” as to why two individuals charged with vandalising the national museum last year have yet to be brought to justice. The two men, accused of damaging archaeological evidence of Maldives’ pre-Islamic Civilisation in the national museum in Male’ on February 7, 2012, failed to attend their trial hearing at Criminal Court scheduled for today (February 25). A media official from the PG’s Office told Minivan News that the two suspects had originally been charged between September and October last year, but were yet to face trial in court. Asked as to why the Criminal Court had taken so long to process the case, the media official said “we have no idea”. The official was then asked if the PG’s Office had made any attempt to question the court over the delayed trial, to which he responded: “No, we haven’t questioned the court, we have taken no action yet.” Last month private broadcaster Raajje TV aired leaked security camera footage showing a group of men vandalising around 35 exhibits after they stormed the museum amid the political chaos of February 7 last year. Police in May 2012 forwarded cases against four suspects to the PG’s office, however the case was initially returned to police for further clarification. Speaking to Minivan News, Police Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz said the case was then sent to the PG’s Office on July 8, 2012. Local media reported that two men – Mohamed Nishan of M. Haadhoo and Yousuf Rilwan of G. Adimagu – were due to attend a trial hearing at 10:00am this morning over charges relating to the case. However, a Judiciary Media Unit official said the hearing was cancelled after the two defendants did not receive their summoning chit to the Criminal Court. “The chit was sent by the court to the homes of the defendants, but they did not receive it. So now the court will have to send a new summoning chit for a new trial hearing,” the official added. Minivan News contacted the Criminal Court Spokesperson who, when asked for information regarding the case, gave an unclear response. When Minivan News asked for clarification, the spokesperson hung up. Minivan News then attempted to contact the spokesperson, but he was not responding to calls at time of press.
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26th February 2013
Under-age rape victim convicted of fornication, sentenced to 100 lashes
A 15-year-old rape victim from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll convicted of premarital sex at the Juvenile Court and sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest. A 15-year-old rape victim from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll was convicted of premarital sex at the Juvenile Court today and sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest. In June 2012, the girl gave birth to a baby that was discovered buried in the outdoor shower area of her home. Her stepfather was later charged with child sexual abuse, possession of pornographic materials and committing premeditated murder. Her mother was meanwhile charged with concealing a crime and failing to report child sexual abuse to the authorities. An official from the Prosecutor General (PG)’s office told Minivan News in January this year that the fornication charges against the minor were related to a separate offence of premarital sex that emerged during the police investigation. The charges were filed on November 25, 2012. In its verdict delivered today, the Juvenile Court ordered the state to transfer the girl to the Children’s Home in Villigili to enforce the sentence of eight months house arrest, according to local media reports. The girl reportedly confessed at the trial to having consensual premarital sex. The Islamic Shariah punishment of flogging would be administered when the girl turns 18. However, the sentence could be implemented earlier should the minor request expedition, a court official explained to local media.
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27th February 2013
Hawwa Lubna writes “Rape victims punished, failed by Maldives justice system
The Maldives court on Tuesday sentenced a 15 year-old girl to 100 lashesand eight months’ house arrest, for having pre-marital sex with a man. At any given time in the Maldives, thousands of female tourists are on the country’s beaches in bikinis, with their male counterparts. Many of them are straight and gay couples, married or unmarried, enjoying sex on rose petal-covered beds in water bungalows. For them, this chain of islands with white beaches and blue shimmering waters is a short escape to heaven. While they enjoy a piece of paradise on a luxury resort vacation, just a few miles away 300,000 locals face the grim reality of a struggling democracy and increasingly radicalised interpretation of Islam. Women and girls are bearing the brunt of this. Calling it sheer hypocrisy would be a gross understatement. The 15 year-old girl is from Feydhoo island in Shaviyani Atoll, one of the 200 remote islands in the country with less than a thousand inhabitants. She was arrested last year on the island, when police discovered a dead newborn buried in an outdoor shower area in the yard of the house. The investigation uncovered a disturbing yet common reality in the capital and isolated islands of Maldives: sexual abuse. The girl’s stepfather had been raping her for years. Her mother assisted this gruesome abuse by turning a blind eye and deaf ear to her pain and cries. When the girl became pregnant as a result of rape, they pulled her out of school afraid that the community would find out the family’s dark secret. They waited patiently for nine months, and killed and buried the newborn after delivery. Soon after the baby’s body was dug up, the parents were arrested and charged with murder and abuse of a minor. While any authority with professionalism and common sense would be expected to protect a child who has suffered such horrifying abuse and provide help of a psychologist, the Maldives police and prosecutors had a different plan. On the contrary, the girl was arrested, interrogated and charged with fornication within a few months by the authorities. They claimed that she had confessed to having consensual sex with another man – not the stepfather. The identity of this man, who has not stood up, been found, arrested or charged to this date, remains a mystery. And yesterday, despite the ongoing debates challenging the legitimacy in pursuing fornication charges against victims of child sexual abuse, the court issued its ruling to flog the girl 100 times. A conviction against her abusive step father, and neglectful mother is still pending. This case is just the latest in a series of unashamed attempts by the Maldivian Sharia-Common Law based judicial system to punish sexual abuse victims, instead of providing protection and justice. While, several in and outside the country are taking to the social media to condemn this ruling as morally wrong, cruel, degrading, and a violation of human rights and protection guaranteed to children and victims of sexual abuse under national and international laws, the police who arrested her, the PG office that charged her and the court which sentenced her have not even flinched.
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28th February 2013
The religious Adhaalath Party (AP) has declared that the 15 year-old rape victim who was recently sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest “deserves the punishment”, as this is the penalty for fornication under Islamic Sharia
The religious Adhaalath Party (AP) has declared that the 15 year-old rape victim who was recently sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest “deserves the punishment”, as this is the penalty for fornication under Islamic Sharia. The party, members of which largely dominate the Maldives’ Ministry of Islamic Affairs, stated that the sentence of flogging had not been passed against the for being sexually abused by her stepfather, but rather for the consensual sex to which she had confessed to having on another occasion. “The purpose of penalties like these in Islamic Sharia is to maintain order in society and to save it from sinful acts. It is not at all an act of violence. We must turn a deaf ear to the international organisations which are calling to abolish these penalties, labeling them degrading and inhumane acts or torture,” the statement read. “No one has the right to criticise any penalties specified in Islam,” the party added. Quoting verses from the Quran, the statement said that no citizen should be allowed to express ideas and opinions about a verdict made in accordance with the religion in a court of law in a 100 percent Muslim country. The Adhaalath Party further cautioned that criticising issues like this would “encourage enemies of Islam, create confusion among the general public and open up opportunities for people who aim to stop the practice of similar penalties commanded in Islam.” “Furthermore, Allah has decreed that expressing disapproval of issues such as this contradicts with faith in Islam,” the statement continued, quoting more verses from the Quran. “Allah has also commanded that we show no kindness when implementing these penalties.” The party also stated that it was saddened by the physical and psychological abuse the girl had suffered at the hands of her parents, calling the state authorities to ensure they were given the punishments they were due as detailed in Islamic Sharia. “If such sinful activities are to become this common, the society will break down and we may become deserving of divine wrath,” the Adhaalath Party stated.
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1st March 2013
State Minister for Home Affairs Abdulla Mohamed slams President Waheed over govt’s criticism of flogging sentence
Mohamed, who is also the Vice President of the Civil Society Coalition, told local media that it was “not acceptable” that the country’s president was making remarks against a penalty proscribed in Islam and called for Waheed to repent.
10th March 2013
“Religious obligation” to bar Nasheed from upcoming election: Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel
Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has claimed it is a religious obligation to bar former President Mohamed Nasheed from contesting the upcoming presidential elections, scheduled to take place on September 7. Speaking at a rally held by Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) presidential primary candidate Abdulla Yameen on Saturday (March 9), Jameel accused Nasheed of being a “coward” who ran away after resigning from power, adding that he no longer had the courage to lead the country. Highlighting Nasheed’s recent stay in the Indian High Commission, Jameel stated that “it was a shame that Nasheed fled when he was supposed to face justice,” before claiming that he would not give the opportunity for someone like Nasheed to come to power. “Nasheed of Canaryge does not have any chance to come to power. We would not give that chance [to him]. That is something we ought to do. It is both a national and a religious Farḍ (obligation),” he said. According to local media, the Home Minister stated that “if we complete that task,” God would grant success to those leaders in the upcoming presidential election. Jameel claimed the country had fallen into a “deep mess” in almost all areas, adding that the country is desperate for a determined leader who can revive the economy. He contended that Nasheed did not have the qualities the country was expecting from its future leader. “Unlike Nasheed, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom whom Nasheed is saying that he would beat easily, had the courage to appear before police for questioning when he was called in,” Jameel said.
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14th March 2013
Two men deny forcing 14 year-old girl into child prostitution
Two men have denied charges of forcing a 14 year-old girl into child prostitution, the Criminal Court heard on Monday (March 11). Ibrahim Manik of Heylhi, South Hulhudhoo and Hussain Manik of Hikiunimaage, S. Hulhudhoo in Addu Atoll, were accused of forcing the girl to “attend” to one Maldivian and four foreign men, local media reported. The penalty for a person convicted of sexually abusing a child is 20 to 25 years imprisonment.
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Police arrest 10 in beauty salon raid on charges of prostitution
Police have arrested 10 people in the ‘Roma Beauty and Wellness Centre’, a private beauty salon in Male, on charges of prostitution. In a statement police said the arrest was made last night at about 9:35pm in an operation police conducted after receiving intelligence reports about the salon.
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Maldivian suspects released in rape case of Indian teacher
Two Maldivian suspects arrested in connection with rape, assault and robbery of a young Indian teacher on Dhangethi in Alif Dhaal Atoll in February have been released, while a Bangladeshi national remains in custody. The Bangladeshi suspect was taken into police custody after the incident as he was about to board a boat departing for Male’. A community member from Dhangethi claimed that a large number of people came to the harbour prior to the police’s departure with the suspect and called for the Bangladeshi man to “face due justice,” according to Sun Online. “Some people tried to attack the Bangladeshi man at the time of his arrest, and the conflict was encouraged by the island council,” alleged the source. The Dhangethi Island Council denied allegations of encouraging a violent confrontation, but confirmed some people at the harbour did attempt to harm the suspect before police brought the situation under control. Head of the Police Serious and Organised Crime Department, Mohamed Dawood, told local media that it was believed the Bangladeshi man had committed the rape. “We monitored all vessels leaving the island during the investigation. In that regard, we first took the two Maldivians into custody. But later we arrested the Bangladesh man who was living on the island as his behavior was suspicious,” Dawood explained to Haveeru. The three men were accused not only of raping the 25 year-old computer teacher, but of stealing her mobile phone, an Acer laptop, and MVR 9000 (US$583) in cash, a source with knowledge of the investigation told Minivan News.
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16th March 2013
Supreme Court rules secret ballot, dismissal of CSC chair unconstitutional
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that contested decisions by parliament to remove Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chair Mohamed Fahmy Hassan and conduct no-confidence votes through secret ballot are unconstitutional. On December 3, 2012, parliament voted 41-34 to approve amendments to the parliamentary rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence votes to impeach the President and remove cabinet members through secret ballot. The house rules were changed with pending no-confidence motions against President Dr Mohamed Waheed and Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed submitted by the formerly ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). In late November, parliament dismissed Fahmy in a 38-32 voteafter the Independent Institutions Committee investigated a complaint of sexual harassment by a female employee of the CSC. Both moves were challenged at the Supreme Court, which issued injunctions or stay orders to parliament to halt both conducting no-confidence votes through secret ballot and appointing a replacement to the CSC, pending rulings on the legality of the decisions. In its judgment (Dhivehi) on the constitutionality of secret ballots for no-confidence votes, the Supreme Court ruled 6-1 to strike down the amendment to parliament’s standing orders as unconstitutional. The majority opinion contended that the move contravened article 85 of the constitution as well as parliamentary principles and norms of free and democratic societies. Article 85 stipulates that meetings of the People’s Majlis and its committees must be open to the public. In the second judgment (Dhivehi) on Thursday night, the Supreme Court noted that Fahmy was alleged to have committed a criminal offence and contended that the Independent Institutions Committee violated due process and principles of criminal justice procedure in dealing with the accused. The Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that Fahmy would receive two punishments for the same crime if he was convicted at court following his dismissal by parliament (double jeopardy). Following the judgment, Fahmy would be reinstated and compensated for lost wages since December 2012. Delivering the judgment, Supreme Court Justice Abdulla Saeed reportedly said that a person should be considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law and was entitled to protect his reputation and dignity.
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18th March 2013
Supreme Court overturns parliament’s dismissal of CSC Chair Mohamed Fahmy for sexual harrasment
President of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Mohamed Fahmy Hassan has returned to office after Supreme Court ruled that parliament’s decision to remove him was unconstitutional. The CSC confirmed to local media on Sunday (March 17) that Fahmy had returned to work after he had been dismissed by parliament in late November last year. In November last year, parliament voted 38 – 32 to remove the CSC chair after the Independent Institutions Committee investigated a complaint of sexual harassment lodged by a female employee of the CSC. On Thursday (March 14), Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that Fahmy would receive two punishments for the same crime if he was convicted at court following his dismissal by parliament (double jeopardy). Following the judgment, Fahmy would be reinstated and compensated for lost wages since December 2012. Delivering the judgment, Supreme Court Justice Abdulla Saeed reportedly said that a person should be considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law and was entitled to protect his reputation and dignity. Fahmy was alleged to have to have said to a female CSC employee that “it is not appealing when unmarried girls like you get fat”, whilst touching her on the stomach. [Ali Hameed scandal] [Mohamed Fahmy scandal]
19th March 2013
US citizen arrested for funding Maldivian terrorist Ali Jaleel (Moscow Jaleel) in Lahore bombing
A US citizen has been charged in the States with conspiracy to provide material support to a Maldivian terrorist who helped carry out a deadly attack in Pakistan in 2009. 48-year-old Reaz Qadir Khan, a waste water treatment plant operator for the city of Portland, US, was arrested on Tuesday (March 5) on a charge of providing advice and funds to Maldivian national Ali Jaleel. On May 27, 2009, Jaleel – along with two other men – stormed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in Lahore and detonated a car bomb that left around 23 people dead and a further 300 injured. Prior to the attack, US media reported that in 2006 Khan had received an email from Jaleel “goading” him about his past devotion to seek martyrdom for Allah. “Where are the words you said with tears in your eyes that ‘we shall strive until Allah’s word is superior or until we perish’???” the email stated, according to US publication The Oregonian. Following the message, Khan had then allegedly communicated and provided financial backing through email to Jaleel and his family, making it possible for the Maldivian to attend a training camp in Pakistan ahead of the 2009 bomb attack. The emails cited in the indictment against Khan – sent in October and November 2008 – were said to have included a coded note from Jaleel telling Khan that he needed US$2,500 to pay for admission into a terrorist training camp.
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20th March 2013
Four arrested in guesthouse raid on charges of prostitution
Local media reported that the Tuesday night raid took place at a local guesthouse called ‘Relax @ Kangaroo Inn’ located on Dhiggaamaage in the Heniveru ward of Male’. Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef said today (March 20) that two Maldivian men and two Thai women were arrested on Tuesday night around 8:30pm in an “intelligence-led operation”.
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21st March 2013
“Horror in paradise”: Avaaz launches campaign to target Maldives’ tourism reputation over flogging sentences
Petition website Avaaz.org has launched a campaign targeting the reputation of the tourism industry in protest over the sentencing of a 15 year-old rape victim to 100 lashes for the offence of fornication. “It’s hard to believe, but a 15-year-old rape survivor has been sentenced to be whipped 100 times by a court in the Maldives! Let’s put an end to this lunacy by hitting the government where it hurts: their tourism industry,” declared the site. The Avaaz community, consisting of over 20 million members in 194 countries, was notified of the petition yesterday (March 20). By Thursday morning, the petition had been shared more than 23,000 times just across Facebook. By midday Friday, more than half a million people had signed the petition. “Tourism is the big earner for the Maldives elite, including government ministers. With a million-strong petition to President Waheed, we’ll threaten the islands’ reputation through hard-hitting ads in travel magazines and online until he abolishes this outrageous law,” the site declares. “The girl’s stepfather raped her for years and then murdered the baby she bore. Now the court is punishing her for “sex outside marriage”. President Waheed of the Maldives is already feeling global pressure on this, but we can force him to help save this girl and change the law to spare other victims this fate. This is how we’re winning the War on Women – by standing up every time an outrage like this happens,” it stated. Former Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’, told Minivan News that he doubted a tourism boycott would “change the government’s position on religious issues.” “The religious faction [in the government] is stronger than ever before. It will not affect government policy in any way – it will just attract negative publicity,” he said. “I don’t think [President] Waheed has categorically stated he is against religious sentencing. He has maintained a position of non-interference.” Sim observed that while the case of the 15 year-old had led to a collision of the country’s two very separate worlds – that of the hedonistic Western resort and the far more conservative reality of the country as experienced by Maldivians – “exclusive resorts will still be exclusive”. “[Tourists] have no idea what is going on in the real Maldives and they probably don’t want to know,” he said. “They come here for a relaxing, stress-free holiday.” He noted that while public sentiment tended to focus on reconciling tourism with the haraam (prohibited under Islam) supply of alcohol, “in Islam it is also a sin to engage in sexual activity outside of marriage”. Resorts, he noted, were not yet asking guests to provide marriage certificates. One argument raised by the more “entrenched” elements of the tourism industry against the development of mid-market tourism on local islands, he added, was a fear that tourists were vulnerable to a backlash against foreigners. “That has been a case made against homestays and guest houses,” he noted. Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb was not responding to calls at time of press.
23rd March 2013
Maldives failed “at every level” to protect minor charged with fornication from years of abuse
Council heads and senior civil society figures have slammed the judiciary, state authorities and welfare groups over their systemic failure to protect a 15 year-old girl convicted of fornication and sentenced to flogging, despite her history of alleged sexual abuse dating back to 2009. While the case has only recently received global media coverage, local councilors and woman rights groups told Minivan News that authorities failed for years to address “public uproar” over the child’s alleged abuse. The girl from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll is currently in the care of the Ministry of Gender and Family. She was identified as a victim of child abuse last year after the body of a dead baby was discovered buried in the outdoor shower area of her family home. Her stepfather was later charged child sexual abuse, possession of pornographic materials and committing premeditated murder, while her mother also faces charges for concealing the alleged sexual offences. However, during the course of investigations into the case, officials told Minivan News that the state had no choice but to press fornication charges against the minor after she confessed to having what she claimed was consensual sex with an unidentified man. She now faces 100 lashes in public when she turns 18 – a sentence the President’s Office this week said it would try to avert amid growing international censure and debate over corporal punishment and reform of the country’s Sharia-based judicial system. The case has led to intense global media scrutiny and an online campaign by petition website Avaaz.org, which gathered almost a million signatures in two days – more than the number of tourists who visited the country last year. Sources on Feydhooo have meanwhile told Minivan News that concerns had been raised by islanders since 2009 that the girl had potentially been the victim of sexual abuse not just by her stepfather, but a number of other unidentified men on the island. However, the island council claimed the victim’s unwillingness to tell authorities about her alleged abuse meant she remained living with her mother and stepfather. Island Councillor Ibrahim Naushaad told Minivan News that upon discovering the child was pregnant last year, police and the Gender Ministry failed to remove the girl to a shelter. “The police and gender ministry didn’t take responsibility or provide counselling to the girl,” he said. “The police and ministry investigated, but we don’t know what she said to them.” Naushaad said the minor presently remained under the care of the Gender Ministry as she was unable to be returned to Feydhooo, as her biological father was being severely disabled and unable to support or look after his daughter. Naushaad alleged that several men on the island who were also believed to have had sex with the minor remained unidentified, leaving her at risk of further abuse should she return to the island. “The Human Rights and Gender Ministry asked if they could send her back to the island, but I have explained that her father would be unable to look after her and keep an eye on her,” he said. “If they send her back here, the same thing could happen again.” According to Naushaad, the minor was questioned by police on at least four separate occasions, but he said she had been unwilling to state whether she had faced sexual abuse from her family or other men on the island. Sources on the island said that the perception was that the minor, along with her mother and stepfather, were believed to have been “lying” to police investigators. Naushaad told Minivan News there remained concern among islanders that the girl had now been charged by the country’s court with fornication, after being found guilty of having sex with an unidentified partner. “They did not identify who this man was and that is why we have concerns about what they are doing. This is not good,” he said. Naushaad claimed the council done everything it could to try and take responsibility for the matter by continually raising concerns with authorities since back in 2009.
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27th March 2013
Attorney General Azima Shukoor appeals 15 year-old girl’s flogging sentence as authorities contemplate legal reforms
Attorney General (AG) Azima Shukoor has appealed a court decision to sentence a 15 year-old girl alleged to be the victim of multiple cases of sexual abuse to 100 lashes on charges of fornication, the government confirmed today. The Juvenile Court sentenced the girl after she confessed to authorities of having consensual sex with an unknown man during investigations into a separate case of abuse against the minor. The abuse was alleged to have been carried out by her stepfather. President Mohamed Waheed’s government has previously criticised the verdict, pledging back in January to review the use of flogging as a punishment for sexual offences – a practice it has alleged in some cases actually serves to punish victims of rape and abuse. Sources on Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, where the 15 year-old girl originates from, last week told Minivan News that concerns had been raised by islanders since 2009 that the minor had allegedly been the victim of sexual abuse not just by her stepfather, but by a number of other unidentified men on the island.
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29th March 2013
Amputation for theft added to draft penal code
The new article added during a parliamentary committee meeting Thursday (March 28) states that if someone convicted of a crime requires legal punishment, as specified in the penal code, that person will face punishment as stated in the Quran.
31st March 2013
Maldives minister slams “dubious” motives behind Avaaz boycott campaign
Deputy Tourism Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal has slammed what he calls the “dubious” motivations behind an Avaaz.org petition calling for tourists to boycott the Maldives in protest over the sentencing of a 15 year-old rape victim to flogging, alleging the campaign is “politically motivated”. While accepting a need for “capacity building” in parliament and other institutions, Maleeh said tourism had been a key driver in ensuring national development and democratic reforms for the last 40 years, granting the industry “sacred” importance in the Maldives. “People should not be doing anything to damage the industry. In Switzerland, you would not see a campaign designed to damage Swiss chocolate. Likewise you would not see a German campaign to damage their automobile industry,” he said. The comments were made as over 1.7 million people worldwide have signed a petition on the Avaaz site aiming to target the “reputation” of the Maldives tourism industry and encourage the dropping of charges against the 15 year-old rape victim, as well as wider legal reforms to prevent similar cases.
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20th April 2013
Pro-Sharia march held in Male’
Men and women of various ages marched through the streets of Male’ yesterday (April 19), calling for Islamic Sharia to be fully implemented in the Maldives. Yesterday’s march, which organisers claimed had no political backing, was said to have been led by a group of young people calling for Sharia to be fully implemented to protect the Maldives from “calamities” that it is presently facing, according to local media. However, one local religious NGO has argued that Maldivian society was not presently ready to undergo such radical reforms to the nation’s legal system, arguing that any changes would need to be made gradually over a long period of time. Commencing yesterday at 4:30pm by the social centre in the capital, the pro-Sharia march concluded just before 6:00pm at the artificial beach area. A small number of demonstrators were in attendance, reported the Sun Online news website. Organisers have pledged that further pro-Sharia marches were anticipated in future. Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and State Islamic Minister Mohamed Didi were not responding to calls at the time of press.
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14th April 2013
Raajje TV wins court battle against President’s Office over discriminatory treatment
The Civil Court has today ruled in favour of private broadcaster Raajje TV in its lawsuit against the President’s Office for barring the opposition-aligned television station from President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s press conferences and functions.Summoned by parliament’s Government Oversight Committee last week following a complaint filed by Raajje TV, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad claimed that Raajje TV was not invited to press conferences because the station did not fit criteria or standards of reporting set out by the President’s Office. According to Masood, the policy of the President’s Office was to invite “responsible and experienced” media outlets, which include private broadcasters DhiTV and VTV, state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM), newspapers Haveeru and Miadhu, as well as internet publications Sun Online and Minivan News.
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24th April 2013
Man charged with “sexual misdemeanour” for alleged rape of Thai woman
A man accused of raping a Thai beauty salon staff member at knife point has been charged with a ‘sexual misdemeanour’, reports local media. Mohamed Shamaan Ibrahim Khalid was charged with causing bodily harm to an individual, sexual misdemeanour, and mugging. Khalid allegedly raped a Thai employee from Asparagus Beauty Care after threatening her at knifepoint in June 2012. A man present at the salon was also allegedly threatened at knifepoint and ordered to surrender his phone and wallet. Khalid then stabbed the victim in the leg when he refused to obey, according to local media. Khalid is also accused of taking two cell phones, a laptop, MVR 5000 (US$324.25) and US$200. Criminal Court Media Official Ahmed Mohamed Manik told local media that Khalid has denied all charges and the court granted his request for a lawyer to be appointed.
29th April 2013
High Court appeal of 15 year-old rape victim’s sentence begins
The High Court appeal case for a 15 year-old rape victim sentenced to flogging and house arrest after she was found guilty of fornication began today (April 29). The 15 year-old was convicted of premarital sex at the Juvenile Court on February 26 and sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest, after confessing to fornication with another man. The confession was made during a separate investigation which was launched following the discovery of a dead baby buried in the outdoor shower area of her home. The High Court trial that began today (April 29) was not open to the public, as the presiding judge exercised the authority to exclude the public “where the interest of juveniles or the victims of a crime so require”, as stated in Article 42 of the Constitution, according to local media. High Court media official Ameen Faisal told local media that the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) had also intervened in the case. The victim’s state-appointed attorney filed the appeal with the High Court on April 1. At the time, former Attorney General Aishath Azima Shukoor told local media the case had to be appealed because the Juvenile Court had taken statements from the witnesses in violation of procedure. Shukoor also said the Juvenile Court ruling was in violation of Islamic Sharia as it had not considered psychological reports produced to the court. Additionally, the child’s defence claimed her testimony was taken in violation of constitution and the charges against her were filed in violation of criminal procedure. Sources from the girl’s island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll previously told Minivan News that concerns had been raised by islanders since 2009 that the minor was allegedly the victim of sexual abuse not just by her stepfather, but an unidentified number of other men on the island.
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15th May 2013
Revised penal code will “destroy Islam,” insists Sheikh Ilyas
“If it is passed, there is no doubt that there will be no religion in this Muslim society that claims to be 100 percent Muslim. There will be no Islamic punishments,” Sheikh Ilyas stated in a sermon delivered at the Furqan mosque in Male’ on March 23.
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15th May 2013
Four arrested in connection with gang rape of 20 year-old girl on Dhuvaafaru
Police have arrested three 17 year-old males and a 19 year-old man in connection with the gang rape and filming of a 20 year-old girl on the island of Dhuvaafaru in Raa Atoll.
Police would not provide further information on the matter, but said the case was now under investigation. A member of the Dhuvaafaru Island Council told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that the incident occurred three days ago. “They went out to drive a motorbike around the island and they stopped near the beach in the industrial zone of the island near the power house,’’ he said. “The case was not reported to the council but was reported directly to police, we only heard of it the next day.” The councillor insisted to Minivan News that media reports of the incident were inaccurate. “The four boys always hang out with this girl and she is not very well disciplined; it is very unlikely that anyone would have to rape her, it would be easier than that,’’ he claimed. “I think the girl reported it to police as a gang rape because they filmed the incident.” ‘’It’s very sad, I think the boys will be scared and worried, because they are not that type of guys,’’ he added. The councillor said the detention period of the four suspects was extended to 15 days. All were from Dhuvaafaru, he said, and were being held in a detention centre on Ungoofaaru island.
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26th May 2013
A justice system in crisis: UN Special Rapporteur’s report
UN Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, has expressed “deep concern” over the failure of the judicial system to address “serious violations of human rights” during the Maldives’ 30 year dictatorship, warning of “more instability and unrest” should this continue to be neglected. “It is indeed difficult to understand why one former President is being tried for an act he took outside of his prerogative, while another has not had to answer for any of the alleged human rights violations documented over the years,” wrote Knaul, in her final report to the UN Human Rights Council following her Maldives mission in February 2013.
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30th May 2013
Police searching for 24 year-old man in connection with gang rape of 16 year-old girl
Head of the Police Child Protection Department, Chief Inspector Hassan Shifau, has said police are searching for Mausoom Abaas of Hunaru in Maafannu Ward in connection with the gang rape of a 16 year-old girl in February. Police first sought public assistance in locating Mausoom Abbas in mid-February. Yesterday (May 29) Chief Inspector of Police Hassan Shifau issued a video interview regarding the case and said that on February 12, a 16 year-old girl was gang raped by four men, three of whom had since been arrested. The fourth was yet to be located, he said. Shifau stated that Mausoom was on the police service’s list of the 50 most dangerous criminals, with a record of 16 criminal offences ranging from drug related crimes to assault and robbery. The three already arrested over the gang rape were aged 18, 19 and 22, and all had previous criminal records, he said.
According to Shifau, the victim had marks on her body that indicated she had been sexually harassed when she came to the police to report the case. He also said that the DNA samples taken from the clothes she was wearing that night matched with the DNA samples of the persons arrested.
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2nd June 2013
Maldivian terrorist Ali Jaleel (Moscow Jaleel) was brainwashed in Pakistan, claims brother
Jaleel was brainwashed while studying at the Pakistani madrassa Jamia Salafia seminary, his brother Jalla claimed in an investigative feature story, conducted by US publication The Oregonian. “He had been brainwashed,” Jalla told the US publication. “He thought jihad was the best way to meet God.” Jaleel began his studies at the Jamia Salafia seminary in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in 1995. When Jaleel returned to the Maldives a year after beginning his studies at the Pakistani madrassa, he was “different”, according to The Oregonian. Jalla explained that in addition to the changes in Jaleel’s appearance – he grew a beard and wore salwars, a popular form of Pakistani dress – “Ali was righteous and distant”. Although the brothers previously had a very close relationship, a rift began to develop due to Jaleel’s new-found ideology and behavior. By 2001, jihad became the only thing that mattered to 22 year-old Jaleel, who spoke of emigrating to Yemen and “being a messenger for Allah” and had abandoned his previous dreams of becoming a “sports here”, according to Jalla.
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2nd June 2013
“International actors should not undermine governments”: Maldives responds to UN Special Rapporteur
The Maldives government has issued a statement inferring that UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, undermined the country’s sovereignty and legal jurisdiction in her recent report on the state of the country’s judiciary.
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23rd June 2013
Criminal Court acquits six men charged with gang rape of 14 year-old girl
The Criminal Court has acquitted six men charged with the gang rape of a minor, on the grounds that the prosecution was unable to offer sufficient evidence to prove they were guilty. Abdulla Nazeef of Fuvamulah, Mohamed Shifau of Villimale’, Azim Ali from Dhigurah in Alif Dhaalu, Hoodh Mohamed of Male’ special registry, Inash Abdulla of Gaafu Dhaalu Vaadhoo and Ali Ashraf of Maafannu Athuma were charged with the sexual abuse of a minor by a group. The Prosecutor General’s Office pressed charges against the six suspects on allegations that on June 5, 2010, they abducted a 14 year-old girl, took her to an abandoned area near the Villimale’ antennae area, and raped the victim.
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25th June 2013
Maldives given final chance to avoid tier 3 in human trafficking report, face possible sanctions
The Maldives has been placed on the US State Department’s Tier Two Watch List for Human Trafficking for the fourth consecutive year. As with last year’s report, the country avoided a downgrade to the lowest tier “because [the] government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” However US Ambassador-at-large for the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Luis CdeBaca, noted during the release of the report that the six countries again spared a downgrade would not be eligible next year – including Afghanistan, Barbados, Chad, Malaysia, Thailand and the Maldives.This was, he noted, intended to prompt action in countries that were “getting comfortable being on Tier 2 Watch List, doing a minimum amount, not really doing all that much, not on the upward trajectory of a Tier 2 or a Tier 1 country.” Tier 3 countries are defined by the State Department as those which “neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so”, and are open to non-humanitarian and non-trade international sanctions.
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27th June 2013
Police arrest GIP council member Ahmed Faiz in Supreme Court Justice sex tape scandal
A council member of President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaad Party (GIP) and Project Advisor at the Housing Ministry, Ahmed Faiz, has been arrested and placed under remand detention for 15 days, police have confirmed. According to local media reports, the former Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Managing Director and Deputy CEO of the Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) was arrested on Tuesday while trying to sell a sex tape of a Supreme Court Justice. The Criminal Court on Wednesday afternoon (June 26) granted an extension of 15 days for Faiz’s detention. A police media official told Minivan News that police could not divulge further details apart from confirming that Faiz was “arrested in connection with a case currently under investigation.” While local media reports did not identify the judge involved in the case, photos of Supreme Justice Ali Hameed in a hotel room with a woman began circulating on social media in March this year.
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30th June 2013
Spy camera footage appears to show Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed discussing politicisation of judiciary, Feb 7
A spy camera video apparently depicting a Supreme Court Justice and a local businessman discussing political influence in the judiciary has surfaced on social media networks. Local media identified the two individuals seen in the video as Justice Ali Hameed and Mohamed Saeed, the director of local business firm ‘Golden Lane’. The video appeared shortly after the arrest of Ahmed Faiz – a council member of President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaad Party (GIP) and then-Project Advisor at the Housing Ministry – while he was allegedly trying to sell a sex tape of a Supreme Court Justice. The spy camera footage, which carries the date January 24, 2013, shows the pair discussing how politicians have been influencing the judiciary. Both men speak in the Addu dialect of the local Dhivehi language. Due to noise from a television near the camera, much of the conversation is unclear. The individual believed to be Justice Hameed appears frustrated over political manipulation of the judiciary. He claims feuds between politicians were being settled through the court even though these did not involve the law or any legal issues. He names politicians including Abdulla Yameen, the current Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) presidential candidate and half-brother of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, as well as the running mate of incumbent President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – also the leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). In the video, one of the men claims that he had heard plans of “killing off” DRP leader Thasmeen Ali and refers to a “second person to be killed,” however, due to the unclear audio it is not clear what the parties are referring to, or the context of the “killing”. The person believed to be Hameed says, “If it comes into my hands, I will kill him off.” Even [Speaker of Parliament] Abdulla Shahid will know very well that my stand is to do things the way Yameen wants. That the fall of this government was brought with our participation,” he adds (01:49, unclear). However, he also claims that he was a person who “even Yameen cannot play with” and that over time he had “shown Yameen” who he is. “Politicians can resolve their failures if they work on it, what the judiciary has to do, what we have to do is when these baaghees (traitors) file cases, we should say, ‘That it is a political matter. That it’s not a judicial issue. It’s not a legal issue. So don’t drag us into this. There is no legal dispute,’” he is heard saying earlier. Referring to an unidentified group of people, he says if “they have a balanced thinking, then we will do things in a balanced way”, and asks the other individual, believed to be Saeed, if this would upset anybody.
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8th July 2013
Police summon Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed for questioning over sex tape scandal
Police have summoned Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed for questioning over his alleged appearance in a leaked sex tape. According newspaper Haveeru, Justice Hameed was summoned to police headquarters in Male about 8:00pm in the evening and left at around 1:30am after spending more than five hours in the building. Police however did not confirm the summoning but said only that the case is currently being investigated.
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13th July 2013
JSC investigating more videos of Supreme Court judge
A committee appointed by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) to investigate a leaked sex video of Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed are reviewing two additional videos, local media has reported. In addition to a video in which an individual believed to be judge Hameed has sex with a unidentified foreign woman, the JSC is reportedly investigating videos of Hameed discussing political corruption of the judiciary with a local businessman, and a meeting with former immigration controller Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim. Both have been circulating on social media. The home of the businessman in the second video, owner of Golden Lane Mohamed Saeed, was recently searched by police.
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18th July 2013
JSC votes not to suspend Supreme Court Judge in sex video, due to “lack of evidence”
Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has decided not to suspend Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, who is currently under both police and JSC investigation following the circulation of a sex video apparently depicting the judge fornicating with an unidentified foreign woman. Four members of the JSC voted in support of a motion on Wednesday to not suspend the Supreme Court Justice, over due to “lack of evidence”. The decision disregarded the recommendation of the JSC’s own five member committee investigating the judge’s conduct in multiple leaked videos. The four members who supported the motion to not suspend the judge included parliament representative, resort tycoon and presidential candidate MP Gasim Ibrahim, Attorney General Aishath Azima Shukoor, President Waheed’s representative Latheefa Gasim, and Chair of the Civil Service Commission, Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, who was recently dismissed by parliament in no-confidence motion over allegations of sexual harassment, but later reinstated by the Supreme Court. JSC members Shuaib Abdul Rahmaan, Ahmed Rasheed and Abdulla Hameed did not support the motion. Following the decision, JSC Deputy Chairman Abdulla Mohamed Didi and Latheefa Gasim resigned from the five-member committee investigating the matter.
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21st July 2013
Two more sex videos of Supreme Court judge leaked
Two more videos apparently showing Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed engaging in sexual relations with foreign women have been leaked on social media. Three other videos already in circulation, including a third sex tape and two videos of the judge meeting prominent Maldivian business and political figures, recently prompted the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) to form a five-member subcommittee to investigate the matter. The two new leaks follow the JSC’s decision last week to disregard the subcommittee’s recommendation and not suspend the judge, citing “lack of evidence”. According to Maldivian law, the crime of fornication is subject to 100 lashes and banishment or house arrest for a period of eight months. The courts regularly issue this sentence, overwhelmingly to women found guilty of extramarital sex. Sentences are carried out in front of the justice building next door to the Supreme Court, and occasionally attract high profile international media coverage, such as the sentencing in February this year of a 15 year-old rape victim.
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23rd July 2013
Museum staff and local NGO Revive express concern over moving artifacts to host Independence Day event
National Museum staff and Male’-based arts NGO Revive have expressed concern over plans to move delicate exhibits for upcoming Independence Day celebrations to be held in the museum. “We at the national museum believe the museum’s objects are very valuable and cannot be replaced if anything happens to any of the items,” National Museum Director Ali Waheed told Minivan News. “I am concerned, we are not happy about this,” Waheed said. He said that the President’s Office had sent a letter about holding the Independence Day event to the Tourism Ministry, which had in turn notified their Department of National Heritage. “The department only informed us about the event three days ago,” Waheed claimed. He said there were concerns that National Heritage Department Director General Zakariyya Hussain had not consulted museum staff about whether holding the event in the museum would be sensible. “Zakariyya gave the approval but he didn’t say anything to us. He didn’t want to talk about it. At least he has to ask if this is good or not,” he claimed. The President’s Office meanwhile said it had not been informed of the museum staff’s grievances, while rejecting claims that there would be any issues with holding such an event in the museum.The President’s Office held an Independence Day event at the National Museum last year, which posed the same challenges to staff as it took place during Ramazan. The permanent exhibition items had to be shifted internally and placed against the walls to clear the middle of the hall, according to Assistant Curator Ismail Ashraf.
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24th July 2013
Supreme Court Justice’s sex tape a fake, claims business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim
Leader of the Jumhoree Party (JP) and business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim has defended Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, dismissing the alleged sex-tape involving the judge as a fake.Speaking during a campaign rally held at Thaa Atoll Veymandoo Island on this Saturday, The JP Presidential candidate – who also sits in the JSC as a representative of the parliament – claimed that Justice Hameed had been victimised by the aides of former President Mohamed Nasheed. The resort owner alleged that Nasheed – who is the presidential candidate of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – commands “a large group of vigilante criminals who will do whatever he demands.” “They blackmail people in order to keep them in check. They do all kinds of things. Even today, look at that fake video of the judge. [Nasheed] will do what he wants by using blackmailing and other tactics,” Gasim claimed. Following the MDP’s launched of its youth policy, dubbed ‘Entertainment without fear’, Gasim labeled Nasheed a “monster”claiming that he had done every “despicable act ever to be found in the world”. The owner of Villa Group also alleged that there were “external forces” assisting those behind the video of the judge, and alleged that the motive of these unidentified forces were to take over state assets, introduce other religions to the country, and create infighting within society. “There are people in the world that cannot digest the fact that Maldives is a 100 percent Islamic country,” said the resort tycoon, whose Villa Hotels chain in 2011 imported approximately 121,234.51 litres of beer, 2048 litres of whiskey, 3684 litres of vodka and 219.96 kilograms of pork sausages, among other haram commodities restricted to islands deemed ‘uninhabited’.
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25th July 2013
“Murder has to be punished with murder”: Yameen calls for death penalty to be put into practice
Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) Presidential Candidate Abdulla Yameen has called for the death penalty to be put into practice in the Maldives, a day after vowing to reform the judiciary. The MP, half brother of former autocratic ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, made the comments while speaking on the program Voice of Maldives on Monday night (July 22). Yameen explained that although he was not previously an advocate of the death penalty, he now believed it must be implemented to save Maldivian society from murders that have become too commonplace, according to local media reports. Yameen noted that as a result of the “recent spate of killings” in the Maldives he has had a “change of heart” and now believes “murder has to be punished with murder.” “It is something that has to be done. We cannot move forward without making our streets safe,” Yameen said. Yameen explained that a death penalty sentence should only be implemented if upheld by the Supreme Court. “I now believe, if it can be proven in trial so that the country accepts, if it is proven to a degree accepted by judicial principles, if all the steps are followed, and if the Maldivian people believe, I believe that the death penalty is necessary to save society,” he said.
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29th July 2013
ACC forwards phone bill corruption case against Supreme Court Judge
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has forwarded corruption allegations against Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG). While the ACC has yet to officially comment on the case, local media reported that the matter concerned the transfer of MVR 2,223 (US$144) from the judge’s state-funded telephone noted in a 2010 audit of the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA), which was subsequently repaid. Previous reports by the Auditor General’s Office have noted that between October 2008 and December 2011, Supreme Court judges paid their phone bills amounting to MVR 281,519 (US$18,257) from the state budget, despite the fact that parliament had not allocated any phone allowances to the judges. Additionally, MVR 117, 832 (US$7640) was found to have been overspent on wages and allowances to the driver of a judge’s car. The judge is also currently subject to investigation over his alleged appearance in multiple leaked sex videos depicting him fornicating with foreign women in what appears to be a Colombo hotel room. A further video also appears to show Hameed and a local businessman, Mohamed Saeed, discussing political influence in the judiciary.
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30th July 2013
Five arrested in connection with rape case of 17 year-old girl in Milandhoo Island
Police have arrested four men and one minor in connection with the gang rape of a 17 year-old girl on the island of Milandhoo in Shaviyani Atoll. In a statement police said that five arrested were aged between 17 and 21. Police did not provide further details of the case but stated that the victim was 17 years-old and the incident occurred on Monday night at around 10:00pm. Island Council President Mohamed Yasir told Minivan News he received information about the incident shortly after it occurred. ‘’Upon hearing the news I went to the girl’s house and she was with her mother sitting down and crying, her clothes were torn and there were lots of signs she’d been attacked on her body and clothes,’’ he said. ‘’She told us that the group of people appeared from nowhere and snatched her while she was walking home from tuition class last night,’’ he said. ‘’She said all the men in the group were covering their faces but she could identify some of them by their height, voice and other characteristics.’’ Yasir said the victim had scratches and bruises on her body and said ‘’the group not only sexually assaulted her, she was physically abused. She told us it was a huge group and almost everyone there took photos and videoed her and threatened to leak it on Facebook if she told anyone about it.’’ Yasir said the girl was taken to the island’s beach where the group tore off her clothes and gang-raped her. According to Yasir, the girl said she had recently received threats from several people in the group. A local islander alleged a group of men grabbed the victim and covered her face using a T-shirt before abducting her: “There were scratches on her face,” he said. “She knew some of the people in the group that snatched her and she the police their names. They have been arrested,’’ he said. The girl was admitted to the island health centre after the incident.
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4th August 2013
Police charge two men for homosexuality on Fokaidhoo
Police have sent the names of two Maldivian men charged for homosexuality to the Prosecutor General’s office for prosecution in the Criminal Court. Police identified the two men from Fokaidhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, aged 19 and 44 years-old. Police arrested the pair on May 24, 2013 while they were allegedly performing homosexual acts in the kitchen of a hotel on Fokaidhoo island.
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4th August 2013
Police seek public assistance to locate expatriate accused of raping 19 year-old girl on Hulhumale
Police have asked for public assistance in locating an expat suspected of abducting and raping a 19 year-old girl on Hulhumale while she was on her way to an office. Police said the incident occurred on Saturday morning at about 9:30am. The man allegedly snatched the girl from the street and raped her in some bushes near Reethi Gas Magu Road. Police said the suspect’s identity remained unknown. The statement did not reveal his nationality, but said he was 5 feet 7 inches in height with shortly trimmed hair, and had last been seen on the 10:00am ferry to Male. On the ferry he was observed to be wearing a grey shirt and grey pair of trousers, and had a badly injured index finger, police said.
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5th August 2013
Four arrested on charges of raping and filming a minor
Police have arrested two minors and two men in connection with the rape and filming of an underage girl in a house in Male’. In a video interview, Family and Child Protection Department Head, Chief Inspector, Hassan Shifau, said that the incident occurred on July 27. Police were called the same morning at about 12:50am. Shifau said that when police investigators queried the victim about the incident she said had gone into a house in Male’ to meet a friend, but when she arrived there were three males inside the room waiting for her. According to Shifau, the victim said the three men inside the room threatened her and forced her to smoke cigarettes, and later forced her to have sex with them and filmed the incident. Shifau said the girl was taken to hospital after the incident. Police searched the crime scene and collected evidence. The four were arrested within 72 hours from the time the incident occurred, police added. Police identified the two men arrested in the case as Ismail Nazim, 27 of Alifushi in Raa Atoll and Asnaf Mohamed, 20 of Fuvamulah. Shifau appealed to the public to inform police about such crimes as soon as they occurred, stating that it was easier for police to collect evidence and arrest people involved if crimes were reported quickly. The incident is the third rape to be reported in less than a week.
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13th August 2013
Fourteen year-old girl latest victim in surge of rape crimes
Police are investigating the rape of a 14 year-old girl on Muli island of Meemu Atoll, the latest incident in an increasing number of sexual crimes against women and girls in the Maldives. According to the police the incident was reported around 1.30am Sunday night, and a 19 year-old man was arrested on charges of rape. The suspect has a history of criminal behaviour including assault and theft, police stated.
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13th August 2013
Man sentenced to four years in prison for forcing three Thai women into prostitution
The Criminal Court has sentenced the owner of Sondo Born Beauty Care Salon, 64 year-old Abdul Latheef Ali of Henveiru Philadelphi in Male’, to four years in prison after finding him guilty of running a brothel and forcing three Thai women into prostitution. Three Thai women – aged 21, 24 and 36 – testified in court that Latheef had forced them into prostitution after bringing them to the Maldives, ostentatiously to work as massage therapists.
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19th August 2013
Maldives’ real extremism is the encroachment upon people’s rights: Yameen
Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen has argued that the most prominent form of extremism in the Maldives is the encroachment upon people’s rights, rather than religious radicalism. Yameen met with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during a visit to the country Friday (August 16), as part of the state’s ongoing engagement with all Maldivian political parties ahead of the September 7 presidential election. In response to Indian officials raising concerns about potential radical rhetoric in the Maldives, Yameen acknowledged that extremism “exists to some extent” and is a challenge faced by the PPM. Yameen recounted this conversation during a PPM press conference held in Male’ yesterday (August 19). “We do face the problem of extremism to some extent and the extremism that exists here isn’t necessarily religious extremism,” Yameen recalled telling Prime Minister Singh. “What really exists here is extremism of encroaching on other people’s rights,” he added. Yameen explained to the Prime Minister that the Maldivian people suffer serious damage to their houses and property as a result of this type of extremism.
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20th August 2013
Police search 2100 expats over Hulhumale’ rape without finding suspect
The police have told local media that, despite searching 2100 expats in a special operation launched to locate and apprehend the expatriates connected with the rape of a 19 year girl in Hulhumale’, no suspect has yet been found. The incident occurred on Saturday August 3 at about 9:30am. The man allegedly snatched the girl from the street and raped her in some bushes near Reethi Gas Magu Road. Police told local newspaper Haveeru that expats living on Hulhumale’, Thilafushi, and Male’ have been searched and that police haven’t been able to locate the suspect.
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22nd August 2013
HRCM claims mandate pushed to limit over 15 year-old’s flogging sentence
The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has said its mandate has been pushed to the limit after “braving” the country’s courts to oppose a controversial flogging sentence handed to a 15 year-old sexual abuse victim that was overturned this week.
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23rd August 2013
Justice “still out of reach” for Maldivian women, girls: Avaaz.org
Social activism website Avaaz has said it remained concerned at the “appalling state” of women’s rights in the Maldives, despite welcoming a decision by the High Court this week to overturn a controversial flogging sentence handed to a 15 year-old girl charged with ‘fornication’.
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28th August 2013
Police ask PG to charge Sri Lankan woman and Maldivian man for fornication
Police have concluded the investigation into a case where a Maldivian man and a Sri Lankan woman are alleged to have had sex in Hulhumale’, and have sent the case to the Prosecutor General’s Office for prosecution. In a statement issued the police identified the two as Mohamed Didi, 41, of Male and Dhamika Siriyala, 41, from Sri Lanka. Police said on May 13, 2013, they were caught inside a room in Hulhumale’ rented on a daily basis. The investigation into the case was concluded on August 25 and sent to PG the same day.
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5th September 2013
Two expats stabbed in Male’ in separate incidents
Police have said that two expats were stabbed in Male’ last night in two different incidents. The first incident occurred at about 7:50pm near Galolhu Madharusa – a 16 year-old minor was arrested in connection with the case. Police said that a passing by police officer stopped the 16 year-old and arrested him while he was fleeing the area after attacking the expat. The nationality of the victim was not revealed in the case. The second incident occurred at about 10:15pm near the Ekuveni track area. Police said a 36 year-old Bangladeshi man was victimized in the attack. No arrests were made in connection with this incident.
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24th September 2013
Juvenile Court sentences 17 year-old boy to four months in prison for kissing girl
The Juvenile Court has sentenced a 17 year-old boy to four months in prison after he kissed a 16 year-old girl in a court waiting room. The girl was sentenced to four months house arrest. The sentences were given after the boy was brought to court for a remand hearing in an ongoing drugs case, and kissed the girl who was in the waiting room. The pair were convicted for indecent behaviour and contempt of court for kissing on court premises. “The boy was taken out of where those in custody are kept to the general waiting area, and walked right up to a girl standing there and kissed her in public. We found the girl to be 16 years of age,” a Juvenile Court official told Minivan News on condition of anonymity. The official said although the girl involved in the matter had been sentenced to four months under house arrest, the court had ruled to delay implementation of the sentence for three years as this was her first offence. If the girl did not commit repeat offences of a similar nature in the next three years, the sentence against her would be annulled, the official said. The four months would be added to the boy’ s drug sentence, the official added.
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26th September 2013
Police arrest 12 after white underpants hung outside Rasdhoo Magistrate Court
Police have arrested 12 persons on the island of Rasdhoo in Alif Alif Atoll late on Wednesday night, after a pair of large white underpants were hung outside the entrance to the island’s Magistrate Court. According to a source on Rasdhoo, the white pair of underpants was hung on a rope strung across the street in front of the court offices at about 5:00pm on Wednesday, “barely three inches away from the entrance, but nevertheless not in the court’s premises itself”. The white pants are a reference to recently-leaked videos of Supreme Court (SC) judge Ali Hameed apparently fornicating with unidentified foreign women in a Colombo hotel room, and have become a symbol of protests against the Supreme Court’s suspension of Saturday’s highly anticipated presidential election. “Police from the Rasdhoo station started work to remove the underpants at around 7:00pm, prompting a immediate gathering of over a hundred people near the police office,” a source from the island told Minivan News on condition of anonymity. He said that the gathered people shouted at the police for removing the underpants: “Is the underwear the only illegal thing you could find on the street?” shouted some. “You can remove the underpants from this island’s court, but you do nothing about the ones sitting on the Supreme Court bench,” called others. Eyewitnesses said the police resorted to the use of pepper spray and physical force to disperse the crowd. Another pair of underpants was again hung in front of the Magistrate Court later the night. Locals say that a back-up police team – nearly 30 officers in full riot gear – came to the island around midnight to remove the new pair of underpants. Although no more confrontations occurred, 12 persons are now in police custody in Rasdhoo police station. “Just after midnight, police summoned the magistrate himself and made him sign arrest warrants. First they arrested six people. They then spoke to a group of people from the island who are working with the PPM [Progressive Party of Maldives], and got their help to identify some of the most active MDP [Maldivian Democratic Party] campaigners, and arrested them too. That isn’t a new tactic for them anyway,” the source alleged. Police Media Official Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef was not responding to calls at the time of press.
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1st Octber 2013
Maldivians Arrested for trying join Syrian civil war
Maldives Police Service has apprehended two Maldivian men who attempted to leave the country in order to join the holy war against Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. According to sources, the twenty five year old man from Gan in Laamu Atoll and the thirty five year old man from Fuvahmulah were caught by the Police whilst they were set to depart from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. Reportedly, the two individuals were stopped from leaving the country and released at first. However reports claim that Maldives Police Service had taken the two men in to custody after the court issued a warrant to detain them.
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7th October 2013
Raajje TV destroyed in arson attack
A group of masked men armed with machetes, iron rods and petrol set fire to opposition aligned TV station Raajje TV shortly before 4:45am today, destroying its offices and control room as well as cameras, computer systems, broadcasting and transmission equipment. The attack comes days after Raajje TV broadcast a report titled “Forum 15” detailing a plan, including arson, to destroy the station. According to Raajje TV’s Head of News, Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed, six men forcefully entered the seven story building after stabbing the security guard with a machete. The guard has been hospitalised and is receiving care for two stab wounds to his back. The men then damaged the elevator and cut off the building’s electricity. The group continued to break through a reinforced steel door to access station’s offices on the second floor of the building, before covering all equipment in the building with petrol and setting it alight. A crew member from the airport ferry – docked opposite the building – said he witnessed a group of masked men leaving the building, and the bleeding security guard run to police officers on the corner of the block. “We were docking at around 4:40 am when I saw about eight masked and gloved men leaving the building. They were wearing jeans and t-shirts. I saw the security guard run out, he had blood on his back,” he said. “There were policemen on the corner, he ran to them and it looked like they did not help. I say this because he ran back to the building and then ran back to them when people gathered there started shouting,” he told Minivan News. “At the time there was smoke coming from the offices. Many people there told me they called the police when they saw what was happening. But the police did not answer the phone. and only answered once the whole place was ablaze,” he said. Station staff were unharmed, although the Maldives National Defense Forces’ (MNDF) Fire and Rescue Services said they had rescued one woman who was trapped on the terrace. According to the MNDF, the fire was reported at 4:45 am and was put out at 7:00 am. A computer store on the ground floor was also completely destroyed in the blaze. The station was destroyed on the same day as the Supreme Court’s much-anticipated ruling on whether to allow elections to go ahead.
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28th November 2013
Fornicating couple sentenced to 18 months jail, 25 lashes for self-made sex video
The Criminal Court has sentenced two consenting adults to 18 months in jail and 25 lashes for videoing themselves engaging in extramarital sex. Aseel Ismail and Mariyam Sana were arrested in April 2011 after a police raid found CDs and photos in which the couple appear to engage in extramarital sex. Aseel is currently serving a seven year jail term for assault and Sana is facing trial for drug abuse and alcohol consumption. The Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced the two to six months in jail and 25 lashes for fornication and issued an additional one-year jail term for producing pornographic material.
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5th December 2013
Depiction of Supreme Court Judge in sex-tape remains an uncertainty, says police
The Maldives Police Service has said that it still cannot ascertain that the sex-tapes allegedly depicting Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed are genuine. Despite the claims made by police regarding the haziness of the characters seen in the videos, both social media networks and local media have pointed the finger at Judge Hameed when reporting on the videos. The accusations towards Hameed were supported by an earlier film – apparently taken in the same hotel room as that of the sex videos – in which he was seen discussing the ‘politicization of the Maldivian judiciary’ with a local businessman whom the media identified as Mohamed ‘Golden Lane’ Saeed. During a press conference held by the police yesterday (December 4) evening, Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz told the press that the police have put huge efforts in identifying the characters seen in the video by utilizing on several forensic tests. However Nawaz admitted that efforts had not been fruitful in determining the participants, let alone whether it was Hameed seen fornicating with multiple foreign women inside the hotel room. “Nevertheless, some work regarding the investigation of this case is still proceeding. Also, we would like to inform that work will be done in the future to ensure the investigation leads to success,” Nawaz told the press. The Superintendent also said that the police had sought “assistance from a country” – that had some relevance to the case – in the investigation process and that it was awaiting reception of some key information regarding the videos that would prove central to their investigations. “We believe once we get this information [from abroad], more doors will be opened and more clues to the case will be revealed, to enhance our investigations,” Nawaz said. Although Nawaz did not mention the name of the country, nor what part of the investigation in which assistance had been sought, it has been reported that the video-footage showed a hotel room in Cinnamon Grand Hotel located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Given the large number of Maldivians traveling to Sri Lanka, it has been widely speculated that many get involved in prostitution and gambling.
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10th December 2013
UNFPA calls for review of judicial practices surrounding sexual behaviour in the Maldives
The UNFPA has this week released the State of the World Population Report, along with a report focusing on the local context, titled “Reproductive Health Knowledge and Behaviour of Young Unmarried Women in the Maldives”. The report includes recommendations calling on the state to review existing practices related to the matter within the judicial process, law enforcement, education and health sectors. Minister of Education Aishath Shiham inaugurated the event, highlighting the state’s plans to resume awareness programs for adolescents in schools in 2014. “The UNFPA’s Life Skills Package is the program that was most systematically and effectively run in Maldivian schools to tackle the issue of adolescent pregnancies. Over a 1000 people have been trained to be able to conduct this program. I am announcing here today that with the start of the new administrative year in 2014, the UNFPA Life Skill Package will be reintroduced,” she stated. The minister further noted the importance of including similar concepts in teacher training courses.
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10th December 2013
Anti-trafficking act greeted with caution by HRCM
The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has welcomed this week’s ratification of the Anti-trafficking act, despite reservations about the legislation itself and the state’s capacity to enforce it. “It covers many acts of exploitation that will now be considered as offences and it also has penalties in the act for those who commit the crime of human trafficking,” said HRCM member Jeehan Mahmoud. Earlier this week, the government announced the ratification of the bill, which had been passed in the Majlis on December 3. Assistant Controller Ali Ashraf has also described the new legislation as “an excellent piece of work” A President’s Office press release stated that the new legislation clearly defined human trafficking as an offence in the Maldives. Those found guilty of human trafficking can now face up to 10 years for cases involving adults, which can be extended to up to 15 if children are involved. Accomplices to trafficking can also now receive a seven year sentence. Both Jeehan and Ashraf, however, maintained reservations regarding the efficacy of the act in the absence of specific definitions of offences and in its failure to include human smuggling. “We wanted to identify specific acts. In our experience, if specifics are not detailed there is a chance that the offences go without prosecution when they get to the courts,”said Jeehan. Similarly, Ashraf noted that the failure to include the category of smuggling in the act – different to trafficking in that individuals give a measure of consent to be transported illegally – made it very likely that offenders will be able to evade prosecution. “The definition of trafficking can be twisted so easily,” warned Ashraf. Jeehan noted that those smuggled were as vulnerable to exploitation by their handlers as those trafficked.
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11th December 2013
Government and civil society highlight work needed to safeguard human rights
State institutions have both celebrated the current progress in the protection of human rights in the Maldives, as well as expressing concern about certain violations and restrictions in the field. A series have statements accompanied the 63rd International Human Rights Day – December 10. With this year’s Human Rights Day aligning with the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM)’s 10th Anniversary, the independent commission held an event on Tuesday night, attended by several cabinet ministers, alongside political and civil society actors. “It is crucial to overcome obstacles in the protection of rights guaranteed to Maldivians through the constitution and the international treaties, and for all institutions to work justly and equitably to reach this goal,” said HRCM President Mariyam Azra at the event. Furthermore, in a statement released on Tuesday, the HRCM president stated that while the commission is pleased that human rights has become a topic openly and often discussed over the past decade, there still remains much work that needs to be done in the country to adequately protect human rights. “What leads to the violation of rights is the lack of respect for rights. The abuse of rights committed by those in high positions oftentimes as a show of power most often affects the most vulnerable persons who are already in need of special protection. That is to say, people who are sidelined by society itself,” the statement read. While there are state institutions mandated to protect citizens from harm and to bring perpetrators to justice, Azra commented, “as it is humans working in these institutions, a culture of treating others in a manner you would wish yourselves to be treated needs to be better established”. She also noted that, when intervening in the case of a 15 year old rape victim being charged with fornication and sentenced to 100 lashes by flogging, the commission realised the importance of interventions even at the court proceedings stage. “When after we intervened, the High Court overruled the Juvenile Court’s sentence on the child, we realised the importance of intervention even at the stages of court hearings. Therefore, we have now planned to conduct further work in the field after seeking cooperation from the judiciary,” she revealed.
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15th December 2013
Maldivian student killed in Afghan blast
A Maldivian student, Amir Moosa, 31 from G.A Dhaandhoo was recently killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, the Island council has said today. President of the Council Shuaib Abdulla said a family member of the deceased had reported his death in an Afghanistan bomb blast, although the incident is yet to be officially reported to the Council by his immediate family. Shuaib said Amir has been studying in Pakistan for the past six years and many locals believe he was involved with Jihadi operations there. “According to a family members, when he calls home he would talk about Jihad and Independence of Palestine” Shuaib said. The deceased’s sister told Sun Online that Amir had been killed two months ago, though the family themselves only received the news yesterday (December 14). She also denied that Amir held any extremist views. However, local news website CNM quoted Amir’s mother as saying that he was living in Pakistan with his wife and four children (who are still in Pakistan) for higher education. Amir’s family confirmed to CNM that he was visiting Afghanistan when the blast killed him. Maldives Police Service have not yet received any such reports. Foreign Ministry officials were not available for comment at the time of press. Maldives has been hit by a wave of religious extremism in the past few years. In September 2007 a home made IED was set off at popular tourist attraction in capital Male’, injuring 12 tourists. Common threats against voices critical of radical Islamism were actualized with a brutal attempt on a journalist’s life in 2012. Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed came just millimetres from death when assailants he would later allege to be Islamists slashed his throat just yards from his home. This incident happened just a few months after a mob of religious extremists destroyed priceless Buddhist statues in the National Museum.
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17th December 2013
The Fiqh Academy of Maldives issued its opinion on abortion
The Fiqh Academy of Maldives has today issued its opinion on abortion, stating that the situations in which they believe abortion is allowed under Islam. According to the academy, if a woman gets raped – regardless of whether marriage to the man is allowed under Islam – abortion is allowed if it is carried out within the first 120 days. The academy further stated that if a woman whose medical conditions is not good enough to hold a baby in her womb gets raped by a man then abortion is allowed if it is carried out in the first 120 days. The academy was first established in 2009 under President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration, and was dissolved and then re-established by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan. The current nine-member academy is composed of two councils – the Shariah Council and an Advisory Council. Members are appointed by the president and the academy’s main function is to act as an advisory body on issues of Islamic jurisprudence and Shariah law. The fourth situation stated in which they viewed abortion as being allowed was if the doctors are sure that the baby might have serious health conditions such as thalassemia, sickle cell, or any other serious medical condition that cannot be cured by medicine. The only situation where abortion is allowed after the first 120 days was if the mother’s health condition was critical and doctors were forced to save either the baby or the mother. The Fiqh Academy also said that abortion is allowed in the first four situations, if carried out within 120 days of pregnancy because the fetus would not have soul inside but after 120 days the soul will enter the fetus and thereafter it should be considered as living. The Academy has issued eight rulings since it’s establishment and also suggested amendments to the draft Penal Code while it was open for public comments. People’s Majlis’ Penal Code drafting committee rejected all but one of the proposed amendments.
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17th December 2013
Committee investigating supreme court judge’s sex-tape requests suspension
The sub-committee formed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to investigate the alleged sex-tape scandal of Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed has again requested for the suspension of the judge after his refusal to cooperate with the investigation. “We have sent the request to the JSC to suspend Ali Hameed after the members of the committee found the need to suspend him. We don’t know whether commission would do it or not,” a member of the committee was quoted saying in the local media. Speaking to Minivan News, a JSC member confirmed that a request had been received to the commission but had not yet made a formal decision regarding the request. Local newspaper Haveeru has reported that the committee’s request for suspension of the judge was also due to challenges facing the commission – from both the JSC and the Supreme Court – due to Hameed remaining as sitting judge. Furthermore, local media claimed that Judge Hameed had turned down requests made by the commission to come in for questioning.
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25th December 2013
52 year-old man sentenced to 10 years for child sex abuse
Bileidhoo Magistrate Court on the island of Bileidhoo in Faafu Atoll has sentenced a 52 year-old man to 10 years for sexually abusing a minor. Police identified the 52 year-old man as Hassan Zareer, 52 of Jeymugasdhoshuge in Bileidhoo, Faafu Atoll. According to the police, on January 9, 2013, the Family and Children Services Centre in Faafu Atoll reported the case to police alleging that Zareer had sexually abuse a minor multiple times on different days. Police said that during the trial Zareer denied the charges against him, however, the court ruled that the witness statements produced by the state, the report submitted by the Family and Children Services Centre in Faafu Atoll, the Medico Legal Report submitted by the state and the police investigation was enough to rule Zareer was guilty.
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30th December 2013
Peoples Majlis passes Sexual Offenses, and Social Protection bills
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30th December 2013
Supreme Court orders JSC to halt transfer of judges
Supreme Court has released a mandamus order on Monday halting the judicial oversight body’s decision to shuffle ten superior court judges. The order states the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) does not have absolute powers to transfer and promote judges. Unless a court is liquidated no judge can be transferred to another court unless by the explicit decision of the Judicial Council, the Supreme Court said. [Ali Hameed scandal]
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2014
3rd January 2014
Religion and nationalism key themes on National Day
The government held an event inaugurated by Vice President Mohamed Jameel Ahmed at the Republican Square on Wednesday night to mark the Maldives’ 440th National Day. The day is marked to celebrate the anniversary of the country’s independence from the Portugese invasion. Members of the cabinet, foreign dignitaries, members of independent commissions as well as the security forces attended the event. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom – who is currently in India on his first official trip abroad after assuming office in November 2013 – also gave a pre-recorded national address via the state broadcaster on the occasion. In his address, the President stated no individual must be allowed the opportunity to take away the nation’s peace for political purposes or to gain personal benefit. While it is important to view every citizen as a stakeholder in matters of the country, people should not be given the chance to challenge nationalism or conduct any activity that may threaten independence and sovereignty in the guise of freedom of expression or through differences in political opinions, Yameen continued. “We must instill the spirit of nationalism in the younger generations who will inherit this country in future. The moral we must take away from National Day is for those in power and leading the country, citizens and all responsible leaders to raise national and community interest over personal interest as we work to overcome challenges. This is the example set by Mohamed Thakurufaanu [Maldivian ruler who saved the country from the Portuguese conqueres who ruled the country from 1558 to 1573]. This is the true meaning of his jihad in national interest back on that day,” Yameen stated. “We must repeat the work our ancestors conducted in rain and shine. The reason we are to take breaths of independence today is due to the glorious jihad and sacrifices they made then for the sake of gaining independence. The country will not be able to take breaths of independence tomorrow unless we succeed in doing major work to overcome economic slavery and establish economic contentment,” he continued. He pledged to fulfil his term serving all citizens equally and justly. “I will make this government into one that is kind to its people, and loved by the people. I will bring swift changes as is desired by people and take the Maldives into a new era of development. My team and I will not be deterred in our work regardless of how rough the political seas we must cross become,” he concluded his address.
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5th January 2014
Fiqh Academy VP Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef condemns Sexual Offenses Bill for conditional criminalisation of marital rape
Answering a question requesting for comments on the bill Dr Iyaz said on “mvislamqa.com” – a local Islamic Questions and Answers website – that it is a great religious obligation upon the wife to give the husband his “marital rights” when he is in need of it. “With the exception of forbidden forms of sexual intercourse, such as during menstrual periods and anal intercourse, it is not permissible under any circumstance for a woman to refrain from it when the husband is in need.” Quoting a Hadith (sayings attributed to Prophet Muhammad) he said a woman should respond to her husband “even if she was at the kitchen stove”. Warning of the dangers of denying it, Iyaz quoted another Hadith which states that if a husband spends the night angry with his wife, “angels will curse the woman till daylight”. However he instructed men to be gentle with women if a health issue is causing her pain, and said in such cases women will not be cursed by angels.
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13th January 2014
Aisha H. Rasheed writes “Islamic Scholarship and Maldivian Women – My swim against the tide”
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15th January 2014
President Yameen vetoes sexual offences bill
“The bill containing some provisions that are contrary to Islamic Shariah and Islamic principles was among the reasons considered for returning the bill,” the President’s Office stated.
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22nd January 2014
Maldives holds Guinness world record for divorce rate
Obtaining a divorce is relatively easy under the Maldives’ mixed Shari’ah and common law system. A man is allowed to divorce his wife out of court simply by saying he was divorcing her. He is also allowed to revoke the divorce within three months. A woman can only seek divorce through the courts, and if the judge decides the grounds for divorce are justified. According to the Department of National Planning, 5,699 couples got married in 2012, but 3,011 couples got divorced in the same year. The Family Court in Malé says it processed 784 cases of divorce in 2013. Of the 784, 360 were out-of-court divorces, and 262 cases were women seeking divorce through the court. According to a family court official, who wished to remain anonymous, the court has imposed a MVR 5000 (US$ 324) fine to mitigate the high divorce rate and ensure couples seek reconciliation before obtaining a divorce. However, in 2013, only 14 couples sought reconciliation. The family court is at present conducting an analysis of reasons for divorce, the official said. Leena believes most couples get married young in order to legalise sex. According to a 2011 UNFPA study on reproductive health, knowledge and behavior of young unmarried women in the Maldives, Maldivian youth are sexually active outside of marriage despite existing social belief systems, which consider sexual behavior outside of wedlock to be unacceptable. “Parents and society frowns upon unmarried couples spending time together alone and press for marriage even though the couples may not be financially independent,” she said. Leena said she had married her second and third husband for love. However, living in congested households with extended families had strained both marriages. “People get married without financial independence and when they are not emotionally mature. There is no privacy to solve the smallest issues. So they escalate. Also, most couples live with their children in the same room and this can strain marriages,” she added. A 2008 Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) study said 12,000 families living in Malé do not have their own housing and are forced to share accommodation with other families.
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28th January 2014
Death penalty implementation “not advisable” without cabinet, parliament approval: AG Mohamed Anil
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6th February 2014
Figh Academy VP Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef endorses female genital mutilation
Iyaz said several credible hadiths from the Prophet Mohamed demonstrated female circumcision is obligatory in Islam. “The Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Five things are part of the fitrah [nature] – circumcision, shaving the pubes, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails and plucking the armpit hairs.’ The circumcision in this hadith applies to both men and women,” Iyaz said.
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20th February 2014
Majlis removes MP Hamza from judicial watchdog
Judge Adam Mohamed sent a letter to Hamza and President Abdulla Yameen earlier this week claiming Hamza’s position was now vacant. Hamza responded by stating his belief that Adam Mohamed’s attempt to remove him was intended to reduce the number of members who advocated for judicial reform and an investigationinto Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed’s alleged involvement in a series of sex tapes. Similarly, former Attorney General Husnu Suood has suggested his suspension from practicing law – handed down by the Supreme Court last month – was related to his role in the JSC’s investigation into the Hameed tapes. Sheikh Shuaib Abdul Rahman – the public’s representative on the JSC – has also accused Judge Adam Mohamed of stalling the JSC’s investigation into the Hameed scandal. Adam Mohamed had refused to schedule a vote on whether to suspend Hameed following his refusal to cooperate with the investigation, Hamza said. “The JSC cannot be productive as long as Adam Mohamed remains the president,” he said. “I call on the public to pressure the JSC to table the motion to suspend Ali Hameed,” he said. Hamza has previously accused judges of using legal loopholes to preventing the JSC from functioning.
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16th March 2014
Torture in detention increasing, says Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) 2013 annual report has revealed that incidents of torture in detention are increasing in the Maldives. Among the issues noted during the commission’s visits to places of detention – in particular, prisons and police detention centers – and from the cases submitted to the commission were: Detainees being held in cuffs for 24 hours – sometimes for 15 – 30 day – with removal only for using the toilet and for eating/Detainees not being provided with necessary items for cleaning themselves, or with pillows and blankets for sleeping/Overcrowding of cells/Police officers cursing and hurting detainees inside vehicles during transfer/Serving of rotten food/Not keeping proper records of detainees including medical, search, and solitary confinement records/Not providing family meetings and phone calls/Police not providing details of arrested people to HRCM/Police entering homes without a court order/Addressing underage detainees inappropriately According to the report, out of the a total 596 recommendations regarding state detention facilities made by the HRCM – including prisons, detention centers and homes for people with special need – only twenty percent have been fully implemented. The report also noted that the commission faced “huge obstacles” in conducting investigations, resulting in delays the completion of research. These obstacles included the failure of relevant institutions to provide documents, delays of state institutions in implementing commission recommendations, and the refusal of some government ministries to meet with the commission. [Reporting by Ahmed Rilwan]
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17th March 2014
Innamaadhoo island council asks Islamic Ministry to take action against Sheikh Shameem
Innamaadhoo island council, in Raa Atoll, has filed a complaint with the Islamic Ministry against Sheikh Ibrahim Shameem Adam after he allegedly preached inside the island’s Friday Mosque without first obtaining permission. Speaking to Minivan News today Council President Ibrahim Fayaz said that Sheikh Shameem went to the island last Saturday and requested the council’s permission. Before receiving a response from authorities, however, Shameem held a sermon on the island, said Fayaz. “They announced that there will be a sermon that night on the topic of sports and entertainment and held the sermon without our permission and we did not do anything about it because then they say Innamaadhoo council had obstructed religious activities and that we are anti-Islamic,’’ he said. He said that the first 50 minutes of the speech was very good before beginning to resemble a political campaign meeting. “He started talking about politics and the upcoming parliament elections and people inside the mosque came out, only a few were waiting inside,’’ Fayaz said. “More than 200 people gathered outside the mosque in protest to the speech he was giving because it was supposed to be a religious sermon and not a political rally.’’ Fayaz said that islanders came and complained to the council, warning that if the council was not able to stop him the islanders might have to do it. “So I then went inside and turned the loudspeaker and microphone off, but he did not stop,’’ he said. “I asked him who gave him the permission to conduct a sermon inside the mosque and he replied by saying that the ‘Higher Authorities’ gave him permission. I do not know who higher authorities were.’’
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15th March 2014
Adhaalath Party condemns “Maldivian Atheists” facebook page for mocking Islam
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19th March 2014
Police investigating anti-Islamic activity on social media
The police are investigating online anti-Islamic social media activity, officials have confirmed. A police media official confirmed that the investigation was initiated by the police, but that they have since received similar complaints from the public. Minivan News has learned that the police investigation is particularly focused on a Facebook page titled ‘Dhivehi Atheists/Maldivian Atheists’, though police have said that the investigation is not focused on a particular page but all such unlawful activity will be investigated. Religious conservative Adhaalath party has condemned the page for insulting the Prophet and God by drawing offensive cartoons. Adhaalath called to block the page and take action against everyone behind the page. The page, which appears to be run by Maldivians, posts content critical of and insulting Muslims, Islamists, Islam, God, and the Prophet Muhammad. Liked by just 300 users, the majority of the posts are in local Dhivehi language. According to the page administrators, the purpose of creating it was encouraging Maldivians to leave Islam and “choose the path of science and reason”. Reacting to the page, a number of people are posting comments with apologetic content and advising those behind the group to repent and accept Islam. Some users are calling to behead the anonymous administrators of the page and praying for God’s wrath upon them. Several posts made by visitors accused various people of being behind the page and threatened to kill them. Many visitors have stated that the administrator has been identified to be a woman. [Reporting by Ahmed Rilwan]
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8th April 2014
Bar Association calls for Ali Hameed suspension
The Maldives Bar Association has called for the suspension of Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed pending an investigation into allegations over the judge’s appearance in a series of sex tapes. Hameed’s continued presence on the Supreme Court bench contravenes the Islamic Shariah and the norms of justice, the organisation said in a press statement on Monday. “Given the serious nature of the allegations against Ali Hameed, that the judge continues to hold trial contravenes norms of justice, conduct of judges, and established norms by which free and democratic societies deal with cases of this nature,” the statement read. Three videos showing Hameed engaging in sexual relations with foreign women in a Colombo hotel room first surfaced in May 2013. The judicial oversight body Judicial Services Commission (JSC) set up committees to investigate the case twice – in May and December 2013.
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13th April 2014
PG office presses corruption charges against Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed
The Prosecutor General’s (PG) office has pressed corruption charges against Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed Mohamed over the illegal transfer of credit from his state-funded mobile phone in 2010. A media official from the Criminal Court told Minivan News today that the court has yet to make a decision on hearing the case. Cases filed by the PG office are scrutinised in the order of submission “to make sure all the paperwork is complete and that there are no missing documents,” he explained. The process normally takes “two to three days,” the media official said. The case against Justice Hameed – accused of abuse of authority to benefit a third party – was sent to the PG office in July 2013 by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after investigating allegations in the 2010 audit report of the Department of Judicial Administration.
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14th April 2014
Amendments to religious unity law brings mosques under Islamic Ministry, outlaws independent congregations
A first amendment to the Protection of Religious Unity Act of 1994 bringing mosques under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and outlawing independent prayer congregations was ratified by President Abdulla Yameen.
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21st April 2014
Two men arrested after rape of 15-year-old girl on the Island of Hulhumale’
Police have arrested two men after a 15-year-old girl was raped on the island of Hulhumalé. Local media outlet Haveeru reported that the girl was raped by a gang of four men, two of whom are still being sought after by police. Police have confirmed that the two men arrested – aged 21 and 29 – are linked to this case. Hulhumalé police station and the Family and Child Protection Department is investigating the case.
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27th April 2014
Death penalty can be implemented starting today: Home Minister
The death penalty can be implemented in the Maldives starting today following the publication of procedural regulations in the government gazette, Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer has said. Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Naseer said the chances of killing an innocent person after completing all the procedures in the regulation – titled “procedural regulation on investigating and penalising the crime of murder” – was “far-fetched” and “almost impossible”. The regulation was formulated under the Police Act and the Clemency Act with the objective of specifying the procedures for investigating murders and implementing death penalty, and came into force today. While Maldives has been maintaining an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty since 1953, several people have been sentenced to death over the years. The common practice had been for the president to commute all death sentences to life imprisonment through powers vested in him by Clemency Act. With the new regulation, the president will no longer have this authority if a person is sentenced to death for murder by the Supreme Court, Naseer noted. Both President Abdulla Yameen and Vice President Mohamed Jameel have expressed their support for implementing death penalty.
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30th April 2014
Minivan News journalist among RSF’s 100 information heroes
Minivan News journalist Mariyath Mohamed has been named an “Information Hero” by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day (May 3). The 100 information heroes “are a source of inspiration to all men and women who aspire to freedom. Without their determination and the determination of all those like them, it would be simply impossible to extend the domain of freedom,” said RSF’s Secretary General Christophe Deloire. The RSF commends Mariyath’s coverage of the growing influence of radical Islamist groups in the Maldives in the aftermath of the controversial transfer of power in February 2012. “I feel both honoured and humbled to receive recognition of this scale. My intention has always been to bring controversial issues to the notice of the world, and prompt discussions on the issues both locally and globally. Due to the nature of the topics, there is often as much opposition, and threats, as support. I believe we cannot make a difference unless more of us take up the challenge and speak out,” Mariyath said. During the first five months of 2013, she was constantly followed, threatened and attacked – on one occasion by men with a steel bar. “Your sister has hanged herself and we can help you to do the same,” an anonymous letter slipped under her door in early 2013 read. Mariyath’s coverage of a 15- year old rape victim who was sentenced to 100 lashes shocked the international community led to the sentence being rescinded. The list of 100 information heroes comprises women and men of all ages (25 to 75) and 65 nations. “This initiative aims to show that the fight for freedom of information requires not only active support for the victims of abuses but also the promotion of those who can serve as models,” the RSF said.
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1st May 2014
Politicians, gangs and religious extremists threaten media freedom
Maldivian journalists have reported threats from political parties, gangs, religious extremists, parliamentarians and the government. A landmark “Threat Analysis Report” by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) found that 84 percent of journalists surveyed reported being threatened at least once, while five percent reported being threatened on a daily basis. Journalists identified political parties to be the top source of threat. Gangs, religious extremists and parliament placed second while the government was rated third. [Reporting by Ahmed Rilwan AKA @moyameehaa]
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4th May 2014
17 year-old girl gang raped in Male’
Local media has reported that a 17 year-old girl was gang raped today afternoon on the staircase of a house in Henveiru. Online newspaper ‘CNM’ reported that the case was reported to police at about 2: 48 pm today afternoon. According to the paper, the incident occurred inside a house named ‘Light Rose’ in Henveiru Ward.
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4th May 2014
Justice Ali Hameed’s ‘corruption’ documents destroyed in coffee spill
The Criminal Court has asked the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) to resend all files concerning Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed’s alleged misuse of state funds after case documents were destroyed in a coffee spill. The PG has asked the Criminal Court to present the damaged documents three weeks ago, but the court has not done so yet, an official from the PGO told Minivan News. The state is raising corruption charges against Ali Hameed over the illegal transfer of credit from his state-funded mobile phone in 2010. An official from the Criminal Court told Minivan News on April 13 that the court had not decided to accept the case or not. Cases filed by the PG office are scrutinised in the order of submission “to make sure all the paperwork is complete and that there are no missing documents,” he said. The process normally takes “two to three days,” he added.
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13th May 2014
President ratifies sexual offences bill
President Abdulla Yameen has today ratified and gazetted the revised Sexual offences bill. The initial draft of the bill was proposed by MP for Kulhudhufushi North constituency Mohamed Nasheed in September 2012, and was first passed by the Peoples Majlis in December 2013. Following its passage Vice President of the Fiqh Academy Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef condemned the bill for its conditional recognition of marital rape as a crime, and called on MPs who voted in favour to repent. Refusing to ratify the bill stating that version of the bill contained “some provisions that are contrary to Islamic Shariah and Islamic principles” President Yameen returned it to the parliament for reconsideration. The revised version of the bill was passed by the Majlis last month. These revisions include an altered article which states marital rape which takes place while there is a pending court case for dissolution of a marriage or divorce will be recognised as a crime. It has now been amended to specify that, to be applicable, such a case should have “completed all hearings and is in the stage of reaching a verdict”. The bill which covers a wide range of sexual offences from adultery, homosexuality, and incest to bestiality and necrophilia will come into force on 13 November 2014. The act includes a provision which require it to be revised every five years.
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18th May 2014
Police suspend investigations into Supreme Court judge’s sex scandal
The Maldives Police Service has suspended investigations into Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed’s alleged appearance in a series ofsex tapes. “We have filed the Ali Hameed case. We do not have enough evidence to proceed further and it will only be opened again if we receive additional information,” a police media official told Minivan News today. In December, Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz told the press the police had been unable to determine if the man seen fornicating with three different foreign women was Ali Hameed. The incident reportedly occurred in a hotel room in Colombo. Nawaz at the time pledged to continue with the investigations with assistance from a foreign country. The police press conference followed local media reports that the investigations had stalled due to the Criminal Court’s failure to provide a warrant to take a facial photograph of the judge and a separate warrant to search his residence.
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25th May 2014
Baby girl found in bag inside a bag at a residence in Maafanu, Malé pronounced dead
An abandoned baby girl who was discovered inside a bag at a residence in Maafanu, Malé, has been pronounced dead today. The baby was discovered at midnight last night, police told Minivan News, estimating that the she had been left inside the bag since yesterday. Police then took the baby to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), where the child was pronounced dead at 1pm today. Local media have reported the incident to have been infanticide. The mother of the baby has not yet been taken into custody, added police, who declined to give any other information about the mother and father of the child. Local newspaper Haveeru has reported family members as saying that the cause of death was suffocation. Sources from the family, who had not been aware of the pregnancy, were also reported to have said the 18-year-old had given birth alone in the bathroom of her residence on Friday. “From her stomach, or her actions, we were not aware that she was pregnant. However we previously questioned her about her not getting her menstruation periods,” a family member told the paper. “She replied then that her periods are irregular, and that it is the norm to have three or four month delays. She was agile and often climbed up the stairs to the third floor with bottles of water and things quite easily. However, it raised suspicions that on Friday she was often clutching her belly,” the family source continued. The family member said that people in the household had questioned her out of concern on Friday as she was bleeding profusely. The girl, however, refused to admit anything was wrong though the family eventually took her to hospital. “She didn’t admit to anything even after she was taken into hospital on Friday. However, doctors kept questioning her about her marital status,” a young female member of the girl’s family told Haveeru. “Then yesterday she confessed that she gave birth alone and flushed the baby down the toilet. The people of this house were sleepless with fright when today she said she gave birth and put the baby into a suitcase in the room.” Family reported the matter to police after the girl’s confession. The mother is still hospitalised. The family is said to have expressed regret about the incident, stating that they would have taken care of the infant if the girl had confessed rather than resorting to infanticide. Issues regarding a lack of support services for women with unwanted pregnancies in the Maldives have been well-documented in the past.
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25th May 2014
Maldivian militant killed in Syrian suicide attack, claims online jihadist group
A Maldivian fighting in the Syrian civil war was killed today in a suicide attack against soldiers loyal to Bashar Al Assad, online Jihadist groups have claimed. According to these sources the Maldivian man was identified as 44-year-old Abu Turab – a man reported to have a wife and children in the Maldives. One picture posted by the group allegedly shows the man bidding farewell to other militants on top of a tanker which the group claims was loaded with 6 tons of explosives about to be driven into a target, killing all those inside. Speaking to Minivan News today, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) spokesperson said they were unaware of such an incident or of any Maldivians leaving to fight in Syria. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs said it has not had any such reports while the Maldives Police Service stated that such issues are handled by the MNDF until individuals are brought to the Maldives. A second picture posted today shows the man identified as a Maldivian sitting around a gun with three other armed militants from America, Syria, and Central Asia. According to online jihadi groups, Abu Turab was killed in a joint operation by Jabhat Al Nusra (with whom Turab was operating) and the Islamic Front, targeting soldiers loyal to Bashar Al Assad on Mount Arbain in the northwestern city of Edlib. Abu Turab’s vehicle was one of four vehicles packed with explosives that was used in today’s attack. The news was first broken on twitter by a group called Bilad Al Sham Media (BASM) stating that a Maldivian had been “martyred in Syria in a martyrdom attack against the Nusayri [Shiah] soldiers of Bashar”. According to the group, the Maldivian bomber entered Syria after a “long tiring journey” but remained fasting and spent months in the mountains before the attack. Turab, they said, asked a preacher named Sheikh Abu Burhan al-Suri to pray for him, upon which the Sheikh said he was no longer in need of such prayers. BASM tweets were responded to by Sheikh Abu Sulayman al-Australi (an Australian preacher) who said that “Maldivians are some of the most courageous & well-mannered Mujahideen”. According to BASM, Abu Sulayman is a member of the shariah council of Jabhat Al Nusra (Al-Qaeda affiliated fighters in Syria).
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27th May 2014
Second Maldivian killed in Syria, claims jihadist media
A second Maldivian man has been killed in Syria in a gunfight with soldiers loyal to Bashar Al Assad, according to Bilad Al Sham Media (BASM), an online media group ostensibly run by Maldivians in Syria. While the group revealed this week that a 44-year-old Maldivian man was killed in a suicide attack on Sunday (May 25), BASM claimed on social media that the second Maldivian militant – who had taken the name Abu Nuh – died during “regular combat” in the northwestern town of Ariha. Local media has identified the deceased as Hassan Shifaz, of Galolhu New Moon in the capital Malé. The first Maldivian has also been identified as Ali Adam from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani atoll.
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Criminal Court delays religious scholar Sheikh Fareed’s trial
The Criminal Court has decided to delay the trial of controversial religious scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed after the state lawyers told the court they wanted to withdraw the case. According to local media, state lawyers told the Prosecutor Genral’s (PG) Office had decided to withdraw the case because too much time has passed since Fareed had committed the offense. Sheikh Fareed was charged for conducting religious sermons in some islands of Haa Dhaalu Atoll after the government cancelled his permission to preach in 2007. The last hearing in to the case was held on 30 January 2011.
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31st May 2014
Mushfique Mohamed and Azra Naseem write “The long road from Islam to Islamism”
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1st June 2014
“Invisible war” being waged against nationalism and faith, says home minister
An invisible war is being waged against the Maldives’ nationalism, claimed Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer when commemorating Martyr’s Day last Thursday (May 29). “We are under attack even today, at this very moment, and this minute and second – but in a different way. Today the targets are our thinking, creed, the good views we hold of our nation – the love for the nation, the respect for national history.” “Today there are great efforts destroy these. This is an invisible war, weapons that cannot be touched,” said Naseer during an event held at the Olympus Theater in Malé. Martyr’s day has been officially commemorated since 1979, in remembrance of Sultan Ali VI – commonly known as Ali Rasgefaanu – who is said to have died fighting Portuguese invaders in 1558. The occasion was also observed by the police service, with the controversial Sheikh Adam Shameem Ibrahim advising officers of the importance of martyrdom in Islam. Additionally, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon warned of attempts by outside actors to enslave the nations politically and economically. The four pillars on which the Maldives stands are the Dhivehi language, Islam, the Dhivehi culture, and independence said the home minister. Naseer stated that the foundation of Maldivian culture was Islam alongside social values such as respecting elders and women, and showing kindness towards one another. Naseer requested people be vigilant of anyone who “casts a gaze filled with hatred” towards national properties, land, religion, and peace. “Today we will have to face such experiences within the Maldives and from abroad. This is today’s war. You will not be martyred in this war, instead you will face death. Thinking and ideologies will be corrupted. The result would be unhappiness in both worlds,” said Naseer. The home minister’s sentiments were also reflected in Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon’s statements on the occasion. Recalling the sacrifices of various national heroes Dunya said that today’s globalised attacks were not waged with guns. “In today’s world, most of the time we are uncertain about how or from where the enemies attack [us]. Attacks indented to enslave [us] come in many different forms,” said Dunya. “In today’s world, instead of colonisation countries are being enslaved economically and politically.” Asking whether a nation dependent on others for its basic needs can be considered independent, Dunya noted the importance of an economically independent Maldives that can protect its religion and identity.
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2nd June 2014
Supreme Court upholds reinstatement of police inspector dismissed after rape allegations
The Supreme Court has today upheld the High Court ruling to reinstate Chief Inspector Hussain Risheef Thoha who had been dismissed after being accused of raping a woman inside a police car. The ruling stated that, although the victim had alleged that a group of police officers attacked her, she did not state that Risheef participated in the rape. Commenting on today’s ruling today, Maldivian Democratic Party MP and lawyer Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy expressed concern the court would ask for the reinstatement of an officer after its disciplinary board had decided that there was enough evidence to link him with a rape case. ”These are not just ordinary citizens, these are senior police officers accused of a serious crime,” Inthi said. ”This is very dangerous and serious.” Risheef had called the officers who were inside the car, said the Supreme Court today, stating that this did not prove he had participated in the attack. The ruling noted that there was no record of a phone call in which Risheed instructed officers to rape the victim. The court ruling stated that Risheed had gone to the area where the girl had been left after the incident, and had given her a t-shirt to cover herself up. Again, this does not prove that Risheef had participated in the act, said the court, noting that helping a person in that situation to cover up is how it should be done in Islamic principles. The court also criticised the police disciplinary board for taking action against Risheef based on the allegations, saying that this was against Islamic principles and international best practice.
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Azra Naseem writes “Does this government support Maldivian jihadists in Syria?”
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3rd June 2014
Maldivian asylum seekers assured of prosecution upon return, says President’s Office
Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality can be assured of prosecution should they return, says the President’s Office. “The threat from the state they speak of is in actuality our law and regulations. That will not change,” President’s Office Spokesman Ibrahim Muaz explained. Muaz’s comments come in response to a story in the New Zealand media that a homosexual Maldivian asylum seeker has become an prize-winning drag queen in Wellington. Abraham Naim told the Dominion Post that he had been granted asylum in 2013 after facing persecution in the Maldives. The article quotes New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment as stating that Naim was “at risk of serious harm from state agents” and that “there is a real chance of persecution if he returned to the Maldives”. Naim also told the news website that he has been prey to numerous online threats and hate mail. “My entire existence is controversial,” he said. Asked to comment on the matter today, Mushrif Musaid (Supervisor) at Ministry of Islamic Affairs Jannath Saeed stated that acts of homosexuality are clearly anti-Islamic and against the country’s laws, and thereby subject to legal action. “Such acts of homosexuality are haraam in Islam. However, this ministry has not so far received any complaints from anyone claiming to be a persecuted homosexual,” said Jannath. “We will need to check if the ministry has issued any threats or statements against a homosexual. The fact remains that such an act is without doubt against Islam,” he commented. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Media Official Zaaid Ahmed stated that he would comment on the matter on a future date after consulting with the relevant officials in the ministry. Speaking on the issue of Maldivian asylum seekers last month, President Abdulla Yameen referred to the act of leaving the Maldives as “treason”, though he suggested those who returned would be welcomed. “If they want to leave the shelter of Maldives, we say, you are welcome, go somewhere else. But if they want to come back to the Maldives, we will again say, welcome back to the Maldives,” said the president. Spokesman Muaz told Minivan News today that instances of Maldivian youth committing criminal acts under the protection of foreign states had been seen before. “No one can get away with committing such acts for as long as they are using a Maldivian identity card or passport,” he added. In his interview with the Dominion Post, Naim – who performs under the name Medulla Oblongata – explained that he had been disowned by his father. “I’m definitely in a better place now,” he told the paper. Speaking with other Maldivians currently living abroad for reasons related to their sexuality, Minivan News was told that most preferred to refrain from publicly revealing their sexuality as there was “too much to lose”. Some said it would be difficult to get employment, while others spoke of being ostracised from society, fearing the repercussion their families might face. “I prefer to stay quiet about it in my country of origin and instead live elsewhere where I can live comfortably with my sexuality. I’d lose everything from my family connections to friends if I come out,” said 23-year-old Ahmed Matheen*. Moosa Farih* suggested that the situation for gay Maldivians had deteriorated in recent times. “Until now, Maldivian LGBT have been largely left alone, but I feel that the focus has gradually been shifting onto us lately, and this is because there is increasing number of people who are trying hard to create the platform for our voices to be heard.” “I am glad that Naim is out there spearheading this change. In Islam, there is no compulsion in religion, but that is never practiced. If the government and the people of Maldives wanted LGBT to be out of their system, asylum seekers shouldn’t be threatened with extradition and prosecution,” said Farih. One 28-year-old Maldivian man, still living in n the capital Malé said that only a few “trusted persons” were aware of his sexuality. “I could easily seek asylum elsewhere, but the point is, my life does not revolve around my sexuality,” he said. “Yes, I am homosexual. But that is just an unavoidable fact like the colour of my eyes or my skin tone. I’d rather keep it secret and live here and achieve my dreams of working to make this country a better, more progressive place,” he said, on account of anonymity.
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5th June 2014
Police defiant in the face of taunts from jihadi group
The Maldives Police Service is investigating remarks made by Bilad Al Sham Media (BASM) in response to its investigation into the jihadist group. “Whether threats are issued from within the Maldives or from outside, the police will remain confident in fulfilling our legal obligations,” police told CNM. Responding to police attempts to locate the group, which recently reported the deaths of two Maldivians in Syria, a post on BASM’s Facebook page said they could be found at the Jabhat al-Nusra base in Idlib, northwestern Syria. “Now lets see whether they can bring us back,” read the post. “We will throw out the map and you shall go step by step just the way we want until you land in that pit of doom which you are headed to right now.” Meanwhile, a former senior police officer questioned both the capacity and the desire or authorities to prosecute such activities. The former officer pointed to the lack of comprehensive anti-terror laws in the country, as well as questioning the decision to have controversial Sheikh Adam Shameem speak at the police’s recent master parade. “For the police to invite these people validates the accusations made by some that police and the security services are quite supportive of extremist elements and extremism in general,” said the former officer. The jihadist BASM group’s members have claimed to be fighting with Jabhat al-Nusra – the Al Qaeda-affiliated group designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN and a number of leading western countries since its creation in 2012. Investigations into the two men reported by BASM as having been killed – identified as Hassan Shifaz and Ali Adam from Malé and Shaviyani Feydhoo, respectively – also brought criticism from the group. “When the Maldivian Police heard of the Maldivians being martyred in Syria, those half female creatures made sure they go enter upon their houses and question their women,” said BASM. “If the Maldivian Police are investigating about us, then let them know that we too are investigating.”
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9th June 2014
Vigilante mobs abduct young men in push to identify online secular activists
Vigilante mobs have abducted and interrogated several young men in Malé City in a push to identify online activists advocating secularism or professing atheism, Minivan News has learned. Eyewitnesses told Minivan News the young men were taken to isolated locations in Malé City in separate incidents in recent days. A vigilante mob interrogated them on the identities of administrators of Facebook groups advocating secularism and atheism in the Maldives. Minivan News understands the abductions are also related to the hijacking of a Facebook group called ‘Colorless’ on Sunday. The vigilante mob – estimated at 40 men – accused the young men of homosexuality and atheism, eyewitnesses said. The mob consisted of religious extremists and prominent Malé City gang members, sources said. Eyewitnesses said the young men were interrogated on their religious beliefs and asked to recite the Shahadha as a test of their belief in Islam. They were also tested on prayer verses and passages from the Quran. The young men were threatened and forced to hand over the passwords to their Facebook accounts. They were also asked to identify the administrators behind the ‘Secular Democratic Maldives Movement’ and ‘Maldivian Atheists’ on Facebook.
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10th June 2014
Perceived atheists and homosexuals targetted as campaign of attacks continues
Government employee, Adam Ghafoor*, was attacked on Sunday in a Malé cafe by a group of eight men accusing him and his friends of homosexuality and atheism. ‘You homosexual atheists are destroying our country – we will not stand back and watch you do it,’ Adam reported the group as saying. After being accused of being atheists, Adam asked the men to leave, prompting his interrogators to launch an attack – raining blows on him as onlookers watched without offering assistance. Details of this attack follow further reports received by Minivan News today of abductions made by a vigilante mob attempting to identify online activists advocating secularism or professing atheism. While drinking coffee with friends after a gym session, Adam and his friends were approached by a man in arabic dress, whom Adam believed may have been prompted by the arrival of his “effeminate” friend. “You are wearing shorts that don’t cover your awra [intimate parts], you cannot wear such short shorts in this country,” said the arabic dressed man, after requesting that Adam recite the Shahadha, or Islamic creed. After a heated exchange, three or four members of the group attacked Adam, before threatening to slaughter him in the street should they see them again. Similarly to Adam’s confrontation, those abducted in recent days have been interrogated on their Islamic faith as well as being accused of homosexuality and atheism. Minivan News understands the incidents were related to the hijacking of a Facebook group called ‘Colorless’ on Sunday which, after having its content replaced with Islamic symbols, has subsequently been deleted. Both the police and the President’s Office have again declined to comment today on the growing number of incidents. The takedown of ‘Colorless’ followed a campaign by theShariah4Maldives group calling for the removal of anti-Islamic content, although the group has distanced itself from any vigilante activity. The group today suggested that Minivan News should be the next to be removed, suggesting that the site has allowed the publication of anti-Islamic comments on its articles.
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24th June 2014
Home Ministry dissolves Bar Association
The Ministry of Home Affairs has dissolved the Maldives Bar Association (MBA) for failure to change its name as per a Supreme Court ruling and appoint a governing committee. A Home Ministry letter also said the organisation had failed to submit an annual report as per regulations. The Bar Association – formed in April 2013 to empower, lobby, and advocate on behalf of legal practitioners – is headed by veteran lawyer and former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood. [Ali Hameed scandal]
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25th June 2014
Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed cleared of misconduct in sex tape scandal
The Judicial Services Commission has today cleared Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed of misconduct charges, citing lack of evidence to indict him in a court for alleged appearance in three sex tapesinvolving three different foreign women. The accused must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, said the judicial watchdog, which claimed it cannot take disciplinary action against a judge without “enough evidence.” The JSC also cited the police’s Forensic Service Directorate’s failure to confirm the identity of the man involved in the sex tapes in its decision to clear Hameed of charges. In it’s ruling, the JSC noted the following: The police had closed investigations until new evidence emerged. The police had collected the sex tapes during an investigation into anattempt to blackmail a judgeThe tape may constitute an act of espionage as it appears to have been filmed by an unauthorised body and it is against the constitution to obtain evidence by unlawful means. Supreme Court’s ruling on former Civil Service Commission President Mohamed Fahmy Hassan states disciplinary action can only be taken with sufficient evidence.
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26th June 2014
JSC decision on Judge Ali Hameed’s sex tape scandal “an insult to Islam”
The Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) decision to clear Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed of misconduct in a sex tape scandal is “an insult to Islam,” and against principles of Islamic jurisprudence, critics have said. The judicial watchdog yesterday ruled Hameed innocent, claiming it can only take disciplinary action if there is sufficient evidence to indict Hameed in a court as per the Islamic Shariah and Maldivian law. The JSC justified its ruling on a police decision to close investigations after failing to gain new evidence. The JSC member representing the public Sheikh Shuaib Abdul Rahman said the JSC had contravened Islamic principles in its decision. “This is a misconduct case. Not a criminal case. Under Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence), misconduct complaints require less evidence than criminal and civil complaints. Judges can be dismissed if there’s too many public complaints against him,” he said. “I believe there is enough evidence to take action,” he added. Meanwhile, former JSC member and whistleblower Aishath Velezinee characterized the JSC decision as “the ultimate insult to Islam and Maldivian society.” “This is a judiciary that sentences underage rape victims to beflogged. When they decide a Supreme Court judge, after being seen in a video that has gone viral, having illicit sex with multiple women, is not guilty of misconduct, what more can we say?” Velezinee called on the public to protest, stating the decision shows the judiciary does not understand the law or the Shariah. Public silence on the matter will only allow the judiciary to “make a scandal of justice,” she added. “To allow the Supreme Court, without protest, to decide any matter that affects you is to accept Ali Hameed has a right to judge for you. Protest!” Ali Hameed is also accused of several counts of corruption and has been implicated in a separate tape where he appears to admit to a role in the fall of former President Mohamed Nasheed.
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26th July 2014
Refugee Abraham Naim AKA Medulla Oblongata pens open letter to people of Maldives
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2nd August 2014
Government’s respect for religious freedom declined in 2013: US State Department report
The Maldivian government’s “respect for religious freedom declined” last year, according to the US State Department’s 2013 International Religious Freedom Report published on July 28. “The authorities did not recognise or respect freedom of religion and it remained severely restricted,” the report observed. “Governmental pressure to conform to a stricter interpretation of Islamic practice increased, particularly in the lead-up to presidential elections.” Moreover, press freedom was curtailed by the government using religious grounds, the report found. “Some Muslims expressed concern about increasing ‘Islamic radicalism,’ though advocates of religious freedom generally believed the public was becoming more aware of the issue,” it added. The report also noted incidents of “societal abuse and discrimination” based on religion, “including incidents against Maldivians who did not want to conform to a strict, conservative interpretation of Islam.” “There was an increasing trend among political leaders to call for greater limits on religious groups and activities, and impose criminal punishments in accordance with Islamic law,” the report stated. “The use of religion in political rhetoric increased substantially, which led to derogatory statements about Christianity and Judaism and harassment of citizens calling for a more tolerant interpretation of Islam. Anti-Semitic rhetoric among conservative parties continued.” Religious freedom in the Maldives is restricted by law and the constitution, the report explained, which was enforced by the government. “Restrictions were not enforced for foreign tourists on ‘uninhabited’ resort islands,” it added, noting that foreign workers were allowed to practice their religion in private while congregations, however, were banned. Officials from the US embassy in Colombo meanwhile emphasised the importance of religious freedom to the authorities, the report noted.
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8th August 2014
Ahmed Rilwan AKA @Moyameehaa confirmed missing
23rd August 2014
Azra Nazeem write “#findmoyameehaa” about Ahmed Rilwan’s abduction
Thursday night, two weeks ago, was the last time anyone saw Ahmed Rizwan Abdulla, 28-year-old journalist, blogger, human rights advocate and all-round great person.
A lot—yet nothing—has happened since Rizwan was reported missing to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) on 13 August.
On 15 August Rizwan’s family and friends organised a search of Hulhumalé, the island neighbouring Male’ on which Rizwan lives on his own. Starting with the desolate, deserted areas—-of which there are many—-the search party combed the whole island. It was in vain.
On 16 August Rizwan’s friends and colleagues, who obtained CCTV footage from the Malé-Hulhumalé ferry terminal from the night he was last seen, identified him on camera buying a ticket and going into the waiting area to board the 1:00 a.m. ferry on 8 August. This footage has since been made public. For the next twenty minutes or so—-the amount of time it takes for the ferry to reach Hulhumalé—-Rizwan was on Twitter. Between 1:02 a.m. he sent out 11 (mostly re-) Tweets, beginning with this one, which said he had just boarded the ferry:
ferry for gaza.. w/ mollywood superstar eueuope.
— مجنون (@moyameehaa) August 7, 2014
His last Tweet was at 1:17 a.m three minutes before the ferry would have reached Hulhumalé. According to Rizwan’s employer, Minivan News, he sent a Viber message at 1:42 a.m. The newspaper further reports that according to Rizwan’s telephone service provider that his mobile phone was last used at 2:36 a.m. at a location in Male’. Since then, nothing.
There was a shocking development to the story a few days after the search for Rizwan began. On the night he was last seen, two witnesses saw a man being abducted from outside Rizwan’s apartment around 2:00 a.m. Minivan News, which withheld the information until it was made public by other news outlets, published details of the abduction on 18 August. The witnesses heard screaming and saw the captive, held at knife point by a tall thin man, being bundled into a red car which drove away at speed. The witnesses contacted the police immediately. They also recovered a knife from the scene. The police took a statement and confiscated the knife.
And that was that.
It is mind-boggling that there were no searches in Hulhumalé after eye-witness reports of an abduction, no sealing off of exits to and from the island, no investigation in and around the area of the abduction to at least ascertain who had been bundled into the car. If the police had done any of this, Rizwan’s family would have been aware of his disappearance so much sooner. Two weeks on, the police still don’t seem to have managed to locate the red car—-this on a 700 hectare island with the total number of cars totalling around fifty, if that.
Outrage at police ‘incompetence’ has grown steadily as days turn into weeks without news of Rizwan’s whereabouts. MPS’ reaction to the criticism has been petulant, like an offended prima donna. It issued a long statement demanding that the public stop criticising police given how brilliant they obviously are; and, unbelievably, proceeded to hold a press conference about Rizwan to which all media outlets bar his own Minivan News was invited.
Speculation that MPS does not want Rizwan found is becoming fact as time passes with no leads. How incompetent does a force have to be to remain clueless about how a person was abducted from a small island? How many red cars can be hidden on such a small piece of land, surrounded by the sea? How difficult would it be to locate the individuals caught on CCTV following Rizwan at the ferry terminal in Male’? It is common knowledge that life in Male’ is now governed by an ‘unholy alliance’ of ‘born-again’ fanatically ‘religious’ gangsters and thugs controlled by politicians and fundamentalists.
Whatever the police is driven by—fear, complicity, support—it is certain the government shares its ‘could not care less’ attitude. President Yameen’s callous response on 20 August to news of Rizwan’s disappearance confirmed this: ‘I cannot comment on anything and everything that happens, can I? The police are probably looking into it.’
It is as if the disappearance of a young man, a journalist and well-known human rights advocate—the first incident of its kind in the Maldives—is as routine as a mislaid shopping list. The President, who campaigned as saviour of the youth population, had not a word to say about the abduction and disappearance a young man of vast potential. Yameen chose, instead, to wax lyrical on his success at begging in China, having procured a 100 million US dollars in aid money for building a bridge between Malé and Hulhumalé, the island where Rizwan is feared to have been abducted from.
Who wants a bridge to an island that is so unsafe? An island where women are raped in broad daylight and young men disappear without a trace? Where gangsters and violent extremists rule, where the police turn a blind eye to crime and where the streets have no lights?
It is quite extraordinary that a president of a country sees no need to express concern for a citizen whose sudden disappearance has led to statements from international bodies ranging from the UN Human Rights Commissionerto media associations such as Reporters Without Borders, CPJ, IFJ and South Asia Media Solidarity Network as well as news outlets and human rights advocates in the region and across the world.
In some of this week’s news coverage, Rizwan’s name is on top of the world’s missing journalists’ list. According to Minivan News, many foreign diplomats based in Colombo have made the time to listen to its concerns about Rizwan’s abduction.
Diplomats frm 6 diff countries met wt @minivannews 2day as Home Min xcluded us frm press conf. abt our journo’s abduction #findmoyameehaa — Daniel Bosley (@dbosley80) August 20, 2014
Perhaps prompted by diplomatic concern, over a week after Rizwan’s disappearance became public knowledge, the Maldives Foreign Ministry finally issued a hastily put together statement yesterday, full of factual and other types of mistakes, expressing a perfunctory concern hard to accept as sincere.
While the politicians, the gangsters and the religious fanatics with their support of Jihad, beheadings and other forms of killing trip over each other to ignore, laugh about, cover-up and prevent knowledge of what has happened to Rizwan, friends, family, and admirers of his deep humanity, are unflagging in their hopes and efforts to find him safe and sound.
It is on social media, where he is known as Moyameeha, that Rizwan has made his widest impact. The Maldivian Twitter community is especially bereft without his presence. It is not surprising. The off-line Maldivian society has been largely taken over by gangs, zealots and bigots. There is no safe place for people like Rizwan—with bold ideas, open minds and creativity—to come together in real life. So they gather on Twitter—the most free of modern media platforms—exchange thoughts, discuss politics, make poetry and music, argue, joke, laugh, and cry, become friends and form the kind of free, liberal and tolerant public sphere they cannot have off-line. Rizwan is a shining star of that community, one of its well-liked and giving members. The community wants him back.
Close friends have set-up a website, findmoyameeha.com, where everything that is officially said and done in relation to Rizwan’s disappearance is gathered in one place. It also counts every passing second since he went missing. Friends have also set up Facebook pages dedicated to finding Rizwan while existing Facebook pages that support him have created a repository of online tributes:
Bloggers, who look up to him as one of the first to make an impact in the sphere, have been paying homage, re-finding and sharing some of his most moving posts. Rizwan’s friends discuss his poetry, his love of music (and obsession with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), his enthusiasm for Dhivehi language, folklore and history, and most of all his never-ending good nature and empathy. Even the deeply divided and highly politicised journalistic community appears to be waking from a deep slumber, and putting their differences aside to demand that efforts to find Rizwan be stepped up.
Over the past few years the Maldives Police Service has become highly adept at being ‘incompetent’, at being ‘unable’ to solve the crimes they don’t want solved while putting all their efforts into hunting down bootleggers, cannabis smokers and petty criminals. If they catch any major offenders, the corrupt judiciary lets them go; so why bother? This being police ‘best practice’, a majority of the Maldivian population now choose to ‘forget’ unsolved crimes, stop asking questions, and carry on as nothing happened.
Not this time. Rizwan’s family, friends, supporters and like-minded journalists are not going to stop asking questions and looking for answers. Because if they do, it is the last nail in the coffin of Rizwan’s vision—shared by those looking for him—of a tolerant Maldivian society in which people are free to think, embrace diversity and difference, be creative, live safely and have the right to peace and happiness.
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