DOCSLIB.ORG

18:07:59:34 Days Hours Mins Secs Form at Since the Coup

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
18:07:59:34 Days Hours Mins Secs Form at Since the Coup www.mvdemocracy.com Hotline to report detainees and police brutality: 9640991, 9641048, 9641047. HRCM 1424 and 7894742, 7894741. Please include name, id, ad- dress, island, place of arrest & date. Or use the 18:07:59:34 days hours mins secs form at http://reports.mvdemocracy.com since the coup. call for immediate elections! 174 verified detainee reports so far. I believe this to be a coup d’état and suspect that were thrown. Window panes were smashed. Some MOHAMED NASHEED my vice president, who has since been sworn into of the protesters were relentlessly rebuking the office, helped to plan it. armed forces for protecting ‘the Jew’ - and loudly The Dregs of applauding the Police.In the meantime, the Vice Choosing to stand up to the judge was a con- President issued a statement ordering the armed Dictatorship troversial decision, but I feel I had no choice forces to refrain from following ‘unconstitutional’ but to do what I did — to have taken no action, orders, while the rebelling police were calling for February 7, 2012 and passively watched the country’s democracy the Commissioner to issue an apology for issuing strangled, would have been the greatest injustice such orders.Rumors flew that a faction of the DICTATORSHIPS don’t always die when the of all. army had also decided to join the rebels, but were dictator leaves office. The wave of revolutions being forcibly held at their base. In the space of a that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya The problems we are facing in the Maldives are few hours, of course, the whole thing dangerously and Yemen last year was certainly cause for hope. a warning for other Muslim nations undergoing blew into a full blown national crisis. But the people of those countries should be aware democratic reform. At times, dealing with the that, long after the revolutions, powerful net- corrupt system of patronage the former regime A group of young men - ostensibly MDP activ- works of regime loyalists can remain behind and left behind can feel like wrestling with a Hydra: ists - were seen rushing towards the republican can attempt to strangle their nascent democracies. when you remove one head, two more grow back. square with sticks and other weapons. In the en- With patience and determination, the beast can be suing commotion, the police and the MNDF were I learned this lesson quickly. My country, the slain. But let the Maldives be a lesson for aspiring caught in a vicious pitched battle, and copious Maldives, voted out President Maumoon Abdul democrats everywhere: the dictator can be re- amounts of pepper spray and tear gas canisters Gayoom, its iron-fisted ruler, back in 2008, in moved in a day, but it can take years to stamp out were being flung by both sides.The way the situ- historic elections that swept away three decades the lingering remnants of his dictatorship. ation was getting out of hand, I did momentarily of his authoritarian rule. And yet the dictator- fear there would be bloodshed. But the reality is ship bequeathed to the infant democracy a looted Mohamed Nasheed was president of the Maldives that the country simply cannot afford to have the treasury, a ballooning budget deficit and a rotten from 2008 until Feb. 7. military publicly open fire on citizens. Even the judiciary. dictator Maumoon with all his absolute powers http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/opin- didn’t dare do it. I was elected that year, and with the help of the ion/in-the-maldives-strangled-democra- International Monetary Fund, my government cy.html It just wouldn’t work. worked to cut the deficit, while also building a modern tax base. For the first time in its history, Given this, the President did the right thing by the Maldives — a group of islands in the Indian gracefully resigning in the face of a coup d’etat. Ocean — had a democratically elected president, YAMEEN RASHEED parliament and local councils. I must take the time out to say what I truly feel Treason. about President Nasheed.I haven’t the slightest But it also had a judiciary handpicked by the doubt that he’s a democrat in every sense of the former president, which was now hiding behind Coup. word. a democratic constitution. These powerful judges provided protection for the former president, Change. However, he is also more of an activist than a his family members and political allies, many of statesmen; more adept at giving populist, rousing whom are accused of corruption, embezzlement February 7, 2012 speeches than building a national consensus. It and human rights crimes. is not surprising then that the last few months of Don’t get me wrong. I predicted this just two the country has seen absolute political polariza- At the same time, new laws guaranteeing freedom weeks ago. In fact, here’s what I said in a piece for tion - with no willingness on either side to com- of speech were abused by a new force in Maldiv- Minivan News, published on 24 January 2012”It promise or see eye-to-eye on any issue.President ian politics: Islamic extremists. The former presi- simply does not bode well for the country’s Nasheed’s ability to turn conventional wisdom on dent’s cabinet members threw anti-Semitic and democracy when the powers bestowed to one arm its head and pull out one surprise after the other anti-Christian slurs at my government, branding of the State is unilaterally employed to twist the never failed to impress.I severely criticized his de- as apostates anyone who tried to defend the coun- other arm. cision to gamble with the country’s economy by try’s liberal Islamic traditions and claiming that banning spas and massage parlours in the resorts. democracy granted them and their allies license to The country has already had one failed attempt at But one can’t deny the sheer brilliance of the ma- call for violent jihad and indulge in hate speech. democracy before. If the actions of the demo- noeuvre; the manner in which he publicly called cratic leaders causes the general public loses the opposition’s bluff and exposed the hypocrisy In response to these issues, my government faith in democratic institutions and the rule of of the mullahs and the two-faced nature of people asked the United Nations to help us investigate law, then there’s no reason to believe it won’t like Gasim Ibrahim. judicial abuses and ordered the arrest of Abdulla fail again.”And that’s exactly what happened last Mohamed, the chief judge of the criminal court, night. Our country’s second (third?) experiment Faced with an inflamed public charged with high on charges of protecting the former president with democracy failed.I was watching from a religious rhetoric spewed by the local Taliban (I’m and corrupting the judicial system. However, in building with a vantage point, seeing the events afraid, I have to include the likes of Dr Hassan a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday, the former of the night unfold on the streets below me. When Saeed in this), Anni could have easily chosen to president’s supporters protested in the streets, the entire Police force refused to take orders and plunge into feverish religious rhetoric himself. and police officers and army personnel loyal to openly rebelled, I knew it was going to rapidly the old government mutinied and forced me, at spiral out of control.Once that happened, I saw Instead, he chose to make a public stand in favour gunpoint, to resign. To avoid bloodshed, I did so. the rioters lose all their fear. Stones and bottles of tolerant, moderate, traditional Islam. It is easy www.mvdemocracy.com real time view of the ongoing events originating from the moment of extortion 1 to underestimate the kind of courage it takes to do something like that in a society like the Maldives. GLOBAL VOICES / SAFFAH FAROOG Where others like Velezinee and Ibra have repeat- Maldives: edly tried hard and failed, Anni succeeded in making the corrupt, runaway judiciary a subject President of intense national debate, if only temporarily.The Abdulla Ghazee episode proved to be his undoing. Resigns Af- His activist bent of mind dictated, perhaps, that given the circumstances, the ends justified the ter Mutiny means. February 7, 2012 In a way, Anni has proved himself a sort of a soldier than a leader - more interested in building Mohamed Nasheed, the president of Maldives and preserving democracy than actually practic- most famously known as a climate champion, ing it. This time, his big gamble failed. announced his resignation [1] on Tuesday 7 February, 2012, after the military forces joined the Oftentimes in recent weeks, I have been forced to police mutiny against his rule. wonder whether it is worth preserving the ‘Rule of Law’ and the associated institutions - even Nasheed, sworn in to office in November 2008 af- when they are clearly dysfunctional and corrupt. ter the country’s first democratic multiparty elec- Would the Maldivian public be better off with a tion, was inside the military headquarters when benevolent, modernist dictator who can forcibly the military started withdrawing their allegiance drag them in the direction of progress? to him. He was taken in a car to the nearby Presi- dent’s Office where he announced his resignation I hate to say that I can’t answer it to this day. on live television in front of journalists.Some Maldivians were worried about the safety of the One part of me understands how crucial it is to president.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Women's Empowerment in Political Processes in The
    WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESSES IN THE MALDIVES WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESSES IN THE MALDIVES Megan Ritchie, Terry Ann Rogers and Lauren Sauer 2014 WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESSES IN THE MALDIVES Megan Ritchie, Terry Ann Rogers and Lauren Sauer © 2014 by IFES . All rights reserved IFES 1850 K St, NW Fifth Floor Washington , D.C.20006 U.S.A Notice of rights All rights reserved. No part of this assessment can be reporduced or transmitted in any form by any means withouth the prior permission of the publisher Acknowledgements This document was developed by Megan Ritchie, Terry Ann Rogers and Lauren Sauer with support from IFES Maldives colleagues Mariyam Naadha and Ibrahim Thayyib. Table of Contents List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................... 6 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 7 1.0 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 10 2.0 Context ................................................................................................................... 12 Gender Equality in the Legal Framework ................................................................. 12 Women’s Suffrage ................................................................................................... 12 Protection of Women’s Political, Legal, Civil and Human Rights.............................
    [Show full text]
  • The Maldives a Handbook for US Fulbright Scholars
    Welcome to the Maldives A Handbook for US Fulbright Scholars Public Affairs Section U.S. Embassy 44 Galle Road Colombo 3 Sri Lanka Tel: + 94-11-249-8000 Fax: + 94-11-2449070 Email:[email protected] 1 Contents Map of the Maldives The Maldives: General Information Facts The Maldives: An Overview Educational System Pre-departure Official Grantee Status Obtaining your Visa Travel Things to Bring Health & Medical Insurance Customs Clearance Use of the Diplomatic pouch Preparing for change Recommended Reading/Resources In Country Arrival Coping with the Tropical Climate Map of Male What‟s Where in Malé Restaurants Transport Housing Money Matters Banks Communication Shipping goods home Health Senior Scholars with Families Life and Work in the Maldives Contacts List Your Feedback 2 The Maldives The Maldives 3 General Information Facts about the Maldives Population: 395,650 (July 2010 est.), plus over 600,000 tourists annually Capital: Malé Population distribution: Varies significantly from less than 150 on remote islands to 83,000 in Male‟ which is just 2 sq km. Language: Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English is spoken by most government officials Adult literacy: 96.3% Religion: Sunni Muslim (100%) Currency: Rufiyaa Life expectancy: men - 72 yrs; women – 76.54 yrs Unemployment 14.4% Gross Domestic product -4 % real growth (2009 est.); 5.8% (2008 est.) Average per capita income US$ 4,200 per annum (purchasing power parity) Land area: 298 sq. Km spread over roughly 90,000 sq km Length: 820 km Width: 80-120 km Coastline: 644 km Climate: Tropical. The monsoons are mild and the temperature varies very little.
    [Show full text]
  • Eueom Fr Maldives 2009
    EUROPEAN COMMISSION EIDHR – NEW Democracy and Human Rights EU Election Expert Mission to the Maldives FWC Benef 2008/162374 Final Report 19 November 2008 EU/EEM Page: 2 Republic of the Maldives – Presidential Election, 8 October and 28 October 2008 Final Report (2nd DRAFT) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ This project is funded by the European Union This project is realised by ARS Progetti and BBJ Consult Dialogue Consortium-Framework Contract BENEF Lot 7 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................... 4 II. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 8 III. BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................................ 9 A. POLITICAL CONTEXT................................................................................................................................ 9 B. HUMAN RIGHTS........................................................................................................................................ 10 C. SEPARATION OF POWERS ...................................................................................................................... 12 IV. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS............................................................ 13 A. TIMEFRAME FOR ELECTIONS
    [Show full text]
  • An All-Out Assault on Democracy: Crushing Dissent in the Maldives
    HUMAN RIGHTS “An All-Out Assault on Democracy” Crushing Dissent in the Maldives WATCH “An All-Out Assault on Democracy” Crushing Dissent in the Maldives Copyright © 2018 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-36437 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org AUGUST 2018 ISBN: 978-1-6231-36437 “An All-Out Assault on Democracy” Crushing Dissent in the Maldives Map .................................................................................................................................... i Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 Targeting Freedom of Speech ................................................................................................... 2 Targeting Political
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2012-2013
    Annual Report 2012-2013 Ministry of External Affairs New Delhi Published by: Policy Planning and Research Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi This Annual Report can also be accessed at website: www.mea.gov.in The front cover depicts South Block, seat of Ministry of External Affairs since 1947. The inside of front cover shows Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Ministry of External Affairs’ new building since June 2011. The inside of back cover shows displays at Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan Designed and printed by: Graphic Point Pvt. Ltd. 4th Floor, Harwans Bhawan II Nangal Rai, Commercial Complex New Delhi 110 046 Ph. 011-28523517 E-Mail. [email protected] Content Introduction and Synopsis i-xvii 1. India's Neighbours 1 2. South-East Asia and the Pacific 16 3. East Asia 28 4. Eurasia 33 5. The Gulf and West Asia 41 6. Africa 48 7. Europe and European Union 63 8. The Americas 80 9. United Nations and International Organizations 94 10. Disarmament and International Security Affairs 108 11. Multilateral Economic Relations 112 12. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation 119 13. Development Cooperation 121 14. Investment and Technology Promotion 127 15. Energy Security 128 16. Counter Terrorism and Policy Planning 130 17. Protocol 132 18. Consular, Passport and Visa Services 139 19. Administration and Establishment 146 20. Right to Information and Chief Public Information Office 149 21. e-Governance and Information Technology 150 22. Coordination Division 151 23. External Publicity 152 24. Public Diplomacy 155 25. Foreign Service Institute 159 26. Implementation of Official Language Policy and Propagation of Hindi Abroad 161 27.
    [Show full text]
  • ELECTORAL VIOLENCE MONITORING Local Council Elections 2011
    1 ELECTORAL VIOLENCE MONITORING Local Council Elections 2011 © Maldivian Democracy Network, 2011 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 05 1 Executive Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 1.1 Background ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 1.2 Findings from NHRD data ------------------------------------------------------08 1.3 Findings from external data ----------------------------------------------------11 1.4 Recommendations ---------------------------------------------------------------11 2 Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 2.1 Maldivian Democracy Network -----------------------------------------------15 2.2 Electoral Violence Monitoring for the Local Council Elections 2011 --17 2.3 Definition of ‘Electoral Violence’ for the purposes of the project ------20 3 The Context to the LCE 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------23 3.1 The Maldives ----------------------------------------------------------------------23 3.2 The broader political context --------------------------------------------------24 3.3 Decentralisation ------------------------------------------------------------------27 3.4 A brief description of the political parties which contested the LCE --33 3.5 Candidates Summary ------------------------------------------------------------35 3.6 Issues during the run-up to the election -------------------------------------38
    [Show full text]
  • Maldives | Freedom House: Freedom in the World 2019
    Maldives | Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/maldives A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 5 / 12 A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 2 / 4 The president is directly elected for up to two five-year terms. The run-up to the September 2018 election was marred by the misuse of state resources on behalf of incumbent president Yameen, police interference with opposition campaign efforts, and various forms of manipulation by electoral officials. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and other opposition groups endorsed Solih, an MDP lawmaker, after former president Mohamed Nasheed was disqualified over a dubious 2015 terrorism conviction. Despite the impediments to his campaign, Solih won the election with over 58 percent of the vote amid high turnout, leaving Yameen with less than 42 percent. A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 2 / 4 The unicameral People’s Majlis is composed of 85 seats, with members elected from individual districts to serve five-year terms. Elections held in 2014 were largely transparent and competitive, though they also featured some Supreme Court interference, vote buying, and other problems. The PPM won 33 seats, while the MDP captured 26. The Jumhooree Party won 15 seats, the Maldives Development Alliance won 5, and independents took an additional 5. The Adhaalath Party won the remaining seat. Subsequent party-switching gave the PPM a majority. In July 2017, after a number of defections from the PPM threatened its control over the legislature, the Supreme Court ruled that members of parliament who switch or are expelled from their parties should lose their seats; the constitution contained no such provision.
    [Show full text]
  • PRE-ELECTION ASSESSMENT 2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS in the MALDIVES Pre-Election Assessment |2018 Presidential Elections in the Maldives
    1 PRE-ELECTION ASSESSMENT 2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN THE MALDIVES Pre-Election Assessment |2018 Presidential Elections In The Maldives Transparency Maldives, a National Chapter of Transparency International, is a non-partisan organisation that promotes collaboration, awareness raising, and other initiatives to improve governance and eliminate corruption from the daily lives of people. Transparency Maldives views corruption as a systemic issue and advocates for institutional changes that will punish and prevent corruption. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS www.transparency.mv Transparency Maldives extends its gratitude to all interlocutors and participants of the focus group discussions for giving us their valuable insight into a highly nuanced political and electoral environment. We would also like to thank the community-based organisations and local councils who helped organize the focus group discussions. Transparency Maldives’ Election Project is being carried out through the generous support of the British High Commission, Colombo. Author: Transparency Maldives Research:Nash’ath Mohamed, Shifaath Razzaq, Ismail Farhan Rasheed Design: Ahmed Siad This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form for education or non-profit use, without permission from the holder of copyright, provided acknowledgment of the source is made. Transparency Maldives would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or other commercial purposes without the prior permission of Transparency Maldives. © Transparency Maldives 2018. CONTENTS i. Executive Summary 6 3.8 Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities 67 ii. Background and Objectives of the Assessment 7 3.9 Voter Education 69 iii. Methodology 8 3.10 Electoral Violence 70 iv.
    [Show full text]
  • Focus 66 - the Maldives in the Face of Recurrent Jihadism
    FOCUS Focus 66 - The Maldives in the face of recurrent Jihadism By Paulo Casaca 16 September 2020 - DOI: 10.48251/SADF.ISSN.2406-5633.F66 Paulo Casaca is the Founder and Executive Director of the ‘South Asia Democratic Forum’; founder of the international co-operation association registered in Brussels ARCHumankind, ‘Alliance to Renew Co-operation among Humankind’. Founder and senior partner of the consultancy company on sustainable development registered in Brussels, Lessmeansmore, Land and Energy Sustainable Systems (2010-2020). Introduction The recent Easter 2020 attack in the Maldives, targeting ‘several boats anchored at the harbour of Mahibadhoo island, some of which belonged to the Maldives’ “apostate government” was claimed by ISIS through the Al Naba magazine (Zahir, 2020). It clearly indicates that Jihadism remains an issue of high concern in the country, as it proved fully ready to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. These fanatics seem to be very well organised and apt in using social media: ‘in social media outlets violent extremists made threats of revenge against the government. They established a Telegram channel by the name “TouristWatchMv” in January, suggesting a possible targeting of tourists in the country. It is now believed that individuals linked to the Maduvvari cell carried out the earlier attacks. (…) Individuals and small cells, networked through social media and other communications technologies, with excess to Salafi-jihadi ideology, have now taken up the cause of spreading violent extremism using various platforms like Facebook and Telegram.’ (Zahir, 2020). This terrorist attack has been associated with the presence of Jihadists in the Levant war scenario. A UN agency analysing the Jihadi flux to this region observed that ‘On a per capita basis, Maldives is one of the largest contributors of FTFs [Foreign Terrorist Fighters] to the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq’.
    [Show full text]
  • International Journal of Religion November 2020 Volume: 1 | Number 1 | Pp
    International Journal of Religion November 2020 Volume: 1 | Number 1 | pp. 77 – 90 ISSN: 2633-352X (Print) | ISSN: 2633-3538 (Online) journals.tplondon.com/ijor First Submitted: 31 July 2020 Accepted: 1 November 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33182/ijor.v1i1.1106 Finding the Right Islam for the Maldives: Political Transformation and State-Responses to Growing Religious Dissent La Toya Waha1 Abstract At the first glance, the Maldives appear not to be prone to religious conflict. The archipelago state comprises a religiously and ethnically homogenous society, the different islands have been subject to shared Islamic rule for centuries and even constitutionally religious homogeneity is granted by making every citizen a Muslim and religious diversity prevented by limiting naturalisation to a specific Muslim group. Yet, today allegations of a threat to Islam play a major role in political mobilisation, the Maldives are faced with Islamist violence, and Maldivians have joined the Islamic State and al Qaeda in disproportionally high numbers. The paper seeks to find an answer to the question of how the repression of dissent under the Gayoom regime and the expansion and rise of violent Islamism relate in the Maldivian context. Next to the theoretical model, the paper will provide an introduction to the Maldivian political culture and the reasons for changes therein. It will shed light on the emergence of three major Islamic streams in the Maldivian society, which stood opposed to one another by the late 1990s and early 2000s, and show how Gayoom’s state repression of dissent initiated an escalation process and furthered Islamist violent politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Core Document Forming Part of the Reports of States Parties – Republic of Maldives –
    Common Core Document Forming Part of the Reports of States Parties – Republic of Maldives – 16 February 2010 © Government of Maldives 2010 Abbreviations AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AOSIS Alliance of Small Island States AP Adhaalath Party APF Asia Pacific Forum APT Association for the Prevention of Torture ARI Acute Respiratory Infections CAT Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CCHDC Centre for Community Health and Disease Control CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CERD Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination CFPS Child and Family Protection Service CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CRDP Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities DDPRS Department of Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation Services DPRS Department of Gender and Family Protection Services (DGFPS) DGFPS Department of Gender and Family Protection Services DPRS Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services DRP Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party EPI Expanded Programme of Immunization HDFC Housing Development Finance Cooperation HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HRCM Human Rights Commission of the Maldives ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights IDP Islamic Democratic Party IGMH Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital IPCC Inter‐Governmental Panel on Climate Change ILO International Labour Organisation
    [Show full text]
  • Minivan News -
    Reference: 1 - Minivan News - http://minivannews.com - Religious NGOs to hold “protest to protect Islam” on December 23 Posted By Ahmed Nazeer On December 1, 2011 @ 6:38 PM In Politics | 38 Comments A coalition of religious NGOs have claimed that 100,000 people will join a protest in December “to protect Islam”, and called on “all Maldivians to take part”. Speaking to the press at the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) studio, President of the NGO Coalition Mohamed Didi said that more than 127 local NGOs, music clubs, political parties and Island Councils would take part in the protest on December 23. According to MNBC, Didi said the protest was not a movement against the government but a movement “against all un-Islamic ideas.” Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Ibrahim ‘Mavota’ Shareef warned that “our faith will not be shaken by something someone says, but because of these things it might turn the non-muslims living in neighboring countries against us.’’ MNBC reported that the People’s Alliance Party (PA) had called on parents to bring children to the gathering. Local newspaper Sun quoted Didi as saying that the government had been conducting many activities with the motive of erasing Islam from the country, and claimed that the NGO coalition was “left with no other choice but to protest to protect Islam.” Senior officials from the Adhaalath Party, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and Jumhoree Party (JP) were present at today’s meeting. Claims that national monuments placed in Addu [1]for the SAARC Summit were idolatrous and hostility [2] towards a call by UN Human Rights Ambassador Navi Pillay for a national debate on flogging sparked protests in Male’ recently.
    [Show full text]