The government is unable to stop gang activities because it employs gangs for its purposes, former President Mohamed Nasheed has alleged.
Speaking to reporters yesterday prior to departing for the UK to attend the Conservative Party conference, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader said the government had the power and resources to clamp down on gangs, but was unable to do so because senior officials have used gangs.
“I am not necessarily saying that senior government ministers used gangs to make [missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed] Rilwan disappear or torch the MDP [office] or sent [death threats via] texts,” Nasheed explained.
“But senior government officials are using gangs for many other things.”
Nasheed’s remarks came after the main opposition party’s office was set on fire Thursday night (September 25) following two consecutive nights of vandalism and numerous death threats sent to the party’s MPs as well as journalists.
Earlier on Thursday, a machete knife was buried in the door of the Minivan News building after a known gangster – clearly identifiable on CCTV footage – removed the security camera.
Several journalist were also sent a text message warning them not to cover “the incidents happening in Malé now.”
“This is a war between the laadheenee [secular or irreligious] MDP mob and religious people. We advise the media not to come in the middle of this. We won’t hesitate to kill you,” read the threat.
Radicalised gangs
Nasheed meanwhile suggested that radicalised gangs were behind the recent “atrocities” in the capital, noting that extremist religious indoctrination of youth was a relatively recent phenomenon in the Maldives.
“In my view, one of the most important reasons the government has to think deeply about this is because certain people are instilling their interpretation of Islam in the hearts of the boys in these gangs,” he contended.
The opposition leader claimed that many young men from criminal gangs were seen in a protest march held in Malé on September 5 with participants bearing the militant organisation Islamic State (IS) flag and calling for the implementation of Islamic Sharia.
Of the approximately 150 participants, Nasheed claimed most were “active in gangs.”
“So youth in gangs are turning to ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] ideology. That activities of ISIS are happening in the Maldives is becoming very clear to us. And while this is happening, the government is unable to stop gang activities,” he said.
The government’s inaction posed a serious danger to the security of the country, he added.
A Facebook page called Islamic State in Maldives promoting IS in the country was discovered last month, which shared photos of protests calling for a ban on Israeli tourists where protesters carried the IS flag.
Moreover, a new site called Haqqu and Twitter account sprang up recently featuring IS-related news and publications in Dhivehi as well as translations of a sermon by self-proclaimed Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The site was most recently updated this morning with the news of a Saudi Arabian pilot who allegedly refused to participate in military operations against IS.
Extremism in police and military
Nasheed also reiterated his claim that there were IS supporters or sympathisers in the police and military.
Earlier this month, Nasheed told the Independent newspaper in the UK that the vast majority of Maldivians fighting in Syria and Iraq were ex-military.
“Radical Islam is getting very, very strong in the Maldives. Their strength in the military and in the police is very significant. They have people in strategic positions within both,” he alleged.
Following the MDP’s claim in May that extremist ideologies were prevalent in the security services, the defence ministry dismissed the allegations as both “baseless and untrue” and intended to “discredit and disparage” the military.
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) meanwhile issued a press release on September 18 condemning Nasheed’s allegations.
While police estimated that about 24 persons with links to militant jihadist organisations might be active in the Maldives, MPS insisted that none of them were police officers.
“And the police leadership has always been working to ensure that such people are not formed within the police,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, asked about the party’s response to attacks on its office, Nasheed said ensuring safety and security of all Maldivian citizens was the responsibility of the state.
“The MDP could form its own militia or paramilitary, but that’s not the path we want for the Maldives. If we are forced to protect and defend ourselves, we have reached a very tragic state,” he said.
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i would make a militia and destroy what has to be destroyed for the country`s future. it is better to rebuild than live in filth of jihadist gangs as well as family organized crime.
nasheed is crazy.
for the record, gangs were active and intimidating people in every government including nasheed's government. perhaps it was least prevalent in gayoom's government, where instead of using gangs he would lock up opposition people instead.
Well said, Prez Nasheed. You have spoken the truth which few dare to speak in public for fear of reprisals from the powers that be.
In private the public are talking about this and naming individual ministers who are allegedly behind these death threats & violence aimed at intimidating the opposition.
Somehow these perpetrators believe that they can continue to wield power through intimidation, fear & violence.
in Srilanka , Singapore and other parts of the world , there were times when this gang era began and ended. In other parts of the world gangs are more violent and brutal than Maldives.
to settle this issue Maldives needs political stability with viable economic options to cater and solve the social issues related to formation of gangs and drug communities.
so far no president has laid a proper foundation to cope the problem.
with growing sects of religious differences within Maldives , it's not too late to plan and solve the problem.
wishing my beloved country a blessed future.
Nasheed is right. But gangs are maintained by all parties.
Would anyone believe that MDP has nothing to do with it? Ofcourse no one does.
Its time MDP (and Nasheed) presume people are idiots..
Nasheed is spot on.
and those who disagree are just having a hard time swallowing the truth.
people like this "Idre" is trying his/her level best to divert the attention and engage people in a useless debate that would take the attention off what really needs to be discussed.
i fully agree that gangs are involved in the recent atrocities around male. and its senior government officials who are playing them like pawns. case in point. the release of Muaz after he tried to "steal" the CCTV from Minivan new office (and this too is evidence of a cover up, trying to steal the CCTV, my ass)
the gangs has now found a new reason to be the violent bunch they are, earlier stabbing someone resulted in serving time, but now they are told the receive sawaabs for behaving like the animals they are. they dont know any better. most are uneducated fools who soak up religious nonsense like a sponge. and its not hard to used these poor brainwashed excuse for humans and aim them at the people the government wants to silence.
they don't have a clue about what Sharia is, all they know is that Sharia gives them the excuse to be violent and murder those who oppose them.
all of this erupted because of the report launched by the private investigators regarding the disappearance of Rilwan. the report was so accurate that these gangsters and the government officials responsible for it can't sleep at night. and they commence on trying to silence and stop the spread of information stated in the report.
if you want Sharia and execute the ISIS's barbaric laws, please buy yourself a air ticket and go blow yourself up in Iraq or Syria. and let the rest of us maldivians live in peace.
@red rabbit
Well, actually - no. Many gangsters are just in for the extra drugs, money and police protection. Islam is just a 'tool' to be used to silence opposition.
The reason many gangsters hate Nasheed is because he had the guts to arrest the number 1 get out of jail free card for all criminals, regardless of gang affiliation or political ideology.
Yeah, most gangs are porn-viewing, drug dealing, murdering, looting hypocrites who think they're muslims.
People living in glass houses should not throw stones at each other. But then again people with amnesiac personalities will not remember so.
Perhaps if Nasheed were to admit such mistakes in MDP's past and resolve to turn a new leaf, then people might consider really listening to him.
@Gangster
exactly. non of these so called defenders of Islam are actually qualified enough to defend islam. they sin on a daily basis but is out to save islam.
why? they hope they will get pardoned for the things they do when they kill someone over them not being muslim.
non of these freaks actually know what Islam is, or is a proper muslim. all they do is use islam as a tool to justify their violence.
@BitterTruth
I agree. He was far too kind.
But let's not be too harsh - I'm sure he's learned his lesson.
The strange thing about Nasheed's critics is that they can go on and on about MDP this and MDP that - and as seen in the current situation, even claim that MDP is behind gang violence.
The funny part, is that when asked for proof, they comically fall silent - their media spoonfeeding crew never had a contingency plan for 'people who ask questions.'
@waseema mufeed on Sun, 28th Sep 2014 3:14 PM.
Your comment, very touching and hope your wishes will come true!
But the question is; though we are capable, will we be made capable?
The realities and aftermath of, 'the lord and vassal', 'the divide and rule' and 'the right of the mighty', all theories and policies though apparently been broken down to 'democracy' or whatsoever, have not yet departed; especially this part of the world!
Though Islam, is a pure and tightly bound religion, and is the religion of the Nation by legislature, it is hard to see it being implemented if not for advantages of the powerful!
And we being believers, are not possible to agree to settle differences as in the Quran, Sunnah or through dialogue, as in Islam; result will be hard to find!
Nasheed is a liar. People are not bothered about him or what the hack he does these days.
So he is Psycho guy and he always want everyone give attention to him. These days he has lost those attention and thats is why he had picked the topic ISIS which is the hot topic for the world .
All what he is trying to do is to get attention and nothing more.
@Hero
You seem very bothered. 😛