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 the Shariah4Maldives 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.
Concerns
This weekend’s incidents followed local media reports of a meeting between Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali and youth groups who expressed concern over the harassment of Islam and the promotion of homosexuality.
Minivan news has learned that individuals photographed in this meeting – and in a separate meeting with Home Minister Umar Naseer – formed part of the vigilante group that carried out the recent abductions.
Umar Naseer is currently out of the country, and officials at the Home Ministry were unable to provide details of the photographed meeting. Sheikh Shaheem was not responding to calls or texts at the time of publication.
The meeting came just days after the New Zealand media published a story about a Maldivian asylum seeker who has become a prize winning drag artist in Wellington.
Abraham Naim told the Dominion Post that he had claimed asylum for fear of persecution in the Maldives – prompting the President’s Office to assure that any Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality could be assured of prosecution upon their return.
Self-exiled blogger Ismail Hilath Rasheed – a campaigner for freedom of religion and openly gay – left the Maldives in 2012 after narrowly surviving having his throat slashed.
In 2010, air-traffic controller Ismail Mohamed Didi was found hanged from the control tower at Malé international airport. It was later revealed that Didi was in the process of seeking asylum in the UK after receiving threats.
Minivan News understands that there are currently two Maldivians claiming asylum in the UK, both believed to be on religious grounds – with one having already completed the process.
Democratic freedoms
The latest reports come as Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon released a statement praising the successful consolidation of a liberal democracy in the country and the safeguarding of human rights and individual freedoms.
Marking a decade of democratic reforms, Dunya described that country’s democracy as “vibrant”, and human rights as “blossoming”.
“The Minister called on all Maldivians to never let up the fight for democracy and human rights promotion in the country,” read the statement.
Commenting on the current climate in the country, Adam expressed his opinion that full democratic freedoms could not be realised without religious freedom in the one hundred percent Islamic nation.
“The definition of freedom and democracy has been skewed in this country,” said Adam. “Acceptance and freedom of religion – that is true democracy. In this country it’s a farce.”
Individuals involved in the ‘Colorless’ group, formed in the wake of February 2012’s transfer of power, have suggested that democratic progression has stalled.
“Why is the Secular camp not invited to participate in the political process? If you think your numbers are more, then why not let us join the political discussion without reprisals?” asked an administrator for the ‘Secular Democratic Maldives Movement’.
As well as the more controversial ‘Maldivian Atheists’ page on Facebook, those abducted in recent days have been asked to name administrators behind the ‘Secular Democratic Maldives Movement’ Facebook page.
Police announced an investigation into the ‘Maldivian Atheists’ earlier this year which, in contrast to the more moderate debate commonly featured on ‘Secular Maldives’, has published pictures of the prophet Mohammed as well as images of people defiling the Quran.
*Name changes to protect indivudual’s identity
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Police is not commenting because police is letting this happen.
So, is their next target the National Football Team because they wear shorts?
People need to stand up to these thugs who have been rejected by the the ballot box. They're the only ones insulting Islam.
Islam has fallen so low, it needs heroin-dealing, bandit gangs to 'protect' it?. No wonder more people are becoming atheist.
This is to all of you 'vigilantes'; Nice job ruining the image of Islam - I hope the gram of heroin you got from Shaheem was worth it, you maggots.
So you all know how 'trolls' flooded the old colorless group with 'offensive content' that 'galvanized' jihadi wannabes to 'destroy' the group by threatening the admins and stuff, right?
Here's the fact - the 'trolls' were actually in on the jihadi gang's plan of attack. Their real target was not 'offensive content', but rather the admins who had dared to give Maldivians a platform to discuss issues in Maldives without fear of ostracization, arbitrary arrest, beatings or execution.
Want to know more? Take a look at this: http://i.imgur.com/V2YqVT5.png
At the end of the posts, you can see their main paatey muscle, one Muax Hammer, (known alias: Gutless Mua) admitting that he's behind the 'offensive posts' to harass and eventually 'expose' the admins. As you can see, this 'war' had nothing to do with offensive content and all about targeting the 'moderate' admins.
So if anyone's 'insulting Islam', it's these gangs - and the 'jihadis' who cooked up this plan.
How cowardly of the e-jihadis of Sharia4Maldives to get the gangsters to do their 'dirty work' for them, then distance themselves from vigilante work. This is why no one likes Shari'a law.
Because their proponents are the most immoral, foul and cowardly people.
I for one dont like what the vigilantes are doing and is completely not acceptable.
I also dont like homosexuals and sympathizers who says that they were born that way and all bull. Ok, they like men and they were born that way...what about people who have sex with kids? maybe they were born that way and their brains got wired so that they like kids? or people who like to have sex with animals? why not give them a chance to explain that they also was born with an extra animal dna which compels them to be attracted to animals?...now ill be called a sick pervert for saying all this. Why?
This combination of religious extremists, gangsters and Umar Naseer with backing of prominent politicians working "underground" of course, is worrying. This is the combination for 2012 coup. What is this combination really cooking this time?
@Gnome "now ill be called a sick pervert for saying all this. Why?"
Because you're a sick pervert.
For those who think religion is deterrent to crime and a tool for social harmony, the current situation in Maldives if not stopped , this very religion you are protecting can destroy the very peaceful Maldives and Maldivian will start killing each other soon. These religious extremist can kill and can go to any extent to carry out all heinous crime in the name of religion so you can’t say religion is the reason why people refrain from crimes. Those who want people to follow religion to refrain from sins like fornication, drinking, homosexuality, backbiting, stealing, and cheating and dishonesty these very social sins are engraved in Maldivian society despite being 100% Muslim country and surely these social sins doesn’t stop just by being Muslims. Those who fear that people are bad because of irreligiosity are simply irrational and those who can’t accept that their religion may not be what they have been conditioned to believe should give up that stance and start to be tolerant in order to give space to people who don’t think the way you think. You can’t stop these extremist whose brain are corrupted and insulting them may give them some sense that they are not criticism proof people, and for that you have to be tolerant even it irritate your sensitive nerves because it is hard to listen bad about what you have believed in all your life. The best for Maldives is to learn to tolerate any thing that disturbs your ear and let the time heal our differences through knowledge and experience
There is no no society, no country, no village in the world that does not have homosexuality. Let us not fool ourselves.
We have gays and lesbians in our communities, the fact is that only a few are open, but believe me it is a big growing crowd. I don't care whether it's in-born or forced on it for various reasons, better accept it and life goes.
You cannot stop it! And it has nothing to do with religion.
As for people who have sex or abuse children sexually, there is no second thoughts but to cage them. We cannot afford to rehabilitate them. Let them die in jail
Allah is too great to need help from the likes of gangsters and FaceBook group admins to protect Islam!! For Godssake!
Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)had a Christian for a neighbour, and he maintained a great friendship, even feeding him at times. What is the problem with you people! So what if some people prefer to have homosexual relationships? Leave them alone so long as they don't force themselves on anyone. Do something worthwhile with your lives. You have utterly misrepresented the meaning of Jihad in this country. Tauba!
Before abducting homosexuals and atheists why not abduct rapists and child abusers? Are rapists and child abusers doing what is allowed in Islam? Are they not insulting Islam with their actions? Let what's between an individual and Allah remain as such, but when people go around violating other's innocence and their sense of security and dignity, why are such people let off free and not judged?
@mariyam
Oh no no no. Child abusers are too profitable to murder. One child abuse video can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market in Pakistan. Gangs need to keep their revenue sources safe.
Sorry to say but you can now can see the shadows of much larger problems in the Maldives. Same unrests you now see in the whole area of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, as well as many areas in Africa. Using religion as their right to kill and harass others. Tugs with the call from holly mighty to use their pietism and holly curse as their rights to kill rape and abuse others. It’s the way they have been educated as kids.
Shia Muslims: Kill the Sunnis. They are kafir. (See this in action in Iraq.)
Sunni Muslims: Kill the Shias. They are kafir. (See it in action in Syria.)
Wahhabi Muslims: Kill the Ahmadis. They are Kafir. (See this in action in Pakistan. Nobel laureate Abdus Salam is an Ahmadi Muslim.)
Salafi Muslims: Kill all the other Muslims. They are kafir. (See this in action in the Maldives.)
What kind of Muslim are you? Shia, Sunni, Wahhabi, Salafi, Ahmadi, Shafi, Maliki, Hanbali?
In the last couples of years, Islamic Ministry has been using Zaakaath Fund to fiance Maldivian student to study in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic Countries. Number of student's signed up the Islamic Adhaalath Party, in order to acquire Zakaath Fund to study in Islamic countries. The irony is that Islamic Ministry is not State body mandated for higher education, and does have the capacity to monitor funded students activities overseas. It is widely believed most of students funded by Zakaath Fund are presently involved in extremism overseas.
On 7 February and weeks before,the whole country watch the live on TV Screens, in their sitting rooms, live episodes of how Nasheed was forced to resign. Religious extremists and many top present government executives on that day were jointly worked to topple Nasheed's Administration from power. What you expect, from these people today...
It is very annoying to see how some people are trying so hard to justify the actions of these idiots who call themselves atheists. There is not 0% chance that the Maldivian nation will accept these fools who want to integrate atheism/non islamic faiths and homosexuality into the society in the name of secularism and human rights! If any of you want to do it, do it yourself in secret and shut up!
@rasheed like the hypocrite that you are? Do in secret and act all pious in public? What a joke!