The Adhaalath Party has requested the Education Ministry cancel the Maldives’ inter-school singing competition due to be held this year for the first time in six years, claiming that singing was haram in Islam.
Vice President of the party’s Scholars Council, Ilyas Abdulatheef, sent letters to Villa TV, the state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) and the Education Minister Dr Asim Ahmed.
In the letter to the Education Minister, the Adhaalath Party stated that music and singing were haram in Islam according to trusted Islamic scholars, and that the Adhaalath Party was concerned that some TV stations were planning an Inter-school Singing Competition to be held between school students under the watch of Education Ministry.
The party expressed concern about the competition and urged the ministry “stop such un-Islamic activities.’’
Another letter was sent to TVM Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Asif and VTV Chairman Ameen Ibrahim.
In both letters, the Adhaalath Party stated that the party was concerned about the singing competition and urged them to cancel it.
The Education Minister, VTV and TVM were also sent research on music and singing in Islam attached with the letter.
The Adhaalath Party was one of the coalition partners that in 2008 joined Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to defeat former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
The current President of the Adhaalath Party, Sheikh Imran Abdulla, was very critical of the MDP and joined a coalition with former opposition parties that led to the ousting of the MDP on February 7.
That followed the breaking of its coalition agreement with the MDP on September 27 last year, after the party’s consultation council voted 32 to 2 to approve a resolution to break the coalition.
The party claimed that the Nasheed’s government had ignored “sincere advice and suggestion”, and that the party was forced to stage street protests “to put a stop to serious matters related to the country’s religion and sovereignty.”
Among the 28 main points noted in the resolution included rising inflation under Nasheed’s administration, refusal to reimburse amounts deducted from civil servants salaries, failure to alleviate the persisting dollar shortage, appointing unqualified “activists” to manage government corporations, and insufficient measures against corruption in the government.
The Adhaalath Party then claimed the former government was “making secret deals with Israel in the name of the people and pursuing relations with Israel to an extent that threatens the nation’s independence and sovereignty.”
Moreover, the Adhaalath party accused the then-government of agreeing to “let Israel influence the country’s educational curriculum.”
Among government decisions strongly contested by the party, the resolution also referred to a proposal to make Dhivehi and Islam optional subjects in higher secondary education and reclaiming a land plot awarded to the Islamic College (Kulliya).
The final eight points included the use of force against protesting parents of Arabiyya school students, senior government diplomats expressing concern with Maldivian students going to Arabic or Islamic countries for studies, publishing regulations allowing sale of alcohol to non-Muslims in inhabited islands, and insufficient cooperation with the Islamic Ministry’s efforts to close down brothels.
Adhaalath Party member Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, now the Islamic Minister, was not responding to calls at time of press.
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Bearded Idiots !
But there is NO religious extremism in Maldives, I swear to you!
So! And we DON'T have a fundamentalist problem !?!
There is hardly any problem we DON'T have. Fundamentalism in its alien to the maldivian culture thought-good is definitely one of the big, fat problems we have. It has created much disorientation and confusion of mind. May there be many more beautiful and exciting LAVA MUBARAKS !!!
Ps. May there be many more GODPLEASING in its nature as making many people happy..LAVA MUBARAKS!!!
@Sabina Manik,
No we don't don't have a fundamentalist issue. Since you have implied that we do, you must be an atheist, a Christian (or possibly both).
And if you want to prove that you are a Muslim, you must unequivocally condemn Minivan news (like all true Muslim patriots) for being biased (reporting unpalatable facts) - or as we say in Maldives, propaganda.
Well if this government gives into these narrow minded and self serving dimwits, then it will be the end of them in many ways. At the end of the day, most of the Maldivians do not want this country to end up like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. These Adhaalath party people are full of themselves, first why don't they stop their own haram activities before passing judgment on others! And if they are worried that listening to music and singing, (kids singing at that!) is going to lead them astray, well quite simply don't switch on the TV when the competition is being broadcast and if required wear ear plugs! Or if that doesn't still stop their indecent thoughts, then leave the Country!
The only problem we have in the Maldives is religious fundamentalism. When it comes as Islamic religious fundamentalism it is difficult to differentiate the fundamentalism with modernism because there is nothing called moderate in Islam. It is Islam or no Islam, so we are in a quagmire and there is no way out. The evil behind the instability in Maldives is nothing but so called Islam and Mullah who are spreading Islam the same way that it was founded 1400 years ago. The good governance based on human capital and it is development is entirely impossible, and there are many people who want take advantage of it and most of people in Maldives still believe in supernatural force and easily duped by such opportunist. People still go to mosque when the Tsunami alerts, and if Tsunami does not strike they believe it is the mercy of God. It never occurred them that fault is in the earth and if Tsunami does not strike it is merely a lucky draw that jolt has not caused a land slide on the ocean floor. People are not ready to deviate from this psyche and the work of Mullahs will always be accepted by general population as they still believe Maldives survival depend on their true belief of Islam. Moderate means allowing so many un Islamic things in to the society which Mullah always will oppose and there are many people who buy what Mullahs are saying. So the political instability will be there for a long time to come.
Al-hamdullillaah. Music and songwriting are deviant and abhorrent practices that have no place on our soil. Though the deeper underlying issue, I offer in my capacity of expertise, is that our harlot women have utterly failed to raise decent children.
I will severely reprimand the mother of any child of mine, who would make a fool of himself by taking part in such sinful activities as singing and dancing. It is high time that all musicians are rounded up, and garrotted on the spot!
'Singing is haram in islam'.....not surprising that muslim countries are so backward!! Everything that lifts the human spirit like music, dancing, singing, art seems to be 'haram' in islam!!
Surely drug taking must be approved by islam because you are all at it.....in Maldives, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan.....the more conservative the muslim country, the more drugged up its people!!.....maybe its out of the sheer boredom and petty restrictions of muslim countries, particularly '100% muslim countries'.
Saying Maldives does not have a fundamentalist problem is like the Vatican saying the pope is not catholic!!
Are these people serious?
This is the 21th century and they treat children & women as commodities.
Sad men, who are not men, who live lives of quiet desperation in a world that is opening doors for girls & boys..
Love the Maldives but will visit no more following flogging of woman for adultery while the male goes free to drink whisky in the illegal dens that are every where.
Sad, sad country.
good man
iThe Adhalath party should also request the Broadcasting regulatory body to ban all music and singing programmes on television inckuding cable tv since many of them have music and singing. Also all hindhi films must be banned in this country because they have music and dancing.
But wait a minute doesnt Gasim own a cable tv network? I suppose the Islamic "scholars" who studied overseas with Gasims money will find this difficult.
@Ali
"iThe Adhalath party should also request the Broadcasting regulatory body to ban all music and singing programmes on television inckuding cable tv since many of them have music and singing. Also all hindhi films must be banned in this country because they have music and dancing."
Those are admirable goals!
The Hindus and their false, Oogah Boogah Gods have corrupted our National moral fabric for far too long.
it is so good to see, looking at the comments, that many of the maldivian people are open minded and not agreeing with the fundamentalist ideas. fundamentalism must not get any chance to bring the country down. But there is still a long way to go to reach freedom in the maldives. alcohol is strictly forbidden, but drugs are widespread and tolerated, the number of heroine addicts keeps on growing in an unrational number compared to the small population of the country. It is an understandable result of the sharia law. It is normal that the youth wants to try out things, no matter if it is harmfull or not. In other countries teenagers will experience the affect of alcohol, when they are having a party, in the maldives the youth has to consume drugs to reach a similar affect, but drugs are still much more harmful, it leads to addiction and destroys lives. I am not a fan of alcohol abuse, but drug abuse is still a lot more dangerous!
@peasant u must be adhaalath party spokesperson. "And if you want to prove that you are a Muslim, you must unequivocally condemn Minivan......". R u out of ur f*** mind. nobody has to prove anything to you! U want biased news? tune into dhiTv and vtv.
What did Samad say to the Indians? If I recall correctly, he claimed there is no extremism in the Maldives. And less than a week later, we have one of the parties representing the regime come out with this bombshell.
The only other country in recent history that banned singing and music was Afghanistan under the Taliban! We have said several times that the Maldives is heading that way. What more proof does anyone need?
Talking about songs now? Everybody has got worked up on this?
What about the basic human right? Your right to believe in what you prefer? Should the religion be shoved down your throat?
We DO not have this basic human right given to us. That is the biggest problem!
I'm singing right now, rather terribly so too. Watchu gonna do about it Adhaalath?
OMG! This is TRULY the ULTIMATE!!
Dear Maldivian friends, WAKE UP! WHat are you doing to this LOVELY country and people!
The creativity in Maldivian YOUTH is something I have marvelled and admired in my 17 year stay in the Maldives. Why are you destroying this wonderful talent.
In the 21st Century, to see such amazing popularity for a simple School singing competition is something truly unique, touching and showcases the INNOCENCE of the TRUE Maldivian! The children, their teachers, the lyric writers, the musicians all get together and make this incredible ensemble a grand success! Also, the music show has probably the highest viewership in the Maldives when it is live on TV.
PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT START such idiosyncracies in the name of religion. Tolerance is an extremely important factor in Islam and Music shares peace,love and harmony with people.
I am a foreigner and a non-muslim. I encourage my children to sing in Dhivehi every single time, so as to be part of this wonderful harmony that I have experienced and witnessed in Maldives, where people follow religion without having an extremist view of the same snd enjoy SIMPLE things in life.
Everybody should adhere to the basic principles of 'haram' as per the religion. I fully support that. BUT, banning singing is one of the most bizarre things that I have heard and I humbly request ALL WISE MINDED Maldivians to stop this craxy stuff.
P.S : WHen I am writing this, the only person who comes to my mind is the 70 year old Maldivian gentleman, who enjoyed writing the lyrics for my son's song in Dhivehi and the passion and involvement he showed in writing the best of lyrics, so as to spread the wonderful message of harmony, love and Allah to the Maldivian public.
Truly sad, disappointed and terribly upset how a society can ruin itself like this.
Yours Truly
A very sad admirer of Maldivians...
This is not a surprise. Things have been becoming more fanatical for years. Why is the government not taking any action? Why didn't Anni take care of this? Why isn't Dr. Waheed taking care of this? Maumoon was best when it came to dealing with radicalization.
More and more young girls (as young as 4!) are wearing the burga. At that age they are forced to wear this. They will never be able to take it off and live without stigma in this society.
Radicalization of entire communities in such a short span should be taken seriously by every citizen. This is sad to see as a Maldivian. Why can't we have a progressive and mature society?
Recently Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs H. E. Dr. Abdul Samad
Abdullah visited to India and assured to India that In Maldives do not
have extremist
muslim group. this article stated that on Indian
ocean another tiny Taliban or extremist scholar Muslim state on the way .If
we analysis the article we have to ask this extremist Muslim scholars that
following question.
#01.They urged that singing is HARAM for Muslim. Well. If you look this
guys photo on webpage what he wears is it cloths, where it’s came from? Is it
came from non muslim country.
#02.Asked what is your education system? All the education system in
Maldives is western style.
#03. Dress code – All the young female generation wear the tide dress which
exposed the sensitive physical organs, is it allows Maldives Society.
#04.I attended the marriage party. The weeding dress looks like Christian
style dress code.
#05.In Maldives about 85% people smoking the cigarette, Is it okay with
this Muslim scholars.
#06. In Maldives BADUBAERU,It is cultural dance with drum music both male
and female dancing and enjoy them self is it permissible.
#07. In Maldives they have the Dancing boy’s and girls and they are
performed in resorts function @ time of Resorts Annual function,Is it allow
by Muslim Scholars.
#08.Maximum time Maldivian went to Srilanka,India,Thailand for medical and
business purpose. What they eating ,listening and what they wear on dress.
Why Muslim Scholars obstacles for tiny Maldivian generation because they
know that time will came tiny Maldivian become young Maldivian and they
will definitely thorough them .Stop this anti society action which is lead
by some extremist Muslim Scholars.
No matter how much you deny it, children all around the world will BORN with an innate talent for music. Suppressing music with a very narrow view of music shows how narrow minded these fundamentalists are. but nevertheless it also shows how prominent they have become when they are in a position to get people's reaction of the public like they are doing now. better ignore them. and let them do their own thing.
This is only the beginning, just wait until Shylock the Adhaalath really demands their pound of flesh.
It is not un islamic to object to Islam being used as a political tool, to gain power. All parties including MDP was guilty of using the Adhaalath to gain popularity. This dangerous game needs to stop.
I hope all politicians soon realize that feeding the Adhaalath crocodile hoping that it eats them last is not a winning strategy.
@Salaahudeen: I'm not the spokesperson of Adhaalath. I'd really like to be though. Sadly they wouldn't have me 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHkBJZyt0aw
22 mullahs have said that. that includes the gayoom's member in human rights commission, sheikh ahmed abdul kareem. and dr.majeed and b.a naseem.
so either we can continue listening to these morons, and let them dictate what is right and wrong. or we can choose to be an islamic yet secular democratic society. that just means we will be muslims because we want to be muslims, and we will follow islam how we understand it after consulting scholars and books if need be. NO AS DICTATED BY THE Dhivehistan Church!!
time to choose people, democratic society of a taliban state?
music is haram, shaheem's sex videos are halal.
Bulls&*t. I love Allah and our prophet.
Our holy book the Qur'an is perfect and nothing equivalent to it exists. A book that will remain till the end ..unchanged and unharmed. PEOPLE!! looks thru it. I swear there wouldn't be any aayath or anything stating music is HARAAM. But its got all other haraam things stated such as wine,,alcohol, sex so n so.. So the hell these RICH political bearded monkeys are talking about?? Are they our priests?? Are they perfect then Qur'an?
I relish the impertinent whining of the Munafiq deviants.
Your silly addictions are meaningless before the majesty of Shar'ia, the laws of our creator, exalted be he!
You fools! Hellfire shalt be the reward of the musicians; take heed, before it is too late.
What've we got that nobody can take away?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUcXI2BIUOQ
This latest rhetoric from Adhalath is simply a stunt to take the attention away from the by-elections in Thimarafushi and Kashidhoo. I have noticed this pattern.I dont believe for a minute that they believe singing is haram. Are their children not listening to music on their phones ipods ipads laptops and have they really never sung a song? If they seriously believe music and singing is haram they should shut down the music chanells and msic programmes in the media (cable tv local tv and radio stations).Why have they not done that? Why have they not called for a stop to the dancing and singing by our local people at resorts, as another reader has pointed in this blog? Why have they not called for a stop to the Maldivian version of American idol? Give us a break.
The smart thing right now is not to give any attention to anything these morons come up with. Let Coup Leader waheed and "There is no fundamentalism in the Maldives Dr Samadh" deal with their dramas.
so the Hadith and the actions of the prophet with regards to Aishath mean little to those of faith that would brand thier own religion as on intolerate one I suggest you look carefully at what happened in the past Aishath was asked by the prophet onthier arrival to madhina weather she would like to see the festivites happening inthe holy land she said yes and was allowed to watch through the veil and event that inculded drums according to Sufi scripture
I am just asking myself why god has given us sexuality, if sex is haraam.. why do women have to bath in the ocean with their jeans and burga, while men are enjoying the beach life in their swimming shorts. it´s a strange thought that also god is making gender differences, giving more freedom to the male gender, somehow it sounds very human!
.......and the dogs are barking again.
FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU Adaalath.
Perhaps the inter-school singing competition organizers should make request that the Adhaalath Party be canceled?
We are not in the sixth century.
We may not be in the sixth century but they are. I just cannot understand how we can believe these people when in the Koran singing is not prohibited. They say it is from Hadith. But how can anyone know that particular Hadith is correct because from something like over 150,000 Hadith only about 2600 are said to be genuine. Also there is strong evidence that during various Khalifs new Hadiths were invented to suit the ruling Khalif.
Why these pathetic the so called scholars worry about tiny matters, when there are far dangerous and fat threats to us..??
What about fathers raping their own children, slaughtering innocent people on the street, brutal attacks by police to innocent unarmed civilians..?? etc..
It's a choice the head scarfs come from Arabic culture more than regilion...
Also region does permit the use of music and song for therapy those say other wise are fooling them selves by being too stringent on the rules which are quite liberal I might add look at our history for instants when we were growing up there was music aband playing at every national day among other functions that said music and and songs can have drastic effects if used irresponbily this is why they parental advisory versions of songs and on a scietific note it has been proven that autism or autistic children use music as mode of comunication aside from therapy relief supporting the my first that religion ie Islam doesn't condem music as haram not in the book it self it's more through culture and sringent laws to supress youth from expressing them selves of fear they may miss led down road in ruin with out properly horning thirr god given talents
Support immediate cancellation of Adhaalath party.
Unbelievable! so a ban on kids singing! My god these Mullah;s will stop at nothing to destroy the freedom of youth! These religious fanatics does not come up with any thing constructive. Their main interest is on women and kids. how women should dress and behave. caging them as objects for their own pleasure. We Maldivians have enjoyed Islam for many centuries now and all of a sudden there is no need to be more islamic. We are fine as we are. Do not need you Maullahs
if u look at it from a rights perspective , they are just expressing a right that they sincerely believe in, and at the same time if u want ur son or daughter to develop his or her vocal skills,then u have all the freedom in the world i don't see any problem. let fudamental muslims believe what they want cos it is their right, and if one wants to practise other wise...be it. ususally i believe it is the athesist who have to the least amount of religious tolerance
........ what do u say, can't we live in a harmonious society.... we don't more blood shed over this now..
music is haraam and its true. its also true that humans can actually live without it. humans can live without homosexuality also. I myself do not drink wine and nothing happened to me! nor is smoking a prerequisite to life. so why do we are we so eager to follow shaithaan? why shall we be brainless zombies who have to follow the western values? why cant we be different? just think about it folks.
Idrees speaks the truth. Ponder his words, and reflect over your meaningless lives brothers. God does not love those who partake in the wicked. And music, is wicked.
Idrees please show me an ayath to prove your claim that it is... With translantion and your own interpritation of the words of a holy book that you speak of and than may be I'll cosider the possibility it is
And it is true that one can live with out it but why force and deny the right to chose by requesting that you stop teaching a particular subject aren't you dening him/her the truth in which case you are going agaisnt religion as it is based on truthis it not
If singing is haram why people sing Quran, Singing, music and art is what made people different from apes. The evolution of art in human brain is what made people to think and use their hands to make objects that conceptualized in the brain. Do really these Mullahs believe human are decedents of Adam and Eve, They should at least try to get themselves educated with science. We are not descendants of any super being designed by a supernatural being. In fact we are the most disadvantaged animals on the planet because of our unique brain. We have evolved a thing call emotion and we are most suffering animal, we have fear of death, disease, poverty, and fighting for fame, prestige, women and money, that makes human being the most suffering animal. Probably a god would never was found if we did not have evolved with art. Mullah please don’t try to stop human development, we are our own gods, we are on the race to find solution for humanity that will alleviate human suffering that you call god’s gift (emotions).
I believe Adhaalaath would not have a problem with music if everyone sang about camels in Arabic.
Every time I get bored in Delhi, I log on to this website to see what you dumbass Maldivians are up to.
So the Adhaalath Party thinks singing is 'haraam' in islam?.....are all of these morons bearded as in the picture?
I wonder what your Islamic Ministry dimwits and the aforesaid morons will come up with next?
Ban music and dancing?
Close down all shops selling CD's, audio cassettes and dodgy Pakistani mujra DVD's?
Ban art and close down art galleries?
Close all museums, especially those containing pre islamic artifacts?
Ban the employment of women?
Ban the education of girls?
Round up all the prostitutes and rent boys and flog them in public?
Make it mandatory for all women to wear the full saudi style abaya 24/7 ?
Make it mandatory for all men to grow beards?
Ban vulgar hindi films and music?
Levy a jizia type tax on all non muslims?
Your stupid laws make us Indians look so cultured and civilised!!
Maldives must be one of the most BORING countries in the world.....no surprises then that your youth are so attracted to drugs!!
Thank you for all the entertainment you jokers provide to us Indians!!
@ nuru.
"We are not descendants of any super being designed by a supernatural being. "
This gives you away... either you are copy pasting from a wayward christian or you don't have a clue about islamic thought.
For the record Muslims never claimed they were special ppl or that they were decedents from a supreme being. Christians said god had a descendant. jesus. Jews said they were a special race. so educate yourself before 'educating' others
@ Indira NewDelhi
Despite everything yo said, you still love Maldivians and Maldives.
Dont you?
Yuo may be in Delhi and you may be thinking you are an Indian. But your heart is still here, in Maldives. 🙂
I feel very downgraded when the world’s dumbest people call us dumb. This is all because of These Mullahs either came from India, Pakistan, Afgahnistan or Saudi Arabia. Can anyone one contain these Mullarsim in Maldives so we are not graded by the dumbest people.