Feminist group launches letter writing campaign against sponsors of Dr Bilal Philips event

The Maldives’ self-styled ‘underground feminist movement’ Rehendhi has announced joint letter writing campaign with the ‘Enough is Enough’ group in protest against Sonee Company’s intention to sponsor an upcoming lecture by Islamic speaker Dr Bilal Philips.

The event, titled ‘The Call’, is being held in early June by Islamic NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf.

Rehendhi issued a press statement today condemning Dr Philips’ preaching at last years’ Call, accusing him of “preaching that it is Islamic to marry off young girls as soon as they reached puberty, irrespective of their age.

“We refuse to tolerate this misogynistic, regressive and repressive interpretation of Islam, especially in a public lecture,” Rehendhi claimed.

“The Ministry of Health and Family, UNICEF, Doctors Association, Child Protections Unit at the Maldives Police Services, Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Education and almost all the NGOs working on child rights in the Maldives remained silent, reluctant to be labeled as un-Islamic.”

Such interpretations of Islam conflicted with “numerous international treaties protecting the girl child” that the Maldives has signed, Rehendhi claimed, “including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflic, and Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.”

Rehendhi also criticised “the insensitivity of the judges to the rights of the girl child”, claiming that “deficient coordination for the implementation and monitoring of the conventions and laws within the government leave the most vulnerable children in our society exposed to child sexual abuse, sometimes under the legal guise of the so called ‘Islamic marriages’.”

“In an environment where sexualized violence towards children and minors is rampant, irresponsible preaching results in both intended and unintended repercussions that affect our young population,” the group claimed, calling on Maldivian society to “stand up and implement the laws and conventions”.

State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the Ministry had received no information that Dr Bilal Philips’ preaching including the abuse of children’s rights, and “guaranteed” that the Islamic Ministry “would not let such acts happen in the Maldives.”

”We are confident that after our new Religious Unity regulations are implemented, it will be easier for us to take action against anyone who [preaches] this,” said Shaheem said.

Salaf said it did not wish to comment on the matter.

Rehendhi has previously protested “against misogyny in Maldivian society” by claiming to have sent undergarments to conservative Maldivian Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed on Valentine’s Day.

Correction: The protest is a joint campaign by the groups Rehendhi and ‘Enough is Enough’, not just Rehendhi as previously stated. Furthermore, Rehendhi only sent underwear to Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed, coinciding with a public lecture, not “conservative Maldivian Sheikhs” as originally stated.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

80 thoughts on “Feminist group launches letter writing campaign against sponsors of Dr Bilal Philips event”

  1. Salim Waheed, We don't want your family (Dr.Waheed and Co) version of Islam in Maldives ever!! So stop preaching your version of deviant islam to us! We all know you are hiding behind the banner of Islam and trying to bring confusion to the true Islam in the Maldives. You have very dangerous mission! Remember we are watching u!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  2. @nashath

    welcome to democracy...majority rules! and this is not likely to change in your lifetime....so the sooner you come to terms with it the better for you dear.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  3. why does evvertime if women have a say, they are always labelled as LESBIANS by these mullas????? first class foools!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  4. NOW WHAT! Even if you can marry when a girl reaches puberty who has the authority over her marriage? Did you guys forgot that it is her FATHER? Unless he allows its not going to happen! I am definitely not willing to marry off my young girl. This is very simple, there is no cause for alarm! But it is much better to wage war against people who promote homosexuality when there is strong evidence that it is linked to Pedophilia!!! And who rang the bell about alarming rate of young children as young as 8 or 9 having bf's gf's and enjoying sex??????? so what is happening here???? No one really cares about the underlying problems of letting their young girls to get married. So basically, they are not attacking the root cause. We all are human beings with different beliefs. This can happen anywhere in the world not only among Muslims! We have to check medically if a girl is fit for marriage if she reaches puberty. Even in Texas, if i am not wrong, legal age for marriage is 13! they look huge physically compared to a Maldivian, but you will cry to say she is too young in MALDIVES!!!!
    TALK SENSE, NOT NON-SENSE!!!!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  5. i think rehendi is misunderstanding...what mr phillips or anyone can say is what is in the religion,you cannot say it is not so and against these conventions.. the conventions came much later than islam, so islam was not modeled to folow these conventions

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  6. I add, rehendhi and we need to clear to the public that this might be so, but it is not compulsory or a requirment that children are married off like that, and in light of current wahtever has come up it is in our interest to propose to the public delay of such marriges. Ultimately it is a choice made by the individual based on the info he she has

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  7. yaamyn; i think, for them islam is not just a religion. it is also a sexual orientation. so, if you are not a muslim then you must be homosexual. and when it comes to beliefs, naturally you will fall in to the category of the other religion we have in the world. Christianity, the enemy religion.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  8. oh wow 'rehendhi' are lesbians. i have just become the biggest fan of rehendhi. i love lesbians 😀

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  9. @thun_bibee

    Be the Mary Robinson of the group, I mean the leader. ANNI will love to give you a hug!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  10. Not surprised about the 'BOLD' declaration in last night's lecture. ATHEISTS were there in Maldives right from the start. They lived and died in this soil and were ironically buried according to Islamic rites. The difference is, this is the first time some one has filed a plea with the Government that he would like to be buried some where else, may be a Scandinavian country!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  11. its very simple..... if you dont like or believe it dont follow it...Allah will judge you in the day OF judgement....

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  12. Rehendhi being a gruoup of Lesbos, Fikies or Bisexies is not the one we have to consentrate on. We better find their hiding ground froum where they ambush at our prominent reliegous scholars and drag them out to the open for everyone to see who they are. I pesnollay believe that the number of scholars at our disposal are able to channel them to the right path. If that happens, what a victor!

    On the other hand, while Rehenhis are worried about the " girl child marriage" the group seem to rest at comfort with " gir child fun sex " supported by the films cartoons produced by their Kabalist mentors.

    Hey ladies! Think twice before you attack our scholars who propagate the word of Almighty Allah. Have fear of the day on which you will have none to succour but Almighty Allah, if you do not want to be thrown into the darkest,deepest and the hotest pitch of the Hell whose fuel are sin-laden humanbeings.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  13. Hey Maldivianos! Get civilized! Stop going, thinking against Islam, Islam is the future. If you wanna be a Hypocrite or a Kafir. Islam Prevents you from BURNING hell. You are not an uneducated man! You are not an Uncivilized creature. You are not far from knowledge. Gaddaa Vaan Noolhe bala... thiee gadha kamei nooney. thimaa hedhdhevi faraathaa dhekolhah thedhuvumakee. eiy fin'dinge amalei. kaleymen kithanme varakah insaanee haqqy thakey kiyas mi'eee ALLAH THA"AALAA UFEDHDHEVI THANEI, BAEH Adhi KAAINAATHEI. Thimaage haqquthah insaanee haqquthah olhaalabey. Mey fuhppaaafa ma varei nethifa nukunna komme meeheh ei ALLAH thiri kuravvaane. E' nujehey midhuiyamathee kamakah vaa kashey. DEMOCRACY is outdated.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  14. i doubt whether these so called rehendhees understand the english language properly. Dr Bilal Philips just answered to a question,saying in islam anyone can get married once they reach puberty. Be it a man or a woman, it is allowed. He never said islam promotes neither did he say he promotes it.

    Jewish and christian KING and prophet "King solomon" had 700 wifes and 300 mistresses according to the bible, polygamy to the extreme. So christianity allows wifes in hundreds also to have hundreds of mistresess at the same time, the bible doesnt have a limmit. REHENDHEES go after christians they allow to keep women in hundreds depriving of their basic rights.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  15. You guys who are attacking Rehendhi for raising a seriously undermined issue in our society are so blinded by your sick hatred towards anything progressive and positive to the well being of our future! Disrespectful bunch of maniacs!

    Don't you think these women are trying to stop potential pedophiles/perverts/sinners from committing crimes against helpless children??

    By the quality of verbal reactions towards Rehendi in this forum, I'm not surprised they choose to underground!

    Good work REHENDHI!!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  16. It is so curious and yet at times tedious to have to deal with radical backlashes towards women standing up for their rights by right-wing religious bigots. I think the time-machine has been invented here in Male'. Sigh! My sympathies for those of us who have either lived through or read through the 60s counterculture movements.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  17. i just want to ask this so called rehendhi... why does it become a problem for u wen someone marries wen he or she reaches puberty?? it is better for anyone to get married and do wat u want... and don't u see that how many girls r having abortions only wen they r 12, 13 or 14 in Maldives???? doesn't this become an issue?? u guyz wud not like to miss any opprtunity in critisizing islam even if u dont have anything to critisize.. but alwayz remeber that there is a day wen u will be accountable for wateva u did in this world... so repent to Allah before its too late... may Allah giude us all to the right path... Aameen.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  18. mikahala hurihaa meehun ves maran vee. numaraha hindaku migaumu islaahu ves adi Islam ves nuvaane.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  19. Hi! Rhendhis, you better gear up your work for the betterment of our nation, Muslim Community and the humanity in general. Try not to fall into the traps of Kabalists whose plans are highly distructive to all of us, not leaving the girl child either.

    Don't you realize how back word it is, in this 21st century, to witness increasing number of rapes of under aged chidren, incest, prostitution, pornography, robbery, cheating and so forth. This sort of animalistic behaviour was wide spread in the Barbaric age. Do you know in which countries they are now rampant? They all take place from so called advanced countries where your Illuminati mentors operate. You seem to give blind eyes to such backward and gross crimes, but continue to be bothered and disturbed with the corresponding punishments, especially in line with Shariah Law, not the crimes, saying they are too harsh, barbaric and backward. Shame on you!

    Wake up! Change the course and the helmsman! Stand up for Muslims' rights! Don't give up the fight, till you get the right result.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  20. @KA
    Did you say "Don’t you think these women are trying to stop potential pedophiles/perverts/sinners from committing crimes against helpless children??"

    NO. I don't think any sane person believes that so called 'Rehendhi' is trying to stop any pedophiles,perverts or sinners!

    REHENDHI has never gone on record criticizing the biggest homo pervert who was caught ripping open under age boys from age 12 onwards, getting them drunk and selling these kids' porn videos abroad!

    They don't give a hoot about crimes.
    REHENDHI has never gone on record criticising the murderous activities of hooligans on the streets!

    They never talk about stopping narcotic drugs and alcohol.

    They never talk about deteriorating condition of youth hooligans.

    They only criticise the "minimum age allowance for marriage in Islam"

    Nothing else, and they are only interested in girls!

    "REHENDHI" DOES NOT HAVE THE GUTS AND THE DECENCY TO TALK ABOUT REAL CRIMES.

    They are worried about losing the opportunity to feast on beautiful girls, and hell bent on abolishing the Islamic veil for women. Simple as that!

    They have hoarse voices , walk like men, dress like men and they are sexually attracted to same sex (girls!) which they think some one is going to steal from them!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  21. yup, Maldives just started receiving guest islamic scholars. what about USA and the western countries where islamic preaches every day? does that mean those western countries are becoming extreme too? but i do agree with Rehendhi. i am not gonna marry my 9 year old daughter to a big fat bearded dude. i will try to educate her for a change and let her decide when and to whom she want to marry. why not we do that and just listen to what these scholars have to say about islam? u know, it may have some few points to laugh about. peace!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  22. and my opinion on Rehendhi... hmmm they must be hot and as we see in movies and stuffs, just another sexual tool anybody can exploit haha! talk about personal choice of being exploited. sweet! u go @heck

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  23. @Ash

    No one supports marrying off 9 year old girls. It is just an allowance in Islam that the minimum age for marriage is when you reach puberty. THE FEMINIST = SEXIST = RACISTS don't understand this.

    The minimum qualification for a job is grade 8, but who employs them nowadays? If at all you employ them you have to spoon feed them. Thats's not an easy thing to do.

    Likewise, the minimum age for marriage in Islam is something of the past, because no modern man will want to marry that young a girl and change her diapers and wash her "puppu"

    These FEMINIST = SEXIST = RACISTS will spend their entire life playing solo or duo duos. What they don't understand is that they have to tie the knot SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, and it has to be from the OPPOSITE, I repeat OPPOSITE sex!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  24. @Ash

    NO one supports marrying off 9 year old girls. It's just an allowance in Islam that the minimum age for marriage is the age of puberty. For instance when you fly, do you always carry your free baggage allowance limit, NO.

    The minimum qualification for a job is grade 8, but who employs them nowadays. Even if you employ them, you will have to spoon feed them for the job, and that is not an easy thing to do.

    Likewise no modern man would prefer to marry that young a girl, even if the allowance is there, because he would first have to change her diapers and wash her "puppu" and vice versa for women if they want to marry young boys.

    These FEMINIST=SEXIST=RACISTS don't understand that.

    They will spend their entire life playing solo or duo duos. What they don't understand is that they have to tie the knot SOONER rather than LATER!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  25. I m not maldivian. Since last few days I m reading this minivan news and i find it EXTREMELY ANTI ISLAMIC. Shame on u for this baised and lying journalism.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  26. Its very clear that minivan news has always been agianst islam- promoting anti islamic ways in every oppertunity they get!!
    Shame on you guys!!

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  27. feminists arent lesbians. they are people (either men or women but mostly women) who believe in female empowerment. dont mislead people by your ignorant comments.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  28. Why dosn't Rehendi spend her time criticising the religious heirachy of the christian priests and their paedopilia lifestyles rather than casting their stones on just Islamic clerics such as Bilail phillips who's doing a lot of good in peoples lives.
    (Those who are guilty cast the first stone) Look in your bible and then look at the church

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  29. Why did you not publish my article. Was the truth too hard to bear?

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  30. Such act of Jahiliyah by Maldivians, labelling a renowned graduate of Madinaah University Dr. Bilal Philips extremism.You are insulting My Prophet sallahu aalaihiwassalam.

    May Allah destroy you with another Tsunami Ameen.

    Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every muslim.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Comments are closed.