The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has demanded police investigate Head of Male’ Municipality Adam Manik “for attacking a DhiTV cameraman and snatching his camera while [the cameraman] was covering news outside Male’ Municipality.”
The MJA alleged that Manik attacked the cameraman, Hussain Najah, while he was filming a dispute between Manik and the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) on Wednesday.
The previous day municipality workers had removed banners put up by the IFM promoting a sermon by Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed, entitled ‘Entire Medina has dimmed’.
The MJA statement claims the organisation was informed by DhiTV that the journalist was “physically hurt” when attacked. The MJA called on police to investigate the case “and media to condemn the attack and protest against it.”
“The MJA believes Mr Manik has behaved in a very dirty manner, which we have seen from the politicians of primitive societies,” the MJA said.
Manik admitted confiscating the camera but denied attacking the cameraman.
“Cameramen are not allowed to film on government property without authorisation,” he said.
“The Islamic Foundation put banners on plants in Sultans Park. The garbage collectors have standing orders to clean up government property,” he explained.
“[The Islamic Foundation] didn’t come to complain – they came in a large gang. I was out at the time but when I came back I found them hassling staff and saw a DhiTV cameraman hiding under the stairs.”
Manik said he asked the cameraman to stop shooting and give up the camera, “which he did”, and then called police.
“They suggested I return the camera, but I asked them to be present when I returned it in case they tried to destroy it and [blame] me,” he said.
The MJA disputes that the cameraman was filming in an unauthorised area, “as he was filming outside the Municipality office, an area where filming is not forbidden.”
Manik observed that “the media is too occupied with making the news instead of reporting it’, and suggested that the truth would revealed when DhiTV ran the footage.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed police had attended the scene to observe the return of the camera to the cameraman.
“No one has reported that the camera man was injured and he has not made a complaint [himself],” Shiyam said. “So far no one has filed a case.”
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Funny funny!! Manik is as we all know quite a character and has always been, from the stories I have heard of him including taking his own measures to curb loud tourists on his resort, in his previous life... this is just too funny!!!
HAHA! Roadha kuru kurun at its best. Keep it up Sarangu Adam Maniku. Show the Mullas who's the boss.
Good move Manik, the Municipality is there to clean rubbish from our country - and especially stupid posters from plants in the Sultan Park!
The statement by MJA is a window to assess the media of the country.
I would call on the international organizations (IFJ, IJF, FIJ, FIP and IFJ Global) affiliated with MJA to suspend MJA until they become a responsible organization.
The statement says that the President of Male' Municipality "attacked" the cameraman.
This is absolutely fabricated. No complaint has been made and no witnesses.
What kind of media associations would come out with stuff like "MJA believes Mr Manik has behaved in a “very dirty” manner, which we seen from the politicians of the primitive societies."?
These kind of posters are becoming a nuisance. Everyday, all streets, parks, etc., are practically "littered" with these. There should be some kind of control to this, and I fully appreciate Male' municipality's effort to keep the city clean. Keep up the good work.
Mr Manik - all well and good Sir. The posters needed to be moved to keep our city Clean. And the cameraman probably had it coming DhiTv... But where are your rubbish bins for Male city man! Where do we put rubbish? Im walking along and finishing my drink and where to put? Cameraman take photos of the rubbish.. rubbish everywhere. Be responsible cameraman take pictures of rubbish ok. You, Mr Manik are the Mayor of this city - make things happen sir. We need rubbish bins.
the government as usual has called peaceful people a gang, if it was supporters of MDP it would be a peaceful GANG. lol..why Nasheed is employing people who cannot stand in so called liberal Maldives. i have doubt with Nasheed government in media freedom and democratic harmonization.
In the absence of a supreme court to bring balance to this disordered country going out of kilter "or rather off the chart" every passing day...i say to MJ to play a more responsible role since media in such a situation in this country can really make or break it by being irresponsible and unprofessional. There is no media currently reporting matters objectively. everything is sensationalized and i have to agree with Mr.Manik's comment.
Having said that, i don't think Mr.Manik is also acting responsibly like a government official in any position should, specially as the head of municipality (specially if he plans to run for local elections and become mayor-which is rumored to be true),
resorting to grabbing a camera from a by standing cameraman (be it the cameraman was crossing the legal boundary) is quite unruly of Mr.Manik. In my opinion, he should have acted "cool" even though the moment may have been tense and called the police or alternatively gotten someone else from the civil service to help remove the cameraman if indeed he was acting outside his rights as a journalist. Considering its fasting season, i presume we can understand why Mr.Manik acted in the way he did by remembering the old proverb "a hungry man is an angry man".
i like SAM. The only person in government with the balls to stand up to the beardy weirdys and that sorry FOX TV outfit otherwise known as DhiTV
Manik, can you please do something to this terror mongering Fareed?
I don't care if there is a snow storm or sand storm in Arabia, let alone madina! If there is, it is the will of god.
Fareed: go preach your stupidity elsewhere. Don't terrorize maldivians!
"......which we have seen from the politicians of primitive societies". So now MJA can judge which societies are primitive and which are not? Oh please, can they give one example of the primitive societies they are reffering to?!!
In a hipocratic & a lawless state this is what happens, more to come. May Allah SW protect the ordinary people ....
Minivan news gets so worked up about a stupid press release by MJ?
phew..thats typical mdp..
did someone say "which we have seen from the politicians of primitive societies"?
@Ali
Why are you chickening out?
That's disgusting and cowardly!
If you don't care then you HAVE the right to remain silent!
Plug your ears!
I agree - Good move Manik, the Municipality is there to clean rubbish from our country – and especially stupid posters from plants in the Sultan Park!
Time clean up the whole country-too many political campaign posters and religious propaganda.
Citizens have a right to limit this pollution of our environment.
With Adam's actions sometimes its difficult to fathom if it is Adam or Anni running the country
During the transition from Maumoon to Anni, the authority Maumoon held over all things religion was not filled in the capacity as it should have been by Anni. And it can never be because both leaders are two different characters all together.
But i believe what Maumoon preached recently on DhiTV is quite relevant. Maldives has lost its islamic discipline and in the void that was created, People like Fareed has stepped and reshaped what islam means.
Today, just like there was that 1 drug addict relative in each family, we have 1 bearded wahhabi his wife in full veil.
My comments relate to Adam Manik because he has been brave enough to stand up to these characters who fight based on fear and are misleading our flock into committing to a religion that no longer treats humans as humans.
I say ppl should stand up and back Mr.Adam Manik . Government is too timid to act on whats happening.
@Ahmed Nazim
" balls to stand up to the beardy weirdys..."????? Are you calling the Maldivian ancestors and current citizens with beard "weirdys"?? While you deviant (secular) muslim who have permission by your consitution to call true muslims names?? Look at your family or friends or neigbour..we are there with our beards and our ladies with Hijab!! You can never Insha Allah change us nor harm us..your mocking is for u in the hereafter Insha Allah!! You call us beardy's and backward? while you drink alcohol, prostitute and kill for your religion which is Dollar/money! Is that civilized way to live? May Allah SW show you and your like minds the right way or you end up as an example for the rest of humanity!! Ameen!
By the way Majority Maldivians know who Sarang Adam Manik (SAM) is! Many know his hobby of drinking and other deviant acts! So we don't expect anything else from him!!
Blackout in Medina! May Allah help Fareed get a job in Hollywood. Amen!
I think Manik is overacting.....due to an emotional matter which is coming up."to be moral is the best way to win the hearts of the public".
Journalist should follow the etiquette of journalist not to spy.
Manik is a generous, wealthy and a great man. But he should keep up his duties according to the laws and take correct pace to solve problems.
He should plan to remove rubbish on the street and public areas not banners which are authorized.
Since last election of parliament members "Political Campaign" posters are still adhered on to street walls.
Posters of religious propaganda are very periodical and should be removed by those organization once the event is over.
Manik should not be immodest like barbarians. Immodesty makes the man do what ever he wants; proper or improper.
A mayor should be respected by the people but if he respect people.
He is trying to keep his own family (son) safe.
yes, where are the garbage bins? and agree, the posters are becoming a nuisance. no one bothers to even ask before they stick posters on people's walls. and as for the double yellow lines - seems that most people think those mean 'please park here'.
Lock up Fareed and all this fiasco may end.....
please don't lock fareed up. how can scholars even begin to make up for fareed's performances? he provides such good entertainment. even the tv ads for his lectures are simply unbeatable, he should receive an award for them.
The entire issue is being blown hugely out of proportion and now those who are against the government are trying to use it against Sarangu Adam Manik. This is absolutely ridiculous. He conducted himself with every ounce of poise and readiness to act that is expected of his office. Neither media nor anyone else should be allowed to flout the law and then cry wolf when they are at fault to begin with.
Ridiculous.
Mulhi Madheena andhirivejje.
Mulhi London alivejje.
Mulhi Pakistan fenboduvejje.
Al Seihk Saragu AM
Give Madheena a generator and cancell Fareed's lecture.
Storms, typhoons, darkness, Tsunamis, flooding... all will of god.
If Medina is blacked out, it means god does not like them. He who dares to go against god's punishment, and give generators to light them, will have to take the brunt of his next wrath.