President Mohamed Nasheed was elected in 2008 “with the help of the British conservative party and imperial powers,” the Zaeem-faction of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) claimed in a video message Thursday night, featured during a rally held to launch the Z-faction’s autonomous activities to celebrate the party’s sixth anniversary.
“In the two years since this government came, 22 people were killed on the street, Islam was challenged and defied,” the video message intoned. “[The government] made drinking alcohol and using drugs commonplace, appointed drug users and convicts to senior posts, sold the country’s assets to foreigners, lost control of the economy, locked down the High Court, and members of the ruling party hijacked the Deputy Speaker of parliament along with opposition MPs.
“Sickness is commonplace and the health system has been demolished. In the meantime, leaders that Zaeem Maumoon [Abdul Gayoom] brought to the political arena have abandoned his ideology and are now trying to chart a new course for their ship away from him.”
Addressing supporters after the video presentation, former President Gayoom said that the DRP’s “greatest national duty” was “to ensure that the Maldives remains a 100 percent Muslim country,” with “full independence and sovereignty.”
“The independence of the country and our faith are very much related,” he said. “The Maldives will only remain a country with complete freedom, independence and sovereignty if it remains a 100 percent Muslim country.”
If that status should change, said Gayoom, “there is no doubt that our independence will be threatened as Maldivian history has taught us the lesson that every time we lost our independence it was because some group tried to turn the Maldivian people to the wrong religion.”
He stressed that allowing freedom of religion “in a tiny country like the Maldives with a small, homogenous population” would create “disagreement and division among the people and lead to bloodshed.”
“Enslavement”
The narrated video presentation – set to black and white reels of British monarchs and ships in the Male’ harbour – sketched a history of the Maldives’ “enslavement” under British colonialism and Indian Borah merchants to independence on July 26, 1965.
“In 1834, [Robert] Morseby came to the country on behalf the British governor in Bombay to draw [maritime] charts of the Maldives,” the narration began. “But the territorial chart wasn’t the only chart the English were drawing.
“They were drawing charts of our internal affairs and the economy, too. [They] connected Maldivians with the Borah traders who upheld the interests of British imperialism, and arranged for them to be permanently settled in Male’.”
The British then proceeded to “divide and rule,” sparking a feud between two royal families led by Athireege Ibrahim Didi and Kakaage Mohamed Rannabadeyri Kilegefaanu, both of whom had “significant political interest in the trade of the Borah.”
In late 1886, Ibrahim Didi or Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaanu deposed the reigning Sultan, who was replaced with Mohamed Mueenudeen III, known as Kuda Bandarain.
“It cannot be believed that the English played no part in the great atrocity that was the coup attempt through arson [Bodu Hulhu] in 1887,” the narrator states. “The leader of the coup, Ibrahim Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaanu, was a British citizen.”
Before heading out to set fires in Male’, the arsonists “performed black magic inside Velaanage” and ate the heart of a 15-year-old boy who had died that day.
“Eventually those who committed [the acts of arson] were found and caught,” the narration continued. “Ibrahim Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaanu and his accomplices were punished and banished. [But] before too long, the English meddled with the investigation and forced the Sultan to free Ibrahim Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaanu.”
The Maldives “became enslaved by the British” on December 16, 1887 when “the Sultan was intimidated and coerced into signing the protection agreement.”
“Empowerment”
The Z-DRP video message observed that the Maldives as a British protectorate was characterised by “poverty and the struggle for the throne by powerful families” as well as political instability and the secession of three southern atolls.
“As a consequence of the country becoming a British protectorate, after 87 years the Maldives was among the poorest five countries in the world,” the narrator explained. “The British could not bring democracy to the Maldives. There was no education system, no health system and no domestic economy. And justice was not served either.”
Former President Ibrahim Nasir secured independence in 1965 but “began his own business using state resources.”
“When Nasir left office in 1978, he owned seven resorts, numerous plots of land in Male’, a shipping line and counted a number of shops among his businesses,” the narrator claimed.
The condition of the Maldivian people “was changed by our national hero and proud Zaeem [beloved leader] of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party.”
The video message argued that the ex-President “empowered Maldivians spiritually, intellectually, socially and physiologically.”
“After empowering Maldivians upon these pillars through the service of a golden 30 years, he took the country out of the list of the world’s poorest states,” the narrator stated. “[Gayoom] introduced principles of modern democracy, separated powers of the state, and introduced a multi-party system [in 2005].”
“Now the situation has darkened again,” the Z-DRP warned. “But what the people still want, north and south, and all across the country, is the ideology [of Gayoom’s reign] that empowered them.”
“True independence”
Meanwhile in his speech Gayoom explained that true independence included “freedom of thought, economic freedom and cultural freedom as well.”
“Passing our economic affairs into the hands of foreigners, just saying that we have political freedom, is not ensuring independence at all,” he contended.
Democratic governance “is the best form of governance,” said Gayoom, and the reform agenda launched in 2004 “to bring modern democracy to the Maldives has, by the grace of God, been successful.”
“As a result of [the road map for reform] the Maldives has become a complete democracy,” he said. “A complete and perfect constitution was devised, independent institutions were established, political parties were formed, the fundamental rights of the Maldivian people were protected, justice was established. All this was done and complete before 2008.”
The new constitution was ratified on August 7, 2008, two months before Gayoom was ousted in the country’s first democratic multi-party election.
Gayoom however went on to say that “renewed efforts” were needed “to bring back democracy to the country.”
“I won’t go into too much detail on this,” he said. “However even as the video we just saw explained, the situation is deteriorating on a daily basis. The people are becoming impoverished and their rights are being violated.”
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Zaeem was a failed mad man who has destroyed Maldives homogeneous culture. The entire problem we see is the result of this mad man who has 7 century Bedouin mentality. Can any refute that what we see today is the reaping of this mad man has harvested. If we have any problem with regards to social, economic and development, it is as clear as daylight this is the result of that mad man. Does anyone believe that a person can destroy within two years period of a developed nation under the leadership of a good leader for 30 years?
Maumoon is a great leader. Great things were done to this nation . Ofcourse in the process few families were left left behind (canareege. MAIZAN . Hukifinufenmaage).
It's they who don't see what good was done.
Couldn't Zedey find anyone else to challenge than Ahmed Shafeeq and late Ibrahim Nasir? He is so sick.
This man is out of his mind. It is one thing having a go at past leaders but to say only this mad man has saved us is really the ruddy limit.
It is is because of this crook that we are in this position. When he was made President, if he has governed well, all this would not have been the case.
He destroyed the identity of Maldivians and tried to turn us into pseudo Arabs. Then he enriched his family members like Yameen, Ilyas etc. He made his cronies Ministers and signed profitable agreements for his friends like Zahir Huseein( Air Maldives).
I am not saying that Nasheed has been a good President so far but ZDRP has destroyed all the points in their video by putting forward this Brutal Dictator who has destroyed The Maldives and brought us to our knees.
All wahts you have said is 100% correct Mr Qayyoom. The Maldivian people had a better life stlye under yout regime eventhough it was a dictatorship rule. Anni governs to please America and the West. He wants to make friendship with Israel, a state terrorist country when he has so much to do for the people of his own country. What a shame.
Insinuating that the British ate the heart of a dead 15 year old boy is shamefully low politics! Shame on you Golhabo.
Eventhough there are some good things done under Maumoon regime, we should also acknowledge that Maumoon failed on several areas. He failed to give a good islamic education to our previous generation. If he did a good job on this aspect, we would not see islamophobic elements such as Hillath, Yamin Rasheed and Jeffrey Salim in our society today.
PR wise the message was good up to the point when the 15 year old was mentioned - but that was for local audiences only.
there is lot of truth about the BRITISH. They did not democratise Maldives when it was under their rule for nearly a century. They used the country, just like previous kings. After that Nasir and Maumoon continued the exploitation. Powerful people in the present MDP gov are doing exactly the same BUT by keeping Nasheed as a front. So nothing has changed in the Maldives except the PR
I am able to find examples, when President Gayyoom was in power, for each of the problems highlighted by him.
“As a consequence of the country becoming a British protectorate, after 87 years the Maldives was among the poorest five countries in the world,” the narrator explained. “The British could not bring democracy to the Maldives. There was no education system, no health system and no domestic economy. And justice was not served either.”
This is a total lie and an attempt at distortion of historical facts. I do hope that the British government take action on Zedey for this deliberate swipe at them. However hard he may try, Zedey cannot rewrite history.
Firstly, we were a "protectorate" of the British. It's very different from being a colony. The British never ever interfered with out internal affairs. As a protectorate, all we really "lost" was the ability to direct foreign affairs. As a miniscule spec of a nation with little by way of any influence, losing the ability to control our foreign affairs was no affair to say the least.
The fact that we lacked an education, health system or no domestic economy is totally the fault of our very own leaders who were ill educated despots with no interest at all in developing the country! You cannot for one second blame that on the British.
Zedey and his bed fellows have completely lost the plot!
What nonsense is this man talking, for his presidential campaign he was saying he needed another term to perfect the system- now hes saying he gave a perfect system on 2008 ??? I dont understand what hes saying???
Maumoon is very scared of Ahmed Shafeeg
because Ahmed Shafeeg is telling the truth and giving genuine information about Zedey. Zedey will never leave Ahmed Shafeeg alone.
What is this mad scoundrel talking about? Can he rule this country now? The fart is too old and has no creative thinking. Always talk of religion. All Maldivians good Muslim, he don’t need talk about religion since he is not a religious man. And no one will listen to his con talk.
Ahmed Shafeeq is a creative Dhivehi writer; Golhabo can never be like him. We all will defend Ahmed Shfeeq since truly love this Dhivehi writer scholar.
Gayoom a great leader.. Nasheed a dictator
This would be laughable if their weren't so many nutters who subscribe to his ideas.
Hehehehe. Maumoon uses the British to promote himself, and Adhaalath uses Israel to promote themselves. Close ideologies indeed.
It is very nice for the "Former" to say - " that the DRP’s “greatest national duty” was “to ensure that the Maldives remains a 100 percent Muslim country,” with “full independence and sovereignty. ” when he had traveled to England to received the cross from the Queen who claim to be the defender of faith (Christianity)!!!!
Naw, Maumoon just needs free oil from OPEC to keep supplying the Burmese junta with oil.
No wonder he NEEDS to keep the myth of '100% muslim' on. He sold out Islam to a gang of slave traders and drug producers.
What more is there to say about an arrogant man like Maumoon who doesn't respect democratic decision making and rule of law.
There's a regulation on political parties and he wouldn't respect that. He is promoting an unregistered organisation like nobody's business.
I wouldn't be surprised if one day he decides that he's the president of the Z faction of the Maldives. This will be followed by a cabinet, Capital, national flag, national anthem etc of the Z faction. Maldives.