President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has appointed Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed as Islamic Minister, and Dr Mohamed Muiz as Environment Minister.
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s daughter, Dhunya Maumoon, was also appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Sheikh Shaheem was ranked one of the world’s top 500 most influential Muslims in 2010 by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISC) in the Kingdom of Jordan.
He resigned from his post as State Minister of Islamic Affairs under former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government, in December 2010.
His resignation followed the burning of the Israeli flag in Republic Square over opposition to a visiting delegation of Israeli eye surgeons, whom Islamic NGOs had accused of coming to the Maldivies to illegally harvest organs. Shaheem was one of the speakers at the event, along with current Vice President of Gayoom’s Progressive Party of he Maldives (PPM), Umar Naseer, voicing anger at the acceptance of aid from Israel.
Former Press Secretary for Nasheed, Mohamed Zuhair, told Minivan News at the time that in light of a recent number of protests against government policy allegedly involving Shaheem, “it was possible that the State Minister may have decided his position was untenable”.
Sheikh Shaheem was subsequently employed as a lecturer at Villa College, owned by Jumhoree Party (JP) MP and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim.
Shaheem has been an outspoken proponent of the study of comparative religion at higher secondary level, stating that “it is important for both Muslims and non-Muslims to compare their religions and cultures, and to compare philosophies.”
However he also warned against a move by the Education Ministry to make Islam and Dhivehi optional at higher secondary level.
Presenting himself as the face of moderate Islam in the Maldives, in early 2010 he became the first Islamic scholar from the Ministry to visit the UK with a government delegation.
He attended discussions on counter-terrorism with a range of relevant authorities, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office, Home Office and heads of counter-terrorism in the Justice Ministry, and met with Abbas Faiz of Amnesty International.
“The main objective was to discuss rapidly growing concerns around extremism and terrorism with relevant stakeholders in the UK,” Shaheem told Minivan News at the time: “There was a lot of discussion on ideas, such as how to fight ideologies and radical ideas. It was a very nice trip.”
More recently, he was accused of sexual misconduct in a video broadcast by Raajje TV, although the allegations were never clarified as Raajje TV claimed the station could not release further footage “in the interest of public decency”.
Shaheem responded at the time that he did “not wish to comment on matters regarding my private life while I am waiting for evidence. I will issue my comment when the time is appropriate.”
Cabinet appointments
All but a few of the cabinet ministers remain to be appointed by President Dr Waheed, and will need approval from parliament when it resumes on March 1.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has accused Dr Waheed of replacing the cabinet with mostly Gayoom supporters and senior opposition figures, particularly to the positions of Defence Minister (Mohamed Nazim), Police Commissioner (Abdulla Riyaz), Youth/Human Resources Ministry (Mohamed ‘Mundu’ Shareef, Gayoom’s spokesperson), Attorney General (Azima Shukoor, Gayoom’s lawyer), and Home Minister (DQP member Dr Mohamed Jameel).
Dr Waheed has dismissed the claims as misleading, saying that “Anything other than President Mohamed Nasheed’s government is now being painted as the old government, as a return to the old regime. In this country most of us grew up and got education during the last 33 years, and most of the well educated people in this country worked in government. The government was the biggest employer in the country and continues to be so.
“Therefore don’t be surprised that some people served in President Gayoom’s government. That doesn’t mean that anyone seen in the last 33 years has allegiance to a particular person. This is a very narrow way of looking at it. If you look at cabinet you can see I have been very careful in my selections.”
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What can Dunya Maunoon do as foreign minister?
She was found highly incompetent during the short period she worked in the foreign ministry when Maumoon was the resident. But noone could say anythign because she was the president's daughter. She knows nothing about foreign policies. Just because she is Maumoon's daughter, she is given the post.
I ask her to resign immediately.
Why should Waheed employ golha force?
we should go for green zone soon before its too late.
Dr Waheed, your cabinet is begining to really do all the talking here. You don't need to admit or deny anything, the people you have appointed as Ministers and state ministers says it all! It is a pity indeed that you are being controlled by Maumoon and his followers and now there really is no way out for you.
Some cabinet ministers like Dr.Muizzu and Dr.Shameed are much much better candidates compared to previous minister Aslam who is a raw activit and a puppet of Anni! But some ministers like Adeeb, Andey and Jameel are bad choices!
Maya, because he is merely a puppet and the person who holds his strings make the decisions and calls the shots.
I think idiots who comment here should think beyond before opening their mouth. Dhunya Maumoon is a highy educated (from UK) maldivian lady who has worked for years in the foreign ministry. She is very capable of doing the jon if a foreign minister. Just because she is the daughter of a former ruler whome we don't like doesnt mean we can undermine the talent and intellectual of his daughter. What experience in iternational relations did the Nasheeds government foreign minister Mr Ahmed Naseem had? He was simply given the job because he was a close ally of Nasheed. He wasnt qualified in anywhere close to Internataional relations. I believe Dhunya will do a far better job than Naseem. Whethere people here (Criminal party MDP lovers) like it or not, Dr Waheed is extablished a very good and higly technocrat government which we the maldivians need at the moment in the best interest of our country. Well done Dr Waheed and Congrats and Good Luck for Dhunya. May God bless you both.
Yasir, surely your ignorance is showing here now. If you said Naseem has no academic qualifications in the International relations then everyone would agree. But you said he has not experience at all. You should at least read what DQP has put out. The even say that he voted at the UN for the formation of Israel. Surely he must have been the Maldivian representative at the UN for him even to vote there?
As for Dunya, she has not much experience( yes a lot then Naseem in international relations) but she has a lot better academic qualifications than Naseem.
But actually Ministers do not need to be academically qualified to run Ministries. These are political appointees and the only issue here is that most of the appointees are from Gayoom's party. This means Gayoom is running the show.
If Dr. Waheed had appointed his own people or people who do not actively belong to parties, his integrity would not be questioned like this.
Ey Dhunya you are not the one for the position. We don't like anyone associated with your father.
"sigh" .... I leave town for a couple days after being sprayed on with pepper spray while in the comfort of my own home ... now the man in charge is bringing back the storm tooper's Heads up people I see a new Bishop a Rook and a Queen in our mists ... balancing your power is becoming too one sided or is HETP showing sighs of desperation to accepting help from any one that would throw him a bone ... Very disappointed in you
Nepotism is the word of the day !!!
Ignorant people here are bringing out their hatred of Qayyoom on his daughter. Dhunya is highly educated and very capable to be the Foreign Minister. She is UK graduated and has past foreign office experience. She is atleast much better than the Ex Foreign minister Ahmed Naseem who was nothing but an old scum bag. Long live Dr Waheed and you decisions. Down with tyrant Anni and his criminal party MDP.
lucky these position was not given Rekko Moosa's son-in-law Jaa (well know alcholic) or Mariya's sister Haaula Didi (food sicence graduate appointed as Deputy at Foreign Ministry)!! Dictator Nasheed was more napotic than gayoom!
(1)Dunya studied Geology. Hah hah foreign affairs????
(2)Yumna studied Anthropology. Haha hah.
(3)Gassaan wanted to be a medical Doctor. Failed. Changed his degree to a BA.
(4)Nazim was asked by Golhaa to marry Dunya. Nazim was Golhaa's boy.
(5)Dunya is married to a Bangladeshi.
(1)Dunya and Yumna are twins who were born just 7 months after Golhaa and Nashreena married.
(2)They were failures in school. Merely passed 10th standard.
(3)Went on to study without good A'levels to England. Enrolled in BA courses. Merely passed the degrees Ahmed Ali mentioned above.
(4) EDUCATED Hah hah JOKE OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!
Since Min of Education Asim is acting as foreign minister, does this mean Asim will be looking after Dunya? This is a deliberate move to bring their UNDP/Planning Ministry saga back again. I will not accept this Waheed.
The minute Shaheem took the oath of office all the alcohol in the country has turned into zam zam water.
Yasir, I agree Dunya may b good to men like you (and me?). But she is not good enough to be state minster.
She was practically spoon fed when she was in foreign office during her father's rule. Now also she is getting the post not because she is capable of doing any work, but simply because she is her father's daughter.
The Big questions is this, does the Maldives want democracy or not ??? If they do then hold elections, sooner the better. The winner will have his term in power and the losers will have to accept it. The problem is in Maldives that the loser will never accept losing because for the most part a large majority of the Maldivians can't handle losing or there extremist views are distorted and ignorant.
There's no doubt that Dhunya is an educated individual and just like any other citizen deserves her chance to serve this nation.
However, under the current circumstances, Dhunya will be doing herself a disservice by joining in a regime that was born illegitimately. She may believe that, she is doing it for bringing peace and order to this divided place. Of course that is a cause we all want to join in, but not with a regime that has so many question marks over it.
To those posters questioning her education, let me just say that politicians aren't necessarily experts in the area they serve. It's their leadership qualities and the ability to think and and act on the ground that are most important.
Dhunya as an individual may have those qualities and neither you nor can I judge them from our armchairs. If she loves here country and want to serve its people, she should work away from this regime.
I should have said, "If she loves her country and want to serve its people, she should walk away from this regime".
One more thing I want to add is that, she cannot be barred from a political life just because her father happens to be Gayyoom. Whatever wrongs Gayyoom did are his affairs and between the people and him.
There are other prominent members of Gayyooms cabinet, whose family contain well educated people who do serve the country and we are proud to have them.
Be objective, guys, instead of spreading hatred without engaging your brains.
Yasir, surely u can't expect everyone to love Dunya as much as you do? If you want to read the comments here, have the guts to accept the fact that not everyone is blinded by their love for Dunya. Why can't people question her capabilities? You think just because she's Gayoom's daughter, she would be automatically qualified to fill any position? Now that is pure ignorance! True there shouldn't be any nepotism in handing out ministerial positions or other senior positions in a government, so I agree that during MDP government people like Hawla and Jaa shouldn't have been appointed based on their family links, and yet when Dunya gets appointed to foreign minisry, its not because of who her father is but because she's a capable girl?! Haha..now that's a very convenient change to the whole nepotism argument! The only reason Dunya has been appointed to foreign ministry is to ensure that the international community are fed the stories that Maumoon and his loonies want them to know. And anyway, its a well known fact that those working in foreign ministry generally don't have to interact with the working class and the poor in this country, so where else can Dunya be appointed? She's so used to her priveledged life that she won't be able to survive in any other role? Why not as a state minister for Health, to work towards protection of women and children, which is more in line with her extensive experience in the UNFPA? Simply because she won't be able to tolerate average Maldivians coming up to her, asking to meet her and having to get her hands dirty in the process of actually fighting for the rights of the people of this country, and the most vulnerable groups like women and children. I agree Ahmed Naseem wasn't the right person for a foreign minister either, and now to justify Dunya's appointment, you are comparing Dunya to Naseem and that justifies the appointment? Well looks like Yasir, you and marie's arguments amount to just this "Well Nasheed did this, so why can't Maumoon?" Hehe...
I would like to tell the Business Community and international investors, That any business deals with current coupe led illegal government is non binding and will be investigated as soon as a democratic government is installed in the Maldives.
Yameen and Gasim will be eying to scoop new Resort islands through corrupt means, Already the puppet tourism minister gave hints about bidding of new resort islands.
Some who lived in Egypt at the time say that this Dhunya lady was conceived before Golha and his wife tied the knot!!!!
@yasir...Don't call people here idiots,you are the idiot,if you like call yourself that.Dhunya maumoon is not capable,nor is she that educated.She was employed in the foreign ministry because she was Maumoon's daughter.She has no credentials.Maumoon's children are not capable of anything except living off their corrupt father..Don't support this illegal government!Only losers like you will support these loser outlaws.
That is right,dhunya and yumna were conceived before the dictator got married to his wayward lady,against his father's wishes.The twins are actually his illegitimate children.they got married before she gave birth.Don't know whether the marriage was"sahha" ,maybe the sheikhs can put some light on the matter.
Hah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Gayyoom finally got what he was thirty for..........May Allah SWT save us from this bloody DEVIL, Ameen
It seems that the only thing that Nasheed did while in office in consultation with the vice (president) was naming the ministries. Dr Waheed who assumed office after Nasheed's popular government was overthrown in a conspiracy to which he is a party in that he met the rebel protesters amid protests in which they called the police and military to join them in bringing the government down does not seem to have so much concern about the names of departments as the rebels were about the names of the state TV and radio.
He is so indifferent about the country's Constitution and Laws that he has doesn't show any concern to head an illegitimate government set up in breach of the Constitution setting a dangerous precedent that the police and military in mutiny may bring any future government down without any legal challenge.
@sha on Mon, 20th Feb 2012 1:36 PM
"Maumoon’s children are not capable of anything except living off their corrupt father"
How do you know this? Children have no say in the choice of their parents. You cannot blame Gayyoom's children for what Gayyoom did. His children are educated and of course, being the sons and daughters of Gayyoom, they'll have certain parental loyalties to him, which is perfectly normal.
But that doesn't exclude them from holding positions in any government of this country. They should be judged on the merits of their own work and conduct. Hopefully, the education they received will enable them to serve their country in its interests and not of a particular family.