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Apostate publicly repents and rejoins Islam, after counselling

A Maldivian man who publicly declared himself an apostate during a speech by Islamic speaker Dr Zakir Naik on Friday evening has repented and offered a public apology on Television Maldives (TVM).

Mohamed Nazim gave Shahada – the Muslim testimony of belief – during a press conference held at the Islamic Ministry today.

He also apologised for causing “agony for the Maldivian people”, and said “major misconceptions I had regarding Islam have been clarified.”

He further requested that the community accept him back into society.

After describing himself to Dr Naik as “Maldivian but not a Muslim” on Friday night, Nazim was escorted from Maafaanu stadium by Islamic Ministry officials into police custody. Several officers were attacked for trying to protect Nazim when members of the crowd turned violent, calling for his death.

The following day the Islamic Foundation NGO issued a press release calling for Nazim to be executed under Islamic law if he failed to repent.

Apostasy is considered a grave sin under Islam, although scholarly opinion varies as to its punishment: in response to Nazim’s question, Dr Naik clarifed that the penalty was only death “if the person becomes a non-Muslim and propagates his faith and speaks against Islam. Just because a person who is a Muslim becomes a non-Muslim, death penalty is not the ruling.”

Speaking after the press conference today, Deputy Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Farooq told newspaper Haveeru that Nazim had reverted to Islam “on freewill” after the Ministry had sent two scholars to counsel him while he was in custody.

“[After] two days of counseling he said that his misconceptions had been clarified and that he wanted to become a Muslim,” Sheikh Farooq told Haveeru.

President of Islamic NGO Jammiyyathu Salaf Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Ibrahim told Minivan News he was very happy to hear of Nazim’s repentance and thanked God, adding that incident has “damaged the good name of the country.”

He further said that there were “many people trying to introduce other religions to the Maldives underground”, and that he would “release the names of these underground people at the appropriate time.”

”The incident was the result of a lack of Islamic studies in the school curriculum,” he said. ”That is one of the reasons why such things as this happen.”

The Adhaalath Party said it welcomed Nazim’s repentance and congratulated him for re-embracing Islam.

Police have meanwhile yet to reveal whether Nazim has been released from custody.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the court had decided that Nazim should be released, but he would not reveal whether police had yet done so.

“Police will analyse the situation,” Shiyam said, regarding Nazim’s safety.

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Nasheed to depart on first state visit to Australia

President Mohamed Nasheed will depart this evening on his first state visit to Australia, at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The President is to be given a full guard of honour when he is received in the Australian capital of Canberra, where he will meet Rudd and the Governor General Quentin Bryce.

Nasheed will also meet with Maldivian students studying in Canberra.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair noted that the Australian government will fund most of the costs associated with the trip, aside from airfares.

“Our country is becoming increasingly important on the world stage. People now listen to what the Maldives has to say on issues of international importance,” Zuhair said.

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President condemns weekend wave of gang violence

A spate of recent stabbings has prompted President Mohamed Nasheed to condemn rising violence in Male’.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said confirmed that yesterday afternoon a man was stabbed and injured in his chest and back, while two other men were stabbed on Saturday night.

Newspaper Haveeru reported simultaneous outbursts of violence near Athama Palace and Maafaanu Stadium on Saturday evening while the third victim was stabbed just outside Galolhu police station on Sunday. A 14 year old boy was also stabbed eight times on Friday evening, the newspaper reported, after he was reportedly mistaken by a gang for somebody else.

Haveeru reported police as saying the incidents were linked and involved the same gangs. Approximately 40 people were arrested for violent behaviour, police told Haveeru, expressing concern that they could only effectively combat such violence if severe punishment was imposed on those found guilty.

President Mohamed Nasheed condemned today string of violent attacks, saying he was “shocked and appalled”, and instructed Minister of Home Affairs Mohamed Shihab to make the matter “a high priority.”

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Israeli navy attacks aid flotilla off Gaza coast

Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid ships carrying humanitarian aid en route from Cyprus to Gaza.

News agency Al Jazeera reported that 19 people were killed in the incident and dozens injured when Israeli soldiers intercepted and boarded the convoy, called the ‘Freedom Flotilla’, 65 kilometres from the coastline of Gaza.

The Israeli military confirmed that the attack took place in international waters. It claimed four soldiers were injured when demonstrators fought back with firearms and light weaponry.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent said the ship surrendered and that there was no fire from passengers or crew on the vessel.

Organisers of the flotilla carrying said it was carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas declared a three-day state of mourning, amid rising international condemnation of Israel from countries including Turkey, Spain, Greece, Denmark and Sweden have protested against the attacks.

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Salaf claims government not eligible to resettle gitmo detainees

Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has claimed that the current government of the Maldives is not eligible to import detainmees from Guantanamo Bay, economically and religiously, and settle them in the country.

Salaf, writing on the website raajjeislam, said that according to the religious and economic situation of the country, ”it does not seem to be a wise to take a step forward for such a move.”

”We have the threat that there are unknown allegations behind the government’s decision, although it is a must for Muslims to help Muslims,” Salaf said. ” In Islam there is a procedure arranged to follow when helping Muslims,” the group noted.

Salaf said it would be more appropriate for the Maldives to help the Muslims of a neighbouring country.

”There is no evidence to prove that the two inmates scheduled to be brought to the Maldives are really inmates from Guantanamo,” the NGO said, claiming to have evidence that would confuse [the people] as to the government’s sincerity over the issue.

Salaf claimed that the Maldivian government did not help two allegedly innocent Maldivians when they were arrested in Pakistan.

On 13 December, President Mohamed Nasheed in his presidential speech said that the Maldives would receive three inmates from Guantanamo Bay jail.

“If a Muslim does not have a place to live in freedom, we will help in whatever way we can. We don’t want anyone to suffer any harm. We know that the Maldives, in helping just three people from Guantanamo Bay, does not mean that either the Maldives or the world would be free of inhumane treatment,” he said. “However this jail, Guantanamo jail, is very symbolic.”

He said most of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay were innocent people caught up in the war in Afghanistan, and that offering assistance to other nations in whatever capacity was “a national duty.”

The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair is currently on leave.

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One third of Maldives poor, despite rich natural resources

President Mohamed Nasheed has said that one third of the Maldives population are poor people, despite the Maldives being a country rich with natural resources and able fulfill all the basic needs of the government.

Speaking at an information session yesterday on the Maldives’ social protection program, President Nasheed said that the country’s GDP showed that the country earned US$7000-US$8000 per head.

The only government could compensate for the disparity in incomes was through government aid, said President Nasheed, ”but there are a lot of difficulties for people to receive this money.”

President Nasheed said the government had introduced 10 types of direct aid to the people.

”When one’s salary has to be spent on shelter, it makes him lessen the amount of care given to a child,” President Nahseed said, ”and there will be no money to spend for the children’s education and no money to maintain good health.”

President Nasheed said that the government was seeking ways that would make its revenue to spend in other beneficial ways.

”Our former president spent Rf 500 million annually to operate the presidential palace,” Nasheed said. ”We decreased it to 50 million and used the left 450 million to introduce allowances for the elderly.”

He said there were 32,000 civil servants with salaries of Rf 5 billion.

”To determine whether it is wise to decrease that amount we know what it is being spent on,”‘ he said. ”Some of this could be used for social protection.”

He said the more the government decreased its expenditure, the more social protection increases.

”if we spent all the money on a block of lifeless concrete, it would not be beneficial,” he said, ”instead we shall spend it on the people.”

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Comment: Rehendhi a Minivan News plot to promote “national sissyness” and “lesbian relations”

English translation of a statement published yesterday on the website of the religiously conservative Adhaalath Party.

Signs of actions are now being seen from Minivan News that it has started a special campaign against the (Religious Lesson) ‘The Call 2010’, which [Islamic NGO] Jamiyyathul Salaf is preparing to host this month.

We have been informed that Minivan News, which even from its onset has been involved in openly protesting against such religious activities and trying to instill doubt in ordinary people, is a website led by President Nasheed’s (younger) brother Nazim Abdul Sattar. Even before, on various different occasions, the (Minivan News) website has been openly insulting Islamic slogans, and many people who love Islam have already called to have the website banned.

Jamiyyathul Salaf is organising ‘The Call’ 2010 which is to be held in the first week of June. ‘The Call’s’ first lecture was held in 2009. Based on the Special Lectures by Dr. Bilal Philips, ‘The Call 2009’ paved way for, especially, many religion-loving youth to get wide-ranging religious information.

‘The Call’ 2009 was so successfully conducted due to the generosity of many religion-loving people. Sponsorship is now open for ‘The Call’ 2010. Thereby, many religion-loving Maldivian businessmen, from among the Maldivian businessmen, are now contributing generously.

We have noticed that Minivan News has kick-started a special campaign to prevent such donations (to The Call 2010). Under this campaign the first among those targeted are the leading businessmen of Maldives.

A petition letter has been prepared and posted on Minivan News website calling for Sonee Sports not to give any aid to The Call 2010.

Although Minivan News writes that Rehendhi is an underground feminist movement, this latest campaign started by Minivan News is similar to the former such campaigns conducted by Minivan News.

We have been informed that the Rehendhi association was borne out of the Minivan News [team] in order to promote national ‘sissy-ness’ and in order to call for lesbian relations among women.

When Sheikh Fareed this year gave a religious lecture about Valentine’s Day, female underwear with words written that could offend Islam were sent to Sheikh Fareed, in order to harass and insult his lecture.

Before sending these items to Sheikh Fareed, photos were taken of these panties which were then published on Minivan News. And various articles have been written on [the Minivan News] website regarding this.

No doubt you will not lose anything by spending on such events that disseminate true information and enlightenment about Islam. Enormous blessings are promised for those who spend on the promotion of Allah’s religion.

We call upon Maldivian businessmen not to give in to the threats posed by Islam’s Enemies and the Devil. Surely, the Devil will spread in people’s hearts fear of becoming poor. The Giver is Allah.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected].

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WHO’s No Tobacco Day targets women who smoke

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched No Tobacco Day on May 31 by focusing on the harm to women’s health caused by tobacco.

“Tobacco kills over five million people each year including approximately 1.5 million women,” the WHO said. “Approximately three-quarters of these female deaths would occur in low-income and middle-income countries.”

Women comprise 64 percent of the 600,000 deaths a year caused by second-hand smoking, the WHO said.

Potential health risks to women who smoking include infertility and delays in conceiving, as well as risks of premature delivery, stillbirth and newborn death, the WHO said.

“Women who smoke are at increased risk of developing potentially fatal chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.”

Smoking also “increases the risk of cancer in women, including cancers of the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, larynx, bladder, pancreas, kidneys and cervix, as well as for acute myeloid leukaemia. There is a possible link between active smoking and premenopausal breast cancer.”

The WHO condemned tobacco advertisements that associated smoking with female beauty, empowerment and health, noting that such advertisements “lure women with such misleading identifiers as ‘light’ or ‘low-tar’, implying that such produces are less deadly. More women than men smoke ‘light’ cigarettes.”

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President appoints state ministers for tourism and immigration

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Ahmed Naseer as State Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture.

The president also appointed Adam Naseer as the Deputy State Minister, Controller of Immigration and Emigration.

Ahmed Naseer previously served as the President of the Maldives Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research, while Adam Naseer was the Deputy State Minister for the Upper North Province.

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