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Politics an inseparable part of religion, reiterates Adhaalath party

Islam and politics are inseparable and it is unIslamic to suggest otherwise, President of the Adhaalath Party Sheikh Hussein Rasheed has announced.

”I regret that there are some MPs also who are claiming that politics and Islam should be separated, after taking a oath swearing that they would respect the religion of Islam,” Sheikh Hussein said. ”Politics and religion cannot be separated.”

State Minister for Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Minivan News that Islam was a comprehensive religion containing information on economy, family, social, business, communication, politics, military “and many more things.”

Shaheem claimed that separating politics from religion was “a Christian philosophy from the 1940s.”

”The Christians at that time were influenced by the power of their kings and popes, ” Shaheem said, ”so they fought together for their rights and demanded the separation of religion from politics, and that was the time democracy was born.”

Shaheem noted that there were some principles of democracy which were contrary to Islamic principles.

”There are many things that are similar things and there are some things we refuse,” he said. “The resolution in democracy is ‘to keep the religion separated from the state.”’

The Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was also a good politician, Shaheem explained.

”Those who suggest religion should be separated from politics are not apostates,” he said. “They are only saying such things because of their lack of knowledge.”

He said the Islamic Ministry was a part of the government and the government cooperated the ministry.

The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said the Adhaalath Party was “power hungry” in accusing the government of secularism.

Newspaper Miadhu today reported Adhaalath party member Sheikh Ilyas Hussain as saying  the government had forgotten the Adhaalath’s Party’s role in the country’s democratic transition and that the presence of the party was one of the reasons the new government had been accepted.

If dialogue failed to keep the government on the right path, Sheikh Illyas warned, the party would “not hesitate to fight against this government like we did the last one.”

He further claimed there were groups within the country that had begun challenging the party’s efforts to promote Islam, and that such trends were bringing the party’s patience to an end.

Zuhair claimed some of the party’s scholars were “directly lying to the people.”

”We support the work they are doing politically, because according to the new law any political party with less than 3000 members should be disbanded. If so, how are they supposed to be in the government if they are not a political party?”

He said the government had provided mosques for people, appointed Imams to the mosques and established the Islamic Ministry.

”We do not know why they are saying all this about the government,” he said. ”We can’t worship in our offices.”

Zakir Naik

In response to concerns about the religious qualifications of visiting Islamic speaker Zakir Naik, who is a medical doctor, Shaheem explained that Naik “is not a a preacher but a lecturer”, and his talks in the Maldives would not contravene the Religious Unity Act.

”The law says that anyone is allowed to give sermons with the permission of the Islamic Ministry,” he explained.

”We have researched his CV, and he is man who has knowledge of Islam and has written many books on Islam as well.”

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Australia hosts first diplomatic event in the Maldives

Australian High Commissioner to Colombo and the Maldives, Kathy Klugman, hosted a ‘friendship event’ in Holiday Inn last night, the first time Australia has hosted a diplomatic event in the Maldives.

Klugman said she hoped the event was “the first of many such gatherings to celebrate the links between our two countries.”

“A great deal has changed in the Maldives in the last few years,” she said. “You have commendably made a significant transition to democracy and become a significant international voice in the fight against climate change. The Maldives government has taken a lead in meeting this challenge and Australia stands ready to help.”

Australia had contributed much to the Maldives, particularly in the way of education, Klugman said, announcing that the Australian government had commissioned consultants Coffey International to develop a volunteering and scholarship program involving Maldivian alumni.

“We know many Maldivians have studied in Australia, but we have never brought them together in comprehensive way,” she said. “We promise more parties in future involving Maldives alumni.”

Speaking at the event, President Mohamed Nasheed acknowledged that many Maldivians’ knowledge of Australia “goes as far as Oscar and Lucinda.”

This was because an early generation of Maldivian teachers had travelled to Australia to study their profession, and had returned to pass on their positive impressions to the pupils.

Australia could help the Maldives become “a more intricate part of the Indian Ocean”, Nasheed said, given its favourable position as a potential trading hub.

“We sit in one of the most navigatable parts of the Indian Ocean, with the bulk of trade crossing north of the Maldives or through it. Because everything passes through us it seems quite possible for us to tap into that,” he suggested.

On the subject of the environment, Nasheed noted that the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the first to suggest that the Copenhagen Accord might be salvaged.

“Before that, a lot of people said they didn’t think [the Accord] would be worth the paper written on it,” Nasheed said. “Now we’re seeing an agreement might be more possible, and much of it is because of the very good work done by the Australian Prime Minister.”

“During all the meetings I found Kevin Rudd to be very friendly and a capable politician. His understanding of small nations and his relationship with many developing countries, especially Bangladesh, was striking – as was his tolerance and attitude to life.”

Nasheed concluded by saying he hoped Australia would strengthen relations with the Maldives by working with it on an increasing number of projects.

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Arrests in Laamu Gan after gang attacks on police

Police have arrested 22 people including four children under the age of 18 in Laamu Gan, after they were attacked during a wave of gang violence.

Police said the attacks occurred on Saturday morning at 4:00am, after the gang, believed to be from Mathimaradhu, “appeared suddenly from a forest.”

Police alleged gang members broke the glass windows of a shop in the industrial area of Mathimaradhu, burnt down a hut in Mulurimagu [district] and broke the windows of two houses. When they tried to stop the gang members, police claim they they were attacked and a police vehicle damaged.

Two policemen were seriously injured in the attack, including one suffered a broken arm after he was hit by a metal tube and another who was struck in the arm by a piece of wood with nails in it.

Police have recovered some of the weapons used in the attack from a house in Mathimaradhu, including swords, knives, metal pipes and blocks.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the injured two police officers have been brought to Male’ and admitted in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

He said the police were investigating the case but refused to give more information.

Island Chief of Gan office Abdul Rahman said that the attack on Saturday night was a gang war between the two districts Mathimaradhu and Mukuri Magu that had been going on for a long time, “for at least three months.”

”Several times many of them have been injured,” Rahman said, ”but this is the first time they attacked the police and damaged property.”

He said most of the gang members were under the age of eighteen.

”We do not know why they have been fighting,” he said. ”We had not received any reports on these fights.”

He said there was a distance of 30 minutes between the two districts on foot.

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Reports of a baby at Artificial Beach have police laughing

Reports of a bundle that looked like a baby sent police to the Artificial Beach yesterday.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police took the reports very seriously and went to the Artificial Beach, near the Tsunami Memorial to look at the bundle.

They unwrapped it to find it was a frozen fish.

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Nasheed ‘Best International Politician’ in Independent’s Green Awards

President Mohamed Nasheed has been described as ‘Best International Politician‘ in a series of Green Awards published by the Independent, a left-leaning UK newspaper.

“In a catastrophic year for the climate crisis, were there any heroes?” the newspaper says, in reference to the Copenhagen talks.

“A handful of politicians will be remembered for trying to do the right thing… The most inspiring leader was Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. ‘We are on the world’s front line,’ he says. And, in a sense, its only hope.'”

The newspaper praised Nasheed’s pledge to make the Maldives carbon-neutral by 2020, and his warnings “that we all have to make this transition – and fast.”

In receiving the Independent’s green award for politics, Nasheed joins the ranks of best supermarket (Marks&Spencer), best product (LED light bulb), and best UK village (Coleshill).

The President’s Spokesman Mohamed Zuhair said the award “is very welcome. The President is delighted.”

He said the award was a reflection on the whole country and came at a time when the President had been accused “of running a one man show.”

Zuhair disagreed that the President’s massive international popularity was not mirrored locally.

“There is huge respect [in the Maldives] for his efforts in combating beach erosion, building embankments and visiting vulnerable islands,”

Moreover, Zuhair said, the award promoted “positive public perception” of the Maldives that would “translate to more visitors.”

“It helps that the Indpendent is published in our largest tourism market, the UK,” Zuhair said.

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New Moroccan Ambassador meets President Nasheed

New Moroccan Ambassador to the Maldives, Larbi Moukhariq, presented his credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed at the President’s Office yesterday afternoon.

President Nasheed and Ambassador Moukhariq discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations between the countries and on expanding areas of cooperation, such as tourism, commerce, education and climate change, including renewable energies.

President Nasheed noted the strong historic relations between the two countries and said they were good development partners.

Ambassador Moukhariq assured the president of his country’s commitment to further strengthen relations with the Maldives.

Ambassador Moukhariq is also ambassador to India, and dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps.

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Cabinet to decide on matters that could result in the public paying fees

Government offices have been asked by the President’s office to propose any services that could result in the public paying fees or charges.

The President’s Office asked that any information regarding the matters proposed should not be made public until the Cabinet has made its final decision on the matter.

All government offices were also instructed all government offices to execute the Cabinet’s decision on the matter once the decision has been made.

The President’s Office has instructed all government offices to propose any matters that could result in public paying any fee or charge, to the Cabinet through the line ministry. The President’s Office made the instruction in a directive issued today.

The directive state that any information regarding the matters proposed the Cabinet should not be made public before the Cabinet issues a final decision on the matter.

The directive issued by the President’s Office also instruct all government departments to execute the decisions of the Cabinet once the President’s Office informs the relevant ministries of the decision.

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India donates helicopter to MNDF

The Indian government has donated a helicopter to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), reports Haveeru.

The helicopter will be officially handed to the MNDF at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Indian Defence Minister AK Anthony visited the Maldives in August, and after his visit the Indian High Commission said the Indian government would provide a helicopter and assistance to establish a 25-bed military hospital in Malé.

The helicopter has been re-painted with a Maldivian flag and a sign reading MNDF.

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Dr Waheed concludes tour of South Havadhu Atoll

Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed attended a function in GDh Thinadhoo to mark the anniversary of MM Pre-School, one of the oldest pre-schools of Thinadhoo.

Dr Waheed said pre-school education plays an important role in the development of children’s minds, and the future will be based on children’s education.

He mentioned the importance of maternal health and education, for the proper nurturing of children and added all pre-school teachers should be well qualified.

Dr Waheed said the government is trying to establish a pre-school in every island, as education for young kids needs special attention.

Vice President Waheed was on a tour of South Havadhu Atoll which began on 15 April. He is now back in Malé.

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