Maldivian Scientist Professor Hassan Ugail at University of Bradford in the UK has received the ‘Excellence in Knowledge Transfer Award’ for developing cutting-edge methods of defining and manipulating complex digital data.
Professor Hassan Ugail is the Chair of Visual Computing at the University, and has developed research ideas into a business in the UK and potentially into Europe and USA.
His two patents have led to his development spin-out company, Tangentix Ltd, which is currently developing technology for digital distribution of computer game content.
Tangentix is already growing rapidly in the region is predicted to grow rapidly over the next few months and create a significant number of new jobs.
The other shortlisted candidates for the award included Dr P B Anant, Reader in Development and Economic Studies, Professor Andrew Day, Automotive, Modelling and Optimisation Research Group Leader, School of Engineering, Design and Technology, Paul Edwards, Head of training and Practice Development, Dementia Studies, Dr. Qun Shao, China Programme Manager, Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation.
Secretary General for Maldives Science Society and founding member Ajmal Shaheed said the award received by Professor Ugail was “very valuable.”
Ajmal said that the science society and all the people of Maldives should be “very proud” that a Maldivian has received the most prestigious award.
”His achievement will would encourage those Maldivians who work in the field of science,” Ajmal said. ”Scientists are very few in our nation.”
He said Professor Ugail had done much work that had been recognised worldwide.
”He has designed a space shuttle for NASA, and he is trying to develop a facial recognition system, ” Ajmal said. ”We hope this will encourage Maldivian scientists to work in the research science field.”
He said most of the scientists in the Maldives were marine biologists, and that the number of scientists working in research fields was very few.
He said the MSS was discussing how to recognise Professor Ugail for “the beautiful name he has brought the country.”
Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair said the government congratulated Professor Hassan Ugail for the success he had achieved.
”President Mohamed Nasheed also describes it as a very happy news for the country,” Zuhair said.
Zuhair said that the success of Hassan Ugail showed that Maldivians could achieve international awards if chose to go forward in the field of science.
The Adhaalath Party and religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf have said they will not support the study of comparative religion in the Maldives until understanding of the basic principles are strengthened.
The introduction of the subject at a tertiary level was proposed last week by State Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, who said it was taught in many Islamic universities across the world and would help Maldivians “learn how to deal with other philosophies, learn about what others believe, the differences between us and them, and what is the right side.”
“It is my belief that by the end of people should know that Islam is the truth,” he said.
In the lead up to the launch of the course, the Islamic Ministry is preparing to legalise the possession of books concerning other religions, such as the bible, “for educational and research purposes”, Shaheem told Minivan News on Thursday.
However President of the Adhaalath Party Sheikh Hussein Rasheed said today that the government should not introduce comparative religion to the country “before the people understand the basic principles of Islam.”
Sheikh Hussein said that before introducing comparative religion the government should teach Islam in more advanced manner.
”People today do not know the basic principles of Islam,” Sheikh Hussein said. ”It is not good to introduce comparative religion before people know all the basic principles of Islam.”
He claimed that Maldivians had moved away from religion over the past thirty years.
“As a result, today there is nobody to respect religion, teachers and leaders,” he said.
He said there were many people who doubted some religious matters, and the study of comparative religion would only increase those doubts.
Sheikh Hussein added that it was good to teach comparative religion at a university level, “but only after making the teaching of Islam more advanced.”
He also noted that there were no qualified teachers to teach comparative religion in the country.
”There might be a scholar who has studied it as a subject, but it does not mean he is qualified to teach it,” Sheikh Hussein said. ”I also studied psychology when I studied, but does not mean I am a psychologist.”
He said that in general principle the study of comparative religion at a university level was a good idea.
However he added that he had information that the government was trying to introduce comparative religion at a secondary level, which ”the Adhaalath Party will try to stop from happening by any means necessary.”
Shaheem emphasised on Thursday that the subject should not be taught at a secondary level “because [students’] minds are not [yet] prepared to deal with these philosophies.”
President of Jamiyyathul Salaf Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Ibrahim today agreed with Sheikh Hussein that people should understand Islam comprehensively before comparative religion was introduced.
Sheikh Abdulla said there were some necessary subjects of Islam many people in the Maldives did not yet understand or were not being taught.
”Only a few people understand the ‘Tafsir’ [exegesis] of Quran,” he said, adding that ”knowledge of other religions is already taught in verses of Quran and Hadith.”
He emphasised that people should be taught more about Islamic theology before it was compared with other religions.
Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said the government would introduce the study of comparative religion “in anyway the Islamic Ministry prefers”, and noted the decision over whether to introduce comparative religion at a secondary or university level was yet to be decided.
”There are no disadvantages to teaching comparative religion in the Maldives,” Zuhair said. ”We will discuss everything [in cabinet] and we are looking forward to introducing the subject for next year.”
President of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), Ahmed Saleem, said he thought that introducing the subject of comparative religion was “a good idea.”
“I welcome it. I think it’s a good opportunity for people to really understand Islam,” he said.
“I don’t think anybody else has talked about it [before it was raised by Shaheem]. You have a right to know – these books were all sent by God – even those about Christianity and Judaism.”
Saleem noted that it was technically legal for a Maldivian man to marry a Jewish or a Christian woman, as “they are all people of the book.”
However it was illegal for a Maldivian woman to marry a Christian or a Jewish man, he said.
The strike at Shangri-La Villingili Resort and Spa has ended, according to Vice President of the Tourism Employment Association Maldives (TEAM), Mauroof Zakir.
157 Staffs at the Shangri-La Villingili Resort went on strike last week after four workers were dismissed for reportedly playing on a PlayStation in a vacant villa on the last Sunday. It continued throughout the week until Shangri-La management dismissed the 10 leaders of the strike and four villa host, and invited the remaining staff back to work.
Zakir claimed the strike ended when Shangri-La management sent a letter to the parents of the strikers on Feydhoo.
”They sent a letter signed by the general manager of the resort requesting that the strikers resign or the matter would be handled to the police,” Zakir said.
”Their wives, kids and parents were disappointed with the letter and pressured the staff to stop the strike and go work.”
Zakir said the strikers did not achieve all they had set out to achieve, but “it was a success that only 14 staffs were dismissed. At first they dismissed 65 staffs on the island.”
He said that strikers took a vote on Wednesday to decide if they were going to continue or end the strike.
”Ninety per cent of them voted to continue the strike,” Zakir claimed.
He said TEAM would “still work until we achieve our demands, with the help of international organisations.”
”We will take the case to the tribunal also,” he said. ”We will do as much we can.”
Shangri-La’s Communication Director Leslie Garcia denied management sent a letter to the strike leaders.
”They were dismissed in an agreement proposed by the resort management,” she said. ”They agreed to it.”
Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has sent a letter to the Islamic Ministry seeking to clarify issues concerning the Islamic Ministry and the implementation of Shari’ah law in the Maldives.
The letter was sent to the ministry last Tuesday and was to the addressed to the Minster of Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Baary.
There were more than 15 issues the NGO appealed the ministry to clarify, including:
Details of how the Islamic Ministry acted on the issue of appointing females as judges and president
The issue of massage parlours and how they are being dealt with
How the ministry is acting against people who form isolated congregations
Details of the conversation had with the residents of Himandhoo, after they formed an isolated congregation, and the result of that conversation
How much freedom [the ministry] has given the Imams to worship according to the Sunnah.
To clarify if the ministry had information that someone had tried or was trying to build a church in the country
Vice president of Jamiyyathul Salaf Sheikh Hussein Moosa Fikry said that the letter was signed by the President of Salaf on behalf of the NGO.
”The objective of the letter was to clarify some doubts we have concerning the ministry and the government,” Fikry said.
”We have noticed that the government including the Adhaalath Party and the Maldivian Democratic Party had approved some laws contrary to the Islamic Shari’ah.”
Fikry said that there were also some recent issues Salaf wanted the ministry to clarify.
”We have included many issues, such as we do not know what happened to the issue of the Quran translation,” he said. ”We also want find out if the ministry is trying to re-build the Arabiyya school building.”
He said that the NGO had noticed that some unIslamic news articles were also sometimes circulated and claimed the ministry was not taking any action.
The Minister for Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Baari said that he had no information about the letter sent by Salaf.
”I do not know whether if they sent a letter,” he said, ”I don’t know about it.”
Spokesperson for the Islamic Ministry Sheikh Ahmadulla also said he also had no information concerning receipt of the letter.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has claimed that according to the law the commission is the only body with the legal authority to dismiss or suspend a civil servant.
The commission has claimed that the councilor of Dhiyamigili in Thaa Atoll asked a civil servant to stay at home, an accusation which led to the Home Minister Mohamed Shihab being summoned to the parliament and questioned by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ilham Ahmed.
Ilham on Monday asked the minister if a person in a political post could send a civil servant home.
The CSC released a statement which cited the minister as saying ”since a government’s office is established to provide services for the people, and as it’s the responsibility of the highest rank person at the time to manage it, I believe action could be taken.”
The CSC however claimed that “as article 46 [a] of the Civil Servant Act says, it is only the CSC who has legal authority to suspend a civil servant with or without salary. Ministers and councilors who are not among civil servants cannot ban a civil servant from coming to work,” the statement said.
Spokesperson for the CSC Mohamed Fahmy Hassan said the Home Ministry said had misled the people and claimed it was unlawful.
”If someone disrupts the peace, there are concerned authorities people should inform,” Fahmy said, ”there are departments with the authority to arrest and detain people. ”
He said that the commission never demanded or threatened any staff into joining a particular politcal party.
”The commission has never threatened a staff member hat he would be dismissed if does not join this party or that party,” he said. ”When we receive reports that a civil servant has broken the law, then we will take immediate action. ”
He notes that the councilor was not the authorised person to take action against the civil servant.
Island councilor for Dhiyamigili Adnan Ali said that it was the island chief who was asked to stay at home. But he did not give further information as he was ”very busy at the moment.”
The Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) has reportedly decided to place cellular jammers in all the country’s jails to prevent inmates from communicating with the outside using mobile phones.
The DPRS announced that it would be purchasing cellular jammers in the edition of the government gazette dated 18th April.
Minister for Home Affairs Mohamed Shihab said he did not want to give any information about the cellular jammers as it was “the concern of the DPRS.”
DPRS Director General Mohamed Rasheed said he also would not give any information on the cellular jammers.
”It’s not good for us to tell you how many guns and bullets the police have,” he said. ”You also should know it is not very good to [publish] all the information on the armed forces and their work.”
However, Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair confirmed that the government was trying to establish cellular jammer in all the jails.
Zuhair said that it would make the jail security level more advanced.
”Many times we have noticed inmates receiving assistance from people outside,” he said. ”They have connection with people outside.”
He said after the cellular jammer was installed a land line would provided for the inmates’ use, ”so they can reach their family and relatives in a regulated manner.”
He told Minivan News that several jail officers were being investigated on suspicion of helping inmates to bring mobile phones and drugs into cells in Male’ prison.
“Three inmates and several jail officers we suspect [to be involved] have been moved to Dhoonidhu [prison] for investigation,” he said.
Inmates in Male’ Prison last week damaged their cells after jail officers seized mobile phones and other contraband.
A resolution governing standards of conduct of MPs has been presented to the parliament by Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed.
MP Nasheed said the objective of the resolution was to establish a standard of conduct for all the MPs with their support, and to see if MPs could follow it.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) member ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik said that the problem in the parliament was not that there was no standard of conduct or law.
”It’s the pressure and anger that one has when they lose the luxury received during a certain administration,” he said. “The law will remain there, but there will still be no control over the parliament.”
He said that he did not support narrowing the rights of MPs as they had to fulfill their responsibilities.
Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed condemned the resolution and said he had lost one night’s sleep due to it.
”We have the right to claim whoever presented this bill on judgment day,” he said. ”This resolution takes away all our rights,”
Peoples Alliances MP Abdul Azeez Jamaal Abu Bakur said he believed he supported the purpose of the resolution, which was to form a standard of conduct.
”To make good use of our minds means maintaining our discipline,” he said, ”or else we are falling into the category of wild animals.”
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Mausoom said he was concerned about the resolution and said he had also lost sleep over it.
”I believe it’s important to pass this resolution,” he said, ”but with some amendments.”
MDP MP Alhan Fahmy said that the resolution should not be brought to the floor.
”It is not a must for us to do as the America’s specific house or how India’s specific place does,” he said. “The people have elected people who have reached the level of conduct they expect in the parliament.”
DRP MP and Vice President Ilham Ahmed said that it was necessary to form a standard of conduct.
”We have witnessed scenes when some people unplugged the microphones in committee room and broke the glass of the name notice board,” he said. ”And it’s embarrassing to say we have also witnessed a scene when an MP pull down his zip.”
He said that to avoid repeat performances, the standard of conduct was necessary.
Family members have claimed that inmates in Maafushi jail were badly beaten by jail officers in a prison riot on Sunday morning at around 12:15 am, after they were allegedly asked to go out to the prison yard and kneel on the ground.
A person familiar with the case told Minivan News that the riot was sparked when jail officers entered Unit 7 while everyone was sleeping.
”An Emergency Support Group (ESG) squad and the Maldives Police Service Serious and Organised Crime Unit, both in full riot kit, arrived in the middle of the night and demanded the inmates to go out to the yard and kneel down,” he said.
He said when the “barely awake” inmates refused to go outside ”they started confronting the inmates and beating them with their batons, and [the inmates] tried to defend themselves,” he said. ”It was shocking that they suddenly appeared like that in the middle of the night.”
He said claims by the Department of Penitentary and Rehabilitation Service (DPRS) that the inmates attempted to kidnap a jail officer were “all untrue.”
”It’s true that earlier three inmates in unit 8 jumped over the wall intending to jump into unit 7,” he said, ”but jail officers outside saw them and rang the loudest emergency siren.”
He said the three inmates ran back to their cell in fear.
”That was at the same time President Mohamed Nasheed had just left Maafushi after attending a ceremony held to open a water plant,” he said. ”If the jail officers came to take [the offenders] they could have just called their names and taken them, that’s how they always do it.”
He said that at least 15 of the inmates were badly injured in the riot, “but only three of them were taken to Male’,” he said. ”There are still six seriously injured inmates left in isolation cells in Unit 2, without medical treatment.”
He claimed that one of the inmates in Unit 2 had broken his arm, another had a swollen left eye and many others had bruises on them.
Injured inmate
”There is another man [in isolation] with internal bleeding – he was beaten up because he was the brother of another inmate who confronted jail officers,” the source alleged.
“He has first degree lung cancer and doctors have banned him from being imprisoned in any area where fresh air is not available. The Home Ministry would know about that.”
He claimed that jail officers “often complain that the current government does not provide them new shoes and uniforms like the former government.”
”They have a culture of torturing people,” he claimed. ”They want to have extreme power over inmates, so they pretend they do not have any control over the inmates, that’s what they want to show.”
Another person familiar with the case told Minivan News that the inmates in Unit 7 and Unit 8 were having an argument over a matter that started on Saturday afternoon and went on until that evening.
He confirmed that the three men in Unit 8 climbed over the wall intending to enter Unit 7.
“The jail officers on duty saw them and inmates returned back to Unit 8,” he said. ”But the officers rang the loudest siren, which can be heard throughout the whole island, to make it into a big issue.”
He said the jail officers entered Unit 9 that day around 6:30pm and left.
”Inmates in Unit 9 are very disciplined and well behaved,” he said. ”Jail officers went there and questioned them for about half an hour and left.”
He said that jail officers entered Unit 7 at midnight and demanded they go out to the yard and kneel down.
”It was alright to take those three,” he said, ”but they wanted all the inmates to kneel in the yard.”
The source said the riot last Saturday was a part of “a permanent war between inmates and the ESG.”
”The ESG force was established in 2007 and on their first day after training they beat up many inmates for no reason, shouting ‘We now have the power in Maafushi jail.”’
Head injury
He claimed that three inmates were brought to Male’ yesterday morning and admitted to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
“But there are still inmates injured who have not received any medical treatment,” he claimed.
”The inmates have wives and kids at home waiting for them; a few are moved to Male’ and put under house arrest for rehabilitation and medication, but they are not really ill inmates. Inmates who really need medication are still inside here in the cells.”
The source also claimed rehabilitation and house arrest were drawn randomly by the DPRS ”like a lucky draw.”
He said many of the jail officers complained the current government was not providing them any services, either.
”They used to provoke the depressed inmates to [do bad things], saying things like: ‘Don’t wait like that, do something.’ The should be called the DRP-S,” he said.
He further claimed that neither rehabilitation or advice were given to prisoners.
”They only know how to beat [the inmates] up. That’s the only service they get [in prison],” he said.
The mother of an inmate hospitalised in IGMH told Minivan News that she received the information about the case on Sunday.
”I went to the Human Right Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and told hem about the incident,” she said. “They called the DPRS who said my son was not injured.”
After contacting many government officials her son was brought to Male’ for treatment yesterday morning at 10:00 am.
”I was there when he arrived, his leg was damaged and he could not even walk,” she said. ”I called the DPRS and asked them to come and see for themselves whether if my son was injured.”
The mother of another inmate told Minivan News that her son’s arm was broken and he had been also was hit in the chest with a baton.
”Last night he had difficulties breathing, and still he has internal bleeding,” she said.
Miniavn News attended IGMH today to ascertain whether inmates had been injured and hospitalised as claimed, and confirmed the presence of three, in wards 7 and 10.
However the journalist was asked to leave by the police, despite DPRS staff outside previously agreeing that the inmates could be interviewed. ”It was is not visiting time and DPRS has requested you leave,” Minivan News was told. Minivan News observed that police and DRPS officers had removed their name tags.
Human Rights Commission of the Maldives yesterday released a press release after interviewing inmates and jail officers.
Inmate claims he was injured by a baton
HRCM’s report said that no one was seriously injured during the riot, and further claimed that the DPRS jail officers did not have control over the inmates.
”After the survey we conducted we noticed that DPRS officers had no control over the jail and the government had not provided the jail officers enough equipment,” HRCM said.
“The jail does not have any equipment to use in case of fire and there was no security equipment to control inmates out of control,” the statement said.
Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair and Director General of DPRS Mohamed Raheed did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
State Minister for Home Affairs Ahmed Adil said three inmates in Maafushi jail had tried to kidnap a jail officer who entered the cell to serve food to them.
Adil said that 15 jail officers were also injured during the riot.
”The DPRS did not enter the unit all of a sudden at midnight, ” he said. ”[Officers] tried to apprehend and isolate the inmates who tried to kidnap the jail officer.”
He said the inmates then confronted the jail officers.
”They threw stones at the jail officers,” he said, ”they threw anything their hands touched.”
Adil confirmed that six inmates were brought to Male’ for medical treatment.
”One of the inmates had a fracture in his arm and doctors said they needed to operate,” he said, ”but when doctors brought him inside the surgery room they noticed he was drunk and not in a good condition to be operated on, so he was sent away to be brought back later.”
The bill on banning the importation of alcohol and pork was presented to the parliament by independent MP Ibrahim Muthalib, which he claimed was an amendment to the list of things that cannot not be imported under 75/4 of the law concerning contraband.
15 MPs voted in favour of the bill while 53 MPs voted against it. Four MPs did not vote.
“The last time I presented a bill banning the sale and usage of alcohol on inhabited islands parliament sent it off the floor claiming that it only banned particular areas (inhabited islands),” Muthalib said, upon presenting the bill.
“This time I am presenting a bill to ban [alcohol and pork] from being brought inside the country at all.”
Almost all of the MPs were against the bill, claiming that it would harm the country’s tourism industry and its economy.
Maldivian Democratic Party MP Ahmed Abdulla presented the bill to the parliament on behalf of the government, with the stated aim of strengthening the democracy of the country by providing people “a peaceful” way to participate in political activities.
The bill was approved by the vote of 68 MPs, while 2 MPs voted against the bill.
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