Author: Ahmed Nazeer

Taxing property is “haram” in Islam, claims Salaf NGO

Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has claimed that imposing taxes on a Muslim’s property without his or her consent is haram (forbidden) in Islam.

“Without doubt, using a person’s property or profiting from the property without the consent of the owner is haram in Islam,” the NGO said today in a press release. “Only the compulsory Zakat (alms for the poor) portion can be taxed from a Muslim’s property.”

Salaf cited Surah 2:188: “And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].’’

In addition, the Salaf press statement referred to Prophet Mohamed’s (pbuh) final sermon, in which he said, “O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.  Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.”

Salaf noted that Islam protected personal property “to an extent that is not found in any other religion.”

The religious NGO contended that “formulating a law and taking people’s property whatever name it is done under is for a certainty haram.”

“Jamiyyathul Salaf would remind the Speaker of Parliament and all MPs that those who formulate such laws and those who assist them will without a doubt have to bear responsibility before Almighty Allah,” the Salaf statement warned.

It adds that there is consensus in the Islamic ummah (community) that “stealing property by compulsion with laws on taxes, duties and pension imposed on a Muslim’s property is definitely haram.”

Salaf warned that those who claimed personal property “for entertainment or as a sport” would face their old age with “no one to care for them.”

If the state believed that there was no other way to manage its finances but to “take taxes and duties from the halal income of Muslim citizens,” Salaf said that it implied “corruption and a failed economic policy” and was the sign of “a philosophy of enslavement.”

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair observed that there were many civilised Muslim nations that had introduced direct taxation as well as import duties.

“Salaf should refer to the parliament on this issue, because the parliament cannot make any law against the tenets of Islam,” Zuhair suggested. “I believe that parliamentarians will keep to the tenets of Islam in drafting any law.”

Zuhair added that as Islam was the most modern of the three monotheistic religions, he did not believe taxation could be haram.

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Alidhoo Resort sacks 12 staff members following strike over unpaid salaries

The Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) has condemned a decision made by Alidhoo Resort to sack 12 staff members following a strike over unpaid salaries held last week.

On Thursday July 21 Maldivian staff working at the resort in Haa Alifu Atoll declared themselves on strike claiming that the management of the resort had not paid them salary for the previous month.

“It is almost the end of this month and Ramadan is coming up – we have to send money to our families back on the islands and we are really broke,” a staff member working in the resort told Minivan News at the time.

He claimed allowances of the staffs working in the resort had not been paid for the last three months, including service charge and overtime. He further claimed that expatriates working on the island had not received their salaries for three months, but feared for their jobs if they joined the strike action.

The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company was not in the Maldives, he claimed.

“When he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” the staff member said.

The resort’s management dismissed 12 employees following the strike.

Alidhoo’s Human Resources Manager Ali Naseer told Minivan News that he did not have any information that a strike was conducted on the island.

“Many staffs have been dismissed over different issues, issues perhaps concerning their performance,” he said.

Vice President of TEAM, Mauroof Zakir, said the worker’s organisation condemned the management’s decision.

“On many occasions in many tourist resorts, staff have been dismissed after they strike for their rights,” Mauroof said.

He said he had information that police arrived on Alidhoo resort at midnight on the day of the strike, and escorted the dismissed members of staff off the island.

“We will hold a meeting very soon following this incident,” Mauroof said.

Alidhoo Resort is operated by the Maldivian company Yachttours, owned by local businessman Abdulla Jabir who is currently running as a candidate for Chairperson of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Minivan News contacted Jabir for comment but was told “don’t ever call me about this again.”

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Police release resort staff arrested for premarital sex

Police have released a 36 year-old Maldivian man and 33 year-old Thai woman from custody, after they were arrested last week on charges of premarital sex.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the two resort staff were released because police had concluded their investigation and there was no reason to hold them in detention.

‘’We discussed the matter with the Prosecutor General and we were advised to release them from detention as the investigation was concluded,’’ Shiyam said. ‘’There were no other charges to place against them.’’

Both individuals were staff members working at Herethera Resort in Addu Atoll.

”They were not arrested while they were on Herethera Resort, but while they were on an island in Addu Atoll,’’ police said.

Local media reported that an islander alerted police that the couple were having premarital sex, and when police officers attended the scene they were found to be involved in sexual activity and were arrested.

An islander told newspaper Haveeru that the individuals were involved in a relationship and used to frequently visit the house they were arrested inside.

Under the 1968 Penal Code the penalty for premarital sex is 100 lashes. An updated Penal Code was sent to parliamentary committee May 18, 2010, where it remains.

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Broadcasting Commission reprimands DhiFM’s use of “indecent language”

The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) has reprimanded private broadcaster DhiFM for repeated use of “indecent language” during programmes aired by the radio station and simultaneously broadcast live by sister network DhiTV in its “visual radio” segment.

In a press statement released last week, the commission said that it has advised DhiFM to strengthen its editorial policy and comply with the broadcasting agreement.

MBC noted that all broadcasters had a responsibility to ensure that its content was in accordance with provisions of the broadcast license agreement and did not contain language that could be considered offensive.

However, the commission did not specify the kind of language featured in the radio station’s live programming.

“Broadcast content should not include any words, gestures or actions that does not fit social norms of conduct,” the MBC statement noted.

It added that the commission has recently met broadcasters to discuss legal measures that could be taken for violations of the broadcasting agreement.

Deputy CEO of DhiFM Mohamed Jinah told Minivan News that the MBC’s statement was made regarding remarks by a caller during a live program called “Morning Edition.”

“He made comments about the President, and that same day we officially informed the commission and the police about this incident,” Jinah explained. “We do not tolerate that kind of behaviour and we will never encourage it.”

Jinah noted that last week a popular local TV station broadcast video footage of MPs using objectionable language.

“But the commission does not seem to have seen or heard that,” he said. “It’s very unfair that the commission has not said anything about it. Before broadcasting any material, the broadcaster has to check the content, it is a responsibility of the TV station.”

Jihan revealed that the police were currently investigating the case.

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Child care worker at Villingili orphanage arrested for mistreatment

Police have arrested a female staff member working at the Villingili children’s home, after she allegedly physically abused a boy living in the centre.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that police had received reports of the incident.

“It’s very difficult to provide further details of the incident at this time,” he said. “I can only confirm that police have received a report that this incident occurred.”

Deputy Minister for Health Lubna Mohamed told Minivan News that media reports of the arrest made in the children’s home were correct.

“A child care worker working at the Villingili children’s home was arrested by police after we learnt that she had physically abused a child living there,” Lubna said.

Lubna said the issue came to light after the director of the children’s home noticed that the child had visible external bruises.

“The director informed us of the incident and we immediately reported it to police,” she said. “We have zero tolerance for such actions. All staff working in the children’s home have to respect the rights of the child.”

Lubna said the staff member was summoned to the Criminal Court which granted a five-day extension of her detention.

In October last year, the Maldives Police Service and the Health Ministry commenced a joint investigation into “erious issues” concerning the mistreatment of children at the children’s home.

However, no information on the matter was divulged.

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Deputy Speaker Nazim appointed Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader

A new coalition of opposition MPs from the Peoples Alliance (PA), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)’s Z-Faction, Jumhoory Party (JP) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) last night appointed the new group’s leader, deputy leaders, spokesperson and whips.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament and PA MP Ahmed Nazim was chosen as the leader of the Opposition Parliamentary Group.

DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed and Z-DRP MP Ilham Ahmed were appointed as deputy leaders of the parliamentary group while Z-DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf was appointed spokesperson.

Z-DRP MP Hamdhoo Hameed was appointed as the “government watch” and PA MP Abdula Azeez Jamal Abu Bakur, Z-Faction MP Ali Arif, MP Ahmed Nihan, MP Abdul Muhsin, MP Mohamed Rafeeq and independent MP Ibrahim Riza were appointed as whips.

Deputy Leader of DRP Ahmed ‘Mavota’ Shareef meanwhile told Minivan News that the current political situation of the Maldives was very fluid.

“Today everyone needs power and to get that power one might do anything, be it out of the law or within the law,” Shareef said.

Shareef predicted that according to the way things were going, DRP MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali “will not lose the position of minority leader in parliament.”

“We do not support the policy of the government, that is why DRP is here, and we will only support people that support the policy of DRP.”

Announcing the decision to create the new opposition parliamentary group, MP Mahlouf said Thasmeen was also welcome to join the opposition parliamentary group.

Thasmeen did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Alidhoo resort staff on strike over unpaid wages

Maldivian staff working at Alidhoo Resort in Haa Alifu Atoll have declared themselves on strike claiming that the management of the resort had not paid them salary for last month.

The resort is operated by Yacht Tours, owned by local businessman and former MP Abdulla Jabir.

“It is almost the end of this month and Ramadan is coming up – we have to send money to our families back on the islands and we are really broke,” said a staff member working in the resort.

He claimed allowances of the staffs working in the resort had not been paid for the last three months, including service charge and overtime.

“Last week we spoke with the management about our salaries and they said we will be paid today, and today they said they will pay us next Monday,” he said. “Now we are not very confident with this management so we have decided to continue this strike until they pay us.”

The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company was not in the Maldives, he continued.

“When he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” the staff member said.

He claimed that expatriates working on the island had not received their salaries for the past three months.

“They want to join us in the strike but they fear that they might be fired and sent back to their countries,” he said, adding that the expats were supporting the strike although they were not physically involved.

Vice President of Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) Mauroof Zakir told Minivan News that TEAM was not officially involved in the strike.

“TEAM has decided not to participate in any strike that is conducted without informing TEAM prior to the commencement of the strike,” Mauroof said. “However, we have given Alidhoo staff instructions.”

Mauroof said TEAM made the decision in a recent meeting because “whenever the strike reaches an uncontrollable status, that’s when the staff see TEAM, and when it reaches that situation it is very hard for us to solve the issues.”

Chairman of Yatch Tours Abdulla Jabir told Minivan News that the delay was caused because he was not in town.

“It will be arranged sometime today,” he said. “The payments were delayed because I was not here.”

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Cabinet appoints sub-committee to investigate 2003 shooting at Maafushi jail

Cabinet has decided to investigate who gave the order to shoot inmates in Maafushi jail in September 2003, an incident in which three inmates died.

Further details were not mentioned, and Press Secretary for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair, did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

In June this year three of the 12 former prison guards sentenced to death – who were living at large – were arrested by police for the enforcement of their 25 year sentence.

During the trial, 13 guards were accused of murdering three inmates and all were found guilty of the crime and sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

The 13th person, the head of the prison that time, was later pardoned by the High Court. Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom then used presidential privilege to commute the death sentences of the others to 25 year imprisonment.

Maafushi Jail ShootingState Home Minister Mohamed Naeem told Minivan News in June that the documents at the Home Ministry showed that the 12 officers were at first kept in Maafushi Prison until the new prison head sent a letter to the-then Home Minister Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – now the leader of the opposition – that it was unsafe for the 12 to be among the other inmates.

“They were then transferred to Dhoonidhoo prison, and after two months another letter was sent to Thasmeen from the then Deputy Police Commission saying that there were no lawful grounds for keeping convicts in Dhoonidhoo for the implementing of their verdicts,” he said. “And that was the end of the document trail. We do not know what Thasmeen said in reply, or how they managed to stay at large.”

Prison guards at Maafushi claimed to have shot the inmates to control a prison riot sparked by the custodial death of fellow inmate Evan Naseem, who allegedly died of injuries sustained during the brutal torture he was subjected to inside the prison. His death – and his family’s decision to display the body and his injuries – is considered a watershed moment in Maldivian politics that led to the ousting of the former President.

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Two men arrested for secretly filming a couple having sex

Police have arrested two islanders from Utheemu in Haa Alifu Atoll, after they allegedly filmed a husband and wife while they were inside their room having sex.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the arrests was made.

“The two of them were arrested following a report received by police that they had secretly filmed and watched a husband and wife while they were inside their room having sex,” Shiyam said, adding that he could not reveal further information as the investigation was ongoing.

Councilor of Utheemu Asrar Adam told Minivan News that the men were “caught red-handed” at midnight on Monday.

“A person living in the house came out to have a cigarette and saw the two of them trying to watch the husband and wife,” Asrar said. “The next day police arrived on our island and arrested them.”

Asrar identified the men arrested as Mohamed Hassan, 26. and Ali Munaz, 21.

“Islanders of Utheemu have been suspicious that these men have been watching the toilets of houses in the island and have been secretly filming while girls are inside,” he said.

Asrar said police have not officially shared any information with the council regarding the incident, and the council was only aware of other allegations made by islanders.

“No one has officially reported it to the council,” he noted.

He added that one of the suspects, Mohamed Hassan, 26, was the vice president of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Utheeemu Wing.

Asrar said that the detention period of the arrested pair had been extended by the court, according to information he had received.

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