Disappointment over low government turnout at One Billion Rising event

Organisers at One Billion Rising in the Maldives have expressed disappointment over the number government officials who failed to attend the event, aimed at ending violence towards women.

The international campaign was launched in the Maldives on Thursday (February 14) by NGO Hope for Women at Jumhooree Maidhaan in Male’.

The One Billion Rising campaign began after research revealed that one in three women around the world will be raped or beaten in their lifetime.

The gathering in Male’ featured live music and dance performances, and saw many young men and women in the crowds dancing together.

Despite the event’s popularity with youth in Male’, Chair of Hope for Women, Aneesa Ahmed, said the poor turnout from government officials “showed their lack of commitment” in tackling the issue of violence against women.

“We have been working alongside the Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights, and they have invited all government agencies and ministries, but I have hardly seen any of them here,” she said.

“I really don’t know what to say – the commitment is just not there. In the last few years nothing has really been done to help this particular cause,” Aneesa said.

Speaking to Minivan News, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad said that the government was a broad entity consisting of many ministries and that he had not been aware of any specific invite to members of the government.

“As I understand, Acting Minister of Gender, Family and Human Rights] Dr Mariyam Shakeela attended. Some other ladies from the the government were there,” he said.

Masood said a member of staff from the President’s Office had also attended the event, as he had “skipped a meeting he was supposed to attend”.

Last month a study by Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) found that support for women’s equality in the country had experienced a “significant drop”.

The report found that fewer respondents – compared to the 2005 survey – believed that women should have equal rights to men.

Aneesa said that the event was aimed towards the younger generation in the Maldives as they do not possess the “prejudices” elderly people have in regard to equality.

“I am particularly happy because there were so many young people here, it is very encouraging. These people will stand up against violence, they are going to be a very strong force.

“In the past few years we have this increasing influence of conservatism in the country and because of this the older generation are more cautious about coming to such an event. Things like dancing, as you see today, we are not supposed to do this,” Aneesa added.

Speaking at the event, Heat Health and Fitness Managing Director Aishath Afra Mohamed spoke about her concerns regarding violence against women in the Maldives.

“Some men are trying to keep their wives in the house, they don’t want women to work and socialise with their friends. They are very possessive.

“The rate of violence is going up and women are keeping quiet about it here. But this event is good to see, the more we make light of the matter, the better it will be,” Afra added.

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Islamic Ministry claims Christians, Freemasons secretly working to “eradicate” Islam in the Maldives

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has warned that Christians and Freemasons are working to “create doubts” on Islam within the hearts of young Maldivians.

Local media reported the Islamic Minister as claiming there is a “strong psychological war” conducted by “various Christian organisations” to “wipe out” Islam from the Maldives.

Shaheem further claimed that the Freemasons – a secretive society originating from Europe – was carrying out activities “in secret” within the Maldives.

Shaheem was speaking at a ceremony to mark the 886th anniversary of the Maldives’ conversion to Islam from Buddhism, in accordance to the legend taught in Maldivian schools.

“Various Christian organisations and missionaries are strongly involved and active in our society. They are working within us and outside, trying to create doubts on Islam within the hearts of young people,” Shaheem declared.

“We have got a lot to do to strengthen Islamic faith through the national curriculum. We have to clarify the doubts being cast in the hearts of young generation. We can only overcome this through unified collaboration,” the Minister added.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik meanwhile expressed similar sentiment to the Islamic Minister, asking the public to be cautious of activities being carried out to allow other faiths into the country.

Waheed said the Maldives had remained an independent and sovereign nation because it was a “100 percent Islamic state”, and that the “unity and brotherly bond” between people was the result of Islam.

“It saddens me to say that despite the existence of such a bond, today we’re seeing a little weakening of that bond. We need to seriously think about this, especially when the introduction of multi-party politics has resulted in deterioration of familial bonds and social well being,” he said, in his address.

Waheed said it was important for people create love towards Islam and strengthening Islamic faith, as the country celebrates the day the Maldives embraced Islam.

President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad meanwhile told Minivan News that the government had not been made aware that undercover Freemason organisations or Christian missionaries were operating in the country in an attempt to undermine Islam.

Massod added that the matter would be better forwarded to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs for clarification.

“We try to keep out of these matters,” he said.

Sheikh Shaheem and leader of the government aligned Adhaalath Party, Sheikh Imran Abdulla, were not responding to calls at time of press.

The story of how Maldives embraced Islam

The legend of how the nation converted to Islam is one that is still taught to children studying in Maldivian schools.

According to the story, an evil demon named ‘Rannamaari’ appeared from the sea on the first of every month, and would only leave the islanders alone after the sacrifice of a virgin girl.

Every month the islanders selected a girl to be sacrificed for the demon, only to discover her body on the beach the following morning.

This continued until one day a Muslim traveller named Abul Barakathul Yousuful Baru Bary arrived in Male’ and happened to stay in the house of the next virgin girl selected for sacrifice.

As he saw the whole family weeping in sorrow he asked what was going on, and learnt about the procedure..

He then decided to disguise himself as the virgin girl and go to the temple instead. The following morning the islanders found him alive and reciting the verses of the Quran.

The King and his people were impressed that the demon never appeared after that incident, and decided to embrace Islam from that day onwards.

The story itself is now dismissed by the young generation as a myth, with many people believing instead that it was the King himself allegedly raping and murdering the virgin girls every month.

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ACC temporarily halts construction of new IGMH building

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has ordered a temporary halt to the construction of 10-story building to be utilised by Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Local media reported that the ACC are currently investigating a matter concerning the project’s handover to AMIN Construction at an excessive cost.

President of the ACC Hassan Luthfy said a complaint had prompted investigations into the matter, adding that construction on the project will be resumed once the commission had finished its investigation.

“We received a complaint that the project was handed over a second time with an increase in cost. The commission is currently summoning and questioning the relevant parties,” he said.

“We are investigating how it has happened and the reason for an increase in the cost. We will make a decision regarding the issue very soon,” Luthfy said.

The building was commissioned by the government to alleviate space constraints in the hospital, which was gifted to the Maldives by the Indian government.

Last month IGMH struggled to deal with the influx of patients prompting concerns as to whether the hospital was large enough to cope with the demand for medical care in Male’.

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Young Indian teacher hospitalised in “very serious condition” after alleged rape

A young Indian teacher working on the island of Dhangethi in Alif Dhaal Atoll has been hospitalised after a group of people broke into her home on Sunday night and allegedly raped her.

The 25 year-old woman is in a “very serious condition” following the attack, said the Island Council President Azim Adam.

“They broke in [to her house] around 2:15am. I came to know about it at 4:00am and I instantly reported it to the police. The girl is now in the atoll hospital in a very serious condition,” Adam said.

A source close to the victim said she was in the hospital’s intensive care unit but was “bleeding uncontrollably.”

“We have put seven pints of blood into her but she is still bleeding. It is a very serious issue. We are planning to send her to India, there is not much more we are able to do here,” the source said, adding that her brother had arrived in the Maldives and was on the island.

The Indian High Commission in the capital Male’ said it had been informed of the incident and had received the woman’s details from the police.

Maldives Police Service (MPS) Spokesperson Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef said specialist teams were investigating the incident. He could not confirm whether any arrests had been made, but said further details would be released to the media at a later stage.

Local media reported that the woman was teaching a private computer course on the island.

Island Council President Adam said the young woman had been working on the island for less than a month, and described her as a “very kind person who was very friendly towards the local islanders”.

Dhangethi is the third largest populated island of Alif Dhaal Atoll, with a population of around 1200 people.

An official from the Indian High Commission noted that a similar case had occurred in 2011 involving an Indian nurse working on an island in the Maldives.

“I told the police that [in 2011] there was a rape case like this whereby a nurse was raped on one of the islands. However in that instance all of the suspects were later acquitted in court,” the official added.

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Tourism budget for 2013 increased by MVR 60 million

The tourism budget for 2013 has been increased from MVR 20 million (US$1.2 million) to MVR 80 million (US$5.1 million), local media has reported.

The budget increase follows criticism from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), which last month called for the government to reconsider the MVR 20 million budget allocated for tourism marketing in 2013.

The initial sum of money allocated was the lowest in eight years, according to a statement from MATI, which highlighted concerns that the Maldives’ economy was mostly reliant on tourism.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb told local media that the ministry had initially requested a budget of MVR 200 million (US$12.9 million) to carry out tourism promotion for the year, however parliament had “erased a zero” from the figure when finalising the budget.

Adheeb noted that while tourism promotion is expensive, the revenue generated from the industry “drives the entire engine”.

“When we put down MVR 200 million, the government authorities don’t actually realise the priority that this requires. Parliament erased a zero from the MVR 200 million we proposed, and gave us MVR 20 million,” he told Sun Online.

“Then we had to work in all other different ways, and now the Finance Minister has committed to give us MVR 60 million more.”

Adheeb claimed that government institutions did not realise the importance of promoting tourism.

In 2012, the ministry set a target of welcoming one million tourists into the country.  It was allocated a MVR 70 million (US$4.5 million) budget to conduct marketing activities to help achieve that goal.

Figures released last month revealed that the tourism ministry failed to reach the one million mark by roughly 42,000 arrivals.

Despite the political turmoil that enveloped the country at the beginning of 2012, the figures showed that there had been a 2.9 percent increase on the total number of arrivals in 2011.

Tourism promotion efforts last year included a US$250,000 (MVR 3.8 million) advertising deal to promote the tourism industry on the BBC and a £93,000 per month (US$150,000) contract with public relations group Ruder Finn in an attempt to improve the country’s image following political unrest in 2012.

Despite the increased expenditure, tourism growth slowed to just 0.7 percent in 2012, compared to 15.8 percent in 2010 and 9.1 percent in 2011.

The government’s forecast for economic growth in 2013 is 4.3 percent.

Adheeb told local media yesterday that the government had “re-set” its sights on reaching the one million arrival target in 2013, and said there were plans to participate in a number of fairs and promotions  to attract more publicity.

“If we can fully establish the Maldives brand, we can promote Maldives and subsequently increase room rates. Every single dollar we spend on marketing will give a large amount of money in return,” he said.

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Former President Nasheed fails to attend court hearing

Former President Mohamed Nasheed failed to attend his scheduled trial hearing at Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court today (February 10), an official from the Judiciary Media Unit has confirmed.

The former president, who is currently out of the country in India, was due to attend the second court hearing regarding the controversial detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012.

The Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court granted Nasheed permission to leave the country for India on February 5, however the former president is yet to return to the Maldives despite his permitted travel period expiring yesterday (February 9).

According to local media, a letter had been submitted to the Hulhumale’ Court on February 7 by Nasheed, requesting for his travel leave to be extended from 5:00pm today (February 10) until February 28.

However, the travel extension request was today denied by the bench of judges presiding over Nasheed’s case.

An official from the Judiciary Media Unit told Minivan News today that Nasheed’s hearing – scheduled for 4:00pm – had been cancelled after the former president failed to attend.

Asked as to what action the court will take regarding the matter, the official was unable to give a specific response, adding: “The courts will do something, but I do not know what that will be”.

According to the official, a new hearing for the trial is yet to be set by the court.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told Minivan News today that while the party had “no comment” regarding Nasheed’s lack of attendance at the hearing, the MDP maintains that Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court is “not a legitimate court”.

“The party maintains that [Mohamed Nasheed] should not go to that court, and we have raised the administration issues already,” he added.

Nasheed’s Spokesperson Mariya Didi was not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.

Supreme Court appeal

Earlier today, the legal team of former President Mohamed Nasheed appealed to the Supreme Court regarding the High Court’s ruling in favour of the legitimacy of Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

Nasheed had previously appealed to the High Court in order to contest the Hulhumale’-based court’s ruling in regard to his trial on three procedural issues raised during an initial hearing of his case in October 2012.

Despite the former president’s appeal, a three-member judges panel at the High Court ruled on February 4 that there were no “legal grounds” to declare Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court and its decisions illegitimate.

Following the High Court’s ruling, an official from the Judiciary Media Unit confirmed to Minivan News that Nasheed’s legal team have now appealed to the Supreme Court.

Local media reported that Nasheed’s legal team had tried to file the appeal at the Supreme Court on Thursday (February 7), but that this was refused due to insufficient documentation.

Former President’s legal team had argued that the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court could not hold hearings on a nearby island, therefore ruling out Male’.

Furthermore, a summoning order issued to Nasheed by the court on September 26, 2012, was inconsistent with existing laws, according to his lawyers.

Finally, Nasheed’s representatives claimed the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court was formed in contradiction to the Judicature Act.

In a statement following the High Court’s verdict throwing out these procedural points, Nasheed said the decision “clearly means I will not be allowed a fair trial.”

Former MDP Chairperson MP Mariya Didi noted that the High Court concluded the case after only two successive hearings, adding that it seemed the Hulhumale’ Court “had prepared summons before the High Court judgement was even delivered.”

Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel – formerly Justice Minister during President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30 year government – has meanwhile told local media that swift prosecution of Nasheed before the Presidential Election was necessary to protect the “political and social fabric of the Maldives”.

“Every single day that passes without a verdict will raise questions over the justice system of the Maldives in the minds of the people,” Jameel told newspaper Haveeru.

Background

The Prosecutor General (PG) pressed charges against the former President in the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court on the grounds that holding the trial in Male’ at the Criminal Court represented a conflict of interest on behalf of Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed, whom the case concerned.

The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) appointed the three-member panel of judges to oversee the trial of the former president.

The Commission’s members include two of Nasheed’s direct political opponents, including Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid – Deputy of the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) – and Gasim Ibrahim, a resort tycoon, media owner, MP and leader of the Jumhoree Party (JP), also a member of the governing coalition.

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