Category: Society & Culture

Adhaalath Party plans “Shariah is the Solution” protest march

The religiously conservative Adhaalath Party has announced a nation-wide protest march for next Friday calling for the implementation of Islamic Shariah in the Maldives.

”Murder, violent assaults, robbery, rape, drug abuse and other such crimes have reached an extreme level in this country,” the Adhaalath Party said in a statement. ”The whole nation is threatened and institutions have failed.”

The gathering is to be held under the slogan ”Islamic Shariah is the Solution” and NGOs and political parties have been invited to participate.

”The gathering will commence at 4:00pm near the tsunami monument next Friday,” said the Adhaalth Party, appealing for as many people as possible to attend.

The statement suggested that participants should carry a national flag if possible.

”More than 100 NGOs have confirmed that they will be joining us in this gathering,” a party official said today. ”In the islands they will gather at an area decided amongst themselves; our target is to get as many islands, NGOs and political parties join this gathering.”

While the official did not mention names of specific NGOs and political parties that will participate, he revealed that the NGO coalition formed to protest the planned sale of alcohol from hotels in inhabited islands would be involved.

Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf announced that it backed the Adhaalath Party’s gathering and Salaf would join the party’s event in support.

Salaf President Abdulla Bin Ali Ibrahim explained that Salaf would join any event that demands Islamic Shariah be observed.

”We will hold a meeting tonight to discuss it within our NGO,” Abdulla said. ”We have also expressed our ideas and sent it to the Adhaalath Party.”

The Adhaalath Party has recently threatened to terminate its coalition agreement with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) should an Israeli airline be allowed to operate in the Maldives.

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MPs clash over postponing recess

MPs clashed today over a resolution proposed by MP Ahmed Mahlouf to postpone parliament’s upcoming recess at the end of April to complete legislation currently at committee stage to reform the criminal justice system.

Several MPs from both main parties argued that convicts were not “roaming free and committing crimes with impunity” because of parliament’s failure to pass necessary laws.

MP Mahlouf – who has sided with the “Zaeem DRP” in the ongoing factional strife within the main opposition party – came under fire from his former Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) colleagues for taking a holiday after submitting the resolution.

Last Wednesday’s sitting of parliament was cancelled reportedly because Mahlouf, who was supposed to present the resolution to the floor, was out of the country.

Defending himself from the intraparty criticism, the DRP MP for Galolhu South asserted that he had not been “sun tanning on the beach” but had faced a family emergency.

“I would deeply regret it if you vote against the resolution saying ‘Mahlouf took a holiday,’” he said.

In the ensuing debate however, DRP MPs Ali Azim and Abdulla Abdul Raheem accused Mahlouf of submitting the resolution “with the intention of deceiving the public.”

While Azim claimed that Mahlouf was “the MP that took the most number of holidays during the past session,” Abdulla Abdul Raheem accused the DRP Youth Wing President of ulterior motives behind the resolution.

Raheem alleged that Mahlouf’s true purpose in delaying the recess was “to conduct business transactions with certain people here.”

Shifting blame

Praising Mahlouf for “continually raising the issue of curbing gang violence” in parliament, ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group leader “Reeko” Moosa Manik however contended that the necessary bills “cannot be finished in one night with us cooking rice pudding and staying here overnight.”

Moosa concurred with other MPs that the absence of legislation could not be blamed for either unenforced sentences or dubious judgments by judges.

Following consultation with the National Crime Prevention Committee and law enforcement authorities, the Minority Leader explained that a sub-committee was in the process of drafting temporary legislation containing crucial provisions of the three belated bills.

If opposition leaders could “control voting by their parliamentary group,” said Moosa, the bill should easily be passed on Thursday.

“Increasing the number of days we spend talking here is not going to bring a solution,” said People’s Alliance (PA) MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakr, arguing that the resolution would not make a difference “one way or the other” as the bills in question were at committee stage and the reviewing process could continue during the recess.

MDP MP Mohamed Riyaz however backed the resolution and criticised opposition MPs for questioning Mahlouf’s intent.

On the issue of unenforced sentences, the MDP MP for Dhandhoo claimed that there were 622 convicts out of jail when the previous government left office.

“Those who killed people [in custody] in Evan Naseem’s case are at home today,” he said, referring to eight former prison guards found guilty of beating a 19 year-old inmate to death in September 2003.

Moreover, Riyaz continued, failure to locate former Atolls Minister Abdulla Hameed to face charges of corruption shows that Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh has “failed.”

MDP MP Ibrahim Rasheed meanwhile criticised the “lazy attorneys” at the Prosecutor General’s Office for failing to secure enough convictions.

In his turn, DRP Deputy Leader Ali Waheed argued that as the Maldives had a presidential system, it was President Mohamed Nasheed who should bear responsibility for the crime situation.

While police have recently revealed identities and crime records of 17 dangerous criminals, Waheed said that according to police statistics there are over 600 youth active in gangs in Male’ alone.

Moreover, he added, estimates from different state institutions of the number of convicts not serving sentences did not match.

Implying that he did not support the resolution, Waheed suggested breaking for recess to “give counselling to our political leaders” as they were “obsessed with winning power” instead of serving the public.

Independent MPs Ismail Abdul Hameed and Ahmed Amir meanwhile called for constitutional amendments to entrust wider powers to enforcement authorities, such as a longer period of detention and more legal discretion for judges.

Undelivered summons

Meanwhile in the continuing war of words between the rival opposition factions, DRP MPs Azim and Raheem alleged today that Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim – who was presiding over the sitting at the time – had dodged Criminal Court court summons eight times to date on the grounds that he was busy at parliament.

In March 2010, Nazim pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the former Ministry of Atolls Development.

As the common man was routinely sentenced in absentia, said MDP MP Ahmed Easa, “what law is missing that the Honourable MP for Dhiggaru can’t be taken to court?”

Responding to accusations against the “missing” former Atolls Minister, MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem loudly denied the allegations against the long-serving Speaker of the People’s Majlis.

“There were big thieves in the previous government, why don’t you go find them?” he suggested.

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Adhaalath Party will terminate coalition agreement if Israeli airline allowed to operate in Maldives

The Adhaalath Party has said the party has decided to terminate the coalition agreement with the ruling Maldiivan Democratic Parrty (MDP) should the government permit an Israeli airline to operate in the Maldives.

Transport Minister Adil Saleem told Minivan News last Thursday that relevant authorities were currently processing a license for Sun d’Or International Airlines, a subsidiary of Israeli national carrier El Al, with a view to it operating flights to the Maldives.

Saleem claimed such a move would create opportunities for both Israeli tourists to visit the country as well as facilitate pilgrimages for Maldivians to mosques around Jerusalem and other parts of the country.

However the Adhaalath Party, which has significant influence in the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and is led by State Islamic Minister Sheikh Hussein Rasheed, issued a statement claiming that the majority of Islamic countries had not permitted the Israeli national carrier to operate.

“There are only two Islamic countries that have permitted El Al Airlines to operate: Egypt and Jordan,” the party said in a statement. “The other Islamic countries that allowed El Al Airlines to operate in their countries have withdrawn their permission. And it is to be noted that this Sun d’Or Airlines which is to commence operation in the Maldives is not an airline that any Islamic country so far permitted to operate.”

The party claimed there “were reasons” why out of the 50 Islamic countries, 48 had declined permission for El Al to operate.

“It is because Israel is the biggest enemy of the whole Muslim community, a country that has stolen the holy lands of Muslims, a country that is committing violence against the people of Palestine and as Israeli flights are targets of terrorist organisations, it raises security concerns,” the party said.

The Adhaalath Party added that it “regretted” that the current government had restored diplomatic relations with Israel, “ignoring the feelings of the citizens.”

The Adhaalath Party’s President Sheikh Hussein Rasheed told Minivan News that the decision was an official decision made by the party and that he had no further comment on the matter.

Adil Saleem acknowledged to Minivan News last week that “some Maldivians see Israel as controversial over the issue of Palestine. Yet Palestine accepts Israel as a state, benchmarking the point that I don’t see why we should not allow these flights.”

He also said that the license process for the operation of Sun d’Or was almost completed and that flights were expected to commence operating in Maldives in October this year.

President of religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf, Ahmed Bin Mohamed Ibrahim, meanwhile added that the organisation strongly opposed any move that would strengthens the relationship between Israel and the Maldives.

“It will cause more harm than benefit,’’ said Abdulla. “Damage was caused after diplomatic ties with Israel were restored.”

Abdulla said the education system of the Maldives “was ruined” as co-education was also introduced after ties were restored.

“All these issues were raised at the same time as the government restored diplomatic relations with Israel. Later came these doctors who first attempted to work in the Maldives without permission from the authorities,” he said. “They have already committed violence against Muslims in different areas of the world, so why should we expect any better?”

Visiting Israeli eye surgeons from the ‘Eyes from Zion’ NGO were in November met with protests and the burning of the Israeli flag in Male’s Republic Square. The Islamic Foundation NGO contested at the time that Israeli surgeons “have become notorious for illegally harvesting organs from non-Jews around the world.”

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Afrashim Ali claimed that Israelis and other foreign elements that “should not be allowed to enter a 100 percent Muslim country”, and would gain a foothold in the Maldives as a result of handing over management of the Male’ International Airport to Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

“[The airport deal with GMR] will open a big doorway for the people of Israel, who are brutalising Palestinians without any justification, to come to the Maldives and take over,” Afrashim said during the protests.

The debate over allowing Sun d’Or to operate in the Maldives could be moot after the airline’s license was revoked on April 1 by the Israel Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). El Al flights had reportedly been operating charter flights under different airline names – despite using the same aircraft and crew – in an effort to circumvent backlash from ultra-orthodox Israeli groups over its operating flights on the Sabbath and religious holidays. The airline has since stated that it would continue to not run flights on Sabbath days despite the loss of revenue, while Sun d’Or remains a charter brand under the national carrier.

“Sun d’Or operates as a designated carrier to European destinations, and carries out flights for El Al on the Saturdays and holidays. This enabled El Al to keep its 30-year plus status-quo with religious and haredi (ultra-orthodox) passengers by not flying on the Sabbath,” reported business magazine Globes.

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Man sentenced to six months imprisonment for skinny dipping in Artificial Beach

The Criminal Court has sentenced a man to six months imprisonment after he was found guilty of ‘skinny dipping’ (swimming naked) in the Artificial Beach in Male’.

The Court said that Ali Niushad, of Henveiru Saarokuge’, had confessed to the crime and found him guilty of “objecting to order”.

In the Court, Niushad confessed that on February 26 he removed all of his clothes and went skinny dipping at 5:30am that morning.

The Criminal Court said his action violated article 88[a] of the Penal Code.

In February this year, the religious Adhaalath Party complained that tourists had been wearing improper clothing and consuming alcohol on Hulhumale’ beach in public, and that the area was becoming “a place where Maldivian families cannot visit.”

“People who own beach front houses have developed guest houses in the area, and as a result tourists coming to the guest houses have started to use the Hulhumale’ beach they would aresort beach,’’ said the Adhaalath Party in statement. “They have been in the beach wearing clothes that do not properly cover their body, and are swimming likewise.’’

The Adhaalath Party then cited “a reliable source” as claiming that tourists have been “putting up umbrellas and consuming alcohol under them on Hulhumale’ beach.”

Signs warning visitors not to wear bikinis have since been erected.

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22 dead in gang violence since 2008: Home Minister

Some 22 people died of gang violence in the country since 2008, Home Minister Hassan Afeef informed MPs during Minister’s Question Time at parliament today amidst heightened public concern over violent crimes.

Responding to a query from MP Ahmed Mahlouf about police efforts to curb violent assault and organised crime across the country, Afeef explained that a special operation involving the capital police, special operations and serious and organised crime departments was currently underway.

In addition to increased police patrols, said Afeef, police were working with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to expedite cases and hold dangerous suspects in remand detention or monitored house arrest.

Afeef insisted that the government has not released convicts outside of the parole programmes, adding however that police were yet to find “about 300 people” sentenced in absentia.

“Now, as you know, some time ago a large number of people were sentenced in absentia,” he said. “There were about 300 people sentenced in absentia. We have to find out where these people are. We haven’t had complete information about them either.”

Afeef echoed concerns expressed by Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh earlier this month that the main obstacle for effective policing was “the lack of a jail that could rehabilitate offenders and release them back to society.”

The Home Minister also flagged the issue of convicts escaping either directly from prison or during hospital visits in Male’ as a related problem.

Police meanwhile revealed last week that a large haul of dangerous weapons, including knives and a two-foot long sword, were confiscated from four houses in Male’ as part of the ongoing special operation.

Inspector Abdulla Nawaz, deputy head of the serious and organised crime department, on Thursday publicised crime records of “eight dangerous criminals,” most of whom had been arrested more than 10 times on average for offences such as violent assault and burglary.

“We will not hesitate to take a person to court for a third time,” an impassioned Nawaz told press. “If we have to do it for a fourth time, we’ll do it if it’s necessary, and keep him under policy custody for a fourth time if we have to. There is no other way that we can suppress this.”

During the past week, 53 suspects were taken into police custody and 14 were placed under house arrest, while 161 people and 45 minors were stopped and searched on the streets.

Anti-gang violence campaign

The Maldives National Broadcasting Commission (MNBC) meanwhile launched a special campaign last week to educate the public on the shortcomings of the criminal justice system and raise awareness about the challenges to public safety and security.

In a statement condemning Thursday’s knife attack on MNBC sports presenter Mohamed Sodiq, the public broadcaster said that “these brutal atrocities from out of control criminals” were intended to cause fear among citizens “and especially Maldivian journalists.”

Failure to enforce sentences and legal hurdles to securing convictions for “dangerous criminals” are the two main reasons for the worsening crime situation, the MNBC statement said.

While the lack of an Evidence Act and mechanism for witnesses protection has been identified as serious impediments, Deputy Prosecutor General Hussein Shameem told press last week that the absence of legislation was not the entirety of the problem.

“It is true, there are difficulties caused by the lack of Evidence Act,” he said. “For one thing, not knowing what kind of evidence will be accepted by court poses difficulties for us. However, we believe that this is a big opportunity for judges to contribute to the system.”

The PGO since 2009 has at times been at odds with the Criminal Court over the interpretation of existing laws.

At last week’s press conference however, Shameem revealed that two eye witnesses to gang violence who had retracted their statements at court have since been convicted to one year imprisonment each after being found guilty of giving false testimony.

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Criminal Court sentences Kinanath for possession of “self defense” knife

The Criminal Court has sentenced Kinanath Ahmed (King, Tug) of Henveiru Loby to one year imprisonment after the court found him guilty of possession of a sharp weapon in public.

Police were informed on January 13 that a person in possession of a knife was near the Finance Ministry. During a police patrol of the area, Kinanath was found in front of Abvillage in Mahchangolhi ward carrying a foot-long knife, according to the Criminal Court.

The Criminal Court said police then handcuffed and took Kinanath to Atholhuvehi police custodial and searched his person, finding the sheath for a bayonet underneath his t-shirt. When police searched Kinanath’s vehicle they discovered an eight-inch knife underneath the seat.

The Court said Kinanath had confessed to the ownership of one of the knives, and had told police that he used it for self defense.

Recently enacted laws prohibiting gang violence and possession of weapons does not allow for the use of weapons in self-defense, the Criminal Court noted.

Police have recently listed Kinanath as one of the most dangerous gangsters in Male’, and have warned that these persons were threats to society.

Police also said that Kinanath had been arrested 15 times on different charge, and had four cases pending in the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Kinanath is a member of the ‘Masodi’ gang, according to police.

Along with Kinanath, Inspector Abdulla Nawaz revealed the names of Asil Ismail, H. Agi, arrested ten times; Mohamed Sufyan, Gaaf Alif Gahdoo, arrested six times; Maadhih Mohamed, Laamu Gan, arrested seven times; Mohamed Rimah, Seenu Maradhoo, arrested 19 times; Ibrahim Ihusan Rasheed, Gaaf Dhaal Vaadhoo, arrested eight times; and Athif Rasheed, Ma. Scenery View, arrested ten times.

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Journalist, 14 year-old boy and senile old man among Guantánamo detainees, leaked dossiers reveal

A trove of over 750 US military dossiers on Guantánamo detainees leaked to international media, including the New York Times and the Guardian, have revealed that many inmates were kept incarcerated for years on flimsy evidence, or information extracted under torture.

Many incarcerated were victims of circumstance, including an 89 year-old Afghan villager suffering from senile dementia who had “suspicious phone numbers” in his house, a 14 year-old kidnap victim “with possible knowledge of local Taliban leaders”, and a journalist for al-Jazeera.

The latter was imprisoned for six years during which time he was interrogated “on the al-Jazeera news network’s training programme, telecommunications equipment, and news-gathering operations in Chechnya, Kosovo and Afghanistan.”

The documents also include a summary of evidence against former Maldivian Guantánamo detainee Ibrahim Fauzee, dated 2004.

According to the document, Fauzee was arrested in Pakistan while he was living in “a suspected al Qaida safehouse.” His telephone number was “ found in terrorist detainees’ pocket litter”, and “the detainee’s point of contact telephone number was associated with a Sudanese teacher who assisted Arabs traveling to training camps in Afghanistan.”

Fauzee was subsequently released and transferred to the Maldives on March 11, 2005, where he now heads the Islamic Foundation NGO.

The documents also reveal that that US authorities privately listed the Pakistani Intelligence Service (ISI) as a terrorist organisation alongside groups such as al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah, and that US authorities relied heavily on evidence obtained under torture from a small number of detainees.

Other indicators used as an assessment of terrorist potential included possession of a Casio F-91W digital watch, which “was known to be given to the students at al-Qaida bomb-making training courses in Afghanistan [during] which the students received instruction in the preparation of timing devices using the watch.”

US President Barak Obama vowed to close the controverisal military prison but has been unable to transfer the remaining 172 detainees. The Maldives was last year in negotiations to accept several inmates, with leaked diplomatic cables revealing that the country was offered US$85,000 to assist with the “resettlement expenses” of an inmate.

Those who remain include the severely-tortured, informers requiring protection, and group of Chinese Uighur minority Muslims.

The leaked dossiers are among hundreds of thousands leaked to Wikileaks last year, allegedly by US soldier Bradley Manning, who remains in custody.

In a response to the Guardian, the Pentagon criticised the release of the documents, claiming that “the situation with the Guantánamo detention facility is exceptionally complex and releasing any records will further complicate ongoing actions.”

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School children lured to guest houses and sexually abused, warn police

School children are being lured to guest houses by adults and sexually abused, police have claimed.

Head of the police Family and Child Protection Unit (FCPU), Chief Inspector Ahmed Shujau, told the press that school children between the ages of 14 to 18 were being sexually abused after being lured to guest houses during school hours.

Shujau said that police had learned that the minors were usually befriended or seduced through the internet.

While school children were found to visit guest houses with children of the same age, he continued, there had been incidents where children were being taken by adults.

According to Shujau, 27 such cases were recently reported to the FCPU, 16 of which involved child sexual abuse while 11 cases were forced sexual assaults on women.

Shujau told revealed that the perpetrators included adult males and females as well.

The Chief Inspector advised parents to nurture closer relationship with their children and to always be aware of their child’s whereabouts.

The age of consent in the Maldives is 18 years and above. Unless proven otherwise, sexual relations with a minor is considered non-consensual under existing Maldivian laws.

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Behind-the-scenes at COP15: Oscar-winning film company to release documentary on Maldives’ efforts

An Oscar and Emmy-winning film production company based in San Franscisco, Actual Films, has produced a 90 minute documentary charting the Maldives’ efforts to raise awareness of climate change in the lead up to the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit.

The Maldivian government was approached by Actual Films in early 2009 seeking behind-the-scenes access to President Mohamed Nasheed and cabinet ministers.

After two years, US$1.5 million, 140 hours of footage and a soundtrack by Radiohead, the company has produced a 90 minute documentary ‘The Island President’, to be released in cinemas later this year.

The film was entirely funded by the US Ford Foundation, American Corporation for Public Broadcasting, MacArthur Foundation, Atlantic Foundation and the Sundance Institute.

The Maldivian government insists it had no editorial input into the film, which was left completely to Actual Films and Emmy-winning Director Jon Shenk.

“It felt a bit weird for the first two hours but after that the ministers seemed to forget the cameras were there,” said a senior government source.

“It is unprecedented for a documentary maker to be given round-the-clock access to a head of state, probably for very good reason.”

The source, who was shown a pre-release version of the film, described it as “somewhat like a real-life episode of the West Wing”; giving a unique perspective on the high-level machinations of world powers that would make it of interest to politics buffs as well as environmental activists, “and it will probably do wonders for tourism.”

“Everyone who’s seen it so far says it’s made them proud to be Maldivian,” the source said, adding that it was the first time a film about the Maldives was to be shown at international film festivals.

The film will be released in US cinemas later this year and aired in the Maldives in early 2012.

A trailer for the film can be seem at http://theislandpresident.com/

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