A video has appeared online threatening dancehall singer Sean Paul with death should he visit the Maldives for a New Year’s Eve concert.
“‘Sean Paul’!!! If you visit the Maldives, the world will see your burnt and blood drenched dead body,” read cards held by a cloaked figure in the video posted on Youtube late last night (December 25).
Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, has responded to the threat this afternoon, stating in a tweet that the concert will go ahead as planned. Meanwhile Islamic minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has that that both bringing foreigners to perform new year’s concerts, and the issuing of death threats were both “unacceptable”.
Adeeb informed media late last month that the Jamaican artist would be appearing in a free concert in the capital Malé as part of the government’s tourism promotion efforts.
Last night’s video bears the logo of ‘Bilad Al Sham Media’ (BASM) group – an organisation which claims to consist of Maldivian jihadis based in Syria and the Maldives.
Through social media, the group has reported the deaths of five Maldivians in the Syrian civil war this year, as well as taunting the police’s efforts to locate its members.
BASM has, however, posted a statement on its official Facebook page distancing itself from the video.
“We suspect that the video was released by MDP supporters/secularists or other such anti Islamic elements who have been pushing hard to potray [sic] a threat to the Maldives which in reality does not exist, and their mouth piece Minivan News is also pushing the same lies and has been the first to report on this video.”
BASM did, however condemn the concert as “filthy” and “part of the ideological attack being waged by the kuffar and their allies on the Muslim youth to take them further from their Deen.”
Minivan News was the first outlet to report on the story in English, after a number of outlets had published news of the video in Dhivehi.
“It is for all Muslim to jihad in the name of Allah. Hence disbelievers like ‘Sean Paul’, who are like the worst of devil’s advocates, deserve nothing but death!” continued yesterday’s video threat.
“‘Sean Paul’ who is joining from abroad in the celebration of year-end 2014, end [sic] the beginning of 2015, is a major disbeliever,” came the message, printed on cards in Dhivehi, with English subtitles.
The figure, whose face and hands are covered sits in front of a black flag which has become synonymous with the Islamic State militant group, ISIS.
“We will not welcome or tolerate the destruction of such cunning men anymore.”
“Even the government will not be excused for bringing such cunning disbeliever to our soil, because our beloved nation is 100% Muslim!”
Tourism minister Adeeb has condemned the video, saying that the government would not give in to threats.
We will not give into threats! The show wil go on, it is sad to see the level ppl fall, every time we try to promote Maldives & Youth!!
— Ahmed Adeeb (@Ahmed_Adeeb) December 26, 2014
The last major western artist to perform in the capital was Irish singer Chris De Burgh in 2012. Prior to this, a concert featuring R&B singer Akon in 2010 was cancelled, with the event’s managers citing technical and security concerns.
In the run-up to the scheduled Akon concert, the Islamic minister Dr Shaheem reported receiving a number of complaints about the explicit content of the singer’s lyrics.
Today, Shaheem has commented on the threat via twitter, saying: “Bringing foreigners to hold shows coinciding with the New Year is unacceptable. Issuing death threats is also unacceptable.”
“Lessons have to be learnt from the past of those who committed acts challenging the Muslim culture,” read a second tweet.
Yesterday’s Youtube message suggested that Maldivian society was being led to destruction through “beautiful painted pictures, songs and entertainment”, decrying what it saw as the celebration of western festivals such as New Year and Valentine’s Day.
“Mixing such festivities into our culture will result in a destructive future for the Maldives and our beloved children.”
Earlier this week, the religious Adhaalath Party was reported as urging Maldivians to avoid celebrating Christmas.
November and December have traditionally represented the high season for the Maldives’ dominant tourism industry, with tourists celebrating Christmas and New Year in the archipelago’s 109 single island resorts, on which the country’s Shariah-based laws do not apply.
The online threat concluded by suggesting that those who saw the group’s actions as “extremism” are demonstrating the weakness of their faith.
Concern regarding religious extremism in the country has grown this year, with a number of Maldivians reported to have travelled to IS held territory – sometimes with family members.
Despite the government’s condemnation of the Islamic State’s atrocities, around 200 individuals marched through the capital in September, brandishing black IS-style flags and calling for the implementation of full Shariah law in the Indian Ocean nation.
Authorities arrested unauthorised Imam Hussain Thowfiq in October before sentencing him to two years in prison for leading extremist anti-government sermons in Malé’s Dharumavantha mosque.
Prior to this, former police officers and opposition politicians had questioned the capacity and desire or authorities to prosecute such activities.
Police spokesmen reported that they were investigating the video, but had found “nothing authentic”, urging calm.
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Who in their rightful mind wants to go to Maldives ? It's 100% Islamic country, the Westerners who go there are naïve of the politics of Maldives. Stop spending you money there.
I stopped bringing my “filthy” money as a “part of the ideological attack being waged by the kuffar and their allies on the Muslim youth to take them further from their Deen” already last year.
I leave the Muslim youth now to earn their money as member of the drug-gangs or as a thug in the streets of Male.
I hope a whole lot of other kuffar will do the same, as you get needed funds now from Saudi sources.
May be someday people will wake up .....
where is comment from MissIndiaAgarwaltheThug's comment? Pls hurry up!
its now confirmed that this was a political stunt done again by MDP.
Nasheed and his Gangs will do anything to turnish the Maldives images and bring about violence .
The show will go on.
The organisers will not get struck down with lightening.
A tornado will not swoop in and destroy the venue.
The effing whiskered-pigs wants to scare the gullible into terrorised mindlessness.
Do not give in to these swines!!!
This dance hall stuff is too sophisticated for the short, fat denizens of Male.
You need low IQ entertainment that the locals can identify with. Line up Hero, Kashim and Habibib on the road and have some dumb Austrian ride a bike over them.
Dumb people need dumb entertainment.
Just a handful of youth know this artist 'Sean', a majority of the population have lived and loved Indian music, food and culture.
If Adheep was to please everyone, he should have brought in a few Indian artists, and no doubt the youth and even the old would be more than happy to end the year with what we love and know and not what is imposed on us!
No comment on ISIS, they are everywhere amidst us, and its too late to try flash them out.
I you analyze religions, it is certain that they are all human origin, just like average Maldivian believe in black magic, they believe in religion too in the same way. Maldives is still very backward country and people are not that advanced to tolerate any criticism of anything that is connected with their emotions. It is not their fault; these poor guys actually don’t know what will be result if they jump from the top of a 10 story building, the same way they don’t understand how important the Tourism and foreigners are for their survival. So any civilized person should not get upset with these poor people and should not stop helping them because of their culture. Minivan …. Is this too provocative for poor Maldivians? I am just worried about my fellow Maldivian who are trapped in a self destructive dogma
@MissIndia.
We don't need dumb cow worshipers to tell us what we have to do.
BASM has, however, posted a statement on its official Facebook page distancing itself from the video.
“We suspect that the video was released by MDP supporters/secularists or other such anti Islamic elements who have been pushing hard to potray [sic] a threat to the Maldives which in reality does not exist, and their mouth piece Minivan News is also pushing the same lies and has been the first to report on this video.”
This is the only important part of this rambling article
@Miss India
What a perfect comment.You just need dumb entertainment to entertain monkeys like HERO
MissIndiaAgarwaltheThug, Indian Ambassador advised his Colleague Egyptian Ambassodor to do it"the Indian-way" who in turn enquired how? "Go to the first corner on the street out there and peeeeeeeeeeeee like the Indians do," retorted the Indian Ambassador. So, it is official that the Indians are still in this 21st century, are at that level of backwardness officially declaring that Indian Streets are toilets. Moreover, former Indian Prime Minister Moraraji Desai declared officially to the media that he starts his daily ritual breakfast with a glass of his own urine. MissIndiaAgarwaltheThug, I have told your menatlity can be contagous and that they are looking for you to get yourself admitted to NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro - Sciences) in Bangalore, created by your beloved British Raj instead of wasting your energy talking about the most beautiful country and peaceful people of the Maldives. Run,, Run, Run fast to the open gates of NIMHANS waiting for your diagnosis because your mental condition is unique.
@Ali
I would definitely pay to see Hero in a cage!
This is why I want to go to Syria, and hunt Bilad-Al-Sham thugs.
@Hero: Have fun listening to Indian music. Ha ha!