Day: November 1, 2009

Dear Editor,
So I guess I missed out on the infamous letter. I never got a chance to read this letter but did see Minivan News’s press release regarding the letter. If I am not wrong Minivan did remove the letter from the website, right?
Why, though?
Again I haven’t seen this letter, but from what I have read I believe it is a letter regarding homosexuality.
Now, what really baffles me about Maldivian society is the fact that people actually “think” and “believe” that everyone in the Maldives is straight. If anyone had a brain and thought about it, isn’t it obvious that this is not true. So not talking about it, not addressing it, is not going to make it go away.
I hope that in the true spirit of freedom of expression, Minivan indeed will publish this letter and also help me locate the letter in reference here.
Regards,
Anonymous

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Dear Editor,
It is depressing and worrying to read that what some people are most concerned about is the fact that the president spoke out about the growing radicalisation of the country and recruitment by the Taliban. Not the fact that this radicalisation is happening and Talibanisation is on the rise.
Burying our heads in the sand is going to concede even more ground to those who wish to turn the Maldives into a society of intolerance and extreme religious beliefs. While some in the religious community attack others for being too ‘liberal’ and ‘brainwashed’ by a ‘Western education’, they tend to forget that the brand of Islam they preach is no more indigenous to the Maldives than is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and certainly less indigenous than the Maldivian attitude of tolerance, acceptance of the other and equality for women.
I would like to thank the president, and recently the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, for having the courage to speak out against the growing radicalistion of Maldivian Society. If we do not speak now and act now, we will lose this tolerant and moderate scoeity to one that is intolerant and one that most of us want nothing to do with.
Regards,
Anonymous

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Dear Editor
I fully support what President Nasheed said in recent interviews to CNN-India regarding the Maldivians in Pakistan recruited to Jihaad.
We have spent nearly three decades without proper knowledge of what the majority of our students are doing in Pakistan. What the past government knew was hundreds of students leaving to Pakistan for free education in Islamic Madrassas. Who knew what they were doing in those Madrassass? Who was monitoring on what they were studying?
The government turned a blind eye to what those students were doing. I am not saying that all those who study in Pakistan are Jihaadheens, there are number of students who come out from Pakistani universities and institutes who are now in service in our nation building.
Today, when government began to speak about it, people started pointing fingers at the current regime. The aim of the current regime is to reverse such wrongdoings. The end results of such critical issues kept in a vacuum would be more damaging. It’s time to speak about it now and bring our children on to a safe ground. Speaking about those issues doesn’t meant that Maldives will be labelled as terrorist country.
Even the Pakistani government would think about not giving further opportunities to our students from such Madrassas in Pakistan which would eventually stop our students going into gun points. The central reason why those Maldivians joined (if any) in terrorist organizations abroad was due to the failed former regime that turned a blind eye to those innocent Maldivians.
I pray Allah to save our country from such terrorist mindsets.
Regards,
Anonymous

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