Day: September 19, 2010

Three men acquitted of murdering 14-year-old boy

The Criminal Court of the Maldives today acquitted three men charged with murdering a 14-year-old boy in April 2008 after three key witnesses retracted their statements.

While four witnesses identified the defendants for the police investigation, Judge Muhthaz Fahmy noted that the three witnesses who testified at the trial claimed that they could not positively identify the accused, Mohamed Waseem, Gaaf Alif Villigili, Musthafa Moosa, Male’ registry 4126, and Ihusaanudheen “Ihu” Rasheed of Galolhu Masodige.

Judge Muhthaz ruled that the Prosecutor General’s (PG’s) office could not present sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Shifau Ismail, 14

The 14-year-old victim, Shifau “Kudaso” Ismail, was killed in April 2008 at the peak of brutal gang violence in the capital.

On the evening of April 4, Shifau and a group of friends were ambushed and chased near Galolhu Masodige after they knocked over some tin walls in the area.

Shifau was separated from his friends and was caught by the gang after he entered a nearby house to hide.

The gang reportedly threw Shifau down the stairs of Galolhuaage and beat him with bats and other weapons.

Shifau died on September 12 while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at the Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital.

None of the suspects charged in the half dozen gang-related murder cases of the past three years have yet been convicted.

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President outlines transition to programme budgeting

President Mohamed Nasheed on Friday announced the transition from line-item to programme budgeting in 2011, a process that began in 2006 under the previous government.

In his weekly radio address, President Nasheed explained that the new budget will be based on the Strategic Action Plan formulated in 2009.

The purpose of a programme budget is to determine and identify means of achieving targets of government offices and institutions.

“After identifying the target, objective or the aim, what offices have to do is determine the work that will be needed to achieve it,” he said. “And then they have to determine the expenditure required for it such as machinery, services, people. That is what we consider the budget. But what is important are the programmes.”

Following the valuation of the estimated cost of government’s projects for 2011, said Nasheed, the provisional budget will be submitted to the People’s Majlis.

As next year’s budget will include projected revenue from newly introduced taxation, he continued, it will be “a budget with a completely new form.”

Overhaul

An IMF Public Financial Management Performance Report, made public in May 2010, meanwhile recommends an almost complete overhaul of the existing public finance management system in the Maldives.

The assessment found that budget credibility was weak as revenue fell well below estimates in each year except 2006, while budget documents for 2005-2008 showed “no clear linkages between budget figures and underlying policies.”

In 2007, actual primary expenditure deviated from budget estimates by -13.7 percent, while domestic revenue collections were below 92 percent of budgeted estimates in the same year.

Moreover, as funds for discretionary spending was released on an ad hoc basis, “there are critical weaknesses in the management of government cash, debt and guarantees.”

Among its other findings, the report states that “efficient service delivery has not been prominent priority for public financial management in the Maldives” as the emphasis has been on inputs as opposed to output or results.

While strategies and goals had been identified in national development plans, it had not been costed and “linkages to the budget have been unclear.”

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The Grand Finale

Maldivians and Indians streamed through the doors of Dharubaruge last night for the grand finale of the The India-Maldives Friendship Festival 2010.

The chief guest was Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, accompanied by his wife Madam Ilham Hussain. They were welcomed by the Indian High Commissioner Dnyaneshwar Mulay before the commencement of the event.

Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and Special Envoy of the President Mr Ibrahim Hussain  Zaki also graced the event.

An Indian girl, Hibaa Himnat, rendered a faultless recitation of the Quran to start off the ceremony.

After greeting the attendees in English, Hindi and Dhivehi, High Commissioner Mulay noted that people from all walks of life were present: “We have poets, engineers, philosophers, doctors and teachers here, is there anyone we don’t have?”

Mulay expressed regret that opposition party members rarely attended events despite the invitations sent out by the High Commission.

“Our governments alone cannot be the driving force for the relations between two countries,” he pleaded, adding that it was imperative that “good relations exist between people to people be it on a business level, cultural and even on a philosophical level.”

Mulay noted that recorded history showed that relations between Maldives and India existed “beyond 2500 years.” He promised that he would do all he could to further and maintain the cordial relationships between the two countries.

Looking dapper in a striped shirt, Dr Waheed spoke next. He said it was most likely India had the highest number of Maldivian students studying abroad, and also noted the amount of trade between the two countries and said “this is made possible because of the leadership of both countries.”

He congratulated Mulay and chairman of India club Vijay Jasuja for their work, and extended Independence Day greetings. “Both countries have much to celebrate,” he said, “as we have made enormous progress since independence.”

Good relations between the two countries would continue because India and Maldives were two friends whose destiny was intertwined, he said.

CEO of India Bank and current chairman of India club Vijay Jasuja thanked Dr Waheed for the help he and the government had extended to the club over the last two years.

The India Club was formally registered as an NGO in 2008 and has since then been active in conducting humanitarian events, such as free medical and blood donation camps, along with social and entertainment activities.

Indian and Maldivian Music

After token gifts of appreciation was presented to Maldivian band 911 and Punjabi Indian Surindra Sagar by Mulay and Dr Waheed, the show began.

The Police band 911 started out with a romantic Maldivian ballad with two members on stage before the rest of the six appeared. A bit more flair and ineraction with the audience would have made their performance more enjoyable. The classic Maldivian song “Meygaavi ali kuri noorakee” was followed by a rendition of a modified version of the evergreen Hindi song “Mausam masthaana” by the only female member of the group.

Surindra Sagar and troupe joined next, with the musicians playing “Dum maro dum” as their introductory piece. Surindra Sagar, colourful in black and pink, rendered a Punjabi song “ Dama dum mast calendar.”

What followed was bhangra dances by the troupe, women dressed in yellows and pinks and blues, with the turbaned men evoking the Punjab with their enthusiastic moves.

The Bollywood songs which resonate with most Maldivians and Indians were absent, however the night’s dances and songs created an exciting atmosphere and brought an enjoyable end to the finale of the India Maldives Friendship festival 2010.

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ICJ delegation completes fact-finding mission

A delegation of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) who arrived in the Maldives last week to discuss a long-term engagement to strengthen the country’s judiciary completed its fact-finding mission last week.

According to a press statement by the ICJ, the objective of the mission was “to assess progress towards the establishment of an independent, impartial, and competent judiciary, and to make recommendations.”

Briefing the press on its preliminary observations, the delegation, led by Dr Param Cumaraswamy and Dr Leandro Despouy, both former UN Special Rapporteurs, urged collaboration by all political parties and authorities to support the consolidation of an independent judiciary.

“Recognition is owed to members of both the current and former Governments for the peaceful transfer of power. No political actors are in exile. All those with whom I met in 2007 are today participating through democratic institutions in the task of consolidating these achievements,” Dr. Despouy said. “An independent judiciary is basic pillar of this transition to democracy, without which there is a risk of reversals.”

The delegation noted that one of the most serious challenges faced by the judiciary was the absence of important legislation such as the Judicature Bill, the Penal Code, a Criminal Procedure Code, and the Evidence Bill.

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Religious Extremism: Causes and Solutions

In ‘Religious Extremism: Causes and Solutions’ Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed repudiates violent Jihad and defines extremism as deviation from the authentic teachings of Islam and its cardinal value of moderation in favour of personal prejudices and arrogance, which leads to “excessive stringency” in religious matters.

Extracted below are the final chapters of the manuscript. Translated from Dhivehi by Ismail Nizam.

Characteristics of Extremists

1- Deficiency in the knowledge of Islam: This is the most recognizable feature of such people. In the least, they will not be converse in Arabic language. They will also not be to understand the meaning of an Arabic writing. Nevertheless, they will try to challenge the scholars of Ummah, issuing verdicts concerning Qur’an and Sunnah, producing CDs, publishing writings on Islam and lecturing on various topics.

2– Open denial of the belief of the Ummah: This is the second most distinguishable attribute of extremists. These people would refuse issues on which scholars have reached consensus, and would prioritize their personal judgments over the consensus. For instance, refusing to join prayers in congregations is something that they do against the belief of the ummah. Following a specific school of thought does not mean bowing to the thought and the leader of that school of thought. There are few differences among the four major schools of thought, yet the scholars of Muslims world have reached consensus and considered all these four school of thought as the Sunnah of the Prophet. Therefore, from a fiqh perspective, following a specific school of thought is not an issue. The problem is egoism and stubbornness, denial of Prophetic traditions and holding solely onto the school of thought. It is compulsory upon each and every believer to hold onto the book of Allah, Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet. The basis of the schools of thought is also the same. It is not the words of the leaders of the schools.

3- Polytheistic labeling of people who commit major sins: According to the belief of the people of the Prophetic traditions, those committing the major sins cannot be regarded as Non-Muslims. The door of repentance is open for them. If they die without repentance, their case is for Allah to judge. If Allah wills, they will be pardoned. He is just in His judgments. Those sinners will not abide in the hell forever. Equating major sin committers to Non-Muslims is the way of extremist groups such as Khawarijun, Mu’tazilin and those have crossed the limits of Islamic principles. These groups of people believe that the hell is the eternal abode of such sinners. This kind of beliefs contradicts with the consensus of the Ummah. This is because the judgment of our deeds in the Hereafter is for Allah.

4- Breaking relationships with people and preferring isolation.

These are the four major characteristics of extremists.

How to Safeguard Society from Extremism

There are various alternative methods to safeguard society from extremism. The methods include religious solution, social solution and use of media.

A) Religious Cure

Ø  Educating the society about the contents of the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet without any furnishing or censoring, and reforming the actions to match the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Ø  Increasing the awareness of the principles of moderation in Islam.

Ø  Instead of giving severe punishments to extremists, they must be debated intellectually and counseled to reach a solution.

Ø  Scholars who lecturer in the mosques should give their lecturers addressing these issues.

B) Social Cure

Ø  Teaching and practicing religion within the family from childhood.

Ø  Recognizing the effort to overcome extremism as a duty of everyone in the society, and standing together to achieve status of extremism free society.

Ø  Youths must be provided with facilities to engage themselves in something constructive during the free times.

Ø  Scholars must do a collaborated effort to teach the true teachings of Islam.

C) Media

Ø  Radio and TV stations can play a prominent role in overcoming extremism by airing programs about these issues with the help of qualified scholars and intellectuals in the society.

Ø  Increasing religious publications in magazines and newspapers to raise the awareness.  The most effective solution could be collaborated efforts of scholars in the community. One of the factors that lead to extremism is disputes among the scholars. A platform where all scholars can gather to debate and discuss religious issues can be arranged so that individual differences can be avoided and consensus can be made in the form of official fatwas.

D) Legal Cure: In the efforts to curb extremism, a legal cure is necessary. This means making laws concerning extremist activities, amending the Religious Unity Act and terrorism laws, and enacting laws that facilitate rehabilitation while in detention.

E) Establishing Rehabilitation Centers

In the international efforts to overcome extremism, the most successful method in overcoming extremism is rehabilitation. The experts also advise the use of knowledge and reason to change the belief of extremist. Therefore, establishing a Rehabilitation Center in Maldives is very important.

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Referendums to take place in 68 islands

Public referendums are due to take place in 68 islands to determine administrative units or inhabited islands prior to the upcoming local council elections.

The government has proposed creating one island council for islands separated by four nautical miles by joining them to form one administrative constituency.

Following official talks with the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) last week, both sides agreed to hold referendums before October 9 and propose amendments to the Decentralisation Act before October 10 as well as to announce constituencies on October 17 and hold elections before December 31.

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Fuvahmulah protest turns violent

Clashes between police and protesters left three injured in a protest in Fuvahmulah against leasing a plot of land to MVK, reports Haveeru.

Islanders gathered in the Dhoodhigamu ward on Wednesday after learning of the island office’s plans to lease a 33,000 square feet plot to MVK, the company awarded the contract to establish a transport network in the South Province.

The government’s decision to lease Dhoogas guesthouse in Addu atoll to MVK as part of the transport contract also met with opposition and allegations of improper dealings as the company was a campaign donor for the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party.

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Immigration warns against employing illegal workers

The Department of Immigration has issued a warning against employing illegal expatriate workers, threatening legal action against violations.

In a press statement last week, the department warned that action will be taken against those who provide or receive services from migrant workers without a valid work visa.

Furthermore, employers who fail to secure work visas within 15 days of the migrant worker’s arrival or pay visa fees within three months will be blacklisted and unable to pay deposit fees for any additional workers.

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