Month: January 2012

Religious scholars oppose SAARC monuments, Israeli flights

Religious scholars spoke out against controversial monuments erected in Addu City for November’s SAARC summit and government authorisation for Israeli national airline El Al to operate scheduled flights to the Maldives at the ongoing symposium at the Islamic Centre.

Newspaper Haveeru reports that most participants at the two-day symposium organised the Ministry of Islamic Affairs opposed erecting the monuments as well as plans to allow Israeli flights to land in the country at this morning’s debate sessions.

However a proposal by Transport Minister Adhil Saleem to debate the issue of the Israeli flights was voted down by a majority of the religious scholars yesterday as the item was not on the official agenda for the first day.

Most religious scholars argued today that authorising Israeli flights to the Maldives posed a threat to national security while fostering “relations with Jews” was discouraged in Islam.

The symposium, which was held to debate contentious religious issues in Maldivian society, concludes tonight with a special ceremony at the Islamic Centre.

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New resort to feature local life in Laamu Gan

The mid-market Reveries Boutique resort opening on Laamu Atoll Gan intends to benefit local agriculture and industry while offering tourists a new level of access to Maldivian culture, management claims.

The resort will open in February. It will be one of the first resorts to open operations on a local inhabited island.

With a standard of “comfortable deluxe”, the resort aims to “explore the idea that parts of the Maldives are open for people of all types”, said a management official.

The Tourism Ministry recently endorsed mid-market tourism as a significant factor of economic growth, and an important innovation for the tourism industry.

In addition to water sports, good dining and excursions, Reveries Boutique management has expressed an interest in supporting local archaeological research. Known for its barely-explored Buddhist-era remains, Gan could prove an attractive destination for tourists interested in “real life” Maldives.

However, management has said it will only support archaeological work if there is a demonstrated local interest.

Management adds that Gan’s 20 kilometre length makes it an appealing place for tourists wishing to eat locally and explore Maldivian community life. Noting that “resort life is not real life”, the team intends the resort to foster healthy and responsible living along with guest independence.

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Maldives forges diplomatic ties with Burkina Faso

The Maldives has signed a joint communiqué declaring diplomatic relations with Burkina Faso, a landlocked West African country known exporting gold.

The communiqué was signed by Maldives’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Mr. Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, and Burkina Faso’s UN Permanent Representative Mr. Der Kogda, at a ceremony in New York.

In his speech, Ambassador Ghafoor expressed the Maldives’ commitment to establishing ties with friendly African nations and hoped that these ties would foster a close relationship between the nations and their people.

Both countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Burkina Faso is the 161st country to establish diplomatic relations with the Maldives.

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