Month: November 2014

MP Nazim returns to Maldives, passport confiscated by immigration

The department of immigration has confirmed that the passport of former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim has been confiscated following the MP’s return to the Maldives yesterday (November 8).

Despite the Criminal Court ordered travel restrictions be placed on the Dhiggaru MP late last month, Nazim was able to leave the country the same day.

While abroad, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) member has been at the centre of controversy regarding his alleged attempts to smear party deputy leader and Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adeeb.

Nazim’s passport will be held until November 21, in accordance with the court order. Police have not revealed the nature of the charges facing the MP.

After a recent audit report implicated Adeeb in a US$6 million corruption scandal, the minister revealed that he had been threatened by Nazim as a result of his failure to support him for re-election as deputy speaker in May.

“But I didn’t believe the threats because the auditor general is someone I respected,” Adeeb told media after the report’s release.

“I believed up until the report was released yesterday that he would not compromised. Nazim threatened me very recently as well before he left for Malaysia.”

Adeeb expressed dismay at reports that his party colleague had attempted to link him with the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

“I am saddened that former Majlis Deputy Speaker asked different journalists to write, implicating me in the case to divert focus, as the case was being investigated by police,” said the deputy leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) yesterday.

He told journalists that Dhiggaru MP Nazim had suggested to the media that Rilwan was abducted in relation to his work on the Dhaalu Maagau case – also featured in the recent audit report.

Rumours of Nazim’s attempts to have Adeeb linked with the disappearance of Rilwan on August 8 first appeared in an independent report commissioned by the Maldivian Democracy Network in September.

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Independent prayer congregations “unacceptable,” says Islamic minister

Independent or unauthorised prayer congregations are “unacceptable” and legal action will be taken against its members if they refuse to accept advice from scholars, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday about the ministry’s achievements during the first year of President Abdulla Yameen’s administration, Shaheem stressed that it was not the government’s policy to violate the sanctity of mosques by entering with force and stopping the congregation.

“The Islamic ministry met the people who were praying in an independent congregation and advised them over a long period and instructed them to stop,” Shaheem said, referring to a separatist congregation at the Dharumavantha mosque in Malé.

The ministry’s scholars later advised members of the congregation for one month in the presence of police officers, he said.

“However, they refused to stop. So legal action has to be taken against them,” Shaheem said, adding that there was no Islamic state in the world where such congregations were allowed.

The government would not allow practices outside the bounds of the law and religious strictures, he declared.

On September 30, police arrested a 34-year-old man for leading prayers and delivering Friday prayer sermons at the Dharumavantha mosque. The suspect was arrested on charges of “attempting to incite religious strife and discord,” said police.

Independent congregation in Madduvari

In recent days, Shaheem continued, the ministry was informed of an independent prayer congregation on the island of Madduvari in Raa atoll.

“Our scholars visited that island as well with officers of the Maldives Police Service. But when we requested to meet with those senior among them, they didn’t come to the meeting,” he revealed.

Prayers were being conducted in Maldivian mosques in accordance with Islamic principles and the Prophet’s (pbuh) Sunnah.

Independent prayer congregations were not supported by learned religious scholars either in the Maldives or elsewhere.

The people involved in the congregation in Madduvari were not academically qualified or well-versed in religious matters, he claimed.

“So making independent congregations, marrying outside of court – such things are prohibited in religion,” he said.

Last week, Sri Lankan police detained three Maldivians who were allegedly preparing to travel to Syria through Turkey.

The three – two men aged 23 and 25 and a woman aged 18 – were from Madduvari and have since been released from custody upon being brought back to the Maldives, Home Minister Umar Naseer told the press on Thursday (November 6).

Meanwhile, asked if there were religious extremists in the Maldives, Shaheem said the definition of religious extremism in the Maldives was “very different” from its meaning internationally.

In the international community, he explained, religious extremism referred to “killing people, blowing places up and attacking civilians.”

Extremism in the Maldives has not reached that level, Shaheem said.

However, he added, there were religious ideologies in the country that needed to be corrected and moderated, which required religious scholars to provide counsel and advice.

Shaheem said the problem of extremism in the Maldives was not as bad as some reports suggested.

Jihad

Shaheem referred to the ministry’s public stand earlier this year on the issue of Maldivians traveling to Syria for ‘jihad’ in the ongoing civil war.

“The Islamic ministry does not support Maldivians leaving to fight in foreign wars, especially sectarian conflicts,” he said.

A large number of  Muslims were being harmed in conflicts between Sunnis and Shias, he said, including “innocent children, the elderly, and women”.

The ministry has been appealing to youth across the country against travelling abroad to fight, he added, saying that Muslims in other countries should pray for their well-being and offer humanitarian assistance.

According to a jihadist media group, a fifth Maldivian man recently died in Syria.

Achievements

The minister revealed that projects to build 20 new mosques across the country would commence in 2015, including ten projects to be financed by US$1.2 million donated by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud.

Among the ministry’s achievements during the past year, Shaheem referred to Dhivehi translations of works of Islamic fiqh, 500 pilgrims taken to Mecca by the government-owned Hajj Corporation, and the construction and renovation of mosques.

Additionally, Singapore approved the ministry’s halal certification, strengthening the waqf system, and numerous Quran courses were conducted in the atolls, he added.

Religious unity has been established during President Yameen’s first year in office, Shaheem insisted, while closer ties have been maintained with Islamic nations.

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MDP slams foreign minister for giving false information regarding Chinese silk route

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has criticised the foreign minister for providing false information while responding to questions put forward in the Majlis regarding the Maldives’ participation in China’s Maritime Silk Road initiative.

“The party severely condemns foreign minister Dunya Maumoon for intentionally providing false information about Maldives and its diplomatic relations with other countries,” read an MDP press statement released yesterday (November 8).

President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jingping has called on the Maldives “to get actively involved” in the creation of a maritime trade route linking China to the east coast of Africa and the Mediterranean.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today released a statement seeking to clarify any confusion caused by these remarks, saying that Dunya had “noted her concern if her choice of words had led to any confusion”.

When asked about the potential impact of the scheme on India-Maldives relations, Dunya told the parliament last week that India had also discussed participating during the recent state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinpeng.

However, Indian Diplomats in Malé promptly refuted the claim, releasing a statement containing comments from the Indian External Affairs Ministry which denied such talks having taken place.

“[T]his matter was neither raised, nor discussed, nor is it reflected in any of the outcomes of the visit of President Xi Jinping to India,” the ministry official told Indian media on Thursday (November 6).

The Maldives foreign ministry today said that Dunya had mentioned various discussions having taken place between India and China “on a wide range of issues” as an example of the excellent relations between the two nations.

The MDP also noted that it was “shameful” that the Indian Government had to re-clarify the public after “lies” from the foreign minister, and warned the government that such actions will weaken Maldives’ relations with other countries.

Fears have been expressed by the opposition regarding the potential for the government’s willingness to participate in the scheme to damage relations with regional neighbours.

The party also called for the resignation of Dunya, stating that intentionally providing false information to the parliament was a crime under the Maldivian Constitution.

The Chinese president travelled to India after having visited the Maldives where numerous MoUs were signed between the two governments – most notably agreements promoting the Malé-Hulhulé bridge and the redevelopment of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

The new INIA agreement comes while previous developer, India’s GMR, waits to hear how much they are to receive in damages after a Singapore arbitration court ruled their prematurely terminated contract with the Government of Maldives to have been “valid and binding”.

As Chinese companies pledge assistance with major infrastructure projects, Indian companies continue to fall foul of the Maldives’ changing political currents.

Meanwhile, China’s rising economic presence in the Indian Ocean region has stoked concerns in New Delhi that China is creating a “string of pearls” encircling India, including Chinese investments in ports and other key projects in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

*This article was amended shortly after publication to include an additional statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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MDP reconstitutes 19 ‘shadow’ committees

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has reconstituted 19 ‘shadow’ committees to hold the government accountable.

MDP Chairperson Ali Waheed told the press on Thursday (November 6) that chairpersons and vice chairpersons have been newly elected to head the oversight committees.

The former MP said the leadership would have regular meetings with the shadow committees in the future.

They include committees dealing with international relations, transport, housing, rights, research and policies, elections, organisation, economic affairs, fund raising, fisheries and agriculture, media, membership and campaigns, legal affairs, security, health, education, and employment and social affairs.

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Maldivian jihadist fighter dies in Syria

A Maldivian jihadist fighter has died in Syria, Bilad al Sham Media (BASM) has revealed on social media, in what would be the fifth Maldivian casualty in the ongoing civil war.

“Another great Maldivian brother martyred. May Allah accept him. Ameen,” Bilad al Sham tweeted last night.

The jihadist media group – which describes itself as “Maldivians in Syria” – identified the deceased as Abu Fulan Rahimullah, which was his assumed name or alias.

“He was a great companion and a pious brother who feared Allah, who made hijrah for the sake of Allah and strove hard in the cause of Allah, trying his utmost to be among the martyrs, especially after the martyrdom of his close companions Abu Turab, Abu Nuh, Abu Dujanah, and Abu Ibrahim,” reads a message posted by the media group.

BASM revealed the death of Abu Dujanah and Abu Ibrahim in September while Abu Nuh and Abu Turab were killed in May.

Local media identified Abu Dujana as Yameen Naeem of Georgia in the Maafannu ward of the capital Malé, who reportedly travelled to Syria after studying in Egypt.

Abu Fulan was “one of the students of Abu Dujanah,” BASM said.

“Amazingly he was seen in the most intense hours of the battle by hearting [sic] the lessons of the usoolul thalaatha,” the post continued.

“His wife had seen a dream before his martyrdom and he was among the slaves who are close to Allah. And she had narrated that she smelled an extraordinary beautiful smell after his martyrdom while she was in sujood praying Fajr Salah.”

The post concluded by stating that “cowardice was not his way and he could not accept defeat as an exchange for death.”

Last week, Sri Lankan police detained three Maldivians who were allegedly preparing to travel to Syria through Turkey.

The three – two men aged 23 and 25 and a woman aged 18 – were from the island of Madduvari in Raa atoll and have since been released from custody upon being brought back to the Maldives.

The incident follows reports of a couple from Fuvahmulah and a family of four from Meedhoo in Raa atoll traveling to militant organisation Islamic State-held (IS) territories to join the fighting in Syria and Iraq.

A UN report obtained by the UK’s Guardian newspaper earlier this month observed that foreign jihadists were now travelling to Syria and Iraq on “an unprecedented scale”.

The report mentioned the Maldives as one of the “unlikely” places from which IS supporters have emerged.

Islamic State

Meanwhile, a protest march took place in the capital, Malé, in September, with around 200 participants bearing the IS flag and calling for the implementation of Islamic Shariah in the Maldives.

In late August, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon issued a press statement condemning “the crimes committed against innocent civilians by the organisation which identifies itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.”

Dunya’s remarks followed Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed’s declaration that the ISIS would not be allowed to operate in the Maldives.

“ISIS is an extremist group. No space will be given for their ideology and activities in the Maldives,” Shaheem tweeted on August 24.

Shaheem had also appealed for Maldivians to refrain from participating in foreign wars.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), however, promptly put out a statement questioning Shaheem’s sincerity, suggesting that the words had not been backed up with concrete action by the government.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has claimed that up to 200 Maldivians are on jihad, alleging that a vast majority of them are ex-military – a claim vehemently denied by the security services.

“Radical Islam is getting very very strong in the Maldives, their strength in the military and in the police is very significant. They have people in strategic positions within both,” Nasheed said in an interview with UK’s Independent newspaper.

The opposition leader suggested that President Abdulla Yameen wanted to consolidate power before dealing with the threat of religious extremism.

“He has the Islamists with him and he can’t do away with them. He would deny that but I don’t see the government taking any measures against the Isis flag being displayed on the street and all the indoctrination going on.”

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India denies having discussed New Silk Road initiative with China

The Indian government has moved to correct suggestions made in the Maldives’ parliament last week that it had discussed joining China’s New Silk Road initiative.

When asked about the potential impact of the scheme on India-Maldives relations, foreign minister Dunya Maumoon had told MPs that India had also discussed participating during the recent state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinpeng.

In order to clarify the issue, Indian diplomats in Malé have released a statement in which India’s External Affairs Ministry denies such talks having taken place.

“[T]his matter was neither raised, nor discussed, nor is it reflected in any of the outcomes of the visit of President Xi Jinping to India,” the ministry official told Indian media on Thursday (November 6).

“I hope that clarifies that this was neither raised, nor discussed, nor is it reflected in any of the outcome documents available publicly on the visit of President Xi Jinping to India.”

President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jingpeng has received positive responses from President Abdulla Yameen to his calls for the Maldives “to get actively involved” in the creation of a maritime trade route linking China to the east coast of Africa and the Mediterranean.

China’s rising economic presence in the Indian Ocean region has stoked concerns in New Delhi that China is creating a “string of pearls” to encircle India, including Chinese investments in ports and other key projects in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

In response to opposition fears over the impact on neighbouring countries, Dunya told the Majlis that the government always remained mindful of regional security.

“His Excellency Xi Jinping visited India. India very much welcomed his visit and they discussed participating in various initiatives of China and participating in the Silk Route,” said Dunya.

However, the minister made clear that the Maldives, as a sovereign nation, was not compelled to consult with others on foreign policy decisions.

The government decided to participate in the Silk Route initiative as it would promote national interest and benefit the Maldivian people through trade and commerce, she said.

The rise in Sino-Maldivian links over the past three years appears to have coincided with a relative cooling of relations between the Maldives’ and its traditional ally, India.

While Chinese tourists make up around one-third of the one million-plus tourists visiting the Maldives each year, developmental aid is increasingly becoming a key feature of the relationship.

As Chinese companies pledge assistance with major infrastructure projects, Indian companies continue to fall foul of the Maldives’ changing political currents.

President Xi Jinpeng became the first Chinese head of state to visit the Maldives in September, as part of a regional tour which also took in Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and India. A number of agreements, including a preliminary deal to redevelop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), were signed during the stop in Malé.

The new INIA agreement comes as the previous developers, India’s GMR, wait to hear how much they are to receive in damages after a Singapore arbitration court ruled their prematurely terminated contract with the Government of Maldives to have been “valid and binding”.

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MDP slams home minister’s “irresponsible” remarks on Rilwan disappearance, death threats

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has slammed Home Minister Umar Naseer’s “irresponsible” remarks concerning the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan and death threats sent to journalists and politicians.

In a press release yesterday, the main opposition party referred to Naseer having stated at a press conference on Thursday (November 6) that it was too early to determine whether Rilwan was kidnapped, abducted, or missing.

Naseer’s remarks were an example of his “incompetence and irresponsibility,” the press release stated.

“And we note that it contradicts his earlier statement about gang involvement in Ahmed Rilwan’s disappearance.”

In an appearance on state broadcaster Television Maldives last month, Naseer said police “already know there is a gang connection to Rilwan’s case.”

Moreover, police arrested four suspects in relation to Rilwan’s alleged abduction, of which one suspect has been held in remand detention for nearly six weeks.

During Thursday’s press conference, Naseer compared Rilwan’s case with the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

“Not every crime is solvable. And when a crime remains unsolved, it does not mean police were negligent. We are doing all we can in Rilwan’s case. We will not leave any stone unturned,” the home minister told reporters.

Rilwan has been missing for 92 days and is believed to have been abducted at knifepoint outside his apartment at 2am on August 8.

Naseer also criticised the opposition for prematurely concluding that Rilwan was abducted.

Rilwan’s family have meanwhile accused the police of negligence and filed a complaint with the Police Integrity Commission,which is currently being investigated.

“If the abduction had been investigated immediately at the right time, the police would have been able to find the victim and clarify if it is our brother or not,” Rilwan’s sister Mariyam Fazna told the press earlier this month.

Despite eyewitnesses having reported the abduction at knifepoint at 2am on August 8, police only took their statements on August 14, the family noted. The police had also failed to track down and search the car used in the abduction.

The police only searched Rilwan’s apartment 29 hours after the abduction was reported and searched his office 11 days afterwards. The police also failed to make a public announcement on Rilwan’s disappearance – despite a request by the family – and did not inform the public on how to act if they had any information related to the case, the family explained further.

The People’s Majlis last week threw out a 5,055 signature petition urging MPs to pressure police for a through and speedy investigation. The parliament secretariat later admitted the rejection was “a mistake,” according to MP Imthiyaz Fahmy who sponsored the petition.

In September, human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network released an investigation report implicating radicalised gangs in Rilwan’s disappearance.

Death threats

The MDP press statement also condemned Naseer’s response to a question regarding death threats sent via unlisted or private numbers to journalists and opposition politicians.

Naseer made a “joke” out of the death threats and claimed recipients were not intimidated or scared, the party contended.

The home minister, however, was surrounded by bodyguards provided by the state and had requested pistols earlier this year, the press release added.

Naseer had claimed that the opposition was using the death threats for political gain.

Last week, MDN urged police to expedite investigations of death threats and provide security to journalists while Amnesty International demanded police intensify their efforts to find those responsible for the numerous death threats and violent attacks against journalists.

The Inter Parliamentary Union has previously said the government’s reaction to the death threats would be a test of its democratic credentials.

After meeting with the IPU earlier last month, union member and MDP MP Eva Abdulla raised concerns over the personal safety of MPs and journalists in the Maldives.

Meanwhile, the MDP also expressed concern with the prevailing atmosphere of fear in the country with serial stabbings, violent assaults, drug trafficking, and death threats.

The party contended that the government was failing to prosecute perpetrators who commit crimes in “broad daylight”.

Naseer’s remarks were prompted by his inability to establish domestic peace and security, the party argued.

“The MDP calls on Home Minister Umar Naseer to not make such irresponsible statements and to fulfil the responsibilities of his post,” the press release stated.

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“Not all crimes in the world are solvable”: Home minister says on Rilwan’s disappearance

Comparing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan’s disappearance with the killing of American President John F. Kennedy, Home Minister Umar Naseer today said, “not all crimes in the world are solvable.”

“Americans still have not solved the case of who shot and killed President John F. Kennedy,” speaking at a press conference this evening.

“I’m talking about the shooting and killing of an American president. It has been more than 50 years since American citizens have been asking, who killed Kennedy?”

According to five different investigations, former Marine Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

“Not every crime is solvable. And when a crime remains unsolved, it does not mean police were negligent. We are doing all we can in Rilwan’s case. We will not leave any stone unturned.”

Today marks the 90th day since Rilwan disappeared. Eyewitness accounts suggest Rilwan was abducted at knifepoint outside his apartment at 2am on August 8. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Despite acknowledging involvement of criminal gangs in Rilwan’s disappearance, Naseer today said it is unclear if Rilwan’s disappearance constitutes a crime. The government can only know if he had voluntarily left, disappeared or been abducted once he is found, he said.

“America is a much bigger country than ours. Statistics show over 600 people went missing this year. They have better resources, a bigger budget, but they are unable to find [the missing people]. It is not so easy to find a missing person. Not every crime can be solved,” he continued.

“We can only know if it’s a crime when it is solved. God willing, Rilwan will be found. When he is found, we will know if he went missing, or whether it’s a voluntary disappearance, an enforced disappearance or an abduction,” Naseer added.

Naseer claimed the Maldives Police Service is continuing investigations, and is analysing 22,000 phone records and 4,000 hours of CCTV footage.

The opposition has wrongfully termed Rilwan’s case a “disappearance,” Naseer continued claiming “it is too early to call it a [disappearance].”

Rilwan’s family last week accused the police of negligence and filed a complaint with the Police Integrity Commission (PIC).

“If the abduction had been investigated immediately at the right time, the police would have been able to find the victim and clarify if it is our brother or not,” Rilwan’s sister Mariyam Fazna told the press last week.

Despite eyewitnesses having reported the abduction at knifepoint at 2am on August 8, police only took eyewitnesss statements on August 14, the family said. The police had also failed to track down and search the car used in the abduction.

The police only searched Rilwan’s apartment 29 hours after the abduction was reported and searched his office 11 days afterwards. The police also failed to make a public announcement on Rilwan’s disappearance – despite a request by the family – and did not inform the public on how to act if they had any information related to the case, the family explained further.

Four men have been arrested over Rilwan’s disappearance, but only one man remains in custody at present. The police have revealed few details on the case.

The People’s Majlis last week threw out a 5055 signature petition urging MPs to pressure police for a through and speedy investigation. The parliament secretariat later admitted the rejection was “a mistake,” according to MP Imthiyaz Fahmy who sponsored the petition.

Human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network released a report in September implicating radicalised gangs in Rilwan’s disappearance.

Discounting theories of voluntary disappearance and suicide, the investigation – conducted by Glasgow-based Athena Intelligence and Security – concludes the disappearance is likely to have been an abduction.

The report confirmed evidence of possible “hostile surveillance” at the terminal conducted by two known affiliates of Malé based Kuda Henveiru gang.

The NGO on October 23 accused the police of negligence in investigating the disappearance for their failure to inform the public on progress and failure to confirm if the abduction reported on the night Rilwan went missing was related to his disappearance.

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MMPRC believes Thumburi project will bring an additional 150,000 tourists per year

Managing Director of the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) Abdulla Ziyath believes the government’s Thumburi integrated resort project will increase visitors to the Maldives by 150,000.

“The market had become quite stagnant, as there were not many new hotels on the way and we were becoming perceived as a place just for five-star tourists,” Ziyath told TTG while at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

“This addresses those issues and for the first time enables small businesses to invest; in fact we are actively discouraging the main existing resort owners from being a part of Thumburi”.

The government’s integrated resort project – or ‘vertical tourism’ – is designed to “responsibly diversify the tourism product of the Maldives”, says the MMPRC, after the rapid expansion of guest houses on inhabited islands under the presidency of Mohamed Nasheed between 2008 and 2012.

Some within the industry have expressed fears over the guest house’s impact on the Maldives image as a luxury travel destination, although critics of the new scheme say the multi-ownership guest house island concept will not bring the same benefit to local communities.

Ziyath spoke during the WTM, at which it unveiled the Thumburi project. The event features 146 representatives from 54 countries and is to conclude tomorrow.

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