State Minister for Islamic Affairs Mohamed Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed recently returned from a trip to the UK, the first Islamic scholar from the Ministry to do so with a government delegation.
Shaheem attended discussions on counter-terrorism with a range of relevant authorities, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office, Home Office and heads of counter-terrorism in the Justice Ministry.
He also met with Abbas Faiz, the general secretary of Amnesty International.
“The main objective was to discuss rapidly growing concerns around extremism and terrorism with relevant stakeholders in the UK,” Shaheem told Minivan News.
“There was a lot of discussion on ideas, such as how to fight ideologies and radical ideas. It was a very nice trip.”
In March the state minister will travel to Bangladesh to attend a regional conference for religious leaders organised by USAID and the Asia Foundation.
Shaheem noted that the Maldives was relatively young and inexperienced in fighting ideologies and radicalisation, saying that countries like the US and Pakistan “have been active in this field for a long time.”
“We will benefit from a similar approach as Malaysia,” he said.
Shaheem has recently published several books in Dhivehi on the subject, including Religious Radicalisation and its Solution, and Islam is not a Religion of Terrorism.
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Shaheem is becoming an extremely capable and prominent politician.
Not only is he developing and molding his potential power base, he is able to do it in accordance with internationally recognized standards of moderation (namely promoting non-violence).
My disagreement with him is over two issues: Firstly, that conservatism propagates extremism. (Though can sometimes be constrained by it) And Secondly, that I believe it was inappropriate for him to lead a demonstration against the Government’s current economic development strategy, while he was a State Minister.
Regardless of this, Shaheem is fast becoming an incredible and mature politician. He offers a unique vision for Maldivian progress. And though it does base itself in Middle Eastern (and inherently semi-nondemocratic) ideologies, it is a vision that resonates with the core of many Maldivians across the nation. He will utilize all the concerted conservative movements of the past to fashion a semi-moderate conservatism throughout this nation. And its absolutely brilliant philosophy.
What is more is that it can be achieved through the current democratic framework.
Though I do disagree with him profoundly, in both ideology and action, I have a tremendous amount of respect for his political prowess.
Salam Alakium,
It is the consensus of the Scholars of Islam that whoever allies with the kuffar against Muslims or who helps them in any way, even morally, is a kaffir apostate, even if they pray five times a day, make hajj and carry out all the other aspects of Islam.
This is an issue in which there is no dispute in Islam.
So clearly this man is a kaffir apostate.
As for him claiming that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism, Surah An Anfal 8:60 calls on us to terrorise our enemies and Allahs enemies. So in his attempts to seem more appealing to the kuffar this man has denied part of the Quran, again an issue which is Kufr Akbar.
May Allah guide him back to Islam.