When Ayatollah Khomeini issued his death fatwa against Salman Rushdie in February 1989 for writing the Satanic Verses, 44 out of the 45 member states of the Islamic Congress (1989) condemned the ruling of the Ayatollah as un-Islamic.
Many critics have pointed out that this was a fact ‘the West’ chose to ignore in its rush to present the Ayatollah’s ruling as representative of Islam’s ‘true nature’ as a religion of intolerance.
It appears the ruling is one that the purveyors of ‘true Islam’ in the Maldives – members of the Wahhabi sect – have similarly chosen to ignore by calling for the beheading of a Maldivian journalist who dares express views contrary to their own. We are told to listen to these voices as ‘true Islam’ while turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the actions and policies of organisations such as the Islamic Conference which recently made it clear that it:
Condemn[s] the audacity of those who are not qualified in issuing religious rulings (fatwa), thereby flouting the tenets and pillars of the religion and the well-established schools of jurisprudence.
The fact that there are now people within the Maldivian society who feel comfortable enough in their own rightness, righteousness and ‘learnedness’ to flout the teachings of Islam in its name by calling for the beheading of a fellow man for his views clearly demonstrates the extent of human intolerance Maldivian society has come to tolerate in the name of religion.
Anyone who does not agree with this particular brand of Islam is now being denied, among other fundamental rights, their right to exist. The only Muslims who will be tolerated in this society are those that follow Wahhabism.
Ironically, this is a kind of practice that the first Commander-in-Chief of the ‘War on Terror’, George Bush, found rather suited to his own policies – he denied members of al-Qaeda the right to be Muslims by doggedly and repeatedly describing them as ersatz Muslims who had ‘hijacked the religion of Islam’; and by pursuing policies that, in turn, validated all such claims.
In defining Islam according to his version of it (‘Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, Moms and Dads’) Bush denied the self-proclaimed ‘holy warriors’ the very religion in the name of which they were sacrificing themselves. In so doing, he effectively removed any justifications of their cause, at once turning them into ‘Evildoers’ with no motive and no cause other than Evil, pure and simple.
It is this very practice that followers of Wahhabism in the Maldives are engaging in – by making their beliefs the only ‘true Islam’, they are denying a large section of the Maldivian society their right to be Muslims; and in so doing, are removing the right of many a Maldivian to be treated as equal citizens with the same rights as those who do not practise the same brand of Islam as theirs.
By re-defining what it means to be a Maldivian Muslim they are rendering those who do not conform to their teachings irrelevant to society. Non-followers of Wahhabism are being re-cast as non-citizens, and non-Muslims. Furthermore, they are being made non-human by calling on laws of the jungle, rather than the law of the land, to be applied to them. They become beasts whose heads have to be cut off, a beastly scourge the rest of society should be cleansed of. No longer Dhivehin, no longer Muslims. And no longer human.
The discourse of the ‘War on Terror’ worked in precisely the same manner in successfully rendering ‘detainees’ or ‘enemy combatants’ (not to be recognised as prisoners of war, lest there be any rights) in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib into non-human ‘Evil’ entities with no place in civilisation. As Godless, faithless, non-human creatures outside of legality itself, they could be kept in indefinite detention without trial, abused, tortured and then abandoned.
This is what the followers of Wahhabism are doing to the Maldivian society. Rendering a part of it Godless, faithless and non-human. Their removal from society if they do not conform to Wahhabism thus becomes not just justifiable, but necessary.
Soon, there will be no Maldivian left who does not follow the brand of Islam that they advocate, not because everyone has willingly followed where they previously refused to tread, but because Wahhabism would have become the only definition of what it means to be a Maldivian Muslim.
If – and it is a big ‘if’, given the obfuscation and vacillation of official policy – this is not the future that the Maldivian government has envisioned for the country whose democracy the current President fought so valiantly for, then it should act soon to provide room for the freedom to grow of the Maldivian Muslims who do not follow this brand of Islam.
Let people know – or at least open up the channels through which people can find out – that Wahhabism cannot lay claim to ‘true Islam’ any more than Bush can deny bin Laden and his followers the right to call themselves Muslims; and that there is nothing even remotely like a consensus in the Islamic world regarding the supremacy of the Wahhabi teachings over and above others in the religion of Islam.
If pluralism is the government policy, then make it possible for people to see, and provide the opportunity for them to understand, the pluralism that exists within Islam itself. Expose people to the other side of the debate, let other voices resonate with equal vigour in the various venues and lecture halls the Wahhabis are so effectively frequenting.
The followers of Wahhabism have a captive audience in the Maldives because they are the only act in town, because their script is emotive, and because they have chosen ignorance as the stage to act out their drama. Let the audience develop some discernment, and it will become possible to, at the very least, ensure Maldivians make an informed choice if and when they decide to take this country into a future of being an Islamic State with Sharia as its only law.
Let the Wahhabis know that the government will not let itself or Islam, the religion that it has written into the Constitution, be used as instruments of power in establishing the supremacy of one particular brand of Islam in the Maldives.
Equally important is to stop allowing Wahhabism to (re)define into non-existence a substantial part of the Maldivian population that makes this nation Maldives.
Munirah Moosa is a journalism and international relations graduate. She is currently engaged in research into the ‘radicalisation’ of Muslim communities and its impact on international security.
All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]
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I'd just like to add that.. No. wait. There's nothing I wish to add.
As always, Munirah does a wonderful job of explaining the average Maldivian's dilemma of having to confront the beast of Wahabbism at the risk of 'losing' his faith and thus being eligible to be beheaded/stoned/murdered by the followers of 'true Islam'.
Is the government listening?
Dear Munee
I totally agree with you,
we should have same sex marriage freedom,
we should give the atheists their freedom to be dhivehin,
we should give freedom to drug abusers, child molestors and street gangs.
But if it is Wahhabisim "say no to Wahhaby" they are the fundamentalist
ok
now i understand
Excellent article. One of the best I've ever read on this issue. I await the future commentors who will undoubtedly call it Islamic.
The biggest problem we have with this issue is that the Islamic Ministry itself is under the complete control of conservative parties such as Adhaalath. The same people that have done everything from claiming music is haraam to blaming all of societies ills on women.
How can you argue with people that will simply use the infidel card when threatened?
Moderates don't stand a chance unless we throw those wolves out of the thrown room.
Good to see/read that there are educated, criticizing people in this society who are not being brainwashed by false ideologies and who've got the guts to speak out loud.
Hats off Munirah Moosa for your efforts.
Its strange that Munirah Moosa is writing an article about herself which no other news sources had written or have come to notice.
Munirah are you trying to get noticed?If so there are other ways than writing who you are and your educational back ground.
A lot of flaws in your article from an Islamic point of view. I'm guessing your not an Islamic major or read the Quran, Hadith or Seerah often. This is just a guess, but I can be fully wrong. Sometimes there are Sheikhs and Muslims leaders such as in Egypt and previous government of Maldives that knew Islam very well and studied it, but their hearts were blind as they did not understand the meaning and the concept behind what they were learning. So the sheikhs changed their religion to please the corrupt leaders, while the corrupt leaders only wanted to stay in power for as long as they could.
Trying to divide Islam these days into different parts are very difficult since good and righteous Muslims, especially from the youth are not that silly when listening to people that are trying to use scare tactics and say this is wahabism, etc. When we listen to people speak, we can hear for ourselves if that is something that is just made up or not. Especially when Islam has everything written so clearly with very accurate references. Hence very hard for anyone to go up and fabricate facts about it.
The only one that is able to go up and lie about it are the ones that loves this world and has no in depth Islamic knowledge. Im sure no one here has read in detail the life and battles of Khalid Bin Waleed, or if they have, they would quickly try to say he did not represent Islam even though the Prophet called him personally the "Sword of Allah". Wonder why he would be called a sword of Allah if there was no fighting in Islam. hhmmm...?
Also I did not find in the article where the writer defines what Islam was supposed to be in Maldives before the new government? It was pretty oppressed and crafted to how Maumoon wanted it to be. If it was an Islam that told him that he cannot torture people and arrest people without any evidence, then he would say "that is not Islam". Where was the proof other then it did not go well with the type of life he wished to live in this world. Similar to many who are critical towards Islam now. They are more scared of losing their way of life, hence they claim that Islam would only be something that goes easy with their current easy life - Pray when you have the time, instead of holding off your daily work for a while in order to pray on time. Reading the Quran and asking Allah (swt) for help only when something bad happens only or no human can help, instead of always praising Allah (swt) for how Great He is and asking Him for guidance on a regular basis - even when life is good. It is when the worldly life is good, that we can go astray the easiest.
Khomeini was right to issue that fatwa because Islam does not allow the types of insults which has come out of some EU countries. Some other good scholars issued similar fatwas, while others were scared of being arrested since freedom of expression in 99% of the world today is only acceptable towards pro-western speeches, etc. If the west practiced pluralism truly, you will see many scholars giving the same speeches in Europe that are being given in Maldives. Fact is they are scared due to Islam's popularity. Hence they have openly done research into how they can fund and influence Muslim schools to teach a moderate Islam which is acceptable by western governments. Ironic how non-Muslims governments are defining the kind of Islam we should teach our kids, while they have their troops in a Muslim country fighting an illegal war under the Geneva Conventions. Funny part is that some Muslims go along with this concept for the sake of not being put into a difficult situation which would turn their current life upside down. Who would want to be branded a terrorist right? Especially when the current self announced world police is a world known oppressor. It creates laws and institutions like the UN and IMF which it itself does not follow, but uses as a tool to control other developing countries - economically to gain access to resources which benefits the United States.
I am a Muslims before anything else as I have only One Creator and only He deserves my praise. If anyone raises His words high, then who ever he is.. I would support him because as humans we have many options in life and many roads to take if we chose. But the ones that are truly blessed are the ones that spends their time teaching others about Islam and expects reward only from Allah (swt) and does not listen to the blame of the blamers.
Wahhabism.....communism.....fascism and the likes are all terminology drawn up by the westerners who advocate the so called wetsern democrarcies. Today it is uses as an anti-Islamic tool worldwide by anti-Islamists, purpose to creat a division and fear among Muslims.
Why ............ becasue they fear the revival of Islam and it sure is going to come. No matter how hard the western indoctrinated scholars of today argue foe case aginst all Islamic beliefs, it is all ghoing to go in vain. For in the end the disbelievers will surely be among the losers.
I am rather surprised that an article on Wahhabism (as attributed to the particular form of 'islam' by the author), neither mentions the modernist & revivalist shift in contemporary islam, and is mysteriously void of even the term "revivalist"!
Maybe the author should pursue more academic research into the label of Wahhabism and who it refers to, before using the term in such a liberal manner as to amalgamate various interpretations of tradition.
This article is a gross misrepresentation of a cultural shift that spans decades that the author seems unaware of. The sad thing is, people who digest this article would come away with a feeling of being marginalized in the inevitable (as the author prods us) revolution of radicals, without understanding the reality and the fundamentals of the problem and its impact on maldivian society, because the author has conveniently forgotten about the 'prologue' of this story.
People like this author give IR a bad name.
If they actually carry out this "beheading", they must be more stupid than I thought.
We might have a nice civil war on our hands 😀
Not to mention sheer international pressure, impact on tourism/economy and what not.
I say, just do it. Go behead that journalist for defying Islam.
Honestly, what can the government do in the face of this threat to our identity and our culture? We are led by two of the most liberal politicians our nation has seen.
Even former President Gayoom advocated moderate conservative philosophies and believed in the contemporary view of women's rights. But where former President Gayoom took all religious authority unto himself, neither the President nor the Vice President has any religious standing, apart from the fact that they consider themselves to be good Muslims who follow the tenants of Islam. They both have no option but to stay away from Islamic squables because they are not Islamic scholars and do not try to claim it.
The most they can do is make statements about the growth of conservatism, but to take a stand against it would be suicide as was evident from the protests Adhaalath held against government policy. They flexed their political muscle, and when Azim Mohamed said that no one could win without support from Adhaalath, he touched upon truth. Because without either the implicit acceptance of the party, no on will win.
Many moderates think, "oh, these bearded feminine capri wearing fundies aren't that powerful - look at parliament, all FIVE women MPs do not wear burughas." But what they neglect is the fact that all five of these women where not opposed by Adhaalath either (not by the party itself). And 5 out of 77. Really guys?!
The face of our nation is changing. There is no doubt about it. In my opinion, while these people have the right to believe what the want, preach what they want, I see Wahabbi ideologies as evil at heart. Degrading in principle. And misleading in spirit. And I believe Maldivian culture and heritage is being lost.
Evil can only prevail when good people do nothing. Will you do nothing?
How can we have pluralism in Islam in the Maldives, when the people that have been entrusted to do just that (ie Islamic Ministry)by this government are themselves the ones that are propagating Wahhabism?
Good Job.
I have left many comments on Haveeru with regards to religious issues - and NONE have been published.
With regards to government - the Minister of Islamic Affairs touts his head to toe covered in black on the front row of major government functions.
Can it get any worse? I hope I have not spoken too soon.
The face veil should be outlawed - period.
No one even knows whether the person who issued the death threat is a 'wahabbi' or not. Even if s/he was a wahhabi, why should all 'wahhabis' be blamed because of the actions of just one person? That is like blaming all Maldivians every time a crime is carried out in the country.
There are many 'Wahhabi' scholars in the country. Not one of them has issued a fatwa to behead any one. Is it fair to blame all wahhabis in the country because someone put up a death threat on some random blog?
The vast majority of wahhabis do not want to behead any one. They do not support child marriage, genital mutilation or the other common allegations put against them. But yet why are these allegations against wahhabis made so frequently? Either the people who make these allegations are ignorant or they are impetuously determined to bash wahhabism for some 'hidden' reasons.
Terror can only be broken by terror. Those who threaten our fathers and brothers, our mothers and sisters will face the most dire of retaliation.
Wahhabism is poison. Does anyone have an antidote?
In any community or in any religion you will find "black sheep" and this few people whom you refer as "wahaabis who wanted to behead Hilath" are those Black sheep in Maldives.
By writing an entire article and releasing it to a plat form like this, what you are doing is simply bringing more publicity to those few 'black sheep' in our community.
Hilath himself is the blackest sheep in our community - He tries to call for attention of others - a Lost boy who has brought lot of unhappiness to his aging parents.
We can discuss beheading or killing only if the person is convicted in a court, or a fatwa is given by authority, not an individual or group of human beings who needs guidance. Otherwise we are simply trying to start an unnecessary fire.
Dear Jeffrey,
You guys don't have the guts you need to stand up against what you called fundies.JEFF you and your family been running like cowards all through your life.What can you do or your cowardice dad do?
Ibrahim: The sword of power is forged in the fire of war. The sword of power will bring us a new age. An age of liberty, prosperity, justice and peace.
I think the extremists that you are describing is a minor part of our society. So then, do you want to condemn every person who wants to follow the Quran and the Sunnah?
This I find hypocritical as you started your article with such examples i.e. Rushdhee and George Bush.
The article you are talking about was written anonymously on an open blog. How more questionable and dodgy can it get? Why are you so concerned about cowardly anonymous threats rather than being more concerned about the child who actually got 'beheaded' (actually stabbed to death) the other day due to disagreement with his peers.
Dear Jeff,
On your comment on doing something, thank you for the advise. Unlike your father who always runs away when faced with defeat, I shall try to do my best for my country during these trying times.
I loved your article. It makes a lot of sense. I hope people who are going to govern this country realizes the potential dangers of letting wahhabism flourish in our country.
And yes, the short trouser / long bear cult is trying to define what is "true" islam in the Maldives. But the only thing they have done is introduce sex slavery and oppression of women.
And let us not forget these extremists brought about the first ever terror attack to our nation by blasting a bomb at Sultan park.
After reading this article I felt there is so much of exaggerration and the writer seems to be a novice though she is graduate studying journalism. Moreover, it does not investigate the ruling and standings on extremism in Islam which is critical in an impartial writing.
With regard to Salman Rushdie's incident, this is a controvertial issue still in UK and as a Maldivian who lives in europe I still meet non-muslim friends who are against the standing of the British government at that case. Did anyone knew Sheikh Deedat (May Allah be pleased with him) who was denied by BBC to give a five minute interview to the UK public during that time with a ransom fee of GBP 50000 pounds? This is all oppressions of the then British Government.
I have many Wahabbi Maldivian friends. And as a moderate muslims I dont find any awful traits on them. They are just really good people with extremely good virtues. I just see most of my non muslim Maldivians who cant digest the view of muslims. A man being fervent to the rulings of the religion does not mean that he is an extremist or is a peril to the community. Why does the coptic christians and the Rabbi's of judaism are not being considered extremists? With almost all the cases I have investigated I've found that the root cause for the violence is due to the oppression to muslims by some of the extremist non-muslims who couldn't digest the view of Muslims. Have anyone seen Turkey and Egypt? Muslims and Non muslims lives peacefully and as good friends and the christian and Jews are more religious in Middle East than in the West.
I wonder whether if the reader who commented that "Wahhabism is a poison" really know how the term has come into usage. It is an attribute of God and yet this poor guided or rather misguided soul goes on to state that it is a poison. Sister do contemplate a little, think about your self and find out what the real poison is. It is such misguided people like you or those who have gone astray go on making such comments and baseless allegations. The poison is not "Wahhabism" nor religion, it is just the simple fact that you do not have any ethics or good moral and values. Hence your choice is to 'label' everything and anything which you do not understand, just to be part of it. Don't display your ignorance or be of ill repute to your parents who gave birth to you and brought you up. Your self is the real poison and the antedote is simply this "REPENT".
"Hats off to you Ibrahim Ali". I agree with you and its misguided and attention seeking people like Hillath and this Aishath Sheena and the likes who need to really get their minds sorted out. To them I say go to a "head-shrinker" and see whats wrong with you first before you go on blaspheming about the wrongs with everything else.
@SALIM
1. The president and Vice President do not need to be Jacks of all Trades. They cannot stay away from this stating that they are not scholars of Islam. In that case the only issues that they can address are International Maritime Law and Education because as far as I know those are the two disciplines of their expertise.
2. It is chilling to read your comment "...but to take a stand against it would be suicide...because without either the implicit acceptance of the party, no one will win." . This means people like me with liberal views and without a burugaa are now a minority in the Maldives. Our voices and our rights do not matter anymore because it is the people with extreme Islamic views and the Burugaas that will help win the next election for current government.
No wonder PA leaders wife and daughter are wearing burugaa in preparation for the next presidential election.
Adam you said..
"With almost all the cases I have investigated I’ve found that the root cause for the violence is due to the oppression to muslims by some of the extremist non-muslims who couldn’t digest the view of Muslims."
And what a retard you are!! WTF..lol
Are you living in the current world? So your high intellect believes that the cult of suicide bombing, one way ticket to heaven jihad, under age concubines are should not be noticed from the outside world who are trying to defend this "islam" of terrorists??
In a way Adam, you are right. It is the rest of the world against people like you who call themselves muslims while raping 9 year girls, threatening journalists with beheading etc etc. SO YES, there are normal people who cannot accept this in this world!
Adam you should go to the desert and breed goats and live in a cave like in the old days.
Pluralism. A value we need to uphold if we are to maintain this democracy.
And pluralism within Islam, very important, if we are to maintain, or even attain peace and human rights in this nation.
Can the Wahhabis or the 'true' blue Muslims just stop and think for a second: the more radical you people get, the more enemies you build on the other side. But, hey, wait. that's just what you Ws want, right? You want war in the name of Islam. you all want to jihad. huh, how could i have missed this. you all want to take the easy route to heaven...gotcha!
I echo adams view in saying that the piece by Munirah is hyperbole.
I have non-Muslim Maldivian friends and devout Muslim friends. In most cases, its the non-Muslim Maldivian friends who can't handle the devout Muslim friends' opinion cause the devout's opinion greatly endangers the liberal's way of life, if implemented would curtail freedoms the liberal perceive should be theirs, despite explicit verses in the Quran to the contrary.
I say non-Muslim Maldivians here because for these friends of mine, threesomes, drinking/ soft drugs and being gay are ok.
Fazee and Aslam,
Do you see me running?! Am I hiding behind a pseudonym? Am I not saying everything I need to say out in the open and taking the repercussions of those words? Facing baseless accusations head on because slander and libel will not be enough make me cower.
As for my father. Do you see him running?! Has he ever run?! You cite the most baseless propaganda and pretend that is fact. The Vice President spent 16 years in the UN helping the world's women and children - his work and leadership directly affecting millions upon millions of people. He did this after he was forced out of the Maldives. In Afghanistan, he risked his life to create an Education System and administer essential services after a decades of violence and bloodshed. And he stayed even when men armed with AK-47s robbed the UNICEF office there. Consequently my mother joined him there, against UN regulations.
For our history in Maldives, get your facts right:
http://jswaheed.com/aboutme_filiwaheed.html
My parents both have strength and conviction in their principles. They believe in their values and will not address petty accusations. Don't think that this is acquiescence to these accusations' validity.
Agree with Umar and with Aslam @8:54 pm. And once again, generalisations have been made, and some of the analogies in the article are quite difficult to buy.
Nevertheless, I believe there is strong merit in the point that there needs to be more diversity with regard to information on Islam within the country. Equal exposure should be given to reputed Islamic scholars (both local and international) from a variety of backgrounds, be it in terms of religious counseling or at sermons organised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, NGOs and community groups, Adhaalath or anyone else.
Fazu,
The Vice President got his PhD in Education AND International Development. So our national growth is right up his alley. His time in the UN has also contributed to his 'expertise.'
But you're right, they do need to exert their judgement, and both of these gentlemen have said that they will promote a moderate understanding of Islam. Who defines moderate though?
Right now, the people who define it, do so as simply "non-violent." That is a very low threshold for moderation.
15 years ago only a handful of women under the age of 35 wore burughas. 3 years ago a 3rd of women wore burughas. Today it is almost half of all women. This is not part of our tradition or culture.
Our traditionally liberal heritage is on the decline. So Fazu, yes - we're about to become a minority. Unless people stand up to intolerance and illiberal values, we will become a minority. We cannot let another wave of repression sweep our nation and taint our future history.
Pity that some of the so called western educated intellects try to draw parallels or rape of underaged or having concubines with the Muslim practices. These are all unethical practices humanity as a whole has been practicing from the day they walked the earth. Is it not a common practice among the westerners to having marriages among the same sex made legal, just for the namesake of human rights, another excuse for the perverted desires they habor within themselves. Its fine for such people to go an a sodomy or any orgy spree (afterall they advocate it as their basic human rights). Wonder why they are not advocating marriage among human and animals.
When peolpe launch suicide bombings its terror, but when some western nation launch a campaign agaisnt another nation, it turns out to be somthing else. What double standards. What about the extermination of Palestinians by the Isrealis, supported and backed by the champions of freedom and deomcracy.
What do you call it.
Dear Salim Waheed,
Your dad did run and is a coward and you are definitely a coward.Where you and your dad when the revolution against Maumoon's cruel government started.
yes,your father helping orphans and educational development in poor countries is acknowledged.
But when his own home soil cried for help WHERE THE HELL WAS HE?
AND YOU U ! YOU SAY YOU LOVE OUR CULTURE!WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR CULTURE!I CAN ASSURE THAT YOU WONT BE ABLE TO FILLET A TUNA.
Haha, Rilwan, I've been cooking for myself for over five years now. I can fillet a tuna. 😛
Like I said, http://jswaheed.com/aboutme_filiwaheed.html Educate yourself.
My father came back and stayed until he was no longer able to help. He always goes where he can do good. He has spent his life helping humanity. What have you done?
You talk about the revolution against Gayoom. The Vice President was the first person to stand up to Gayoom who had anything to loose. In Parliament, he led the first black ribbon campaign in 1990-1 to free President Nasheed. He was the first Parliamentarian to stand up for the rights of Maldivians, and in return his family was harrased, arrested, and tortured. His supporters like Sandhaanu Zaki (Muad's Father) was arrested. And he was given no choice but to leave.
Gayoom wrote him a letter, that i've seen with my own two eyes, saying that he was sorry that Dr. Waheed could not be a team player.
Tell me Rilwan, what have you done for either your community or for humanity?
And to think that it was the VP some years back who wanted to form the Lions Roatry Club in the Maldives with the aid of some Christian Missionaries. Ask VP about it.
Dear Jeff,
This is my opinion.
Your own recollection of accounts or in this case your imagination does not neccessarily qualify as facts.
As for the vice-president, (odd that u refer to him in the third person) after his defeat, he broke off with MDP and ran away. And as soon as the oppotunity rose, he came back, formed that Gaumee Ithihaadh party, which people joined out of pity, and then basically demanded that people elect him for his fantastic record.
After a lot of effort by his colleges to convince him that the Maldivian political system does not swing that way, he was convinced that this time around people would reject him more than ever. He then chose the easiest job in the world which is the VP post. IT has no immediate job description but extremely huge pay. I would give him credit for being very smart, but in my humble opinion he act is cowardly
You are so gullible Jeff. What Rilwan has said is exactly correct.
Yes, Sir, he fled the country after all your uncles were arrested. Your VP Dad, who has no values and is out of ethics, wanted power and the Presidency because he thought that by having "Dr" affixed to his name made him eligible and fit for a leader. Yes, he is fit for a leader to lead the likes with whom he has accociated today. Worse, he will again and again flee if similar incidences were to follow. He has high hopes of becoming President. Wonder whether he is capable of leading a "Salat" or a prayer at all. Pity you Jeff for being so ignorant. Anyways, I don't blame you for praising you VP Dad who is you role model. Only want to say do not make the same mistakes that he made.
The issue is fareed, his next serom, and the support for muslims, their belief, and what i came to knw is that, Muneera may became an Islamic socoler tomorrow, the other day "FULHIMADHU" scientist, and the following day computer scientists.
You guys are ought to bring a secular state, the article doesn't have any bases, she never know what is Wahhabism, theirs nothing called wahhabism, you cant you guys directly insult Muslims,being atheists,
Salim: So wearing buruga is not part of our culture? what about wearing mini skirts and bikinis? is that part of our culture? since when have you become so concerned about what's happening in maldives? please enlighten me on our cultural dress code. Thanks.
Minority you are today, JEFF, becuase you chose to deviate from the straight path. Even if you see the real thing you would not see, even if you hear the real sound you would hear it nor can you feel the real thing cause its on people like you that God has placed a seal on. Your passion and advocacy will always be to spread blasphemey about Islam. Its people like you who a re creating mountains out of molehills. Why not just dry off and blow away from the country and go to your beloved MericaA, where you can see whether you are a majority or a minority. I hear the Joshua Project is looking for Missionaries sypathetic to the Christian cause or anything contradictory to Islam. Its a call for Lions Rotary Club members, VP JEFF and the rest.
Mr. Karma the first home mdae IDE was not detonated by the people whom you have cliamed by saying it was "these extremists brought about the first ever terror attack to our nation by blasting a bomb at Sultan park." Their target was to detonate one at Dharubaaruge during the SAARC Summit. And like all such people and their efforts they failed and were arrested. Perhaps you could ask JEFF about it. He's been trying to cover it up since then.
Hi Mr.Musketeer, if you are interested in solving Palestine conflict, why don't you go to Palestine and take part in the battle. We are not that much powerful to engage in coflicts other what we have in our country. There are rich Arab nations who can handle Palestine conflict. Guys like you or me can't do anything. So stop this non-sense and focus on what we can do to get rid of Wahabis and Dots. If you are one of them, please go to a rehabitation centre and get treatment. This treatment is now available in Saudi Arabia.
I agree with Salim Waheed completely...We have almost lost our culture and heritage.. Maldives was always known to be a liberal country which values Islam and live according to Islamic tenets but in a more liberal leanings...True The Maldivians were known to be very matriarchal and hardly covered their heads until they were well into their mid-sixties!!! that was 25 years ago!!....And we should think about the time when "fasskurihedhun" was introduced as a recognized dress of women in 1950s "burqa" or headdress was not included as part of the dress but a decorative flimsy piece of cloth named "bolufothi" was included as part of the dress.....That was what we called going ahead of the times and being in the fashion trends of the world yet sticking to our own mode of dress sense and having an identity of our own...But today we see a different scene ...its more like Arabia...women wear big head dresses or burqa and it undeniably hides the real beauty of the dress and its big collar or "boawalhu" thus silhouettes or nullifies the complete dress.....!!!! So I agree My friend Salim( I haven't met him though) our tradition is declining and we are now embracing a new custom and it not very "dhivehi"....The real significance of "kasab boawalhu" also has lost..BURUQA has obscured or hidden the grandeur of it...those women who wear buruqa with the "kasab libaas" hides the boawalhu so that boawalhu is meaningless!!! Mostly for cultural events young ladies wear this "OLD version of our native dress...this dress has always being a very significant dress and much praised dress by visitors because of the silver and gold embroidery on the dress...However now with the inclusion of the "buruqa" this novel beauty of the dress is gone and the same visitor who was mesmerized with the dress and wrote hundred of praises on the Maldivian womens' dress sense and its lib3ral culture now would sit in a corner and frown and wonder how the unique tradition have been submerged within a period of 10years...Actually now more than half of the women under 40 wear buruqa...so the rest of the women over 40 are agreeably buruqa clad....I would say this isn't part of our culture!!!...Just less than 15 years ago most women under 40 lead a free liberal life with their hair down and kept an eye on world fashion trends and modified that fashion to suit to our own culture and according to the modesty accepted by the norms of the society which had always revered Islam and these girls lived according to Islamic faith....Sadly the same women have discarded their own unique ways and embraced some one else's rulings or "fatwa"....A woman wearing a headdress cannot be termed as an epitome of religiousness or islmist..Even a whore or some one of loose character wears buruqa nowadays just to stick to the "new tradition". The "headdress" or buruqa did not change the moral or the inner self of the person so even wearing that buruqa the woman of the loose character still behaves and lives according to her old days when she was without the buruqa. heheh so what do you all say to this....I would say wearing a burqa does not have anything to do with being a true Muslim..Islam teaches us to b modest...meaning not to go overboard in any thing but to do good deeds..and not to be evil...the wahabis in propagating these things like buruga ,beheading and all that is something deeply buried in sinister evilness and selfishness...Their major aim is destruction of our traditions and our main economy and make us suffer and live in the stone age.. Moreover force us to endure western pressure and isolation....!!!
@Mr Karma
From what you have wrote I've conceived that you are the most ignorant person who has put forwarded a challenging reply and sorry I am compelled to say this and things aren't happening as smooth as you have described from some of the non muslim side.
You try to distort the fact and conceal the oppression of Americans and its allies.
Have you ever heard how Americans have planned conspiracies to its neighbours, Vanezuela. The history witness that American government had planned coups to overthrow the government of Venezuela and even many other countries in South America. The funding was through a scheme named "Endowment for Democracy". The picture is not clean as you have described it.
Also did I ever say that paedophile and Killing of innocent humans are advocated in Islam? Morons like you would distort the every fact and spreading corruption is what you people know. Islam does not tolerate to Extremism, harrassment, discrimination, rascism and therefore I perceived that it is not just a solution but as a panacea to all the problems that we experience today. My point is consistent with UN Decalaration of Human Rights - Article 2 "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status".
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
(The Prophet) said, "O Allah! Bless our Sham and our Yemen." People said, "Our Najd as well." The Prophet again said, "O Allah! Bless our Sham and Yemen." They said again, "Our Najd as well." On that the Prophet said, "There will appear earthquakes and afflictions, and from there will come out the side of the head of Satan." Al Bukhari Vol 2 Chapter 17 Hadith 148
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
The Prophet said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen." The People said, "And also on our Najd." He said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham (north)! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen." The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! And also on our Najd." I think the third time the Prophet said, "There (in Najd) is the place of earthquakes and afflictions and from there comes out the side of the head of Satan." Bukhari
Volume 9, Book 88, Hadith 214.
These are the words of the beloved Prophet of Allah azza wa jalla regarding the homeland of regarding THE HOMELAND OF IBN ABDUL WAHAB. "NAJD" its also the home of the Saudi Royal family. they are oppressors & they do not rule by the Sharia but are puppets of USA & other KUFFAR. The evidences are:
1.Collaboration with the British to overthrow Ottoman Islamic Khilafath.
2.Bringing US & other non-Muslim forces in to the land of Hijaz & Najd as against the will of the Prophet(s.a.w.a.w), when he commanded Khalifa Umar Ibn al Khattab(R.A.) to leave no other faiths in this blessed land except Islam.Which he faithfully implemented.
However Maldivians must realise its not 'Democracy' or other forms of secularism that will save it. WAHHABI sect is a 'pseudo-secularised Islam' & has no validity among other great schools of Islam, in fact they have copied loads of work from the great Hanbali scholars. Adaalath Party & other 'Islamists' who adhere to Wahhabi Sect have in one way or other accepted secular democracy thus both are allies although appearing to oppose each other in order to 'contain' & 'control' same way as 'al Qaeda' plays the CIA's game in the name of Jihad!. Maldivians Muslims wake up.
therell be more than 70 firga in the last days as it says in the hadith. and only one will be the true victors. the sheikhs which u call "wahhabbi" have spent their precious lives devoted to islam, studying it and calling others to join it. so they ll probably know a loy about islam then the editor of this artcle. but your blind to that and call upon them extremists, fundamentalists or hypocrytes just because they show the public the path of rightousness and call u to adjoin them in the only correct firga. and mind you they know about the teachings of islam a lot more than you.
Dear Salim Waheed,
I have no intention to write about things i did for the people around me and my country ,cause my sole intention is to impress my creator (ALLAH SWA) not attain any pleasure in this world or to achieve any high stature.Plus InshaAllah i will never sell my religion like you have done to achieve high stature and fame.
On that Day will men proceed in companies sorted out, to be shown the deeds that they (had done).
Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it!
And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it. (Surah 99 - Al Zalzalah THE EARTHQUAKE)(Verse 6,7 and 8).
y doex salim wahyd bragg about himself all the time, sounds like a spoiled little girl.
The issue here is some unfortunate so-called western educated intellectuals, of the likes of SJW, goes to blow things out of proportions. Definitely each and every country will have their own problems. But why go on slandering and blaspheming. I reiterate there is no so called "Wahhabism" or the likes. Extremism, Fundamentalism is nonsense and only futile attempts made by those against Islam.