The government has decided to withdraw controversial new alcohol regulations governing the sale of alcohol on inhabited islands, following a meeting attended by the Maldives Police Service, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the Home Affairs Ministry, the Economic Development Ministry, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and several religious scholars.
Last week the Ministry of Economic Development released regulations allowing the sale of alcohol to non-Muslims by hotels on inhabited islands with over 100 beds. The regulations were intended to replace a system of individual liquor licenses issued to expatriates, allowing the private consumption of alcohol.
However the changes were met with a major protest on Friday afternoon organised by senior members of the Islamic Affairs Ministry and Adhaalath party.
“The president has always said he would try to gauge public opinion and sentiment,” said spokesman for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair. “It was of major concern to him that a large segment of the public not happy with the new regulations.”
He noted that “a coalition partner” had threatened to “work on bringing down the government” if the regulations had not been rescinded.
He also confirmed that Holiday Inn, believed to have been seeking to acquire a license, had received threats against its premises since the regulations were announced.
Hassan Moosa Fikree, Vice President of Islamic NGO Jamiyyath-al-Salaf campaigning against the regulations, said the decision had generated a “very postive opinion for the government and the president’s promise to listen to the voice of the citizens. That’s why we voted for him.”
Suggestions that the old regulations allowed less control than centralised liquor licensing were “completely false”, he said, explaining that it would have caused a surge in the number of drinking establishments “in a very congested city” if “each and every hotel with more than 100 beds opens a bar.”
Fikree said he did not object to permits for diplomats and foreigners, but rather “pubs and bars in the city.” However,”i n my opinion there shouldn’t be anyone using alcohol except in private by diplomatic people.”
State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said he was “pleased with the decision.”
Sheikh Shaheem had claimed he would leave the government along with other senior members of the conservative Adhaalath party if the president has persisted with the regulations, “but as he took the decision he did, there’s no need to talk more about that.”
He agreed with Fikree “that I think it is better if the 826 licenses are cancelled, [and alcohol] is only allowed for official diplomatic delegations.”
Zuhair suggested that the objection was politically motivated by the Adhaalath party “as there is nothing banning the sale of alcohol to non-Muslims.”
He noted that there were 4000 Maldivians living in Colombo in Sri Lanka, “and you don’t see them flocking to bars despite there being one every fourth block.”
“The next step”, Zuhair predicted, “is that Holiday Inn will sue the government because they have invested so much on the understanding they would receive a liquor license. There are so many points they could make.”
Holiday Inn declined to comment.
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Religion being used as a political tool...this is what happens when a religious party gets political power! How is only diplomats being allowed to have liquor licenses justified?! I had no idea that Islam gave such special previliges to diplomats!! This is a real laugh!
Chickens
This government is a slap in the face... If you can't perform then resign....
@ mariyam: our constitution clearly stipulate that maldives is a muslim country. this is not a secular place. plus islam is comprehensive and islam and politics are inseparable.
a case in point: each and every political party in maldives has a clause in their manifesto which promise to protect islam. you can read about the current mdp lead governments policy from the following link. where they have envisaged an islamic state in the first paragraph, first sentence. http://mdp.org.mv/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/returning-maldives-to-the-people.pdf
one main reason why people voted for the current government is to protect islam and when the government backtracked on this promise people came out in huge numbers...it is a wise decision that they withdrew the liquor law.
i would also take this opportunity to congratulate my fellow maldivians who stood up for islam.
This the removal of this legislation is but one step towards greater intolerance. Conservative principles leads to extremism. We can see that by the fact that the Holiday Inn received credible threats against its establishment. Look at what is becoming to our country.
We need to make sure that women are protected and have a place in our society. http://minivannews.org/comments_analysis_detail.php?id=7480
We need to make sure that our culture and heritage is not completely torn asunder by conservative ideologies. http://minivannews.org/comments_analysis_detail.php?id=7491
Violence cannot be tolerated. Conservatism must be negated. Our all our days are numbered.
I think this is the most wise decision made the government and an epitome of democracy. I do accept that there is an economic significance to permit alcohol. However, when implementing policies we need to consider the stability of our social conditions. Today Maldives has so many social instabilities more predominantly drug and its associated crimes. We need to increase the level and quality of education of Maldivians. We need moderate our religion perspectives. Without all these homeworks if we had implemented this controvertial policy there is more likeliness that violence would surge unprecedently.
zuhair why don't you tell the public little bit detail, who ensured holiday in will get the liquor permit? if im not wrong it's the dictator maumoon, so they can sue maumoon or else we the public can sue maumoon
dhen lalalaa eve...
Yellow is not in a colour that's normally associated with either Islam or the Maldives. Therefore, due to the lack of a better explanation,I've come to the conclusion that the Yellow colour of MDP is actually based on Hepatic Jaundice (caused by excessive alcohol ingestion).This yellow colour then manifests itself as a religion since the followers of MDP and its spiritual leader regards the political party as above Allah's Laws (Islamic Sharia). This then leads to the notion of the Yellow Religion.I think it's still debatable wheather MDP members will actually consider Nasheed as a benevolent, omnipotent Being. I'd say that most MDP supporters will still regard him as a homosapien sapien.Having said that it would appear that since MDP supporters actually regard Nasheed's Law as above God's law, it's fair to assume that this leads to what Islam would call "taking partners with Allah"
“is that Holiday Inn will sue the government because they have invested so much on the understanding they would receive a liquor license.'..a bit ignorant i wud say..didnt they knw the rules n laws whn they invested..shame
Mr Zuhair,
What the hell are you talking? one day your administration comes out with a regulation, the next day just because a group of Mullahs come out, you reverse the ban and call it politically motivated by Adalath, and Holiday Inn will sue the Govt. This is what happens when you cave into Mullahs. If you dont understand that politics and religion are two different things then you dont deserve to run a Goverment, this is why there are bars in every other block in Sri Lanka...understood?
anni, u did a good thing for the sake of your people.
This is how the government should crack this problem. First open a 100 bed hotel in an uninhabited island. then build some flats and houses there. invite people to apply for it. Only those who are wiling to stay and work there will settle there.
Alcohol need only be allowed to let tourism industry develop further. I don't believe not been able to drink in their accommodation in inhabited islands will deter the tourists as their primary targets are the resorts. A good outcome at the end.
why shud they sue Govt.?? wht about the person or the party who convinced them to invest???..
Each one that went out for the sake of Islam, will surely be rewarded as they protected their Creator's religion and his law. What more can Allah (swt) be happy with then seeing those who love Him come out in numbers to protect Islam from being weakened. Congratulations to my brothers and sisters! May Allah (swt) be pleased with you all. 🙂
A permit to sell alcohol in inhabited islands of the Maldives should have never been issued in the first place.
Some issues are as clear as day and night. And the resentment by the majority of Maldivians to an alcohol permit is one of those things.
People supporting the government’s decision have tried to portray the Adhaalath Party as the villains of this. But I would think the Adhaalath leaders are dumb if they supported the Economic Ministry in this.
The vast majority of Maldivians do not want alcohol to be sold in inhabited islands. You do not have to do a sophisticated statistical survey to know this. You only need to ask a few people from your offices and neighbourhood to get the idea. It would be dumb to support a permit that is not supported by the majority of the population.
When something to which such a major opposition is there is tried to put out as a government permit, it will not only be undemocratic, but also cause people to lose faith in the government.
The real winner of this alcohol permit drama is for me Adhaalath Party. And this is not one bit because of what they preach. This is because they made use of the opportunity they almost automatically got to win more hearts and minds. Who wouldn’t have made use of such a blessing?
People have expressed a lot against Adhaalath even on Minivan News. But these are people who were never Adhaalath Party supporters. The alcohol drama must have not REDUCED even one member for the Adhaalath Party. If it did anything, it would have only INCREASED its supporters.
If the world is anything to learn from, we have seen that acts that hurt the feelings of the people only pave way to create support for fundamentalism and fanaticism.
this was nt never what the majority wanted adhaalth and the mullaz will see it soon. don t under estimate the moderates of maldives, including the president, a group of jihadhee style perverts who want 9 year old girls for sex and young boy to serve them beer in heaven cannot turn Maldives into afganisthan.
@fuvahmulah dude: Actually I am happy that at the end of the day, there aren't going to be liquor licenses in inhabited islands. My comment is directed at the comment made by Adhaalath politician whereby he says that maybe only diplomats can be allowed to have liquor licenses! Its just really amazing how he came to that conclusion! So Adaalath as a political party is now trying to redefine islam, in saying that its ok for diplomats to be issued liquor licenses but not hotels? Can they actually guarantee that there won't be any social or religious problems arising from that? My point basically is that Adhaalath is so full of what is right or wrong from a religious perspective, but they seem to rewriting the "laws" of islam to suit their political agendas!!
I would like to make a test of alcohol to all our minister and MPs !!!!! what a surprise then !!!!!!!!
@ mariyam: now the secularists are 'happy' about the liquor law? talk about the grape turning sour to the fox. lol
its not only adhaalath who came out againt selling alcohol and pork, its all the sane maldivians with the littlest bit of faith in them.. and by the way its not only the responsibility of adhaalath to protect islam, all the political parties are entitled to do it as per their manifestos. and what adhaalath party and other patriotic NGOs did was praise worthy. thank you adhaalath, thank you all the maldivians who stood up for islam. may allah bless you for what you have done.
You guys have got Islam all wrong.
You see, God is FINE as long as you sell alcohol to foreigners ON resort Islands.
The money, as his holiness, Dr. Baaree says, is perfectly halal.
But, ____ (fill in with random arabic phrase) , therefore, diplomats SHOULD be allowed to have liquor. God doesn't mind this at all either.
However, selling alcohol to foreigners in 100 bed hotels in islands under strict surveillance? No. THAT would invite God's wrath.
I'm so glad I have a political party teaching me Islam. It makes so much more sense.
Holiday Inn suing the government? Seriously? Couldn't u say sumthng that wud make more sense? Hehe.
Dear Addu Readers,
the policy change adhaalath party brought by hijacking the government and misleading public on the issue of alcohol sale to foreigners in city hotel with 100 beds will have a direct implication on the development of addu atoll where there is fewer separate islands compared to other atolls of Maldives.
Addu has potential in attracting investments to city hotels and even locals could find investment to build such hotels in Addu. We should not keep quite and find our opportunities deprived by adhaalath party for there political propaganda to be spread.
More than anything, this has shown what Adalat really is. First the decision to allow sales of alcohol in inhabited islands was made while Adalat was in cabinet. Adalat did not threaten to quit the Government over such a fundamental isue. They stayed on the MDP bandwagon. Only when the public started protesting they again jumped on publics bandwagon.. They are already drunk with power... may be they drink Power Gold.
well said yaayn , thisgs are crystal clear now, oh and btw saudi Aribia which is such anon secular 100% muslim country has bars for tourists but afghanistan where these mullas come to maldives from have never seen it since theyr come from caves of dipravity , hense their such need to enforce it on us Maldivians...
This shows that the government does not understand the sentiments of the public as it claims it does.
@ faiz n other crappy secular idiots, u c, this is a democracy… and in a democracy the majority wins. So just wait til the day people with ur atheistic/"moderate" view comprises a majority in this country.
Until then, no alcohol and no churches. period.
n by the way i dont think we will ever let this country to be turned into another amsterdam no matter how much ppl like u dream of it!
Zuhair..'Aiy Balhey kada' is getting ready to sue the govt..there are so many points they could make too on this issue
@fuvahmulah dude: Wow...talk about being narrow minded, can't beat you at that. So I'll just let you live happily ever after in your little make believe world of "Adaalath" actually standing for the rights of Islam! If that was the case, they would have realised that they don't need a ministry and ministers to strengthen people's faith in Islam...how ironic that at the end of the day, for all your talk about defending Islam, you end up proving how ignorant you really are about what Islam stands for!
i wonder why this zuhair is the SPOKESMAN for the president office. this guy can hardly make a sentence and most of the time he talks crap! i'm sure there are must be better people than him for his position.
@ fuvahmulah dude. This is 15th century counting from our Prophet's (PBUH) time, and an era of hypocrites and pretense in the name of protectors. Adhaalath is an example.
What a sad consequence for MDP supporters because of Adhaalath and colleagues.
I think the government should stick to ONE ISLAND ONE RESORT concept that is so unique to Maldives. Trying to change this concept is where the issue of Alcohol began.
@ mariya. No Islam does not give special privileges for diplomats to consume alcohol, but international law does. Diplomats are immune from criminal jurisdiction and local laws as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1962) which the Maldives became a signatory in 2007.
Its a sad day for our country's political future. We should never 'cave in' to the mullahs and their conservative perspective on society. Clearly, allowing the sale of alcohol had an economic value, but also a darker social dimension.
@ mariyam & others: glad you know better than me about islam, but i have my doubts whether you know of the fundamentals of islam. but thats your 'freedom' and i wont bother. and if you are so surprised about this country having an islamic ministry, then y dont u look at other muslim countries, i bet you will find a similar picture. and any maldivian who is not drunk can see the positive things done by the religious scholars including adhaalath, see the number of people attending the sermons. see the number of people attending mosques for prayer, see the number of people covering up as per islam. see the amount of money raised as zakaath. i bet the numbers have increased ten fold.
in the previous government the islamic ministry okeys everything done by the government no matter how harmful or un-islamic it may be. but see how different it is now
the adhaalath scholars had put their jobs and lives at stake when they opposed the liquor law, but they did what they have to do.. i salute adhaalath and other religious scholars for what they are doing. keep up the good work and may allah bless you.
hey faumula dude..did you also note that they are trying to make TV to spread islam ... can u really trust them its to spread Islam or to win there agenda to get the presidency of Maldives
Chicken!!!!
And for those who went to the protest, Muaz MZ promises..... heaven (he'd be selling tickets between 8:00 and 10:00 near where he parks his camels.
If you blokes are so much worried about ALCOHOL SIMPLE PROHIBIT IT IN MALDIVES FOR ALL.WHAT HYPOCRISY ALLOWING TO SELL IN RESORTS WHERE MUSLIMS WORK/NO MATTER WHO THE BUYER IS NONMUSLIM/MUSLIM BUT PREVENT TOURISTS FROM HAVING IT AT OTHER HOTELS.EITHER COMPLETE PROHIBITION OR NO PROHIBITION,ANY THING IN BETWEEN IS BULLS**T HYPOCRISY