The Maldivian government’s “respect for religious freedom declined” last year, according to the US State Department’s 2013 International Religious Freedom Report published on July 28.
“The authorities did not recognise or respect freedom of religion and it remained severely restricted,” the report observed.
“Governmental pressure to conform to a stricter interpretation of Islamic practice increased, particularly in the lead-up to presidential elections.”
Moreover, press freedom was curtailed by the government using religious grounds, the report found.
“Some Muslims expressed concern about increasing ‘Islamic radicalism,’ though advocates of religious freedom generally believed the public was becoming more aware of the issue,” it added.
The report also noted incidents of “societal abuse and discrimination” based on religion, “including incidents against Maldivians who did not want to conform to a strict, conservative interpretation of Islam.”
“There was an increasing trend among political leaders to call for greater limits on religious groups and activities, and impose criminal punishments in accordance with Islamic law,” the report stated.
“The use of religion in political rhetoric increased substantially, which led to derogatory statements about Christianity and Judaism and harassment of citizens calling for a more tolerant interpretation of Islam. Anti-Semitic rhetoric among conservative parties continued.”
Religious freedom in the Maldives is restricted by law and the constitution, the report explained, which was enforced by the government.
“Restrictions were not enforced for foreign tourists on ‘uninhabited’ resort islands,” it added, noting that foreign workers were allowed to practice their religion in private while congregations, however, were banned.
Officials from the US embassy in Colombo meanwhile emphasised the importance of religious freedom to the authorities, the report noted.
“The embassy advocated the right of all residents of the country to practice the religion of their choice in the manner of their choosing, and encouraged efforts to promote religious tolerance.”
“Government practices”
Among incidents from 2013, the report highlighted the case of a 15-year-old rape victim sentenced to 100 lashes for fornication, which Amnesty International called the “tip of the iceberg” of the country’s treatment of victims of sexual abuse.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs exercised control over religious matters, the report noted, and set standards for imams to “prevent ‘extremist’ teachings from gaining ground.”
The report referred to Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed claiming in February 2013 that Islam was threatened by a “strong psychological war” conducted by Christians and Freemasons.
In his Eid sermon last week, Shaheem reportedly warned of efforts by elements within and without to “destroy” the Islamic ideology of the Maldives through psychological tactics.
The report also noted the Maldives Media Council’s investigation of Minivan News in late 2012 at the behest of the Islamic ministry concerning an alleged breach of the religious unity law by allowing a comment deemed anti-Islamic.
Meanwhile, during 2013, “discrimination, intolerance, and harassment of individuals calling for any discussion of a different kind of Islam increased,” the report observed.
“Politicians manipulated the public discourse by calling into question the Islamic values of political rivals and effectively stopped constructive discourse on social issues,” it explained.
“This created a culture of self-censorship and fear as politicians, civic figures, and journalists were unable to initiate discussions on Islamic values or basic human rights.”
The NGOs Jamiyyathul Salaf and the Islamic Foundation of Maldives “worked closely with the country’s political parties to promote strict, conservative Islam” while the Adhaalath Party (AP) “further limited the civil, political, and religious space for any outlook that did not align closely with Sunni Islam.”
The report referred to street protests in April led by the self-titled ‘National Movement‘ – comprised of NGOs and the AP – “calling for presidential candidate and ex-President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to be ‘hanged’ for apostasy.”
It noted that former Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed observed at the time that anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and religious intolerance were “deeply entrenched” in the political discourse.
Moreover, a group of religious scholars issued a pamphlet in October urging Nasheed to “repent” for his alleged anti-Islamic policies, the report noted.
“The religious/irreligious rhetoric grew wider in the lead-up to presidential elections,” the report continued, referring to “laadheenee (irreligious) graffiti targeting MDP supporters” spray-painted on walls across the capital.
“Public pressure for women to conform to a narrow standard of appropriate dress intensified, and women who did not wear a veil were reportedly harassed,” the report observed.
“On the other hand, those who wore a full face-covering veil were subjected to public harassment and derogatory comments.”
Press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders meanwhile labelled local extremists groups “predators of freedom of information,” the report noted. Such groups were accused of “misusing free expression to promote a religious agenda, using religious arguments as a ‘political and social weapon,’ and ‘resorting to violence, and even murder, to silence dissenting opinions.'”
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
US encourages all parties to accept first round results- Chief of Defence Force warns of increasing risk of terrorist attacks, youth enrolling in terror training camps
- Democratic Maldives an important global symbol: US State Department
- US Senators call for ex-president’s release
- Foreign minister slams UK, US, EU, Canada over tweets
- US “deeply troubled” by Maldives’ questionable commitment to democracy, human rights
Its amazing, that we take upon ourselves the need, the requirement, the absolute necessity to be custodial guardians to PROTECT our religion.
While in the same breadth, we also rant off, the fact God protects the religion.
The 2 sentences are bifurcating in different directions.
The reality of whats happening in the world, PROVES that God does not FAVOR any religion. If at all, he favours the bold, the working and the courageous.
The Government has a different agenda, when they claim protecting religion. Its proven that religions are so uni-directional, that it creates unresolvable conflicts within societies that Government would do everything, to avoid. Government does not care about gathering the herd of lambs, the people, to the edge of the heaven; instead all they want is to minimize the civil-conflict that multi-religions would bring to the nation.
The Fact is the very concoction to control people, in other words, the religion, is backfiring in all the nations, including the Mordis. To convince the people, they had to say it was from God. What they didn't realize at the time, was, that this would create fundamentalists, who wants to go to promised-heaven, at the expense of everything. Whoever who disagrees, can be garrotted, with impunity. That is the dilemma, the governments, the muslims sheikhs, face. They cant turn on their lies and fabrication now.
Whats happening in Gaza in heart-wrenching, but it is not related to religion at all. Its related to materialistic greed. The spin around religion is to get more attention of the gullible heaven-seekers.
The Palestinians must realize they are lambs in pen, surrounded by wolves. The world is unfair. There will never be divine assistance to wipe the wolves out. There never has been. Wars in Syria, Iraq, Iran-iraq, World wars, African genocides.... There never was a divine intervention seen, to protect the lambs from wolves.
The control Governments built, stunning people, intimidation with hell-fire stories, has turned people to lambs.
Hamas, must DO everything they can, to protect their children from further massacre. If that means, bending backwards, then do that. For the time being at least. Protect children first. They are not even close to fight off the wolves.
The muslim world, will never prosper competitively, with the current model. The other breaks during the year, is dedicated to Godly tourism and fasting. While the competitors dedicate their times to building the nation. Building a society. Building people who work productively. Thus they prosper, while we muslims, are stuck on the slow race, currently somewhere around the 10th century.
I am ashamed at the lack of help for the Gaza people, by the very rich, lazy neighbours. This proves the religion and humanity is not on their mind. Its materialistic greed that dominates the world now. While the poor, muslims, fast, pray, and ask for forgiveness, though out their lives, for a sin, a crime, they have never committed.
kob amiothee falhaa araafa...
Ordinary Maldivians should appreciate with the work of secular movement in Maldives, if you don’t have this movement though they are underground, the Maldives would have plummeted. The reason why your Tourism survives is this movement, as it gives good image of Maldives to secular world and tourists get encouragement that they are not wasting their money for some xenophobic religious fanatics. Since you have leaders who can't face reality, at least there are people who are trying to save Maldives sitting under ground.
The ordinary Maldivian are ignorant gullible people, probably they don’t know the idea of love. You can’t force anyone to love something without appeal, since your daughter or son has the right to love and chose her or his life partner according to their sex appeal, the same way you should give freedom for individuals to choose his or her religion according to their attraction to such religion.
There are some people either with ignorance or for power, who are using this gullible people for the sake of their own reality. But the secular movmeent has no self interest it is for the sake of Maldives and it should never lose its’ momentum.
That's what you get for bootlicking the coup, Amerikkka. In the name of 'stability' you have foregone peace and justice - and propped dictators to power.