I would like to share some of my thoughts after reading Minivan News’ unusual report on Masodi Town.
If police are forced to resort to such desperate action, it can only mean one thing: Maldives’ society has reached a Point of No Return. At this ominous time, President Nasheed has to seriously get down to business – without himself getting drowned in the political game.
Almost all Maldives’ politicians are to blame for awakening not one but two Sleeping (and quite evil) Giants: Gangsterism and Religious Extremism. In order to score political points, they dared open Pandora’s box and unleashed the Twin Evils into the Maldivian Society.
Now the only way to tame these two (evil) Beasts are to immediately make it clear to the Maldivian public exactly what the government is doing — on the ground — to start seriously tackling the Original Twin Evils — Poverty and Ignorance — that created a “nursery” or breeding ground for Gangsterism and Religious Extremism.
It is high time that President Nasheed now publicly announce what Education and Employment opportunities his MDP-Exclusive-Club-Government has in the pipeline to tackle the ROOT CAUSE of all social circumstances that made Masodi Town – and all other youth groups in Male’ and other rural islands – into the Anti-Social Elements they are today.
It is too easy to sweep everything under the carpet to show a “mirage of a Paradise”, either to the international community or to us Maldivians.
Before anyone calls Maldivian youth “gangsters”, before anyone calls for violence against Maldives children, first take a look at your own Extreme-Capitalist selves and if, through that mirror that you hold, you fail to see any Social Contribution of yours to this country and its people, then simply remember these words, Gangsterism is a Creation of Society.
Peace.
Hilath Rasheed
All letters 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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Very true, Hilath. Gangsterism is a creation of society.
@ Heelath
The two sleeping giants who need not be waken at any cost.
1- Gay
2- Lesbian
Invoke the Islamic giant and the genie will appear and in time, quell the gangster mouse back in the lamp!
Interesting how some fools would just talk about sexuality and avoid real social issues! Such an uncivilised and ignorant society!!!!
Gays and lesbians in Maldives responsible for all social crimes like murder, abuse and marital rape (which I am told the Islamic Ministry doesn't even recognize as a crime)?
Maldives is one mad circus indeed. The sooner the show is over, the better. But I bet Real Change will not be forthcoming due to the Liberal Muslims' own sissyness.
Very well put Hilath - clear and to the point.
You have mentioned the evils - but the mother of all evils is the deterioration of norms..
Gangsterism, extremism, lesbianism, exclusive-clubism, and groupism are mere consequences.
Well said Hilath.
It's sad how far people go to totally avoid issues such as this at the basic level.
It's even sadder how people obsess over the most irrelevant of issues as well.
hilath, now your getting to the point these are some of the weakness of Freedom and democracy, how can president nasheed put fifty% of maldivian youths behind bars? if he has the gut to do so again he will loose his votes in an election those families won't vote him .. and now democracies in the west knows there no such thing as human rights, there are limits and they can spy on anybody and even restrict his movements in order to make the country safe .. so???
When resources are scarce and the population is overcrowded, natural aggression is stimulated but it has historically been controlled and exploited through the maintenance of an external threat or enemy, i.e., the British or the Portugese, hyper nationalist propaganda must be maintained to create internal unity. The maintenance of this external threat and internal unity also depends on the maintenance of a rigid social order to command and unify the attack, and this creates Durkheimian "norms".
When the external threat fear cannot be maintained because of peace, the diversion is impossible, and the circumstances which created social norms breaks down, anomie (normlessness) is created... The "collective" norm (nation above self and self sacrifial mentality) breaks down but the oppressed victim mentality used to fuel agression remains! The mindset of many Maldivians becomes steeped in a self serving victim mentality which becomes narcisistic. "I am the oppressed rather than we are the oppressed!:
Maldivian capitalism becomes capitalism with a violent edge, this creates retaliation from all, as the rich attempt to exploit and crush all others. A very violent, ruthless minset becomes necessary to stay on top mentally, you go down with drugs or mental illness if you are too moral to adapt! Gangsterism is the deparate attempt of the youth to regain that lost sense of belonging and to express that violence!
The solution is, someone has to make true self sacrifice for others, based on the concept of the essential specialness yet non-perfectness of every created maldivian, and this attitude has to grow and grow through constant examples of self sacrifcice!
Put youths behind bars?. That wont work.
Now, hunt down the people who capitalized on the poverty of others and put them behind bars... THAT would work.