President Mohamed Nasheed has said the Maldives will take prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay, the controversial American prison in Cuba that houses terror suspects.
In his weekly radio address on Friday, the president said the Obama administration came into power pledging to close down the prison and release a number of detainees.
“If a Muslim does not have a place to live in freedom, we will help in whatever way we can. We don’t want anyone to suffer any harm. We know that the Maldives, in helping just three people from Guantanamo Bay, does not mean that either the Maldives or the world would be free of inhumane treatment,” he said. “However this jail, Guantanamo jail, is very symbolic.”
He added the alleged torture that occurred in the offshore American jail made it notable in the same way as controversial Maldivian jails like Dhoonidhoo and Gaamaadho, believed to have tortured inmates.
“When the Americans bombed Afghanistan some time ago, a lot of Muslims were taken and jailed at Guantanamo Bay,” he said. “It is a promise of the new government to close the jail in one year. We have noted that the American president is doing a lot to fulfil that promise. However, the jail has still not been closed.”
The president said investigations have cleared most of the detainees of any involvement in terrorist activities, while the others will be taken to trial.
He said most of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay were innocent people caught up in the war in Afghanistan, and that offering assistance to other nations in whatever capacity was “a national duty.”
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Why the article failed to addressed the only Maldivian detainee who were locked in Guantanamo Bay.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\10\31\story_31-10-2008_pg4_15
is anni bringing no Maldivians to our jails, we are always speaking we dont have capacity at our jails, how come now? anni can first make Male' a safe place by taking all people who need to be in prision
What if this move make us more visible to mullah eyes!
how do we decide if its a muslim when you say “If a Muslim does not have a place to live in freedom, we will help in whatever way we can"
everyone has their own interpretations about the word. so lets not specialize Mr President;P, but be a harbor of safety to any human being worthy of that.. the american family who is living peacefully too. don't let the NGO's like jamiyyathul a'l safal co.ltd corporation spoil the name of the country. of which you are the president.
Mr president what happened to your memory, but as a historian you should mention Nasir's villigili jail as one of the most notorious jails ever in maldivian history, why are are hiding these from the public ..after all your father is a symbolic person who is lucky enough to live after all those barbaric torture's in nasir's villigili jail ... i think now you on Alzheimer ..
Mr.President, with all due respect, i don't see any hell of a point why you should consider to help the Americans or any other country before helping the Maldivians.. You are OUR president for god sake..