The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) office on Sosun Magu in Malé was set on fire around 12:45am last night amid escalating tension in the capital.
The arson attack follows vandalism of the main opposition party’s office for two consecutive nights and numerous death threats sent from unlisted numbers to MDP MPs, senior members and dozens of journalists.
Eyewitnesses told local media that petrol was poured into the ground floor of the office through the smashed up windows before a lit molotov cocktail was hurled inside. A second lit molotov cocktail fell outside the door.
A team from the fire and rescue service of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) arrived shortly after the incident and extinguished the flames. The damage caused by the fire was reported to be minor.
According to the party, the attack came about 15 minutes after staff left the office in Henveiru Sharaasha.
Meanwhile, around 2:15am, the door of former MDP MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor’s residence was set ablaze. Half an hour later, Hamid received a text warning that he would be stabbed and killed.
The fire was swiftly put out before it could spread. An eyewitness saw a lit molotov cocktail or ‘petrol bomb’ hit the door.
The previous night (September 24), crude oil was thrown on the house of former President Mohamed Nasheed while the opposition leader was at an MDP national council meeting at the nearby Malé City Hall.
The windshield of MDP Chairperson Ali Waheed’s car was smashed with a large rock later the same evening.
Hamid told Minivan News yesterday that attacks against the party’s office and members have been frequent during the past eight years.
“Since 2005, MDP office has been vandalised countless times and each time we get a forensics team doing some investigation but there seems to be no end to these investigations,” the party’s international spokesperson said.
Hamid suggested that the recent spate of attacks might be motivated by Nasheed accusing Adhaalath Party leaders of radicalising and indoctrinating youth to carry out vigilante actions in the name of Islam.
“Don’t do this to our youth. Don’t make them do vile deeds after picking them out individually and leading them astray,” Nasheed appealed at an MDP rally held on Monday night (September 22).
Death threats
In a tweet posted yesterday, Nasheed expressed concern with the evident lack of concern from PPM in response to the repeated vandalism of the MDP office as well as the death threats sent to MPs and senior members.
MDP MP Imthiyaz Fahmy told Minivan News last week that death threats have become too commonplace to publicise each incident.
Following last week’s rally, MDP MP Eva Abdulla received a text message threatening a suicide attack at the next MDP gathering. The message also threatened to “kill off” MDP members and vowed to “fight to the last drop of blood.”
Eva revealed on social media last night that she had received a text threatening to kill the children of MDP members.
“Don’t bring out your children on the streets these days. Stabbing season is about to begin. [We] will kill you,” the message read.
Eva noted that the same message was sent to many MDP members while the “govt looks on”.
Several journalist were also sent a text message warning them not to cover “the incidents happening in Malé now”, which yesterday included an attack on the Minivan News office and SMS threats to a staff member.
“This is a war between the laadheenee [secular or irreligious] MDP mob and religious people. We advise the media not to come in the middle of this. We won’t hesitate to kill you,” read the threat.
The text message was sent to journalists from opposition-aligned private broadcaster Raajje TV, Vaguthu.mv and state broadcaster Television Maldives as well as other news outlets.
Following the vandalism of the party’s office for a second consecutive night, the MDP put out a press statement yesterday criticising the police’s failure to properly investigate the attacks and apprehend the perpetrators.
The statement noted that Wednesday’s nights attacks came after protection was sought from the police.
“This party believes that the attacks against the MDP leadership, administrative staff, and property are an uncivilised atrocity committed to eradicate opposition political ideology,” the party stated.
The party further contended that statements from government ministers and institutions were encouraging the “atrocities” and increase of serious crimes, condemning the government’s inaction and silence in the wake of the attacks.
“The party assures all Maldivian citizens that despite the attacks on the residences and property of the MDP’s senior leaders, the party’s leadership will not back down a single inch and swiftly carry on with our efforts to establish justice and equality in the Maldives, ensure human rights, and strengthen democracy,” the statement read.
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If this is a "war" between "dheenee"and "laadheenee" its quite striking the cowardice of the "dheenee". Why dont they come out, show their faces and fight like proper men? What are they afraid of? Surely rivers of champagne and virgins await in the after life.
Given the choice of living in a hell like Male with hardly any booze and certainly no virgins, the after life looks like a very attractive proposition does it not?
this is getting scary. the radicals are paying the criminal gangs to commit these heinous crimes. shame on the government blatantly ignoring this and not doing anything to stop it. we liberals need to stand up against these thugs.
Here is a God given opportunity for MDP and PPM to cooperate against a common enemy. But would the leaders show some moral courage and raise to the occasion …..
...probably not.
MDP likely does these attack against them self. Investigation must focus on Nasheed and MDP with arrests as quickly as possible to end chaos they cause.
Everyone should make a choice now who you support and what future you want for The Maldives:
- Support these aggressive acts and let it become the norm of the method how to repress and threaten people to do what you want.
- Support peace and decency (no matter what political side you're on) and do whatever is in your power to stop violence and vandalism to conquer this country.
The suspects claims war against unbelievers duplicate ISIS
It is not difficult to see what happens in the Maldives. It has nothing to do with politics but radical criminal thugs hiding behind warped religious fantasies hyped up from the propaganda and happenings of the terrorist group Isis that has occupied territories’ in Iraq and Syria. They have not been taken serious before now but finally countries around have seen the evil and taken action. Maldives should also take action against these radical criminal terrorists before they murder more innocent people.
People are Kashim are threat to this society and needs to be locked up for a long long time.
@ Kashim.
This line for spin is so very dated, but just goes to show you guys think we are idiots and will believe that kind of rubbish. Look at the photos of the jalsaa of 22 September and you will know that MDP members have not fallen into the traps and stories of those who stole this election from us.
You know as well as I do that the government will do anything, anything to convict MDP members. Why is the Yameen government finding it so difficult to find these criminals?
@Ekaloas
Agree. We are are cross roads and its time people in this country woke up and got that. And took a stand. Are we going to give these ISIS terrorists our land?
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
Given what happened in Iraq and Syria we could expect America to bomb us when the ISIS takes over. Its no longer a question of :"if". Its clear now that it is now a matter of "when". The Police and Army and civil service as well as business have now been infiltrated by ISIS.
Umar Naseer has failed to protect us. We know he cannot be dismissed. As Commander of the coup of 2012 he knows too much. Umar Naseer must resign.
@kashim islamists like kashim always project their crimes on their victims ie commit criminal behaviour without any regard to human rights and blame the evilness they commit on their victims,nothing better can be expected from brainwashed zombies,god is all powerful and omnipresent, he doesn't need maniacs to murder for him or his name
Only brainwashed zombies who have no answer to logics resort to violence because their answers stand on lies,ignorance and falsehood
Hey Kashim, you just labeled gutless Mua as an MDP guy. He won't be pleased. 😛
No good shouting over spilled milk..
Government, Political parties, Politicians, Religious leaders, Religious fanatics, GANGS, Police n NDF and citizens; Every one is divided by a improvised fine red thread .. if you cross that fine thin red thread everybody will be in trouble and there won't be a country / people to rule and to be ruled.. you will lose the fine BALANCE, when u lose the balance you will be in trouble & very difficult to recover..
Att: Yameen/Umar Naseer, Your second name must be "propaganda".. You boys/? are "as slippery as a bucket full of Eels"
Everyone else like me we got to stop acting like bumbling fools
"money talk ,bullshit walk".
Pardon my French.
Time has come for by partism politics , crossing that fine line between yellow and pink . Opposition banch in the parliment needs to give goverment credit where it is due , hold them accountable when it is due.