Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP and Spokesperson Ahmed Mahlouf has said that “if the government has the courage to ban alcohol and pork across the country, PPM will support it.”
However, speaking at a press conference yesterday he claimed that protesters never called to ban alcohol in the resorts.
PPM’s statement follows the government’s announcement that it is closing all spas and massage parlors and is considering banning pork and alcohol nation-wide in response to the thousands of protestors who attended the religious rally on December 23 to defend Islam.
Islam prohibits the consumption of alcohol and pork. Protest leaders including Jumhoree Party Leader and tourism tycoon Gasim Ibrahim, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader and MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and Half-brother of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Abdulla Yamin, all resort owners or share-holders who profit from such sales, asserted that there was no moderate, higher or lower Islam but rather “only Islam, which is above all religions.”
Thasmeen later reiterated to Minivan News that the protest was religious only, and intended to show that the people are “deeply concerned” about the dischord between the government’s policies and Islam.
Protestors interviewed by Minivan News expressed a desire for “100 percent Islam”, and claimed that President Mohamed Nasheed was against “flogging, stoning and hand amputation…That means he’s not following Islam. He wants music, he wants adultery and alcoholism to takeover us.”
Although no official statistics have been released, the opposition has claimed that its goal of 100,000 participants nation-wide was reached. Adhaalath Party chief spokesperson and former State Islamic Minister Sheik Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed subsequently called on the President to “accept the people’s voices.”
The government has subsequently taken steps to address the coalition’s five official demands.
This week the parliamentary National Security Committee forwarded a resolution prohibiting Israeli airline El Al to operate in the Maldives. If approved by Parliament, the resolution would address the coalition’s request that Israeli flights not be allowed to operate in the country.
The coalition has also requested the government to “close the spas and massage parlors and such places where prostitution is conducted”.
Today, the Tourism Ministry issued a circular ordering resorts to shut down spa and massage parlor operations.
Gassim’s Royal Island Resort this week sued the government when it ordered spas in five of his resorts to close on allegations of prostitution.
In response to the request to remove the SAARC monuments on allegations that they are “un-Islamic”, the government has said the decision falls under the remit of the Addu City Council.
Addu City Council earlier told Minivan News it is considering removing them to a secure, interior location as only three of the original seven monuments have not been damaged or stolen.
Regarding the policy on selling alcohol on uninhabited islands, the government recently noted that only 200 people live in some less populous islands, but 400-500 citizens live in the tourist resorts, therefore the government is considering banning alcohol nation-wide.
However in a joint press conference held today by the coalition, religious party Adhaalath’s President Sheikh Imran Abdullah alleged that the government is attempting to aggravate them by “misinterpreting the demands” and instead “making excuses”.
Claiming that “the time for excuses is over”, Imran warned that the government has until January 5 to complete the demands, or otherwise the coalition would take action again.
Directly following the protest the coalition announced that there was no deadline, but indicated that they would be monitoring the government’s reaction to the demands.
“If the government continues to make excuses without fulfilling the demands made by the large number of people [at the December 23 rally], the government will have to pay the price,” Imran said.
Spokesperson for the NGO coalition Abdullah Mohamed further alleged that the government is targeting the protestors and announced a sixth demand, calling the government to “stop causing harm to anyone who participates in the religious movement”.
Meanwhile, opposition DRP Deputy Leader Mavota Mohamed Shareef said the party would do everything it could to make the government enforce the demands.
Spokespersons from Adhaalath Party, PPM, JP, and NGO Salaf had not responded to repeated phone calls at time of press.
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That is an admirable goal!
It is about time that we stopped sacrificing the values of our dheen on the alter of tourism and economics. For shame, for shame!
It is be better to live in poverty and degradation on this earth, than to forego the hereafter! Or do you fear inflation MORE THAN YOU FEAR YOUR LORD?
Round up the sinners and have them garroted on the spot I say! We shalt become a virtuous nation, with pious women!
Money or religion, make your choice!!
99% Water, 1% Land. 100% Idiots
If you ban spas and ban alcohol in the resorts, I don't think any western tourist would like to come to Maldives. The tourists are not crazy. Soon they will brand Maldives from a paradise holiday destination to a 'dangerous fundamental muslim country'. The country is not going in the right direction. Its a shame we are not realising this. We have been a muslim state for all these centuries without any problems and suddenly now we are opting for these extreme ideas and plans. What a sad day has come to us.
This is what religion makes out of a government: NUTS!
while u r at it i would like the government to ban the internet as it is hub for humiliating Allah!
especially the jew made facebook.com
where women r allowed to chat privately & arrange meetings with men & share pictures to a closed off group(or publicly)
its truly the creation of the devil!!
It did not have to be this way. Tolerate and moderate Islam is the only solution!
What about supporting a drugs ban in the Maldives? It seems 'Afghani' and 'Columbian' are a lot more popular than rum and scotch.
I see the first comment is from the nutcase taliban blogger...........shouldn't you be doing something useful Dhivehi Hangyourself?............like praying..........or flogging a woman.........or some other islamic duty?
Maldives have reached new heights indeed... but sadly is of stupidity though...
Without tourism, not only will you be poor and degraded, but continue to be a beggar chasing the rest of the world for food to eat.
Dr zakir naik must be exhilarated!
Congratulations, you have sown discord in yet another backward nation, to the point of collapse!
Great job! Well done! Enjoy with you heavenly concubines and virgins. Ah yes, and young boys too!
@Indira New Dhelhi
I do not "blog", you foul woman and how I treat my wife is none of your business! Though be assured that I treat her well and that she is a good woman, - who I have to discipline only on very rare occasions, and she is always made the better for it!
@bryam on Fri, 30th Dec 2011 3:09 AM
"Without tourism, not only will you be poor and degraded, but continue to be a beggar chasing the rest of the world for food to eat."
You fool! You should be garroted on the spot for your foolishness!
I pick the hereafter over this the dhunya!
It is better we starve now, and that our children starve now, so that Allah (swt) will be pleased with us on that great and terrible day of judgement - rather than we fill our bellies with food bought on sinful revenue, and then suffer eternal damnation!
Evil flourishes when good people do nothing...Koli Mohodhay just could'nt stop Gasim. Where was MATI when MATI Vice Chair was getting the Mullah’s to sharpen their knives. Kirtzner Yahudi partner Thasmin and Gasim, among the biggest booze sellers and spa operators got the Mullahs to say that the govt was planning city hotels and therefore govt are booze sellers, just so that these people can be seen as super Muslim Sheiks, while implying the govt as an irreligious lot. Why? City hotel sales, if at all they sell booze, would be a small percentage of what Gasim and Kirtzner partner sells. However they got the Mullahs to say this part of it is haram just because the greedy pigs may suffer the slightest loss. MATI should discipline Gasim. Throw him out of the board.And Throw out Israeli flight? Ask and Sol Kirtzner, two Israeli’s who owns the One & Only Reethi Rah..Isn’t this Palestinian blood fr the Mullahs???
PPM thinks the current government relies on tourism industry like the 30 yrs of Gayyoom's long regime which is very wrong. The government will loose millions from tourism industry by banning alcohol and spas opened for prostitution. However, there are various other means the government can generate that same income.
Our GDP will reach the world level of above $10,000 per capita in less than a year and the opposition is trying to create misconceptions amongst people so that they would not support the government. In Gayyoom's 30 years, our GDP was just $4,500 per capita. In 3 years, an increase of $5,500 proves that the current government thinks about citizens unlike previous 30 yrs when most revenue was stuffed at individual bank accounts keeping our 300,000 populated country behind Sri Lanka which has a population of over 21 million people. These are facts to prove that the current government is PERFORMING and the opposition is so threatened by this. I wonder why the Economist Yameen could not increase state income at his time as Trade Minister when his personal wealth was increased.
NO TO FORMER GOVERNMENT AGAIN AND AGAIN! WE REMEMBER THE PAST 30 YEARS AS IF IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
Think about your past, present and future real hard before talking nonsense. Shame on you lavaholhi Mahloof (Did you know that music is Haram? And yet you were calling for stricter islamic practices on December 23rd. What about the songs you sung? Dont tell your singing is exceptional)
Why do Maldivians not think about what is good for their nation's stability and prosperity? Wouldn't this benefit all of its citizens? Why do we want to destroy our future like this? I just do not understand and all this is quite depressing as a helpless citizen.
Religeos Scholars cannot be politicians and politicians should stop using religion s a tool! I see proof that Adhalath Party is a political machine more than a religious NGO, from their response to the government.
Why can't PPM just support a Alcoholic Free Maldives, with or without challenging the courage of the present Government.
Why don't PPM go even further and say that you will chop of limbs of the thief's and kill adulterers by stoning them if you come to power. We voters need to know this before we vote, we need to make up our minds up who to vote in next presidential election and the general election.
Yeah JP, GP, DRP, AP and PPM show some guts and spell out your religious policies for us so that we will know it before you get elected.
Good jobs..guys..
Sri Lanka will be benefit surely for the loss Maldives will make.On one side keep the taxes high and on the other side scare away the tourists.. maybe u can go in a exlusive deal for Chinese only destinations..cup o noodles will bring in good revenue to the Government........... and of course stop the service charge..and facebookk... its not in our religion to use internet.......
How many maldivians are bored of politics?
@ Dhivehi Hangyourself
You seem to be a complete non compos nutcase.........backward, intolerant and poorly educated............the typical sunni muslim fanatic causing mayhem in all muslim countries these days..........the so called 'true believers'.
You have previously described yourself as an 'islamic scholar'...........so did you get a Masters in ISLAMIC INTOLERANCE from the Taliban University of Jalalabad or a Doctorate in SHARIA LAWS OF THE SEVENTH CENTURY from the Koranic Madrassa of Peshawar? You say you have to 'discipline' your wife occasionally.........(is she nine years old and called Ayesha?)...........ofcourse that is allowed in your interpretation of islamic values.
People like you.........mostly sunni muslims with a seventh century mindset.........seem to be out of place in the modern world.
The best place for morons like you is THILAFUSHI.
@ Mohamed on Fri, 30th December at 1232hrs (during friday prayer time): Even the mufthi of Zimbabwe uses facebook. Just because Maldivian sheikhs doesn't know to use facebook and internet, that does not mean its HARAM.
I bet you wont be able to show us a single ayah from Quran which states INTERNET is haram.
KEEP TALKING TO YOURSELF!
All harram things should be banned:alcohol,pork,nudity,bank interest,women who dress unproperly and wear ornaments...We are a small muslim country. Others should understand that and respect us...we don't want to harm anybody.We just want to live peacefully with our sacred values even if we don't earn big!
The numbers clearly showed what the people want. President's protest seemed like a 10 man party compared to the thousands who rallied for the religion. No matter what you pro atheists write here on this pro atheist site, we all know you bunch are just a puny minority hiding behind anonymous user IDs. Nasheed should stop fooling around before it gets too late. He does not need to close down spas and alcohol in resort when clearly the rally called for closing down of massage parlours in Male and banning alcohol in city hotels! Your arrogance will be your demise.
*laughing all the way to the bank*
Maumoon is the best .. He is the only one capable of handling these mullahs. Thnink will need to start a new capain 5 years is more then enough !!! Let's change
People should think rationally and this includes the Government, the opposition and the public.
There is no benefit to any one of us if we stop tourism. These Adaalath Party wants to take us back to the dark ages. This cannot be done. Islam is for all times and not only for a certain period.
Religion should not be used for political grandstanding. Unfortunately this is what all Parties are doing now. We were Muslims all these years and we would remain Muslims too. Just because they have spas and sold alcohol and pork to non Muslims, it does not mean that we become non Muslims.
It is time that the people took to the streets once again against political parties using Islam for their own selfish purposes.
I have lost all respect for all those who took part including Gasim, Thasmeen etc for their part in this.
They know that there is absolutely no way that any other religion would be allowed to be practised in Maldives by anyone let alone MDP.
@Dhivehi Hanguraama
"It is be better to live in poverty and degradation on this earth, than to forego the hereafter! "
May I suggest the perfect "paradise" for the likes of you? It's called Somalia and I'll personally contribute to your heavenly one-way ticket there!
Mohammed is also right to point out that Sri Lanka will benefit most from this mayhem we are creating here. Sri Lanka just sorted out their own hell after 30 years of civil war. Maldivians are on the brink of starting their own civil war just now, with religion as the weapon. No tourist in their right mind would want to come to a place running amok with religious fanatics!
It's your choice. Degrade to a lawless country like Somalia in the name of religion or continue the path of properity by embracing the true meaning of Islam. It's funny how these idiots don't realise that they cannot replicate Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in this barren specks of sand in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
For a start, Saudi Arabia and others have liquid gold to sustain them for years to come. Their citizens can go on to bomb the World Trade Centre and that has little effect on their economy due to the aforementioned liquid gold. Saudi Arabia has also another advantage. It earns millions of dollars from religious "tourism", which no other country on earth can match. The Mullahs and Sheikhs have their heads buried in the sands of Arabia!
Sure, the government does have the courage. The real question is, do the Mullahs, Sheikhs and other "defenders" of the faith such as Gasim, Yamin, Thasmeen etc have the courage, especially when their wallets are under threat?
They can't fool all the people all the time. Their role as "defenders" of the faith do not align with their pockets which are brimming with millions of dollars from the sale of alcohol, pork and massage sessions to the white infidels coming over here!
Choose your poison!
Anyone like to start a collection for sending Dhivehi Hangyourself to Thilafushi?.............I believe this is the island Maldivians use to dump their rubbish..............this man DH is so full of crap, Thilafushi seems the best place for him.
I cannot understand why religious nutcases like him are tolerated in the Maldives..........they would not last five minutes in India which explains why we have the second largest community of peace loving secular muslims in the world.............India has so much to teach you about tolerance and secularism and democracy. As Ahmed Bin Addu mentions above, you do not have the limitless resources of Saudi Arabia. You have the population and economy of a small Indian city...........based on tuna fishing and tourism and little else.
Make a fresh start in 2012 and kick all fanatics like DH squarely in the @$$.............before they turn Maldives into another Pakistan or Somalia.
A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL DECENT TOLERANT MALDIVIANS
Red wine is good for health
Any idiot can see that "Dhivehi Hanguraama" is being sarcastic. Perhaps you all need to try and understand the many forms of English Literature.
The government, by actually adopting the five demands/threats is trying to make the opposition understand the enormity of their demands/threats, and the consequences thereof.
But in the end, there are a lot of people who will suffer in the seemingly irreparable damage to the economy.
Also, the GDP... the gross domestic product does not have any links to the amount of personal income. It only means that in this government, a lot more of the richer people are going to be rolling in wealth, while the poor will get poorer.
So people, please... stop talking about courage and piety and other intangible nonsense, and try to think about how to feed your kids and yourselves. Stand up for practical reasons (like food, shelter and a stable income), and not for some person of questionable authority talking about a "higher good".
On a personal note, no country has ever reached greatness in prosperity and higher standards of living by intertwining religion in their government.
To summarize, seeing as nearly half of the thread was hijacked by people fighting over each other especially when they are all on the same side, it stands to reason that all problems ultimately stem from misunderstandings due to stupidity.
Congratulations, Maldives.
There are plenty of even more beautiful islands with better hotels and better deals all around the world, even the tourists who come here admit this. This is going to be the death of the tourism industry. Don't overestimate our worth.
On Friday 30, December @ 1949hrs: Well said.. We are currently witnessing the real them.. The courts are also corrupt.. They have ordered to re-open the spas of Qasim's resorts which the government closed down following the demands of the protestors of December 23rd..
They can argue with President Nasheed.. But they cannot argue with Allah (swt).. Guess they've forgotten this when it came to the millions of dollars they will loose by banning what the protestors demanded..
Lavaholhi Mahlouf must be Flogged for singing (HARAM) in public for 3 consequtive years on Ehandhaan Show and yet pretended to be a mu'min by raising his concerns over islam on December 23rd..
PPM - People's Puppet of Maldives
sorry to see Maldvies going backwards, such a beautiful country.
How many people live of the fishing industry? How will you support your lifestyle? Just make one or two atolls only for true muslims, and give the rest to the open minded people, surely you will see who is more happy in his life..
ah, and you radicals, my advise would be, shut down the computer, it is forbidden to use, as it is tempting.. or better go to Pakistan!
All that is observable in this country is constant mindless incidents, and mindless "reactions" to the same.
There needs to be a forward thinking for the long term. Not nit picking and shouting over issues that will be forgotten amidst new mutterings tomorrow.
Maldives needs tourism, people are using Internet and technology, and are exposed to the world. You observe the world and the world observes you. Right now, a few players are behaving like irresponsible children.
Need to be cautious of the day, when the world decides to punish these inappropriate and childish behaviour.
There is much to learn from the world's history and mistakes of other countries. Study these and figure out your path, otherwise be condemned to repeat the futility and waste and stupidity for reasons that never made sense and were never good enough to start with...
In the end between Anni and Maumoon, Maumoon is the better ruler for the country. Period.
Islam has banned fornication, alcohol or pork among other sins. Why do Moslems think that the Sharia is subject to statutes while it is the latter that is subordinate to the former? When Islam has it that liquor and pork, among others, are prohibited there need not be a law, regulation or an executive direction to ban the import or consumption of them. The government is under a simultaneous duty to implement the Islamic Law and the statutes or administrative orders at the same time. If the Moslem businessmen who are owners and/or operators of resorts feel that pork and liquor should not be served to their guests they will not import these items.
The government is not in the business of these items either. So, it is unlikely that the government will import and force the resorts to buy pork and liquor.
By the way, the PPM acting president and former President of the Maldives, Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was not courageous enough to ban the import of pork and liquor when he came to power after his predecessor, Late Ibrahim Nasir, in 1978. The culture was merely inherited by the present government without any intention of blasphemy to Islam. Nevertheless, Mr Gayoom may be blamed of blasphemy in that he was severely critical of the then government for allowing liquor and pork, yet he continued the same policy unchallenged by any religious group during his multiple terms in office for 30 years.
There is a scene in Godfather III where Don Corleone seeks advise from a trustworthy priest in Sicily. The priest picks up a stone that has been lying in water for many years. When broken he finds the middle of the stone to be completely dry. He points out that the stone resembles the faith of the Sicilian clergy; having been surrounded by faith for centuries didn't mean that any of it penetrated into their souls.
The Maldivians are much the same. Islam has been on these islands for over 800 years. That doesn't mean that Islam really penetrated any of our souls. Today we have a lot of fake Sheikhs and Mullahs all wanting to "preach" their version of a religion. They are driven by one thing only, i.e. power. Their inner core is devoid of Islam as the centre of the stone is devoid of any moisture.
Let's see how the Muslim resort owners choose religion or their Swiss bank accounts. I think I know which way the hypocrites will go.
" Protestors interviewed by Minivan News expressed a desire for “100 percent Islam”, and claimed that President Mohamed Nasheed was against “flogging, stoning and hand amputation…That means he’s not following Islam. He wants music, he wants adultery and alcoholism to takeover us.”" How many did you interview, was a representable sample, a random sample, a convenient sample? In the world of bias reporting, there's bias and then there's minivan news.
No government of the Maldives (whether it is MDP, DRP,PPM, Adhaalath, Salaf, DQP, JP or whatever else) can ever ban liquor or pork in the Maldives.
Similarly no government here can close the spas of the resorts & hotels. Period!
All this hyper ventilating and 'holier than thou' posturing may appear to these politicians as good posturing. But in reality it is emboldening some real religious fundamentalist whackos in the country.
By 'fundamentalist' I am talking about the type of creatures who are caught in a time warp in the middle ages who wish to live in the life style of the bedouin Arabs of the Middle Ages.
While the opposition should take half of the blame for politicizing religion to advance their political agenda, so should government share the other half of the blame for creating the space to allow the opposition to do so.
If the government were rational and wise they would not fall into such an obvious trap.
Sheik Mohamed Shameem once told me that he would not stop until he gets permission to marry girls as young as nine years old if they have attained puberty. This man is a crazy pervert only hell bent on achieving this goal and to the hell with the economy and the citizens. As for the crazy and stupid citizens who are so easily gullible for anybody with a beard now get ready to go fishing.
@ Divehi Hang ur maa
your ame is really nice and meaningful..
why dont you use a nice name????
@Ilyas Ahmed
"If the government were rational and wise they would not fall into such an obvious trap."
You've failed to realise a simple fact. You can't appease these so-called "defenders" of Islam. The minute you succumb to one list of demands, they'll throw more at you! Eventually, they'll forbid the education of girls, any form of education other than reciting Quraan, music, television etc. In short, IF the government caters to any of their demands, then we open the slippery slope towards a Taliban style Afghanistan.
The government has been wise to do what they did. The government has highlighted the real seriousness of the demands of the protestors. It's not simply about closing down spas in Male; that's just the beginning; the opening salvo. By taking the extreme measures the government is threatening to make, it's highlighting the dangers of going down the road of the "defenders".
Afterall, as many have repeatedly pointed out, in an Islamic State, you cannot have one rule for parts of it. You either close all spas or you close none! Period! You either forbid alcohol and pork in all of it's territory or you don't! Period! You can't pick and choose; if you do, then you're the biggest Munafiq of Munafiqs. Guess which camp the "defenders" come from?
Well, let's now see what these "defenders" do. They are threatening further "action". Will the public go along with their "actions"? I doubt it, but let's wait and see. The government has very clearly highlighted the big gaping holes in their demands.
Every democratic country has these groups of what I'd call morons. They may take the form of racist, fascist white supremacists in Western Europe and America or Ultra Orthdox Jews in Israel. We just need to contain them.
Woe unto those who mock the commands of Allah SWT! They are nothing but Jews! Heed my words, fellow Muslim Maldivian brothers and non-fornicating sisters! Alcohol and pork are Jewish methods to lead you into hell, and it should not be allowed on our Muslim soil! Anybody who says it should, with the excuse of saving our tourism industry is mad, and a Jew! The great Zakir Naik (May he be granted Jannat with numerous Houris) did mention during his great visit, which attracted more than 50,000 people, that Maldivians can transform the tourism industry into an Islamic tourism industry, and it would work! Why would any of these Jews commenting here be wiser than the great Zakir Naik (May he be granted Jannat with numerous Houris)?
Like the mujahid and my brother in Islam, Dhivehi Hanguraama said, us Maldivians muslims would rather starve, than suffer in the hereafter!
“Whoever wishes for the immediate – We hasten to grant him such things as We will to whom We will. Then We have mark for them hallmark they will burn therein, disgraced and rejected.”
[al-Isra', 17: 18]
ALLAHU AKBARU!
People like Sheikh Imran Abdullah and maldivian hanguraama divided us muslims in this nation of small society .,,which is strongly condemned by our beloved prophet and in holy Quran.
In above comment he have called some fellow muslims as jews...wich is strongly haraam n written all over in Quran. All muslims ol around this globe knows it is haraam for this so called sheikh Imran have no right calling us nonmuslims. It is not he hu can o shud decide me n , u n the rest of us maldivians are jews. For Allah knows best n better then Sheik Imran. God bless u and us ol muslims.
To Shiek Ibrahim Abdullah,
Raelly? Then wny all the fornications, drug addictions and robbery and violence, fraud and bribe giving and taking? Do you mean to say those who commit the above sins are non Maldivians? Go rot in hell for you are a cheat too.