President Mohamed Waheed departed on an official visit to Saudi Arabia today (July 10), a day after local media reported that former President Mohamed Nasheed’s request to perform Umra was rejected by Saudi authorities.
Nasheed, along with Parliamentary Speaker Abdullah Shahid and former Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, are currently in Sri Lanka waiting for their visas to Saudi Arabia to process. They will be conducting Umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of year and is highly recommended but not compulsory in Islam.
Local media in the Maldives reported that Nasheed was denied a visa by the Saudi Arabian government, however former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, who is currently in Sri Lanka with Nasheed, Shahid, and Sawad, refuted the claims as inaccurate.
“I’ve been in constant touch with Saudi [Arabian government] Royal Protocol officials and Nasheed’s visa has not been rejected. They have not said anything like that,” the former Foreign Minister told Minivan News today.
“Nasheed’s visa to Saudi Arabia is being processed, it’s just a matter of time. The Foreign Ministry visa application was submitted very late, I don’t think even two weeks have passed,” said Naseem.
He believes there are a number of possible explanations for the delay in visa processing, but emphasised that there was absolutely no information coming from the Saudi Royal Protocol that Nasheed’s visa had been rejected.
“It’s taking awhile because so many presidents and former presidents [from all over the world] are traveling for Umra,” said Naseem. “[Although] it’s very likely Saudi Arabia doesn’t want Nasheed and Waheed there at the same time.”
“The whole thing has been blown out of proportion. Someone from the [Maldives] ‘baghee’ (‘traitor’) government is spreading misinformation to try and gain political capital. However, this will backfire because it’s not good to do things like this,” he declared.
“President Nasheed is a very religious person, he knows [Islam] well. Because he practices the tenets of Islam, [he knows] that going for Umra is also important,” he noted.
“If anyone is trying to prevent Nasheed from Umra it’s very bad, [fellow] Muslims should not be doing anything to obstruct any Muslim [from Islamic worship],” he continued.
Naseem said he did not believe that despite the coincidental timing of President Mohamed Waheed’s trip to Saudi Arabia, the President was intentionally obstructing Nasheed’s trip.
“Waheed is not fully informed of Islamic things, it is unlikely, but you can never know. He’s a traitor to the country and could be up to anything,” said Naseem.
Waheed’s visa to visit Saudi Arabia was issued at 5:00pm yesterday, according to Naseem.
He also noted that the Maldives’ government should be enabling and assisting its citizens to undertake religious pilgrimages.
“Infidels within the government of Maldives are not doing enough to facilitate these types of trips,” Naseem asserted.
However, an official statement from Nasheed’s spokesperson Mariya Ahmed Didi contended there had been deliberate obstruction by the Maldives’ government to obstruct Nasheed’s Umra pilgrimage.
“As we are hearing that some politicians are trying to obstruct the President’s Umra trip, the President is very saddened by this,” said Didi. “One Muslim trying to obstruct the worship of another Muslim is not something that should be done under any circumstances. We appeal for an end to this hassling.”
Meanwhile, President Waheed departed for an official visit to Saudi Arabia today to meet with top government officials, expedite some of the requests the Maldives has made to the Saudi government, and likewise perform an Umra pilgrimage.
Prior to his departure, Waheed stressed that it was difficult for him to comment on why Nasheed has not yet been issued a visa to Saudi Arabia.
“If I say anything it will just lead to speculation. How can I know something that they even don’t know?” said Waheed.
Additionally, he insisted that the government would not stymie Nasheed’s Umra pilgrimage.
“We will do everything we can to get a visa for him,” said Waheed.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds
Amid the conflicting reports about Nasheed’s visa obstruction and subsequent denial, the Maldives’ Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement today detailing the visa application protocol.
“1 – Upon receiving an SMS from the Minister to the Consular Department, informing that former President Mohamed Nasheed and Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid were to take part in Umra this year, the Department contacted the parliament secretariat and inquired as to how Speaker Shahid wanted to obtain the visa to Saudi Arabia,” reads the statement.
“Also, the visa application form required by Saudi Arabia was shared with the protocol department in order to send the form to the office of former President Nasheed. In the meantime, discussions were carried out between the Ministry and the Maldivian High Commission in Colombo regarding the procedures involved in obtaining Umra visas for state dignitaries.
“The Ministry also on repeated occasions requested the speakers bureau of the parliament secretariat to return the filled visa application as soon as possible.
“2 – The Ministry received the completed visa application forms on July 1, 2013. On the very same day, the forms were sent in mail packets to Colombo. Also the details of persons seeking the Umra visa were also shared with Maldives High Commission in Colombo via email.
“3 – The Maldives High Commissioner in Colombo had discussion with Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Maldives about the visa. The Saudi Ambassador said that visas for VIP persons are processed after receiving permission from the Saudi Royal Palace. Therefore, he said that permission must be sought through the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Saudi Ambassador to Maldives is currently working on obtaining the stated permit from the Royal Palace. The Maldives High Commission had informed the [Foreign Affairs] Ministry on July 3, 2013 that Saudi Ambassador will inform them as soon as permission is received.
“4 – The information given by the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka to the Ministry was shared with the Saudi Embassy on the same day. A request was also made to the Embassy to speed up the process to obtain the permit. In response, the Embassy informed the Ministry that it was working on to speed up the process and said that Saudi Foreign Ministry was waiting for the word from Saudi Royal Palace,” the statement concluded.
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I was pondering about this visa issue, when Nasheed was given leave by the High Court:
http://minivannewsarchive.com/politics/high-court-delays-nasheeds-case-until-he-return-from-pilgrimage-to-mecca-60661
I did wonder how he managed to get a visa then. Now, we know the full picture. It's almost impossible to get a visa for Saudi Arabia unless you're given special permission by the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Will the Guardian look at Nasheed's criticism of his country? Saudi Arabia is certainly far from a democratic country and dissent is not something they tolerate.
The Arab masters will treat you as they please. You can scream any filth at the cow-worshipping Indians and treat Bangaldeshis like chattel or burn the US flag or call the English Queen a Reptilian, but they'll always welcome you into their country. In Saudi Barbaria's case, only confirmed Mohammadens are allowed to visit Islam's Holy sites. Maybe a non-Muslim visit will cause the cities to self-destruct.
The recent comments about Hijazi Wahhabism must have somehow convinced the Arab Imperialists (with a little help by Bonaqua Shaheem) that Nasheed isn't a Mohammaden anymore. Now Nasheed will have to prove he's a Mohammaden once again to gain entry. That's what happens to Maldivians who criticise Islam too. If Nasheed cannot prove he's a Muslim, Saudi Barbarian government might even behead him for apostasy.
Why wait till July first to apply? All these busy and important people expect express service while the rest of us line up at the Indian High Com to get a visa to go to the doctor.
You can't get an express visa to Heaven.
@Homosexual on Wed, 10th Jul 2013 8:46 PM
"In Saudi Barbaria’s case, only confirmed Mohammadens are allowed to visit Islam’s Holy sites. Maybe a non-Muslim visit will cause the cities to self-destruct."
If your theory is right, then Paris Hilton's visits to Makkah (to take care of her new Boutique there), will mean that the time is nigh for the destruction fo that city. Or did Paris Hilton turn into a "Mohammaden" as you call them?
Minivan News is letting hatemongers spread religious hatred and this is not good for our society.
The infidel opened a store there. She did not set foot in the city AFAIK. Got a link that says she did?
@Jadullah
Minivannews is one half of the hatemongers. They have their own agenda as does the rest
Jaadhu-Allah, LOL. Don't like it when the tables are turned? The fascist state of Dhivehistan spreads hatred against apostates, infidels and women. The comments here are a response to that hate. Dhivehistanis expect infidels to keep quiet whille they malign kaafirs, take away religious freedom and impose Shariah law. Maybe they know deep down that Islam cannot stand criticism. They fear that their delicate precious faith will be destroyed if skeptics started questioning them.
This homosexual guy is a disgrace openly branding himself as the homosexual. What an idiot!
why did Nasheed need to go this place ? After criticizing so much about the place in Denmark .
Saudi knows what Nasheed had advocated in Denmark and what is alternative narration of Islam is?
@janhunsun, What can I say, I just like to expose Dhivehistani homophobes. I relish their intolerance. I hope homophobia, hate crimes and laws against LGBT become worse. The worse you treat us, the more you'll be pressured to amend your barbaric laws. So tell me more about Hell, sodomy and feces. 🙂
Kuribee, neither you nor the Saudi Government can know how religious or not another person is or what is in that person's heart. So you better leave the judging to Allah, who knows best.
"President Nasheed is a very religious person, he knows [Islam] well. Because he practices the tenets of Islam, [he knows] that going for Umra is also important,” he noted.
Ha ha...I LOVE YOU Kerafa Naseem! 😉
I am not sure why would anyone want go to Saudi Arabia. If I was offered a free ticket to go Saudi I would defiantly not go let alone beg those barbarians to give visa to visit their unholy land. You can’t call a desert holy place; we call such place hell on earth.
I think kuribee has confused the TV mullahs with Allah. Brother kuribee, please repent for your shirk.
These yellow party guys will have no tolerance to accommodate any comments against Nasheed.
gnashed should not be given VISA at all and he is threat to Islamic wold
Seyku Nasheed, performing an Umra???Probably doesn't even understand what an Umra is??? He refers to the Prophet as Mode but he wants to perform Umra???Duhhhhh???
Certainly this is a big stunt to garner votes for the upcoming elections???But he's the one who says to keep religion out of politics???The Hypocrite.No wonder all politicians are deceivers!
And ahahaaa! The infidels are at it again!!??Hate mongering among themselves and belittling our prophets, belittling their own fellow country men is their pasttime What do you get from all this saliva spitting hatred??
All prophets had the same old story since they set foot on this earth??The unbelievers belittling them, spitting on them,deceiving, spreading falsehood, am not surprised?? Or are these Kafirs asking the Maldivians to believe in the uncertain scientific theories of evolving from apes and accidental beginnings? My life would suck if i believe that i came from an accident or i evolved from a dumb flea ridden Ape!?
Guess their theories are far more superior than ours because they are the only people who must be believing in these???No wonder everything that happens in their life is an accident, or they think like apes oooohoooooh aaaahaaahhha(i thought Apes had this language)(my bad....:)
@Free thinker,
That's the beauty of the place. A dessert that welcomes millions each and every day through out the year??A dessert which has plenty of water from a well which does not go dry while all other wells nearby and far is dry as sand? There was a report by BBC which said the water was contaminated but later it was found to be just another way of defaming Islam??Ho hum!
I am surprised scientists never tried any experiments on this water but their was one by a Japanese professor who never actually anticipated what he found from the Zam zam??Just another experiment??
@Shimy on Sat, 13th Jul 2013 3:45 PM
"My life would suck if i believe that i came from an accident or i evolved from a dumb flea ridden Ape!?"
Suck it may. You and those flea ridden great apes are more than 98% similar, genetically speaking. Why do you think that is? Would you care to reason with rational arguments instead of emotional rhetoric?
"There was a report by BBC which said the water was contaminated but later it was found to be just another way of defaming Islam?"
I can see emotional ranting here. No one is trying to defame Islam. Some of the scientific studies done on that water are by Muslim scientists! They are trying to save millions of Muslims from coming to harm. Allah may have given us pure and uncontaminated water. But its our duty to keep that water clean.
Do you know that the Wahhabi rulers of Saudi Arabia demolished Khalifa Abu Bakr's house to make way for that monstrous Hilton Hotel? Do you know the amount of chemicals that have been poured into the ground (so close to Holy Haram) whilst building these monstrous hotels? Do you know what happens to those chemicals once they leak deep into the ground? If you have reasoning skills, isn't it plausible that these nasty chemicals have found their way to one of the only water sources beneath the Makkah ground?
But your mind would just put a big cloud over all that reasoning. I can see that.
Look how is defending who, Nasseem is basically saying, “President Nasheed is a very religious person, he knows [Islam] well"
What about you Ahmed Naseem, how much do you know about Islam? Your daughters are married to atheists, you drink alcohol and you never liked Saudi Arabia like Nasheed always attacking the Saudis.
I think you both are going somewhere else and not telling the full truth.
Saudi Arabia should not give Ahmed Naseem or Nasheed a visa ever.