Former State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has written an article calling for studies in comparative religion to be included in courses at the Islamic Faculty of the recently inaugrated National University.
The national university “should be a place that conducts research on issues that the Maldives faces today, especially issues related to human rights, comparative religion, terrorism and the rights of women,” Shaheem wrote in an article (Dhivehi) on the Adhaalath Party’s official website.
Shaheem first floated the idea in April 2010, emphasising that the subject should not be taught at a secondary level “because [students’] minds are not [yet] prepared to deal with these philosophies.”
However at a university level, “it is very important to research and understand other religions,” said Shaheem. “You will not become an infidel for learning about other religions.”
”At Medina’s University Faculty of Shariah they teach comparative religion as well as at the International Islamic University in Malaysia,” he said. ”Terrorism is a rising issue today, and it is very important to know the difference between terrorism and jihad, and the obligations and reasons for jihad.”
He also said that it was the former government that paved way for the Maldives College of Higher Education to progress to a University.
The National University of the Maldives was inaugurated on February 15 by President Mohamed Nasheed, who appointed former Education Minster Dr Mustafa Luthfy as the university’s first chancellor and presented him with the institution’s seal.
The last time to the topic of comparative religion was raised in the Maldives, Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Hussein Rasheed told Minivan News the party would not support the prospect until an understanding of the basic principles of Islam were strengthened. will not support the study of comparative religion in the Maldives until understanding of the basic principles are strengthened.
While he did not disagree with it in principle, Rasheed said that before introducing comparative religion the government should teach Islam in more advanced manner.
President of Jamiyyathul Salaf Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Ibrahim said in April that people should understand Islam comprehensively before comparative religion was introduced.
Sheikh Abdulla said there were some necessary subjects of Islam many people in the Maldives did not yet understand or were not being taught.
”Only a few people understand the ‘Tafsir’ [exegesis] of Quran,” he said, adding that ”knowledge of other religions is already taught in verses of Quran and Hadith.”
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These gentlemen are making matters more difficult than they are.
Should we wait till the cows come home?
As far as I know, there is not a single cow in the Maldives.
As a nation, citizens of Maldives is surrounded by "infidel" and "kafir" people in Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Malaysia etc.
Our students are constantly going to Europe and USA. Our diplomats and businessmen are going there too.
Maldivians are great friends with the Chinese. Chinese are filling our tourist resorts. Chinese have their religion; or rather their lack of religion and the Confucianist ethical codes.
We have to call these "infidels" and "kafirs" to come and lecture to Maldivians.
Maldivians do not have the expertise.
I do think Shaheem is looking for the job. His interest is teaching the subject. President please meet his request as there are few people who could twach like Shaheem.
I truly support Shaheem's call. We need more people like him in our society.
If the president or the former education minister had said the same thing, mullahs would already be in front of their homes wielding banners and megaphones calling for their heads...or "head chop".
@Balrog. Please don't say the president or education minister. Maldives have had presidents and Education ministers before. Please say mohamed nasheed and musthafa luthfy. There are reasons why they are being labeled.
Comparative studies? huh?
Compare religions? Most of the Maldivians do not even want to acknowledge the existence of another 'deen'; for them the only one is Islam and there is no other religion in the world.
And its guys like you who implanted these ideas in the Maldives.
And now you are worried that it has gotten out of hand? It has now come to stab you in the back?
I sincerely hope that Maldives will be stay ignorant forever, and whoever who even tries to talk any sense such as 'Comparative Religions' will NOT be allowed to do so. Maldives wants to be ignorant on this subject. Look at what happened to Nazim. And he was asking nicely, internally pleading for help, from an effing foreigner on Maldivian soil; yet Nazim was the person skinned?
"He also said that it was the former government that paved way for the Maldives College of Higher Education to progress to a University."
This sort of remark is exactly what causes these good Sheikhs to lose their credibility. What's the point of bringing politics into this? As far as we know, a 15th century Prince may have started the ball rolling towards a national university! It doesn't matter who was involved and who opened the door etc. The important thing is the institution itself and how it's going to help the country.
I don't think the good Sheikh is capable of teaching any subject, if, infact he intends to do that. An academic shouldn't be wielding political batons... Leave the politicians for that job. Oh, I forgot, but the good Sheikh IS a politician!
The most important question has not even been asked. Do Maldivians KNOW ANY religion at all? I seriously doubt very much.
They are certainly not following Islam as we know it. What religion are they following? No one knows and they themselves do not!
Solve that problem first, dear good Sheikhs and scholars of this land.
A commentator on an article I wrote about this on my personal blog suggests that this could be Shaheem's strategy of positioning himself as the 'moderate' voice, in order to appeal to foreign powers.
Drawing the line between himself and the 'radicals' like Illiyaas and Fareed makes sense considering the recent episode of Indian immigration blacklisting some local Islamists.
The last time Shaheem brought this up, If I'm not mistaken, was just before the controversial Indian "scholar" Zakir Naik was brought to preach to Maldivians.
Naik happens to sell himself as a 'comparative religion' expert.
Another commentator made an interesting point that by 'comparative religion', they would most probably engage in misrepresenting Christians, Jews, Sufis, Shiites, etc to further promote Wahhabism as the one true faith.
I'm inclined to believe this would be the case, considering their public speeches and stance on Jews, etc.
While teaching comparative religion in itself is a pretty good idea, I fear if these folk are entrusted with designing the curriculum then it would be less of an intellectually honest academic exercise and more of good ole' mudslinging and propaganda.
P.S. the previous comment made by a 'yaamyn' was not me. (Me, being the blogger guy)
Religion should not be studied at all at any level in state run universities, region divides people. Its total nonsense some people want teach others.Lets Shaheem and his Mullas study them at their homes and madrassaas. Don't try to teach us, for us Thauleemdhiyaanaa is more than enough. Over 800 years Islam prevailed here in Maldives and past century it was just that small booklet Thauleemdhiyaana we studied and it was better than any book Shaheem or some one might right. It was written so simple language,without complication. Example, khithaanu kureema zakarun faalhuvaa hissaabu farujakah vehdhun" is ziney. If it was written today, Shaheem and colleagues will make it complicate using different languages. No body can understand and leads street protest next day.
Religion should not be studied at all at any level in state run universities, region divides people. Its total nonsense some people want teach others.Lets Shaheem and his Mullas study them at their homes and madrassaas. Don’t try to teach us, for us Thauleemdhiyaanaa is more than enough. Over 800 years Islam prevailed here in Maldives and past century it was just that small booklet Thauleemdhiyaana we studied and it was better than any book Shaheem or some one might write. It was written so simple language,without complication. Example, khithaanu kureema zakarun faalhuvaa hissaabu farujakah vehdhun” is ziney. If it was written today, Shaheem and colleagues will make it complicate using different languages. No body can understand and leads street protest next day.
Rather than point fingers at Shaheem or looking for conspiracy theories, why can't we all accept that what Shaheem is proposing is a very good idea?
Wouldn't it be a wise idea that islam be thought correctly & by people who are sane...?
& not by those jihad-crazy terrorists who are disguised as so-called scholars? Extremists who exploit women by feeding them nonsense about acquiring jannat just to satisfy their carnal desires? Extremists Who brainwash youth about jihad & sacrificing themselves for a selfish & political cause that exists all the way in Pakistan?
These people think that getting a few tapes or books spouting narrow-minded, selfish gibberish sprinkled with a few religious makes them a scholar.
As someone who likes to find out about other religions & their practices & yet happily remain a muslim despite of my findings, I think it would benefit our youth if carried out in a positive way. Like Shaheem says, when we are doing o'levels etc, most of us are more focused on other studies rather than Islam & Dhivehi...people would be much more open to learning at university level because they are choosing to study it.
I would much prefer religion be thought in correctly along with insight into other religions so that we know the differences...why we should be muslims & not another religion...
This will be good if introduced. And also you need to improve the syllabus of Islamic Studies in Maldivian schools. I didn't know the difference between between Shafi and Shia Mazhab when I finished my CHSE, despite having studied Islam as a subject for 12 years of my life. There are many important things in religion which is not covered in the subject 'Islam' which is taught in our schools. Religious studies are supposed to give us all the information about religion plus a borad mind too. A maldivian who finish school do not have all these because of the narrow syllabus of Islam taught in our schools.
Well, I had learnt about Islam from a Christian, and about Christianity from a Muslim, and I learnt that a Muslim presents a false perception of Christianity and a Christian presents a false perception of Islam.
Did you know that since the Second Vatican Council, top Muslim scholars from Egypt (Al-Azhar) and other countries are invited, very frequently to the Vatican to stay there and to teach Islam to students of comparative religion (Priests, Bishops, Cardinals) and they are treated like Kings. They can pray and practice Islam to their hearts content.
Perhaps Maldives could do the same and invite scholars from the Christians (proper theologians not idiot US style pseudo-religion or hyper faith rubbish)
to teach Christianity?
Studying comparative religion for the sake of understanding "the obligations and reasons for jihad' defeats the purpose of this intellectual subject. It seems like trying to proof a point rather than understand the depths in issues related to life through various religious perspectives. It is meant to lead to greater understanding and acceptance of differences in thinking and spiritual paths of people and it seems that Shaheem's intentions are far from scholarly interests.
The first lesson in comparative religion:
All religions are the work of men (and women)!
Now, if we start from that base, we'll all have a better understanding of the mess we're in.
Thank you.