The Adhaalath Party has complained that tourists have been wearing improper clothing and consuming alcohol on Hulhumale’ beach in public, and that the area was becoming “a place where Maldivian families cannot visit.”
The sale and consumption of alcohol is banned on inhabited islands. Resorts – and the airport hotel at Hulhule’ – are classified as ‘uninhabited’. As a result, the hedonistic concept of Western resort tourism has been able to peacefully coexist with the more conservative Islamic population on local islands. But the promotion of mid-market ‘guest house’ tourism on inhabited islands such as Hulhumale’ blurs the separation between the two.
“People who own beach front houses have developed guest houses in the area, and as a result tourists coming to the guest houses have started to use the Hulhumale’ beach they would aresort beach,’’ said the Adhaalath Party in statement. “They have been in the beach wearing clothes that do not properly cover their body, and are swimming likewise.’’
The Adhaalath Party cited “a reliable source” as claiming that tourists have been “putting up umbrellas and consuming alcohol under them on Hulhumale’ beach.”
The Party said that such things “should not occur on any of the inhabited islands of the Maldives.”
“It is not permissible under the law, religion or on social grounds,’’ said the party. ‘’It violates many rights of the Maldivians who visits the beach, when they see nudity and alcohol consumption.”
The party also said that it was “a serious issue” and that the concerned authorities should try and resolve.
Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), ‘Sim’ Mohamed Ibrahim, acknowledged that such occurrences would be a challenge for mid-market tourism in the Maldives.
“The way it is currently structured is that alcohol is banned and there is a dress code for inhabited islands. Unless the regulations are changed – and I’m not saying they should be relaxed – tourist areas will need to be separated from local areas. In Male’ people cannot drink alcohol openly and nobody wears bikinis – it isn’t a problem.”
Ibrahim suggested that unless there were demarcated tourist areas, “there will always be these kinds of issues. It’s not an Adhaalath party issue or necessarily a religious issue – Western tourist dress is very different from traditional Maldivian dress.”
Separate tourist areas on inhabited islands would also be for the benefit of tourists’ privacy, he suggested. “They should be able to have a holiday in the Maldives, but they need privacy.”
Tourists, he agreed, should also be made more aware of Maldivian cultural traditions.
A UK national who lived in Hulhumale’ for a year until recently said she had not heard of foreigners living in Hulhumale’ using the beach in such a manner. But there were many new boutique hotel and guest house developments being constructed along the beach and there had been, she said, one instance of police being called after several tourists were seeing wearing bikinis “on a quiet corner of the beach.”
“Two foreign girls were also reported to police for wearing bikinis on the beach, but when police arrived they were wearing boardshorts and shirts,” she said.
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It is a good thing that tourist business can flourish in Hulhumale’. I have not seen alcohol being drunk there. I am regular on this beach. I think the solution is not separation but the hotels to brief tourist on the basic attire (T-shirts and shorts) in respect of the Maldivian culture.
The sad thing is though, more and more Maldivian women are fully clad in black and sits sadly on the beach while the children and their husbands enjoy the sea. This is bad and indicates how suppressed the women are. For Adalath this is right… The women are kept under the thumb..
The next thing is how the Maldivians dirty the beaches and throws their weekend garbage everywhere. It is in religion to respect nature and take from it carefully and cautiously.
Today Maldivians are confused and fearful cos Adalath has done all it can to instill fear in people so they can control.
The main reason that all holy bearded Adallath members are dreaming about girls in bikini and good cup of beer !So but in Maldives they cannot have it openly, that is why many members of Adallath bikini club visit Thailand for "spiritual' exercises!oheheheheheh!
What is wrong in seeing a "bikini clad" woman on the beach of Hulhumale compared to seeing the same on cable TV, internet and at the resorts?
Don't Maldivians work at these resorts? Isn't it a government regulation to require that at least 50% of Maldivians working in the resorts should be Maldivians? Why should government policy expose the holy-blooded Maldivians to contamination from western culture? Don't a large number of Maldivians regularly visit these resorts?
Aren't they part of this "imaginary pure and morally uncontaminated" Maldivian Society?
Almost all Maldivian families spend their leisure time watching Indian TV series on Cable TV where the content is rich in erotic dances by women and sexually explicit moves by the actresses and even actors. And what about all the extreme violence in Hindi movies that are seen by the young?
In fact even the burga clad or mummified in-black women (from head-to-toe Arab Hijabs) watch these all the time.
Most people watch these shows together with their small children who even learn Hindi by watching these on TV non stop 24 hours a day. But that's okay to watch erotica and violence on TV right?
So, why the selective expression of being offended?? Is it only when you see a woman bathing in a swim suit in Hulhumale that the innocent and pure blooded sin-free Maldivians get "contaminated" with Foreign Culture?
Don't get me wrong. I personally don't support the establishment of Tourist Guest Houses or Tourist Hotels in inhabited islands (except Male') not because I fear our fellow brethren might get contaminated with "Western culture".
With the kind of broken lawless society that we now live in, I actually fear for the safety of these foreigners whose only crime is to come to this country for a holiday and spend their money on the hypocrite Maldivians who love the money they get from the tourists but are so intolerant towards foreign nationals of all countries and have no respect for people of other faiths when they visit our country.Some of our fellow country men are real hypocrites and cowards.
wow JJ, u cudnt find anythng better to write abt? Iv lived in hulhumale 5 yrs nw and hav never syn alchohol being consumed. bikinis i hav syn tho.
Adhaalath Party: You have no right to impose your view on what is considered "IMPROPER CLOTHING". We all own our own body and must have the right to wear ANYTHING we WANT, or DON'T want on our body. Bikinis have been around for over 50 years and are a modern societal achievement, and not "hedonistic".
"They have been in the beach wearing clothes that do not properly cover their body". But if God created us naked, then to say that we "must cover our body" is an insult to God, saying we are ashamed of his creatiion. In fact is is more beneficial and healthy to go NAKED - 100% naked (no pants, no underwear, no bikini, etc.) on the beach! This way, everybody can be accepted as equal, and children and religious conservatives can realize that the NAKED human body is pure, natural, innocent, ancient and HRAMLESS.
Next about your claim that alcohol is so indecent - why don't you try drinking for yourself and you will find out why 99% of the world enjoys it. THE TRUE MEASUREMENT OF A DEVELOPED SOCIETY IS TOLERANCE. Only once you muslim people all around the world finally start to TOLERATE PEOPLE, will you finally be able to peacefully co-exist and have a harmonious relationship with foreign cultures, rather that pushing your ultra-conservative, backwards, pre-historic, anti-expression, anti-freedom nutjob views on unsuspecting good people!
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY ARE WEARING BIKINIS, RATHER THAN BEING NAKED (NUDE IS MUCH MORE LIBERATING AND EQUALIZING THAN WEARING STUPID ARTIFICIAL CLOTHES TO A BEACH). And the next problem is that you harrass them for drinking on the beach, which is nothing more than a good way to relax and loosen up. The LOCALS ar the problem and once the muslims open their mind and hearts, they will realize this.
@Franz Marlett,
Wow... wow wow.. You have gone too far.
Adaalath is not asking you to wear clothes on the beach of your country. Adalath is Talking about Maldives.. NOT about Australia or Canada .. OK?? We have the right to demand what you can wear in OUR country and will keep on doing that as long as YOU are here.. Got it??
Being naked?? hehehe.. Is it the best thing?? When you were born, the fist think you learn is to suck your móm's boobs for milk. Therefore I am sure that such guys like you would also agree that you could keep on doing the same with your MOM for the rest of your life as this is how GOD had created you.. Is'nt It??
Oh My ... Alcohol is pure water??? What nonsense. You yourself will know exactly what it does to human body and mind.. It takes you to a state where you wouldnt even mind sleeping with your sister, killing someone and even raping someone. You guys pee on teh roads, vomit on walkways after drinking these PURE water.. Why not a good old Aloe vera juice or a cran berry juice??? Isn''t that healthier than your PURE water??
Wearing STUPID ARTIFICIAL CLOTHES TO BEACH?? Why dont you go out Naked on to the beach and see if some crazy lady in a bikini's gets attracted to your that thingie and comes to you for that?? I am sure that its what you want badly...
Hey Mr.
If you are in our COUNTRY,,, we will dictate what you will wear and how you will behave. If you cannot accept it, then simply get lost...
Good?? enough??
@ Franz Marlett
Even we are concerned and against Adhaalath's views but what U have said above is bit too much. If U R Maldivian then pl cool down; if foreigner - relax, have fun, get tanned and leave us with our problems. We know how to tackle such diktats.
Ever since this government came in place - tourists, foreigners and expatriates think they can do whatever they like in Maldives and they have nothing to worry and this government of ANNI will come to their rescue even if they have violated every law that we abide.
This is a bit too much, vomiting in our local ferries and showing too much skin which is good for nothing!
The trick now is, if you want to drink freely go to HIH and come back to Male' vomiting in the ferry, shouting shit, shit!
adhaalath party are one of those religion addicted extremists who think they can save the maldives from going to developing to a developed country .. they are such an disgust to maldives and youths like me who wants to see a maldives where everyone enjoys to the fullest...who cares if tourists drink and wear bikines on the open..it is not why youths like me gets addicted to alchohol and drugs... it is seriously not why maldivian teengirls decide to become infamous sluts...but there is a reason to care about adhaalath party messing with the personal lifestyles of tourists cause you are messing with tourism, and when you mess with the tourism you are messing with the money,,OUR MONEY... and money is something that everyone cares about...so by any chance if adhaalath party become the cause for maldives to become the next alqaidha..i personally gurentee that we will wipe out the useless dusts known to us as adhaalath party..... maa dheenveri party ehkamaku dhen maa over vegen mithan afganistan akah nehedheyne thikahala sodunaa dhekolhu baeh tibihihya miharuves tikahala aathunaa hedhi baeh meehunge visnun edhany seeedhaa terroristunah vumah hithun gaumu salaamah kohdheyn vegen
The person and his friends consume the liquor on his own home without closing the door is that permissible?
is that not permissible please provide the details of law and sections