The Adhaalath Party has requested the Education Ministry cancel the Maldives’ inter-school singing competition due to be held this year for the first time in six years, claiming that singing was haram in Islam.
Vice President of the party’s Scholars Council, Ilyas Abdulatheef, sent letters to Villa TV, the state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) and the Education Minister Dr Asim Ahmed.
In the letter to the Education Minister, the Adhaalath Party stated that music and singing were haram in Islam according to trusted Islamic scholars, and that the Adhaalath Party was concerned that some TV stations were planning an Inter-school Singing Competition to be held between school students under the watch of Education Ministry.
The party expressed concern about the competition and urged the ministry “stop such un-Islamic activities.’’
Another letter was sent to TVM Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Asif and VTV Chairman Ameen Ibrahim.
In both letters, the Adhaalath Party stated that the party was concerned about the singing competition and urged them to cancel it.
The Education Minister, VTV and TVM were also sent research on music and singing in Islam attached with the letter.
The Adhaalath Party was one of the coalition partners that in 2008 joined Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to defeat former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
The current President of the Adhaalath Party, Sheikh Imran Abdulla, was very critical of the MDP and joined a coalition with former opposition parties that led to the ousting of the MDP on February 7.
That followed the breaking of its coalition agreement with the MDP on September 27 last year, after the party’s consultation council voted 32 to 2 to approve a resolution to break the coalition.
The party claimed that the Nasheed’s government had ignored “sincere advice and suggestion”, and that the party was forced to stage street protests “to put a stop to serious matters related to the country’s religion and sovereignty.”
Among the 28 main points noted in the resolution included rising inflation under Nasheed’s administration, refusal to reimburse amounts deducted from civil servants salaries, failure to alleviate the persisting dollar shortage, appointing unqualified “activists” to manage government corporations, and insufficient measures against corruption in the government.
The Adhaalath Party then claimed the former government was “making secret deals with Israel in the name of the people and pursuing relations with Israel to an extent that threatens the nation’s independence and sovereignty.”
Moreover, the Adhaalath party accused the then-government of agreeing to “let Israel influence the country’s educational curriculum.”
Among government decisions strongly contested by the party, the resolution also referred to a proposal to make Dhivehi and Islam optional subjects in higher secondary education and reclaiming a land plot awarded to the Islamic College (Kulliya).
The final eight points included the use of force against protesting parents of Arabiyya school students, senior government diplomats expressing concern with Maldivian students going to Arabic or Islamic countries for studies, publishing regulations allowing sale of alcohol to non-Muslims in inhabited islands, and insufficient cooperation with the Islamic Ministry’s efforts to close down brothels.
Adhaalath Party member Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, now the Islamic Minister, was not responding to calls at time of press.
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The problem with all fanatical religion is that you have 21st century technology to kill people being dictated to by 1st century barbaric ignorance and text. Look at 9/11 and the words of those 19 pius Muslims before they murdered to teach the pius USA that their religion is better. All extreme religion is most divisive and destructive thing in this world!
A lethal cocktail do you not think??
who let the dogs out... who .. who... who
who let the dogs out
We are Sunni Islamic nation. Our constitution forbids any other religion. We not only ban music but also Barber shops, CDs, movies, pornography, alcohol. We must follow strict dress code for women. However drugs should be allowed as there is nothing in Quraan that mentions against use of drugs.
having laughed so hard in weeks- Seriously ppl? Singing is haram??? whom are you kidding now? Yourself???
@foul smeling: i join your choir!
@Pony
singing, the way we do it now with music and dancing and showing of bodies is manifestly haram and no muslim of knowledge would deny that. Even
Honourable Afraasheem would agree to this. However that we desire what is often haraam is completely something else. its the forbidden fruit that's the sweetest. HAving said that i can tell from experience that one can quit music like smoking. I used to listen to classical music. i wasted hours and hours in my fantasy world of dreams with orchestra music playing sweetly in my ears. but now i manage with Quruan and i feel no need to go back to the old bad ways.
oh police guy, who has washed your brain... I feel very sorry for you! I pray you wake up one day
A few more questions to the elite Islamic scholars.
Why specifically the inter-school singing competition?
What about inter atoll competitions, Raaje Ran Adu, and scores of other singing competitions?
Are Madhaha Competitions allowed or are they also classified in the same haram status.
Is it the competition that is the haram factor or singing itself?.
Just to be more clear, how about traditional "Badhi", "raivaru", billeh dhafi, boduberu, "bandiyaa" .... heavy metal bands, and rock bands performing on resorts to "Kaafarun"??
Are Quran competitions allowed in islam? if so were they held during the prophets life?
Does Islam allow prayer competitions and fasting competitions?
Is there a religious verdict on playing musical instruments?
Does Islam prohibit listening to music?
What about poetry, "writing" making of it, reciting it, and holding poetry competitions.
I recollect that previous Governments has given National Awards for people who has achieved recognition in performing arts including singing. Was this an act of negligence or idiocy?
Are our religious scholars in line with international Islamic scholars?
Can the scholars have an open debate on the subject with a selected group of western educated maldivians.
No wonder Adhallath party Mullah don't enjoy significant support given their ancient ideology. Banning music which for some is food of soul remain untenable for any political party or movement. The issue is disputed among the Mullahs themselves. It is not specifically banned in Koran.
Adhaalaath Mullahs standing in the way of students trying to harness their skills is totally unaccepted. Bearded Mullahs should be ignored and competition should go ahead as planned.
Everytime I feel like being a little reckless - I put down the blinds and shake my ass in my apartment and all of a sudden I feel like a human again. Not a frightened brain attached to a god-given body that many religions (not just islam) like to call sinful. Malé desperately needs a place where people can go and dance. It would sort things out pretty fast if everybody got their groove on....
how does the adhaalath know what and what not i can do with my life? and if they can say what i can and cannot, then, i must have the same right to tell them what they can do too. this is really getting too much.
so far as iv'e seen from the past events and all.. all i can sat is that the religion of Islam has been used as a tool of "politics".. a man made rule over ruling the religion according to their political ideas.. this is not only my words.. these are words of a lot of students studying abroad and looking at the whole picture from their distance
God Bless All