The greatest threat to democracy in the Maldives is the “growing extremism among Maldivians”, according to Maldives High Commissioner to the UK Dr Farahanaz Faizal.
Speaking to the House of Parliament during a meeting on November 2, Dr Faizal cited objections within the country to the appointment of women to senior posts in the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM). She also highlighted the practice of preaching against the vaccination of children.
Dr Faizal also stated that she believed that although both the government and the current leadership of the opposition were committed to democracy, the greatest threat to democracy “lies in growing religious extremism.”
The meeting, organised by the All Party Group on third world democracy in collaboration with the UK parliament’s All Party Maldives group and assisted by the Maldives High Commission, was chaired by David Anderson MP. Speakers included Dr Faizal, Chair of the UK-Maldives All Party Parliamentary Group MP David Amess, Chair of the Commonwealth Journalists Association Rita Payne, journalist Mark Seddon, Chair of Third World Solidarity Mushtaq Lasharie, and Yameen Shahid, a member of the Maldivian student community and son of the Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid.
Others present were Sir Ivan Lawrence, MP Gary Streeter, members of the Maldives High Commission, Friends of Maldives founder David Hardingham, Paul Moorcraft, Karen Lumley from the Conservative Party, BBC journalist Adam Mynott and Islamic scholar Idris Tawfiq.
Representing young people in the Maldives, Yameen highlighted the need for education on democracy and called for Maldivian politicians to work together and serve the best interests of the people.
Yameen also accused the police of using excessive force towards drug users in the Maldives, claiming that the future of Maldives was bright as young people took the initiative to solve the drug issues facing the country.
MP David Amess and Mark Seddon called for more support for the young democracy in the Maldives, calling it a “fragile flower” that needs support, “especially from the EU.”
Amess went further, calling for more support from the British Government given the long association between the UK and the Maldives.
Idris Tawfeeq the Islamic Scholar maintained that it was important to support the Maldives without interfering in the internal affairs of the country. He also stressed the importance of young people being involved more in political life.
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This country is going down day by day cause of the current regime. Most corrupted regime in the history of the Maldives. And the family of Maria and Farhanaz, i wonder how much cash she got now. Now Reeko is all satisfied...LOL
Dr. So called Farahanaz play drama on MNBC every time she comes to Maldives at the poor Maldivians citizens expense! She lives in the central london with high cost on the expense of Maldivians! Her family did the same in the past and now history is repeating! Farahanaz dont waste your time to whitewash your dark family history in Maldives
Dr.Farahanaz probably means well for our country, however, how many incidents has happened because of the so called religious extremists in the country? Are the gangs who incite violence religious people? Name any Sheikh, or Maldivian religious scholar who has actually preached against vaccinating our children or against sending girl children to school. And were the parliamentarians who spoke against appointing 2 women for the posts of president and vice-president of HRCM religious people? I don't see the connection at all.
Regardless extremism is worst or not. We do not want you mullahs or i should say I do not want your influence in the government.
You are the cause of the failure, you will destroy any state if it is left to you.
You can never grasp the idea, that it is not the state that goes to heaven, but the individual on the good deeds of the individual.
So unless you can stop dictating what/how your neighbours must live, fccc off. Get out of the country and live your life in Torah bora for all I care.