The Islamic Minister of the Maldives Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has strongly condemned the humiliation to a foreign couple by the celebrant of a renewal of vows ceremony held at Vilu Reef Resort and Spa.
The video of the wedding ceremony held at Vilu Reef, in which the celebrant degrades oblivious couple with a torrent of insults in Dhivehi, appeared on social networks last week.
The couple were initially told in English that the ceremony was a ‘traditional Maldivian’ ceremony, “according to Islamic and Arab norms”, and then attacked as “infidels” and “swine” in Dhivehi during the US$1300 proceedings.
“The religion of Islam has not taught us to treat non-Muslims as enemies,’’ clarified Dr Majeed. “While a tourist is in a country with a valid visa, according to the rules and regulations it is a responsibility of the state institution to provide them protection.’’
Dr Majeed said that “under no circumstance” did Islam allow a person to be humiliated or robbed of their money or property if they did not follow the religion.
The Islamic Minister also appealed for resorts not to conduct any irreligious activities “to delight the tourists.”
Police have now arrested the celebrant, who was an assistant working at the Food and Beverage Department, and another individual involved in the ceremony, and are holding discussions with the Prosecutor General to determine the charges.
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Perhaps a few thousand people not going to that resort will send a message.
Perhaps the Minister would also take some steps and put behind bars the firebrand mullahs who say pretty much the same things ('infidel', 'swine') about non-Muslims.. only this time on public stages and Radio.
U n i are same here...remorse is an open picture
Does Minivan news have no other news other than that related to this ceremony. Some very important events have happened in this country like the Supreme Court decision on cabinet endorsement and the MDP congress. Move on Minivan
Don’t balme it all on me. Don’t say that I did not do enough to develop a respectful society in Maldives.
Don’t say that I didn’t educate the people. I’ve built schools.
However, people may say these schools were with low quality school systems, low quality syllabus, low quality teachers – most who’re drop-outs from the school. Also people may say there is not a single university in the country after I’ve reigned in power for 30 long years. Yes, true. I was going to build one this year but the people wanted to elect Mohamed Nasheed (oh, how much I hate that little guy…..#%^&).
So please elect me or Yamin again in 2013. You need a good leader. A leader who studied in an Arab country. Not a leader who studied in the UK.
I will make sure these things are totalls erased from the face of Maldivian lands when I or my party people get back to power. Just imagine how smoothly we were running the country before.
Also if anyone of us get elected again, we will install the hatred to other religion like we’ve always been doing. We can’t let the current president make friendly agreements with Chrisitian USA and Jew Isreil. We will only promote ISLAM with zero tolerance towards other religions. This is proven with all the debates from our guys so far. Be it parliament or TV or anything else.
And we're making underground deals with the Adaalathu and Salaf islamic groups. We're all in favour to put an end to the current western-style government. Ofcourse, by lawful manners such as using Islam to persuade the Maldivian people that no Muslim nation must be friends with the Christians or Jews. That's the best preach and best line to win the hearts of the Maldivian people.
Gay-yoom
Also need to be pointed out (in English - so that every one understands) that the ministry has also told the media, that the government may not grant permission for (let alone compile regulation regarding) the renewal of vows or marriage for foreigners, as it would conflict with Maldivian Laws.
Yaamyn - exactly! A public religious sermon (fully endorsed by the ministry), held late May said "West behaves like pigs because they eat pigs!"... Bari & Shaheem were sitting nearby, clapping with the crowd.
Islamic ministry need not be there to begin with. I think the damage it has caused on its own is bad enough.
nazim bari might have clapped but that dosent mean he agrees on what he's clapping or may its just an unconcious act of reflex action which is a part of the ceremony to clap when all starts clapping..hahahaah..most of the time even if u see baris eye open he is actually sleeping...he have this unique talent of sleeping with the eyes open hahahaahah...well the point is ummm eeerrr shit i forgot which means i am also same like baaree haahahaha and wot abt u...who r u?
The nerve of this bastxxd.
It's these guys preachings, that have been engrained in Maldivian psyche, over the years.
It's very rich now for him to say it's not the way Islam has stated we should treat non-believers.
At this moment he will view Islam in light of tolerance, as we are deep shit now. However, when the moment passes it will be this same person who would open up the hate-pages and equate non-believers as worse than pigs, dogs, condemning them as fire-logs in hell.
I feel so disgusted by all these hypocrites.
why shall the islamic ministry not reciprocate? you guys live in a cage? don't you see the comments the whole kaafir world is making against islam? Don't you read the new? Even this last pope Ratzinga guy said a load of rubbish against islam, but when shaheem said something you guys are offended huh?
Looks like from the comments the people of the Maldives are sick of this infidel-hating Islamic nonsense.
So is much of the rest of the world. Islam needs to be reformed or removed from polite, civilized society.
Jopseph Alois Tatzinger and Abdul Majid Bari are in the same boat!
Does Bari live in a house made from money earned on Western dollar...
He can talk but he will not reject the dollar or give back all what he makes his life a luxury....
I do not think resorts of the country should stop the ceremonies, rather strengthen their businesses through more emphasis on development of the people.
Perhaps everyone might just like to stand back a bit and put all of this into some kind of perspective.
Disrespect for the religious beliefs of others is, sadly, a common-place occurrence applying in similar measure to insults, for example, by Muslims against Christians as well as Christians against Muslims. So, perhaps to quote a well-known maxim from the Bible, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.
It would be nice to believe that people commenting on this incident might reflect on the stupidity of bigotry, that it profits no one, and harms mainly the bigots themselves and hurting the innocent on the way.
Whatever action the Government of the Maldives takes against the pranksters, I hope that it is in the cause of teaching and learning rather than for retribution to any economic damage.
To err is human, to forgive is divine.
Gay-yoom,
I don't think Maldivians shall ever see u and yr half bro Yamin in power again. Because, Peoples' President and the Global President Nasheed made the capacity of the Presidency simple unlike Gay-yoom made it so BIG that people were crying with hunger and hatred
So, bye bye n will never see u bad guys again, Insha Allah
Now let's see if CNN or the other media reports this!
@islam boy
In fact, Joseph Ratzinger never insulted Islam. I read the speach held at a university in full text and original language and the so called insult is a citation of a medival emperor. Ratzinger cited that to point out that this old line of thinking is WRONG.
While the educated audience understood that, Ratzinger's words were ripped out of context afterwards and muslim representatives didn't take the time to read or wait for the translation but went into attack.
Afterwards, they could not step back without loosing face and Ratzinger could not call the wrong right, so he made excuse for the misunderstanding and invited muslim representatives to conference.
Instead of accusing Ratzinger further, please take the time to inform yourself if you don't believe me.
Hipocrite
Now as it's a Islamic country why don't you apply Sharia law In this case -insulting innocent tourists that bring $$$ for the Maldivian economy I believe Islamic Shari ah law will be something like cut the priest Penis and give it to shark for breakfast
There are plenty of beautiful places to go rather than the mold-ives. Try the Hawaiian islands, much more hospitable, just don't venture beyond your own resort; the most locals despise any mainlander.
public religious sermons should be put on youtube with translations. maldivians are now able to get away with it because they deliver it in divehi. the same way hussein didi got away with it until it was translated and put on public display. societies learn and thrive on transparency. all public sermons must be translated to english and published. this hypocritical divehi-coded hate-mongering must not be allowed to go on.
What kind of 'faith' is produced by the 'tip of a sword' or threat of violence or governmental laws? Do people truly love Allah or are they lying to protect themselves? Are people becoming extremists to show they love Allah more than someone else? How does one promote to the outside world that Islam is a Religion of Peace™ when hatred and intolerance of non-Muslims is preached continually in your mosques? I would say most people are born into the religion of their parents and 'choice' was never involved. Just because someone is born Muslim doesn't give them superiority over others who are not Muslim. How much do Muslims believe in the power of their religion if they are afraid of missionaries? Christians allow all faiths to practice and proselytize their beliefs among them, even atheists; they trust their religion is strong enough. Christians lure converts with love ("Love thy neighbor as thy self") and Muslims scare with hatred (Apostasy carries no penalty in the Christian world) . To an unbeliever of either faith, which is more attractive? We are all children of God/Allah/Jehovah and should treat each human being as our brother. I am calling to moderate (non-hating) Muslims to assemble among yourselves and find a way to marginalize the extremist among you. The world is headed for religious war if the extremists, on both sides, have it their way. Peace be unto you my brothers.
Islamic Minister is hungry for power and politics. He wants to run Maldives and be head of state one day. He abuses his wife, would not allow his wife to be an equal partner to walk beside him. He covers his wife all in black from head to toe and than demand her to dance to his every tune in the name of Allah and Islam. He will tell her its okay to abuse, rape and hit her because in his book of Islam, it's allowed. Salaf and Adaalath which he has connections are training young women and youth to fear Islam and respect scholars like himself.
I like saleem 12:46 comment. I think its a great idea to translate and put public sermons on youtube. Maybe on this website as well.
I totally agree with Mike.
Ramet, you said: "Christians lure converts with love (“Love thy neighbor as thy self”) and Muslims scare with hatred (Apostasy carries no penalty in the Christian world)" ??
But in Islam's Holy Book the Qur'an, God says: "O mankind! Allah created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other,not that you despise each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." Nobel Qur'an (49:13)
who cares what this extremist thinks
its you guys..........
The islamic minister condemning the humiliation of the tourists is a joke. This holeass should be locked up along with the mad mullahs of Maldives for preaching hatred against 'infidels' and 'kuffars', a common sickness now in all islamic countries. Non muslim should AVIOD this backward place and spend their infidel dollars elsewhere.
The islamic minister (he needs to shave off that stupid beard, it doesn't suit him) is responsible for the increasing islamization of Maldives. I bet he thinks he is the chosen one and all others (especially the tourists who visit this backward country) are 'infidels' and 'kuffars'. Soon Maldives will be another failed state like Pakistan.