Famous Maldivian reggae artist Haisham Mohamed Rasheed has been sentenced to ten years for use and possession of less than one gram of cannabis.
Haisham, of Maafannu Loha, was arrested with a bag containing the illegal narcotics while in a resort to perform a live music show.
The Criminal Court convicted Haisham under Article 4 [a][1] of the Drug Act after he tested positive for cannabis, an illegal substance under the Act. Haisham received five years for using the drug and five years for possession.
The judge ruled that according to witness statements, evidence, and Haisham’s own confession, he owned the bag containing illegal narcotics with which he was found.
Haisham was the lead artist of the band ‘Palm Fever’. He also produced his own music and had acquired a popular following during a career which he started as a child performer at the Inter-school singing competition.
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Sad day for music in maldives..This is just too much.
who was the witness?????
This is a shame! i know haisham and he wouldn't hurt a soul. He was caught with a few joints, which he should right be punished for. But NOT 10 years. There are murders committed wth the guilty walking free. FREE HAISHAM.
mockery of the police and the justice system!
Hypocrisy...dealers of the worse kinds of narcotics walkout free, but 10 year jail term for a few grams of cannabis.
great what an achievement for Maldivian police and judiciary. while real hardcore criminals are running free and a person who had a very personnel and no trouble to the society nor to his family gets into prison.
Ten years? This sentence is incredibly disproportionate. Yes, the guy broke the law and should be punished but ten years? Really? All at the cost of the taxpayer. Ridiculous. Most of the Western tourists who this guy performed to in resorts would be disgusted if they knew about this.
Murderers, rapists, serial killers, known child molesters walk free.
And they send this guy in for a whole decade?
Why? How does that make any sense?
Tobacco is haraam too.
its a good decision, when there are less users the trading of narcotics will be less, this is one way we can wipe out the narcotics.
Found the link researching the Maldives for that special retirement holiday, but no more!
Not only an unbelievably harsh sentence, but also unnecessarily cruel and perverse.
The government had proposed to give a jail sentence of 3 months for using cannabis. The proposed drug law is in a parliament commitee now.
I think a better option would be to legalize it.
Hisham is a friend I have known for many years. We have played together in resorts, we have performed in public functions rising money or awareness to those in need. I have seen Haisham entertaining some of the richest celebrities and millionaires who regularly visit places like Huvafenfushi, Reethirah, and the likes. Haisham and his band performance on resorts has meant alot and generated so much.He not only entertained but also promoted the Maldives, the culture, the rumba.....a true artist in mind and soul.
Ten years for a joint probably made from crude cannabis! People, people, people let's face facts and stop living in secrecy here. Eighty percent (80%) of adult musicians whether solo or bands in Maldives smoke or have smoked dope at one time. Its a fact and we all know drugs and alcohol is problem literally in every house in Male' maybe in Maldives. However, 90% of this crowd contributes so much to the tourism industry, to the social music world, as well as entertaining the public in a country where there is no entertainment. Shall we throw all of these boys and girls into jail for 10 years because of a simple joint or a shot of vodka?
Who doesn't know that some top political figures in all parties, businessmen, religious fanatics, teachers, medical specialists, even simple 12 year old kids in Maafanu SMOKE DOPE in Maldives. Is it a lie? How many people have been arrested in the past 6 months, with 100% proof through urine and having the drugs on them! How many are serving more than 3 months in jail????? Hundreds of alcohol bottles, users, dealers were busted last year but what happened thereafter?
Bob Marley was the kindest musician, never harmed a soul, never slapped his wife but paid his bills and made the world happy through music which talked of the truth, oppression of the poor, greed of the rich, romance and love. He had long hair, he smoked a joint before his gigs, something that most musicians do before performance. He had a wife, and left behind a happy family, unfortunate early death.
Haisham is a happily married guy, productive to the tourism industry, supportive in every charity, every fund raising and every function that helps others...Haisham loved Bob Marley, and to me he is the Bob Marley of Maldives who has done so much in so little time that, he has to spend his main life languishing in jail because of a fucking Joint!
I ask the honorable president of Maldives, I ask the Majlis, I ask the law makers, The Police and I ask my fellow Maldivians, WHAT THREAT DID HAISHAM & THE LIKES PAUSE TO SOCIETY TO DESERVE A PUNISHMENT THAT CUTS THEIR LIVES IN HALF? while we, so of many of us, who, at one time in our lives also smoked or drunk!!! I am not ashamed, and so should people with thinking minds to wake up and put things right. We cannot and SHOULD not let productive youth, the future of this country loose their lives because of social use of drugs. Help them, educate them, punish them through community work where they feel ashamed in front of the public, so next time they don't repeat. This is not Iran, China or Afghanistan. This is mordern Maldives where it is time our laws need to be addressed.
Last but not least, NASIMSO abused many kids, walked free after two years, got his job back and stupid parents sent their kids back to him. Do you think he would or would not abuse again? THAUFEEG was at one time, maybe closer to 'god' than anyone else as he pretended to know everything in islam, innocent yet in darkness abused so many kids, so many that the police doesn't want to know. A few months ago a ring of pedophile with hundreds of teenage photos in ACT was busted. They are FREE today.
I am now talking to the government and the lawmakers. Take a minute and think about it. If your child was physically abused at age 6 and the authorities left the pedophile free, what would you do? If someone stubbed your 15yr old son to death for nothing and the authorities set him free for lack of evidence, what do you do? And if your son or daughter is caught with a joint (doesn't traffic and productive in society) and authorities sentence him/her to 10 years, what would you do?
Haisham is just a simple young productive Maldivian never, ever went a stray or was bad to anyone. If you are a musician out there, if you ever visited Thursday night gigs at surf area and if you love music, it is time to stand up for one of out dear friends. It is time for all of to say NO to this kind of cruel treatment of young productive young who just happened to be having fun.
Haisham broke the law and should do community service, he doesn't need rehab, he doesn't need a jail term.... the resorts, the industry needs him as much as his wife and his family and friends. FREE HAISHAM!!!!!
i don't get
1.Kill a person and ur out on the street with 10 days
2.abuse children and ur cleared with in a few days
3.cut open up a few people with blades and ur out with in a few days
4.sell and own a few million dollers and hide it and everyone knows ur the drug lord in Maldives butt u shall be out with in a few days ooooH i forgot the state would even give u back the million of drug money
sad ... i wish i didn't live here at all
i would like to know the meaning of Justice please.
Dangerous criminals such as Haisham deserves to be in jail. While murderers,rapist,child abusers and the kingpins who brings in the drugs need to be free. The Maldivian justice system fails to address this issue. The politicians take no notice and just blame each other and talk bullshit over the TV. We have no justice here a person who tested positive is sentenced for 5 years jail and for possession he is given another 5. While every f*%cking murderer gets to enjoy the freedom of this country.No one hold anyone responsible as everyone's out to get his piece of the cake.
@Hani
they send people to prison in many godless western nations as well. is that because its haraam over there too? of course in most of those nations for a similar case the person might get off with just community service if its the first time. but the laws in this country are different.
for you guys everything is about islam and religion. maybe its a good idea to keep an open mind and be aware but being obsessed about it could take you to strange places and make you look like an idiot.
first cannabis is not a narcotic.
this sentence is much harsher than the one for possession of cannabis in Saudi Arabia (6 months).
in malaysia, which has a death sentence for drug trafficking, you'd need > 200grammes of cannabis to get such a harsh penalty.
in Pakistan, the factory of extremist Islam, cannabis possession and use is largely ignored by authorities.
In Maldives people who push and use narcotics walk free while casual cannabis users, a herb less dangerous to users and society than cigarettes, get sentenced to 10 years.
Maldivian law only protects pedophiles, terrorists and murderers.
Ishan and the Dimba group, Mohoj, Huchen, Nashid, Thabi, Fasey, Mohamed, the rock bands and the whole gang that always enjoys Haishams music at Juweys over a coffee....
.....do we just keep quite as Haishams life crumbles in front of our eyes yet we have the powers to stop it!!!
wheres the will guys, where are you??? A visit to the Presidents office requesting for leniency is one step we could do.....
Every person who violates the law must be punished and it should not be discriminated so all murderers, gangsters, dealers,fraudsters, child molesters and drug users must be severely punished if we want to reduce crime to have a better society no matter how good u do if u brake law u must be punished no one is exceptional or above the law. Yes it is sad that more criminals and law breakers are out and not able to convict by law but if they are convicted and found guilty in a court of law then they should be punished. If we give any levy or exception as describe here such that he is a good musician and will not harm others then we can always find reason for every person and it will not be fair as well. I call to implement rule of law here and to punish criminals more and find the loop holes how criminals are able to get out without being charged and to correct that flaw in our system so that more ppl are convicted. It will stop crimes and a better society can be established (e.g. Singapore).
It's not even funny anymore. The Police cannot pin a single murderer with enough evidence, in a place of TWO square miles!!! What a pathetic lot?
And the same Police bundle out a guy smoking a joint of cannabis? Someone who has never harmed anyone in his life? Hello? Where are the heroin dealers/users/pushers?
Yeah, we have a truly model Islamic State!
I started knowing him during the days we were playing music at Godown. Of course i am not his friend but he was first introduced to me during one of the shows there. He belongs to some of the few creative's in Maldives. I believe committing crimes like narcotics drugs is a big offence. suppose, if this is his first time 10 years of sentence is too much for him. this shows the legitimate authorities obliged to prevent crime in the city are failing to do so. murders are out on the streets. But this beautiful cool guy caught up for 10 years jail sentence. this is very unfair. I call President Nasheed to free him or to reduce his sentence. i think all the young musicians can hold gigs in support of the effort to free him or reduce his sentence.
speaking of justice here, its just like how it happens in a cartoon I watched.. the king explains the kid how justice works there, he says, ''I speak, u speak and then I decide who is guilty, that is why we call it justice, because its just-us''
beat the sh** out of a child with a belt. and abuse few hundred children under ur supervision for a long period - 200 rufiya fine
libel and defamation - most probably 25 rufiya
rape - rape = ziney = few lashes on the victim/ nothing happens (if the perpetrator is careful not to let four adult men watch him do that)
murder a 14 year old - four people did not see it, it did not happen.
the biggest drug lords who sell heroin and other dangerous drugs which drive people to violent crimes - no evidence. the drugs might be in his hands, at his home. the police operation to bust him may have taken a few months.but that doesnt prove anything! the police wouldnt testify against such powerful drug lords.
gang rape a chile - if she wouldnt shout loud enough, she must have given consent. she should be punished for luring those innocent rapists.
walk in to another person's property and say you were sleep walking. since sleep walking DOES happen to certain people, it maybe concluded the same thing happened to you. no need to provide any medical/scientific evidence of a history of sleep walking.
organize and lead a terrorist cell..u would be under police observation. but you can always leave the country and kill a few hundreds in a neighboring country.
you might be a terrorist who plotted and executed an attack on maldivian soil. but you are confused souls. you need to be pardoned. only love and forgiveness can cure extremist terrorism.
but NO! smoking pot is the mother of all crimes. it is after all the root cause for...uh...getting high and minding your own business. this must be punished severely. lest we face the wrath of an angry god and our doom with rising levels of crime.
in my country there is problem. the problem is too much crime. throw the pot head down the well. so may country can be free. in my country there is problem. the problem is courts and mjlis. throw the pot head down the well. then we have big party! evrrybody, sing!! o man. who needs pot when news can get you high!! awesom! wooooh!
famous pot head criminals. this is whats wrong with the world today. the root of all our problems! >>> http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com
Dreadful, tourists will be crossing this country off their holiday lists!
When drug laws are more damaging than the drugs they are supposed to be protecting you from, you know the government has got it wrong!
Cannabis is a herb, it kills no one.
It is safer than most drugs the doctor prescribes.
This is not about harm prevention, its about MONEY, dont let them fool you thats its not!
How can this be justified!
Let the punishment fit the crime, and let Haisham out immediately!
i don't mind making the guy pay for breaking the crazy law we have (crazy law made by the members of parliament elected by the people). but there needs to be a method to this madness. how is it one guy who sell drug (the real, dangerous type) works out of criminal courts because there was no one or the other thing to complete the process.
but a musician caught with less than gram of cannabis is easily jailed for a decade?
awesome!
I say uphold the rule of law, but the laws here are so conflicting.
The child molester and rapists always walks scott free with a 200 Rf fine. The big guns of drug import gets a lighter punishment five years.
But this guy caught with less then one gram of the least harmful narcotics get 10 years.
Look around, ya see so many social hypocrites
Like to make rules for others while they do just the opposite.
Why not protest openly against this grossly unfair sentence? While in many countries cannabis possession is even not prosecuted because this drug is not habit forming and quite harmless. We should change the laws pertaining to drugs according to the degree of danger to the user and society. I suspect the sentence is so very harsh because he is a musician too. Music and singing is haram according to several Hadiths. And with Islamic radicalism on the rise in the Maldives this is quite a probability.
hey this could be a good start!.. come on.. he might sing well, and have good passion for music.. that does not mean he should be smoking crack!.... come on guys.. in other countries, celebrities, famous ppl get in to jail for this kind of offence.. its true that some of the pppl who go for large offence, walk free without any sentence.. .
I would really say this could be the start.. hehe.. pooor guy taking crack..
10 years is still less.. could have been 30 or 40.. LOL
@James do you know what crack is? crack is not cannabis. you need to go to school. cannabis is a herb. it's used in the kitchen and for medicinal purposes.
The president can't give him clemency immediately under the law. Neither is an offender entitled access to the parole process until he/she serves part of the sentence. All the legislation required to alleviate these issues are sitting in Majlis. And our elected representatives are on, what is it - their fourth?, paid holiday this year. We elected them, we let them dictate terms to us, and we pay them for it too. Welcome to our reality folks.
moyameeha!
You, we and everyone else can get mad at this.
Haisham isn't the first guy to go into this kind of scapegoating by authorities!
The justice system here is such corrupt that they want recognition for doing good to people by getting rid of not the drug lords, pushers and the peddlers!
All guilt is on the end user is their final verdict!
You can beat the hell out of a child!
Fifteen men can thrash the hell out of a 14 year old girl!
Men can be caught with kilos and kilos of deadly poison!
Yet it is the person of peace and no harm they always can get hold of!
Haisham cannot give them in Millions!
This will be it unless peoples protest and thrash out in-justice!
And so Jim was right!
White collared (this time not conservatives) Justices!
Flashing down the street!
Pointing their guilty fingers at who smoke the leaf of GOD sent tree!
Thinking their injustice to human can go on with a few humble characters in jail!
Their wrong doing will go un-questioned!
This is total madness if the judges think so!
And so it has come to the level that an innocent person cannot do a batesmatur, but drug lords, murderers and branded thieves can walk the streets without harm and in peace!
This is a sad day for Maldivian musicians. He is one of the most talented performers around right now.
I think all citizens should rally for the parliament to hurry up and draft and ratify the relevant bills so that drugs can be classified. A person who uses cannabis, and is essentially not an addict should not be treated like one who uses heroin. This is really a disgrace!
Think about this. By the time he gets out of jail, he would be closely associated with major drug dealers and addicts, not to mention the murderers, rapists and other major criminals. A kind, talented soul would have gone down the drain.
under the maldivian law cannabis is a "class A" drug. In this case he is convicted for two crimes, one for using the other for possession..
cannabis is a medicine precisely for this kind of society
this article has made the editorial of minivan but the content of it is no more than a tweet. what exactly is the news?, i presume ppl get sentenced for possession of illegal substances and being under influece everyday.............,
He is not a relative of Anni, Sam or Ameen Faisal
Why is it that the Prosecuter Generals office finds it fit to send such cases to court but not cases of political figures of Maumoons regime who we know from Audited reports looted the country.
The talent going vain? Sad story for Maldives reggae
10 years, huh.
Let's take a tally of crime and punishment, shall we.
200 Rf fine for physically abusing a child.
500 Rf fine for eating during Ramadan.
666 Rf fine for Porn possession.
Stabbed someone?. Go free.
Murdered someone?. Get acquitted.
Imported tons of hard drugs? Go free.
Steal millions of state funds?. Never get prosecuted.
Get caught with about than a gram of cannabis, but can't pay the judges off?. 10 years in prison.
-
Maldives will never be a 100% muslim country if this is how unjust the justice system is.
hey aliased... u forgot about 4 axe-wielding gang rapers going free also.
http://www.jawish.org/blog/archives/245-Maldives-says-its-OK-to-rape-12-yr-old-girls-post-puberty!!.html
This is just plain bullshit!! Is this what our police and judiciary are capable of? I have met Haisham and know for a fact that he is this chilled out, mellow, nice guy. And just because he had a few joints on him they sentence him 10 years!!!
Wtf is this!?? Every one has a right to cry in outrage because there are many worse criminal offenses that get away with almost nothing.
Shame on you who ever passed the sentence on Haisham. This is a judiciary that could not sentence criminals caught with swords and knives because there was no law for it then.
Can the government or any religious shiekh in our country change the fact that there would be drugs available in Maldives, and people will be bound to use them. Can't they differentiate between narcotics and other drugs?, can't they see whether the accused is a danger to society because of his habit?
No other country will has a judiciary and police so stupid!!! Wake up you bastards!
FREE HAISHAM NOW!
Well damn, so I did. Sorry, saamiya.
the government suks......... i knw him very well and i 100% gurantee tht he was framed and he had nothing to do with it.even "IF" he did... 10 years is way too much for anyone while murderers are running free at this very moment.
theres nothing i can do so ill just hope he gets out early and safe.
guyyyyysss chill! the guy'd be out in one year or sooner than that 🙂 this is maldives! varah vefa 10 aharah laifienu adhi.. dont worry he'll be out before that.. hang in there buddy
v hevva!! i heard the other band members also used it n why haisham only got positive n why only him should be arrested n sentenced??
Absolutely disgusting. I was planning to go on holiday to the Maldives next year, I shall be choosing a different destination now.
I should urge everyone to Boycott the Maldives as a holiday destination.
Maldives, what a stupid joke of a country. No rights nor freedom fpr the people