Six people have died in reported suicides so far this year.
The first case was reported on January 7. A 39 year-old woman from Kinolhas in Raa Atoll died after consuming a poisonous substance.
On May 21, a 26 year-old Indian teacher working on Eydhafushi island of Baa Atoll hanged himself.
On June 18, a young man aged 20 committed suicide by ingesting poison at the resort he worked.
In the latest three suicides, cases reported almost a week from each other, three men took their lives by hanging themselves.
Meanwhile, several more disturbing suicide attempts and self-inflicted injuries have also been reported, including one incident involving a woman who jumped into the water holding her five year-old child. Fortunately, the pair were rescued by bystanders.
According to Global School Health Survey of Maldivian students published in 2009, 19 percent of the those surveyed said they had “seriously considered attempting suicide”. A further 22 percent of these said they had made a plan on how to do it.
These scary figures are just a few among the many warnings underscoring the high prevalence of mental health woes and suicide risk factors among young people in the Maldives.
But, authorities have been to slow to recognise the problem.
In 2001 only a single suicide case was recorded in the Maldives, while over the years the rates of reported suicides have jumped as high as 14 in 2007, 13 cases in 2011 and five last year. Suicide statistics have not been maintained by the police or any authority consistently, and more cases are likely to go unreported or undetected.
Speculating on causes
Anecdotal evidence suggest that most suicides or self-inflicted injuries among young people stem from bullying or neglect, according to medical officer at the Health Protection Agency, Dr Fathmath Nazla Rafeeq. She also cited a a potential correlation between suicide and drug use.
“We know that drug use in Maldives is much higher compared to even places such as Afghanistan. Research show that drug use can cause severe mental health problems among long term addicts. Drug use hampers a person’s capacity to cope with stress and due to that some people take their own lives.” Dr Nazla explained. Therefore, she said current drug rehabilitation programs already focus on dual diagnosis: providing rehabilitation and psychosocial support.
She also adds that urbanisation, congestion and unemployment in developing countries is believed to contribute to suicide rates, and suggested a similar pattern was emerging in the Maldives.
Over the years, people from remote islands have moved to the capital city Male’ resulting in uncontrolled urbanisation and overcrowding. One third of the Maldives’ 350,000 population lives in the capital while the rest is scattered in small island communities, some as small as 500 people. Unemployment is also widespread among young people.
Meanwhile, extended families are being replaced with small separate nuclear families due to poor housing conditions and other demographic changes, according to Dr Nazla.
“This definitely impacts relationships within homes and can have a detrimental effect on emotional well-being of people, especially children,” she observed.
However, she says it is difficult to ascertain specific reasons behind suicides in Maldives, as no studies have been so far conducted into understanding the prevalence of suicides or what causes it.
She also acknowledged the slow pace of expanding a structured mechanism to provide psycho-social support, despite evidence of high risk suicide factors.
“We are able to provide free medication to people with chronic mental illnesses. But, when it comes to normal people with mental health problems who sometimes need support such as counselling, we have very limited public support system – especially on the islands,” she noted.
According to Dr Nazla, the psychiatric centre at the state-run hospital IGMH is frequently overbooked and Family and Children Centres run by the Gender Ministry on remote islands respond only to cases of abused women and children, with little direct oversight from the health ministry.
As suicides are most frequent among young men and expatriate workers, she also pointed out the need for specific programs targeting these vulnerable groups.
Therefore, she says, talks are in progress with World Health Organisation (WHO) to conduct a joint study into understanding the prevalence of chronic mental health illnesses and various emotional health problems in the Maldives, and what can be done to expand mental healthcare facilities.
Understanding suicidal behaviour will be a major component of the study, Dr Nazla says.
However, she argued that best way to prevent suicides comes from strengthening relationships.
“Parents should be able to have honest conversations with children to let them know that they are always there to help. It is also very important for married couples and close friends to have open discussions and build trust.”
Stigma and silence
Though openly speaking about suicidal tendencies is considered a way of stopping it from happening, it is easier to be said than done.
The Maldives is constitutionally a 100-percent Muslim country and it is common belief that suicide is one of the religion’s biggest sins, akin to apostasy.
At the same time no legal penalty exists for survivors of suicide attempts under the Sharia-common law system in the Maldives, as opposed to many countries which have criminalised suicide.
But the sting of stigma that emerges in the wake of a suicide is far from forgiving. And it is the suicide victim’s family that bears the brunt.
A young woman who lost her 18 year-old sister to suicide, shared an account of the disturbing experience she and her family endured following her death.
“My sister was a very happy outgoing girl and her performance in school was outstanding. We don’t know till this day why she killed herself,” she said.
“Society didn’t even give us a chance to mourn her death in peace. When we took her body to the graveyard, no one wanted to join in for funeral prayer and we weren’t allowed to take her body inside the mosque. We had to bury her body far away from other graves because [graveyard staff] didn’t allow it,” she recalled.
“People said by committing suicide my sister had become an apostate. She is no longer a Muslim, so she cannot be buried near others.”
For months her family was tormented by neighbours and journalists swarming into the house.
“I was just 13 then. People stopped me on street to ask how my sister killed herself. What was she wearing. They kept asking if she pregnant, and was it related to a boyfriend problem,” she remembered. “There was no sympathy and people jumped to the worst conclusions in the most insensitive way possible.”
“I almost quit school too. My Islam teacher made me play hangman in class just few days after my sister’s death. She kept saying my sister would keep repeatedly dying in hell like this for eternity,” she recalled.
She says her family received no psychological support.
“My family coped with my sister’s suicide by erasing her from our lives. They pretend she never existed. My parents and siblings never talk about her.”
Promoting suicides
While families cope with suicide tragedies by keeping silent, some media organisations have also chosen not to report suicide incidents including public broadcaster TVM.
However some incidents are impossible to ignore – such as the case of the 25 year-old air traffic controller Ismail Mohamed Didi, who was found hanged from the air traffic control in July 2010.
Studies of suicide and the media in other countries have shown a pattern between careless coverage and ‘copycat’ attempts – sometimes leading to a suicide epidemic. Many foreign press associations have guidelines for reporters, such as including contact numbers for people in need of help, and being careful not to use language such as ‘an unsuccessful suicide’ when covering a failed attempt.
Maldives Broadcasting Commission President Mohamed Shaheeb said that during his time working as a journalist, suicide cases were rejected as “low-profile and not newsworthy”.
“This had nothing to do with religion”, Shaheeb said, stating that main reason for this practice was fear of “promoting suicides”.
“But news is news. Suicide is also news,” says Shaheeb. “When it is reported people know that it has happened. So there is no problem in reporting it. But personally I don’t believe a suicide should be reported every time, for example each time a Bangladeshi or Indian kills themselves. Unless it is a high-profile [victim], reporting it is unnecessary in my opinion,” he explained.
Ahmed Zahir, Editor of Sun Online, one of the few news websites reporting suicide incidents, disagrees.
He argued that reporting all suicides – Maldivians and expatriate – was necessary as these incidents helped to show “loopholes in society” forcing people to take such grave measures, and said such accounts can be useful for research purposes.
“Keeping silent definitely will not solve the issue,” Zahir said.
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Unemployment cannot be the cause as maldivians are lazy and dont work .. have no work ethic in them.
The article had mentioned honest conversations... this again will not happen as culturally aldivians are not honest and willnot face matters in front of them.
Most improtantly Religion. Maldivians hide behind religion to lie, philander, steal,rape, kill ...... the list goes on.
Such bigotory and uncooth up bringing will naturally lead to frustrated and mentally unstabel individuals who will commint sucide.
@Bearded
I agree with you as much as I appreciate Lubnas report on this disturbing issue.
No one cares, society doesn't bother and religion hasn't provided any comfort.
Death by suicide is the Unpardonable Sin in Islam. And suicide is an Un-natural cause of death which the media has to report and police has to investigate!
Very insightful article. Personal drama should never be overlooked. I much appreciate your website. Keep writing, there is always need for independent medium.
Silence is the issue here.
Among the MANY issues, this is one.
A Mordisian can NEVER be trusted. There is zero loyalty. There is subzero ethics and morality.
The famous footballer, who stole the passport of the teams' Manager, at the airport, literally causing chaos within the team and respect, is just a normal day in Mordisian life.
A Supreme Court Judge on a porn movie, yet he discharges flogging sentences to under-aged raped girls.
Gayyoom, despite having the whole constitution changed just so that HE cannot be another contender, just wriggled through the holes to compete for the presidency.
A man having a Playboy magazine is jailed for 6 months, while a criminals with multiple episodes of attempted-murder and proven murders, roam free.
Presidential candidates, vowing heaven and earth pre-election promises, while delivering none, and cannot EVER be held accountable for their lack of initiatives.
Where language Dhivehi has been mandatory, while no work place EVER asks for ones qualifications in Dhivehi, during a job interview.
So, silence here, ranting there, spitting on roads, farting on live TV, yes... definitely Mordisian.
The majority of the world populations are retards. The proof is that they believe the most obvious crazy thing, the supernatural being that control their life. Secondly the majority of the world population lives in poverty and they are ignorant. Maldives is no different, may be Maldives is the only country that 90% of its people not yet fully understand the world they live. Even those who have academic credential don’t really understand to utilize their knowledge in meaningful way to bring changes to Maldives. The main cause of suicide is depression, Maldivian are more prone for depression, due to living in poor social setting that lacks love, compassion, comfort and trust. Even the religion they follow does not provide much mental calmness, because it is more political than a mantra
Keeping silent is not a solution. Solution is helping people and practicing Islam
I am angered by the refusal of the Islamic authorities to allow the families of suicides the dignity of an islamic funeral for their loved one.
Below, I will cut and paste a comment I made a few years ago, outlining my argument for why I believe a suicide victim will not go to hell.
I am not convinced that Allah would block a suuicide victim from Jannah.
The Arabic language is very different to say English or perhaps Dhivehi, many truths in Arabic are expressed in through incredible exagguration. An Arab will proclaim, Today was worst day in universe when he has a less than average day, or… best day ever for a better than avaerage day… Or read Sunnah, it says, for some small sin a good man burned in hell and for some small good deed a bad man went to heaven… It is NOT Literal…what is being expressed is… the gravity of things, of small good and small bad is very huge Allah is both very Merciful yet very JUST… I lived with Arabs and I learnt not to take many things too literally,
Islamic Law as it came to us through the Madhab’s was influenced by Christian greek influenced thought which interprets things literally. For proof that Suhaba did not interpret apply things literally, Umar bin Khattab did not cut off hand in famine as this was Istihsan, Juristic preference over hadd, opinion over what is Sunnah or Hadd…
One is not meant to take all the Sunnah literally word for word, but one must understand the meaning behind the Sunnah
Of course, suicide is a grave sin, but consider this please, our Nabi (SAW) was trying to express the depth and gravity of this sin… do you know what I mean, very serious sin so its punishment was expressed in grand, exaggurated metaphor (a lot of language used must be understood as metaphorical…)
However, to assume, to take it literally in EVERY case has this problem, it is not consistent with the Wahi 9revelation) oof Allah in the Qur’an as Arrahman Arrahim which means the MOST merciful!!! MOST merciful… not very merciful MOST mercifull..
ok, so a normally merciful liberal thinker like me would reason, Allah would forgive, and yet I am not even as Merciful as Allah because he is the MOST merciful… so if I am willing to be forgiving, though it is Allah’s decision, surely Allah is able to be twenty times MORE forgiving, or must be more merciful than me,,, so impossible that he could refuse this young man…
I believe, yes, suicides experience Jahannum, hell fire, BUT this man has ALLREADY experienced Jahannum BEFORE he died, his hell was the pain, the sadness…
So he has already been punished…
I am of the opinion, Allah will be Merciful to him even if he spends time in burning for a bit…
Of course, i never said suicide is right, it is a grave sin,,, and is punished, but in the ultimate, Allah is Merciful
Nirvana, my Muslim Ikhwan, Shukrun for your help, I also have this to add about your comment about Imam Al-Shaafi…
Imam Al-Shaafi intepreted through the lens of Greek thought… The order and structure he used was in some part influenced by the thought of Aristotle, so, his thinking and interpretation were influenced by Greek literalism which is a shock because his ARABIC WAS SUBLIME…
Al-Shaafi listed authority of Islamic Sources in order of authority, most authority, Qur’an, (followed by Sunnah, Ijma, Al-Qiyas Ijtihad(direct analogy reasoning) and then only Al-Rai Ijtihad (reason based on independant thought… Now, my opinion is based on Qur’an and Sunnah without even having to stretch to being too independant or creative…
I have in front of me Kitab At-Tauhid written by Sheik-ul-Islaam Ibn Abdul-Wahabb… It is a small collection of Ayat’s and Ahadith… I am sure you know that… It says, in chapter 2, the superiority of Tauhid and what it removes from sins:
Narrated Ubadah bin As-Samit (May Allah be pleased with him), that Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever testifies that there is nothing worthy of worship in truth (no God) except Allah Alone, Who is without (peer or) partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, and that ‘Iesa (Jesus) is the slave of Allah, His Messenger, and His Word which He bestowed in Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (created) from Him, and that Paradise & Hell-fire are realities, Allah will admit him into Paradise, whatever his deeds might be.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3252)
Whatever his deeds may be… Did you get that… I have no doubt the Young Man who suicided died praying to Allah in his heart… I have no doubt…
Now, in case you have an issue with my declaration that we are not resposible for one another…
Well, I know it says that we are not responsible for one another, but the context of that is when Prophet’s own Beloved Uncle did not say Shahada, i.e. it meant we are not responsible for a persons eternal destination, that is Taqdir only, the Al-Qadar, only Allah gives the Hidaya… the guidance…
But in a social sense, in this life, we ARE responsible for each other, many Hadith and Ayat’s demonstrate this…For example, Sahih Muslim and Bukhari says, “He who eats to his full whilst his Brother is Hungry is not a Muslim…”
It also says in the Hadith’s that Ummah is like one Body, if one suffers all Body Suffers,
both Qur’an and Ahadith says our hearts are joined by Allah, we are Wahid, the Muwahiddun, those of Oneness…
In Qur’an, Surah 4: 75, for example, it rebukes those who refuse to J-H-D (struggle) for others. Though this J-H-D referred to Al-Qital (fighting) it says it is FOR the victims of the Zalimun (the tyrants), a struggle for the Masakin (the poor) who are desribed in both Qur’an and Ahadith as being those closest to Allah…
Here it is, Surah 4: 75, the ultimate example that we are responsible for each other… “And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, illtreated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.” [Soorah an-Nisaa'4:75]
I do adknowledge that Qur’an says about suicide, in Surah 4, it does say: “And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 29].
However, the threat of hell is not mentioned here.
When the Qur’an orders one not to kill in other chapters, it is in reference to murder of another, not suicide.
And I also adknowledge there are many Ahadith where the Prophet says that a suicide victim will go to hell. But these again, have to be interpreted through the understanding of extreme Arabic metaphor. In fact, dowload some ahadith about suicide, google it, and it will be apparent to anyone that the language is metaphorical. It talks about a person stabbing himself forever and drinking poison forever… I am surprised anyone can take these literally.
MINIVAN: Please replace my above comment with this comment.
My above comment makes no sense out of the context of the conversation it came from, so...
I will present the points from it I wished to convey outside of this conversation so it makes sense, and so that the point I wanted to make is clear.
I am not convinced that Allah would block a suuicide victim from Jannah.
Many truths in Arabic are expressed in through incredible exagguration.
Read Sunnah, it says, for some small sin a good man burned in hell and for some small good deed a bad man went to heaven… It is NOT Literal…what is being expressed is… the gravity of things, Allah is both very Merciful yet very JUST…
Islamic Law as it came to us through the Madhab’s was influenced by Christian greek influenced thought, which interprets things literally.
For proof that Suhaba did not interpret apply things literally, Umar bin Khattab did not cut off hand in famine as this was Istihsan, Juristic preference over hadd, opinion over what is Sunnah or Hadd…
A averagely merciful liberal thinker like me would reason, Allah would forgive, and yet I am not even as Merciful as Allah because he is the MOST merciful… so if I am willing to be forgiving, surely Allah is able to be twenty times MORE forgiving, or else it would NOT be logical to desribe ALLAh as the MOST Merciful if I was more MERCIFUL and Qur'an appeals to REASON.
ALLAH MUST be more merciful than me,,,
IF suicides experience Jahannum, hell fire, there hell IS the pain, the sadness… that caused them to want to die.
Al-Shaafi listed authority of Islamic Sources in order of authority, most authority, Qur’an, (followed by Sunnah, Ijma, Al-Qiyas Ijtihad(direct analogy reasoning) and then only Al-Rai Ijtihad (reason based on independant thought… Now, my opinion is based on Qur’an and Sunnah without even having to stretch to being too independant or creative…
I have in front of me Kitab At-Tauhid written by Sheik-ul-Islaam Ibn Abdul-Wahabb… It is a small collection of Ayat’s and Ahadith… I am sure you know that… It says, in chapter 2, the superiority of Tauhid and what it removes from sins:
Narrated Ubadah bin As-Samit (May Allah be pleased with him), that Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever testifies that there is nothing worthy of worship in truth (no God) except Allah Alone, Who is without (peer or) partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, and that ‘Iesa (Jesus) is the slave of Allah, His Messenger, and His Word which He bestowed in Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (created) from Him, and that Paradise & Hell-fire are realities, Allah will admit him into Paradise, whatever his deeds might be.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3252)
Whatever his deeds may be… Did you get that…
It says in the Hadith’s that Ummah is like one Body, if one suffers all Body Suffers, we are ALL responsible for the death of a suicide victim, if there is punishment, we must all share in it.
I do adknowledge what the Qur’an says about suicide, in Surah 4, it does say: “And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 29].
However, the threat of hell is not mentioned here.
When the Qur’an orders one not to kill in other chapters, it is in reference to murder of another, not suicide.
I also adknowledge there are many Ahadith where the Prophet says that a suicide victim will go to hell. But these again, have to be interpreted through the understanding of extreme Arabic metaphor. In fact, dowload some ahadith about suicide, google it, and it will be apparent to anyone that the language is metaphorical. It talks about a person stabbing himself forever and drinking poison forever… I am surprised anyone can take these literally.
Ben, are you trying to comment or write a book? TL;DR
Wives: It was a poor attempt at trying to convey an expression of Compassion in the way that most Maldivians could receive it, through Islamic framework.
WIves, in a rush, but, have more to say on this.
Maldivian society is very strange indeed, because of the relative isolation with which individual islands communities developed, has created close relations. Since some of these communities could go without contact of the outside world for years, with the exception of menfolk visiting the nearby trading capital of the atoll at the most twice annually. The situation at the larger more atoll capital would have been slightly better.
This social setting for millenia on top of genetic load pilling up due to inbreeding has created some very creepy individuals customs norms, praying mentality and silence of the lambs.
Political Islam took root in the Maldives relatively easy, historically Maldivians practices a very mixed local pagen customs infused version of Islam.
What I am trying to say is also ingrained into the island isolated island life which produced the culture.
The strong live, and the weak die. This is our cruel fate. Force to bend knee to a foreign religion does not allow compassion, love, kindness or empathy - no, such things are labeled as sinful, and denied to us.
While murderers, rapists, drug dealers and extortionists cavort free, we are imprisoned, tortured and even killed for having a different opinion.
Unless Maldivians rise up together to throw off the yoke of imperialism forced upon them by greedy elitists and salafi imperialists, this will be their fate - a life of emptiness, drabness, sorrow, despair, poverty, injustice and suffering.