A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
The Islamist group Jamiyathul Salaf has expressed concern after scantily clad women were shown during the live broadcast of the New Year show organised by the government in the capital city Malé, according to Sun Online. Sheikh Hassan Moosa Fikry, the group’s vice president, said the most upsetting factor is that such shows, which display […]
Authorities must investigate those who speak out against religion, the Maldives’ ruling party has said, condemning former president Mohamed Nasheed for his defence of an NGO chief at the centre of a religion row and criticising opposition leaders for their silence. Shahindha Ismail, executive director of the Maldivian Democracy Network, has been under fire for […]
Authorities must investigate the “defamatory acts and incitement to violence” against a human rights defender who tweeted about Islam. Shahindha Ismail has become the focus of criticism, threats and even a police probe for saying that Allah allowed for other faiths after President Abdulla Yameen said he would only permit Islam to be practiced in […]
There can only be one religion in the Maldives, the Islamic Ministry has said, urging people to avoid implying otherwise. The remarks follow media criticism of human rights defender Shahindha Ismail who tweeted that Allah allowed for other faiths, challenging President Abdulla Yameen’s assertion that he would only permit Islam to be practiced in the […]
A leading human rights defender has blasted a pro-government website for inciting hatred and trying to get her murdered, as police confirmed Thursday they were investigating one of her tweets about religion in the Maldives. Shahindha Ismail, from the Maldives Democracy Network, tweeted that Allah allowed for other religions after President Abdulla Yameen said the […]
The Four Seasons Kuda Huraa resort in Malé atoll on Saturday removed sphinx statues lined up along its arrival pier after complaints to the police. The offending “idols” were removed before officers arrived on the island, a police spokesman told local media. The resort is celebrating Christmas and New Year with an Egyptian theme and an Indiana Jones-inspired […]
There those who are “jealous” of the Maldives’ for being a 100 percent Muslim country, the president said Wednesday in an address to mark the anniversary of the country’s embrace of Islam. President Abdulla Yameen said that staying steadfast in the path of Islam was a “religious and national duty” for all Maldivians and that […]
Ali Sobah* was 13 when a concrete block fell on his leg and his thigh bone snapped in half. Kulhudhuffushi’s only hospital was unable to treat his injuries and said he would have to go to the capital. His two brothers, the only breadwinners in a family of nine, scrambled for the funds needed for […]
A Chinese dive instructor at the Centara Grand Resort who went missing at sea has been found dead. Citing the police, local media reports the 25-year-old man was found in the Maafaru lagoon near the island of Mahibadhoo in Alif Dhaal atoll. The discovery of the body was reported to the police around 10:50 am […]