A Press Release to Minivan News

Saturday, 11th December 2010  The International Human Rights Day was marked with a silent sit-together by a young group of Maldivians at the Artificial Beach stage starting at 5 PM on Friday, 10th December 2010.  Displaying a stark contrast to the loud truck and motorcycle cavalcade of religious conservatives who were protesting against Israeli doctors around the same time by announcing anti-Semitic messages through loud speakers, the youth that participated in the sit-down took a decidedly fresh approach towards protest. The group of 30 young men and women sat down at the artificial beach stage in protest against religious extremism....

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Posted in: Politics / Religion,Society

CCHDC estimates 18-39 HIV patients in Maldives

MALE, December 1 (HNS) – Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) has put the estimated number of HIV patients in the Maldives to 18-39. A CCHDC press release said only three out of the 14 HIV patients discovered in the Maldives are alive. The press release said a survey conducted in 2008 shows that actions that promote AIDS such as unsafe sex and needle sharing are increasing rapidly in the Maldives. A 2009 report shows that over 33 million AIDS patients live in the world and some of the Asian countries Maldivians often visit are within the high-risk zones. “Therefore, one of the main reasons of marking AIDS day is to create awareness about the status of the disease, the methods by which it spreads, and identifying viable methods with which to fight it,” the press release...

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Posted in: Health / HIV

World AIDS Day celebrated in the Maldives

Press Release via UNDP Maldives 01-Dec-2010 Speech by the UNDP Resident Representative on World AIDS Day 1st December 2010, SHE Building. Executive Committee Members, Executive Management team and Staff of Society for Health Education Government officials Distinguished Invitees Colleagues from the UN system Assalaam Alaikum and good morning. It gives me great pleasure to open the Voluntary Counselling Testing Centre for the expatriate community in the Maldives. For the first time in the country, this venture is opening the avenue for the expatriate community to access a service of this kind and I would like to congratulate the...

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Posted in: Health / HIV

Response to the UN’s Decision to Remove Sexual Orientation from the Resolution on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

Association of British Muslims calls on the UN General Assembly to reverse its vote on the exclusion of sexual orientation from the Resolution on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions On 16th November 2010, the United Nations’ General Assembly’s Third Committee voted to amend a previous resolution of the General Assembly that had outlawed extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. This resolution is reviewed every two years, and in 2008 it had been amended to mention specifically those killings that take place because of the sexual orientation of the victims. The 16th November vote removed that special mention. The Association of...

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Posted in: Report

Report on The Maldives Islands: 9 Session of the Universal Periodic Review – November 2010

 Via Google Docs This report is submitted by: The Maldives Women Coalition - MWC 1 and The Sexual Rights Initiative 2 . This report deals with sexual rights in Maldives and makes references specifically to the situation of young men and women and cultural norms/beliefs about gender/sexuality that lead to human rights violations, including discrimination, domestic and sexual violence, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT). A. Background 1. The Maldives islands have been populated as early as historical records are available. Estimates based on archaeology and linguistics concludes that the islands were populated around 2,500 years ago if not earlier. Islam was introduced to the Maldives in the 12th century, and in 1155 the whole nation was converted after the decree of...

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Posted in: Report

Sexual orientation removed from UN resolution condemning unjustified executions

by International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission The amendment narrowly passed 79-70 reversing the 2008 declaration that included an explicit reference to killings committed because of the victims' sexual orientation. IGLHRC reports.The IGLHRC issued a statement on Nov 17, 2010: The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and ARC International are deeply disappointed with yesterday’s vote in the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly to remove a reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The resolution urges States to protect the...

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Posted in: News

Man sentenced for indecently exposing himself to a minor

By Ahmed Nazeer | November 2nd, 2010 | via Minivan News The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man to three years in prison after the court found him guilty of the indecent exposure of his body to a minor in Villingili. The court identified the offender as Mohamed Saeed, 39. The Criminal court said the brother of the male victim received information of the incident and reported to police that Saeed was attempting to have sex with the boy inside a guest house named ‘Beach View’ in Villingili. “When police went to the guest house after receiving the information from the victim’s brother, police attended the scene and...

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Posted in: News

Salaf to take youth on ‘Hijra’ to distance them from sin

By Ahmed Nazeer | October 28th, 2010 | via Minivan News Religious NGO Jamiyyathulsalaf is offering youth the opportunity of a two day ‘Hijra’ to distance themselves from sin and form closer relations with religion. ‘Hijra’, a religious camping retreat on the island of Thinadhoo in Vaavu Atoll from November 18-20 where, for the price of Rf300 (US$32), participants can ‘move away from sin’. Salaf said priority will be given to those who are at ‘beginner’s level’ in their religious education and, or, are experiencing doubts about their belief. Successful applicants will be instructed in religious teachings by scholar Skeikh Adam...

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Posted in: Society

Training Program for Government Focal Points on Human Rights Mainstreaming

25-10-2010 | Via Human Rights Commission of  the Maldives  Human Right Commission of the Maldives has today commenced a training program to mainstream human rights in all government activities, for the human rights focal points appointed to the Ministries. Topics to be covered in this two day program include information on Human Rights (especially Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), Mainstreaming Human Rights, and Democracy and Human Rights. The program will be facilitated by HRCM member Dr. Aly Shameem, former HRCM president Ahmed Mujtaba, and former Attorney General Dr. Mohamed Munawwar. The Chief Guest of the inaugural ceremony...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Music Video of the Day:

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Posted in: Arts / Entertainment

NGO launches "TIP" campaign to promote politeness and thankfulness

October 11, 2010 | via Haveeru Online A local NGO Sunday inaugurated “TIP” campaign aimed at propagating politeness and thankfulness among Maldivians. In a ceremony held at MNBC One studio Sunday evening, one of the founders, renowned businessman Mohamed Kaleem launched the campaign. Kaleem said “TIP,” short for “Thank-I-Please” campaign aims to promote saying “thank you” in return of good deeds and “please” while asking for a favour. Everyone has the right to use polite words, he added. Though the characteristics are not new among Maldivians, Kaleem hoped that the campaign would make the custom widespread among Maldivians and make...

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Posted in: Society

AIDS Awareness Month Suggestive Ad Series of the Day!

Ad 1   Ad...

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Posted in: Health / HIV

AIDS Song "Haadhahaa Dherayey Hayaathah"

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Posted in: Health / HIV

Dhiriulhumakee Mee (Security Guard Jaanoo) Webisode

Part 1 Part 2 Part...

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Posted in: Arts / Entertainment

Maldives introduces landmark UN Resolution on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association

By Yap Swee Seng | October 7th, 2010 | via Minivan News The Maldives played a key role in recent weeks for the fruition of this new resolution which was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council without a vote last Thursday. The resolution, which was jointly introduced by the United States, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Indonesia and the Maldives, reaffirms that “the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are essential components of democracy … to, inter alia, express their political opinions, engage in literary and artistic pursuits and other cultural, economic and social activities, engage in religious observances or other beliefs, form and join trade unions and cooperatives, and elect leaders to represent their interests and hold them accountable.”...

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Posted in: Society

MPs Clash Over Signing Convention on International Criminal Court

By Ahmed Naish | October 6th, 2010 | via Minivan News MPs clashed over signing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at a rancorous debate during yesterday’s sitting of parliament. While MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) used the debate time to condemn the “unlawful and authoritarian” practices of the previous government, opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party-People’s Alliance (DRP-PA) MPs accused the current administration of disregarding rule of law and negating parliamentary oversight. Following an hour-long debate, a motion to send the matter to the national security committee for further...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

PA Strongly Condemns the Idea of Co-Education

By Ahmed Nazeer | October 6th, 2010 | via Minivan News The minority opposition party People’s Alliance (PA), led by the former president’s brother, MP Abdulla Yameen, has strongly condemned the idea of introducing co-education.A statement issued by the PA claimed that the government was attempting to “douse the light of Islam” in the country, and called on the government to “immediately terminate this action.” “Majeediyya was a male school and Ameeniyya was a female school since the beginning, it is a big trait to the proud history of the two schools to introduce co-education,” the statement said. PA said that co-education...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Sexuality - An Islamic Historical Perspective With Special Reference to South Asia

Asim Roy University of Tasmania South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, Volume 13 Issue 2 1990 via Maldives Culture Painting from Manafi al-Hayawan (The Useful Animals), depicting Adam and Eve. From Maragh in Mongol Iran 1294-99 Sexuality, or attitudes to and relationships between sexes, is a fascination as old and vital as life itself. As the most basic level of human relationship, it forms a primary concern not only of religion, philosophy, morality, and law but of art, literature, mythology, and science as well. The underpinnings of a society are often revealed by an examination of its standards and criteria for what is accepted...

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Posted in: Politics / Religion