Expatriate worker arrested for homosexual activity with mentally ill boy

MALE, May 30 (HNS) – An expatriate worker has been arrested in Laamu atoll Gan Saturday evening for practicing homosexual activity with a 16-year-old mentally ill boy.

Police said the man was arrested from his room in Mathivaradhoo ward of the island.

A person from the island said the man, who is working at a teashop as a cook, abused a boy from a family where five out of the six members are mentally ill.

“He abused the boy after taking him to his room located at the industrial zone of the island… The boy was seen often on the roads. The man abused him after promising him to give a cigarette,” the person said.

“There are people who have seen him [the expatriate worker] taking the boy to his room. They reported the matter to the police.”

Another expatriate worker was earlier apprehended in the island for practicing homosexual activity with a mentally ill boy.

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Posted in: News

Sexuality & Punishment in 17th Century Maldives

Via Random Reflexions

Francois Pyrard’s account of his time in the Maldives is a treasure trove of exquisite record of events that paint a colourful portrait of the 17th century Dhivehin, their customs, culture and life serving a king under Islamic law. Pyrard was stranded in the Maldives and was kept close to the king in Male’ for 5 years from 1602 to 1607.

Presented here are abstracts from one of the more enlightening chapters that shed light on the law of the land regarding adultery and homosexuality. The text has been annotated (only slightly and within brackets) and sectioned into paragraphs by me to increase readability.

The following account portray a people not that different to today. And certainly not different in terms of how justice was served disproportionately between the two sexes. The humiliation visited upon women and the sleaze of men and corruption of those in authority exists even today.

Traveling Arab jurists and legal scholars (such as Ibn Batuta) had great influence on the practical application of the law and punishment back in those days – dishing out their unique brand of violent misogyny as we shall see here. How this kind of law was totally against the genetically ingrained nature of the Dhivehi is evident. Even today.

Pyrard writes:

“I shall now relate divers (diverse) occurrences that happened during my time to particular inhabitants of the island; among others, to a Gentile Canarin of Cochin, a man of great means and position.

For eight whole years he had come and gone about the islands, having everywhere houses, factors, and domestics, speaking the language quite well, and being, in fact, natural- ised.

One day this man was surprised lying with a woman of the islands. He had kept her for six months, and she was but a poor servant-girl. He was presently haled with her before the Grand Pandiare (fandiyaaru), to whom he protested that he had done her no manner of harm; that he desired to become of their faith, and would marry the woman.

This was done, and he became a Mahometan (a Muslim); and it appeared that he had for a long time desired this end, for that he owed much money at Cochin, as to which he became bankrupt. He espoused this woman and made a great lady of her: for there, strangers, both men and women, can wear whatever they please.

When he made the promise he was set free, but upon her judgment was passed according to the law: all her hair was shaved, then she was bathed in old and stinking oil, her head put in an old sack of sail-cloth, and then she was beaten at all the cross-roads and round the island (Male’).

This is their manner of punishing all men and women taken in adultery or fornication. But there, as here, money does everything and saves from everything.

As for the conversion of the man, he was borne in triumph through the streets and round the island, accompanied by the greatest lords, and by the people of all sorts and conditions; he was presented with much money and raiment and a new name: for there, names are given at pleasure and by whomsoever, be it father, mother, kindred, or even the first comer; and also at any time, and not only at birth or circumcision, insomuch that it seemed to me they give names as we do here to dogs and horses: for the name first given by whomsoever is the one that sticks to a man.

The king likewise granted dignities to the new convert, making him purveyor and distributor of all the rice and other provisions and merchandise wherein the king trafficked.”

Pyrard notes that the fandiyaaru that passed the judgment was an Arab who was traveling home from Aceh. The king had persuaded the man to stay and as a result was much loved by the king and respected and greatly feared by the people.

Pyrard continues with a very interesting account:

While this Pandiare was in office I saw him one day do exemplary justice on a large number of women. They were about twenty-five or thirty in number, some of the greatest ladies in the land, who were accused of a crime whereof I never heard tell before; it is practised only at the Maldives, and is called Poiy tallan.

Footnote mentions Poiy as fui – or vagina. Tallan is slang for fuck still in use today. Modern equivalent of the act described by the phrase “poiy tallan“ maybe tribadism (link NSFW) or tribbing.

More accurately the women were convicted of having lesbian sex.

The translator includes some of Pyrard’s original Latin text in the footnotes. I feel the text was not translated to the English for its perceived lewdness by the translator.

I have used Google translator on the text and gathered from the output that the women were accused of using bananas (or “Quela” as Pyrard put it). There is also something about the arm of a 10 year old servant. Perhaps a child was abused by one of the ladies – I’ll leave it to the reader to decide what was being implied although, clearly, Pyrard was not too pleased about all this.

He continues.

In truth, the women of all India are naturally much addicted to every kind of ordinary lewdness; but those of the Maldives in particular are so tainted with this vice that they have no other talk or occupation, and hold it a boast and a virtue one with another to have some bravo or gallant, upon whom they lavish all such favours and tokens of love as a man could wish of a woman.

According to Pyrard’s observation the “hot and amorous” women of Maldives were highly promiscuous, sexually active, openly courting and frequently satisfied each other sexually – much to the chagrin of the husbands. Pyrard tries to find reasons for this behaviour.

He writes:

Many reasons may be assigned for the fact that the women are of a disposition so hot and amorous; but the principal seem to me to be that they are exceedingly lazy, and do nothing but ever lie rocked in daintiness.

Next, that they are continually eating betel, a very heating herb; and in their ordinary fare use so many spices that sometimes I could hardly put the food to my mouth; also garlic, onions, and other such heating things.

Add to this, that the climate is directly under the line, a condition which renders the men more sluggish and less capable; yet for all that, most have two or three wives apiece,-I mean such as can afford to keep them. They are also lazy, idle fellows, more like women, their chiefest exercise being to lie abed with them, and then more often with desire than effect.

I suppose having nothing much to do, chewing foah in addition to the tropical heat leaves the women wanting and the men sluggish and less capable. Have things changed much today?

Pyrard then returns to the flogging of these women. He writes that the trials took place at the palace where the king had ordered the doors closed so that no husbands would beg for his wife’s pardon. The Arab fandiyaaru meted out the punishments.

Pyrard recounts:

The poor wretches all accused one another, and even the men who had personal or hearsay knowledge of it, brought them forward, and named aloud whose wives they were. About thirty of these women were publicly punished; first they had their hair cut,-a mark of great infamy with them; then they were beaten with thick thonged whips of leather, in such wise that two or three died.

Such was the brutality.

It must be noted that in Pyrard’s accounts of the time there is lot of mention of deaths due to executions, murder, disease and starvation.  As such I feel Pyrard’s apathetic attitude to death throughout. The brutality of the above event, for instance, is evident to anyone and yet Pyrard could not even care to remember how many died after being flogged.

Pyrard continues briefly touching on homosexuality in Maldivian men and the lax attitude towards it from authority. An old man who served a king as a youth once told me that homosexuality was something that was widely accepted by community then – so much so that young boys were frequently sent to the palace for “royal entertainment”.

In the 17th century, however, Pyrard is disgusted:

The sin of man and man is very common, and though the book of their law prescribes the penalty of death, yet they heed not that; and nowhere in the world are these enormities more common and less punished; wherein may be seen the curse and wrath of God upon these wretches, who are led by the falsity and un- righteousness of their law to fall into the abyss of these horrible vices.

Pyrard was stranded in Maldives during the Renaissance period and Europe was just waking from medieval darkness. Therefore, Pyrard’s view of homosexuality is probably based on highly conservative Christian doctrines prevalent at the time. Perhaps he had a Pompeii style disaster in mind.

It is interesting to note the reversal of these attitudes in modernity, however. Today, as a result of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, Pyrard’s Europe has embraced freedom and universal human rights for all and respect for the privacy of the individual whereas we find ourselves only regressing to the dark medieval age of oppression.

Four centuries on, Dhivehin seem to have changed little at the core and an alien system of jurisprudence that was imported some 8 centuries ago has done little to shake off the lazy sexy genes.

Promiscuity still exists as does homosexuality. Bananas have been merely replaced by Fareed’s cucumber. All that has changed is that we have become viciously hypocritical.

[Source: The chapter discussed above from The voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil, v.1]

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Posted in: Politics / Religion,Report

What is the punishment for homosexuality? Is there any differentiation between the one who does it and the one to whom it is done?

 This is the translation of the article published on Dhi-Islam's website, who translated it from English to Dhivehi. Article originally appears on Islam Q&A.

-----------------------
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The crime of homosexuality is one of the greatest of crimes, the worst of sins and the most abhorrent of deeds, and Allaah punished those who did it in a way that He did not punish other nations. It is indicative of violation of the fitrah, total misguidance, weak intellect and lack of religious commitment, and it is a sign of doom and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) Loot (Lot), when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit the worst sin such as none preceding you has committed in the ‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn)?

81. ‘Verily, you practise your lusts on men instead of women. Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (by committing great sins).’

82. And the answer of his people was only that they said: ‘Drive them out of your town, these are indeed men who want to be pure (from sins)!’

83. Then We saved him and his family, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind (in the torment).

84. And We rained down on them a rain (of stones). Then see what was the end of the Mujrimoon (criminals, polytheists and sinners)”

[al-A’raaf 7:80-84] 

“Verily, by your life (O Muhammad), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly.

73. So As‑Saihah (torment — awful cry) overtook them at the time of sunrise.

74. And We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down and rained down on them stones of baked clay.

75. Surely, in this are signs for those who see (or understand or learn the lessons from the Signs of Allaah).

76. And verily, they (the cities) were right on the highroad (from Makkah to Syria, i.e. the place where the Dead Sea is now)”

[al-Hijr 15:72-76] 

al-Tirmidhi (1456), Abu Dawood (4462)and Ibn Maajah (2561) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.”. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

Ahmad (2915) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May Allaah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot, may Allaah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot,” three times. This was classed as hasan by Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad. 

The Sahaabah were unanimously agreed on the execution of homosexuals, but they differed as to how they were to be executed. Some of them were of the view that they should be burned with fire, which was the view of ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) and also of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), as we shall see below. And some of them thought that they should be thrown down from a high place then have stones thrown at them. This was the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him). 

Some of them thought that they should be stoned to death, which was narrated from both ‘Ali and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them). 

After the Sahaabah, the fuqaha’ differed concerning the matter. Some of them said that the homosexual should be executed no matter what his situation, whether he is married or not. 

Some of them said that he should be punished in the same way as an adulterer, so he should be stoned if he is married and flogged if he is not married. 

Some of them said that a severe punishment should be carried out on him, as the judge sees fit. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah be pleased with him) discussed this issue at length, and he mentioned the evidence and arguments of the fuqaha’, but he supported the first view. This is explained in his book al-Jawaab al-Kaafi’ li man sa’ala ‘an al-Dawa’ al-Shaafi, which he wrote to deal with this immoral action. We will quote some of what he said: 

Because the evil consequences of homosexuality are among the worst of evil consequences, so its punishment is one of the most severe of punishments in this world and in the Hereafter. 

The scholars differed as to whether it is to be punished more severely than zina, or whether the punishment for zina should be more severe, or whether the punishments should be the same. There are three points of view: 

Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas, Maalik, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Imam Ahmad according to the more sound of the two reports from him and al-Shaafa’i according to one of his opinions, were of the view that the punishment for homosexuality should be more severe than the punishment for zina, and the punishment is execution in all cases, whether the person is married or not. 

Al-Shaafa’i, according to the well-known view of his madhhab, and Imam Ahmad according to the other report narrated from him, were of the view that the punishment for the homosexual should be the same as the punishment for the adulterer.  

Imam Abu Haneefah was of the view that the punishment for the homosexual should be less severe than the punishment for the adulterer, and it is a punishment to be determined by the judge (ta’zeer). 

Those who favoured the first view, who are the majority of the ummah – and more than one scholar narrated that there was consensus among the Sahaabah on this point – said that there is no sin that brings worse consequences than homosexuality, and they are second only to the evil consequences of kufr, and they may be worse than the consequences of murder, as we shall see below in sha Allaah. 

They said: Allaah did not test anyone with this major sin before the people of Loot, and He punished them with a punishment that He did not send upon any other nation; He combined all kinds of punishment for them, such as destruction, turning their houses upside down, causing them to be swallowed up by the earth, sending stones down upon them from the sky, taking away their sight, punishing them and making their punishment ongoing, and wreaking vengeance upon them such as was not wrought upon any other nation. That was because of the greatness of the evil consequences of this crime which the earth can hardly bear if it is committed upon it, and the angels flee to the farthest reaches of heaven and earth if they witness it, lest the punishment be sent upon those who do it and they be stricken along with them. The earth cries out to its Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and the mountains almost shift from their places. 

Killing the one to whom it is done is better for him than committing this act with him, because if a man commits sodomy with another man, in effect he kills him in such a way that there is no hope of life after that, unlike murder where the victim is wronged and is a martyr. They said: the evidence for that (i.e., that the evil consequences of homosexuality are worse than those of murder) is the fact that in the case of murder, Allaah gives the next of kin the choice: if he wishes he may have him executed and if he wishes he may let him off, but He enjoined executing the homosexual as a hadd punishment, as the companions of the Messenger of Allaah were unanimously agreed, and as is clearly indicated by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and there is no evidence to the contrary; rather this is what his companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs (may Allaah be pleased with them all) did. 

It is narrated from Khaalid ibn al-Waleed that he found a man among one of the Arab tribes with whom men would have intercourse as with a woman. He wrote to Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) and Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq consulted the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib had the strongest opinion of all of them, and he said: “No one did that but one of the nations, and you know what Allaah did to them. I think that he should be burned with fire.” So Abu Bakr wrote to Khaalid and he had him burned.  

‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: The highest point in the town should be found and the homosexual should be thrown head first from it, then stones should be thrown at him. 

Ibn ‘Abbaas derived this hadd punishment from the punishment that Allaah sent upon the homosexuals of the people of Loot. 

Ibn ‘Abbaas is the one who narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the words:  “Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.” This was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan and was classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan and others. Imam Ahmad quoted this hadeeth as evidence, and its isnaad meets the conditions of al-Bukhaari.   

They said: and it is narrated that he said: “May Allaah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot, may Allaah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot, may Allaah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot,” and it is not narrated that he cursed the adulterer three times in one hadeeth. He cursed those who do a variety of major sins, but he did not curse any of them more than once, but he repeated the curse for the homosexual three times. The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) agreed unanimously that the homosexual is to be executed, and none of them differed concerning that. Rather they differed as to the method of execution. Some people thought that this difference means that they disagreed about executing him, so they narrated it as a matter concerning which the Sahaabah differed, but it is a matter concerning which there was consensus among them, not a matter of difference.  

And they said: Whoever ponders the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Faahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin), and an evil way (that leads one to hell unless Allaah Forgives him)”

[al-Isra’ 17:32] 

and what He says about homosexuality (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And (remember) Loot (Lot), when he said to his people: Do you commit the worst sin such as none preceding you has committed in the ‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn)?”

[al-A’raaf 7:80] 

will see the difference between them. When Allaah mentioned zina, He described it as a “great sin” (faahishah – indefinite) among other great sins, but when He mentioned homosexuality, He called it “the worst sin” (al-faahishah – definite). This suggests that it contains all the essence of evil and sin. 

End quote from al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (p. 260-263). 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to homosexuality, some of the scholars said that the hadd punishment for it is the same as the hadd punishment for zina, and it was said that it is less than that. But the correct view on which the Sahaabah were unanimously agreed is that both are to be killed, the active and the passive partners, whether they are married or not. The authors of al-Sunan narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.” And Abu Dawood narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas concerning the unmarried person who commits a homosexual act that he said: He is to be stoned. And something similar was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him). The Sahaabah did not differ concerning the ruling that the homosexual is to be executed, but they differed concerning the methods. It was narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he is to be burned, and from others that he is to be executed. 

It was narrated from some of them that a wall is to be knocked down on top of him until he dies beneath it.  

And it is said that both should be detained in the foulest of places until they die. 

It was narrated from some of them that he should be taken up to the highest place in the town and thrown down from it, to be followed with stones, as Allaah did to the people of Loot. This was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas. According to the other report, he is to be stoned. This was the view of the majority of the salaf. They said: because Allaah stoned the people of Loot, and stoning is prescribed for the zaani by analogy with the stoning of the homosexual. Both are to be stoned, whether they are free or slaves, or one of them is the slave of the other, if they have reached the age of puberty. If one of them has not reached the age of puberty, he is to be punished but not stoned, and none is to be stoned except one who has reached puberty.  End quote from al-Siyaasah al-Shar’iyyah, p. 138. 

Secondly: 

The one to whom it is done is like the one who does it, because they both took part in the sin. So both are to be punished by execution, as it says in the hadeeth. But two exceptions may be made to that: 

1 – One who is forced into sodomy by means of beating, death threats and the like. He is not subject to any hadd punishment. 

It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (3/348): There is no hadd punishment if the one who has been sodomized is forced into it, such as if the one who did it overpowered him or threatened him with death or beating and the like. End quote. 

2 – If the one to whom it was done is a minor and has not reached the age of puberty. There is no hadd punishment in this case, but he should be disciplined and punished in a way that will deter him from committing this crime, as stated above in the quotation from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. 

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated in al-Mughni (9/62) that there is no difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the fact that the hadd punishment should not be carried out on one who is insane or a boy who has not yet reached the age of puberty. 

And Allaah knows best.

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Adhaalath to contest in 2013 Maldives presidential election

 Via Haveeru

MALE, May 21 (HNS) – Religious conservative Adhaalath Party has announced its plan to contest in the 2013 presidential election.

Speaking at the meeting held last night in Kalaafanu School, head of the Scholar’s Council, Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said Adhalath is capable of running the country more efficiently than any other party under an Islamic leadership.

“We’re asking our members to barge into the big picture, and we will try to strengthen the party for what’s to come,” he said.

The former State Minister for Islamic Affairs said the party, which he said has the competence and philosophy, has to win the presidential election and work in a new way.

Adhalath Party is currently preparing for its internal elections to elect the party’s President and Vice President.

Sheikh Imran Abdulla, who is contesting for the President’s post of the party, blamed the failure of the government to address current issues and the creation of too many political posts for the ailing economy.

Imran further noted that the party held a meeting with Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) this week and learned that the national reserve had money that would only last for three months. It’s a possibility that the general population might starve afterwards, he added.

Members who spoke at the meeting heavily criticised the government and alleged that the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is bribing MPs into joining the party.

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Posted in: Politics / Religion

Iskandhar student beaten as he refused to enter with ‘Barbie’ backpack

Via Haveeru

MALE, May 19 (HNS) – The parent of a student studying at Iskandhar School beat her son on Tuesday as he refused to enter the class after he was given a “Barbie” backpack.

A parent told Haveeru yesterday that the woman beat the third grader near the school’s restroom, when students were streaming in for the afternoon session on Tuesday.

The parent said many students saw the scene and were disturbed by it.

Parents who witnessed the scene reported it to the school office.

The school’s Principal Hussein Saeed said he talked to the parent and found out that the boy had hesitated to get into class because he had a girl’s backpack.

“The school has now bought the boy a backpack and he studied in class yesterday,” he said.

Haveeru has found out that the mother of the boy is a single parent who makes a living on her own and has two other children to support.

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Posted in: Society

Sex and the Maldivians: Police ‘intercept’ gay love at Artificial Beach

Via Hilath

The Artificial Beach seems to be the most happening place in Male’ right now.

While all sorts of human affairs continue there every night, this seems to be the first time that Maldives Police seem to have “interrupted” a blossoming gay love affair at the Artificial Beach…

As humans will always be lawyers, everybody will find a way, a loophole, in order to get away with what they want – or simply just to be themselves.

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Posted in: Society,True Stories

Sharia-compliant resort announced for Maldives

Via Minivan News

Islamic hospitality firm Lootah Hotel Management (LHM) has announced plans to open a Sharia-compliant resort in the Maldives by 2013.

LHM, a division of the Dubai-based SS Lootah group of companies, signed and agreement with Maldives’ Kalaidhu Investment to construct the resort, a US$85 million project it says will include 50 luxury villas with private swimming pool and a private beach, restaurant, recreation centre, spa, marina and yachts among other amenities “to ensure the welfare and privacy of the families.”

In a statement CEO of Lootah Hotel Management, Nasser Lootah, said “the decision comes as part of the Group’s strategy to expand its footprint and customer base towards prestigious tourism destinations around the world.”

Lootah added that” Islamic hospitality is gaining popularity with those who prefer quality services provided in a calm atmosphere commensurate with family values.”

Abdulla Saeed, Managing Director, Kalaidhu Investment said, “We are pleased to be partnering with the pioneer of Islamic hospitality in the UAE. This offers a unique opportunity for us to work towards the development of universally recognised ‘Halal standards’ for Shari’ah-compliant hotels and resorts, to comply with and create similar guidelines for the benefit of the hospitality and tourism industry.”

LHM currently manages the Al Jawhara Group of Hotels & Apartments.

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Posted in: News

Adhaalath urges Maldivian government to abstain from rights violations

Attendees at an Adhaalath Party demonstration show their support for the views of a party speaker

What happens when Human Rights and the Shariah Law clash? Stay tuned to find out. - via Haveeru News

MALE, May 2 (HNS) - The Adhaalath Party has called on the government not to violate human rights, and to heed the call of the people in solving the issues the Maldives currently faces.

The Party has expressed its approval of the peaceful protests organized by youths, against the rising cost of living, since last Saturday and further added in its statement that “one of the governments’ promises was to bring down the cost of living, but the prices of goods and services is on the increase and the standard of living is going down. We call on the government to find a sustainable solution to this problem.”

The party also stated that the protests are being staged by the people, who under Maldivian law are entitled to do so, and it is the responsibility of the security forces and the government to give them protection. Using brute force and tear gas to break up a peaceful demonstration, which people are entitled to hold under the law, is unacceptable.

The party also expressed its concern over injuries sustained by demonstrators and security forces alike. The party added that the Maldivian economy is currently in a state of depression and everyone needed to work in unison to overcome it.

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Posted in: News,Politics / Religion

Adhaalath Party rally was a success- Shaheem

Via Miadhu News

Former State Minister for Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said that the public rally organised by Adalaat Party (AP) under the slogan “Solution is ruling by the Sharia of Allah” was a success.

Shaheem said that as long as the imposed system is not the system of Islamic Sharia, then the country will be met with failures. He said that this is because, the Sharia of Islam is the one and only solution for the multi-dimensional crisis in this country.

AP and local NGOs held the demonstration near the Tsunami Monument on Friday under the slogan “Solution lies in ruling by the Sharia of Allah”.

AP said that the social fabric of the country have been torn with the escalating rate of sexual abuse, gang assaults using lethal weapons, battery, murder, gang related violence and other organised crime.

According to AP, the march will be designed to raise awareness among the public about the current escalation of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence and that the solution to all these woes of the society lies in judging and ruling in accordance to law of Allah.

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Posted in: News,Politics / Religion