Can Maldives ever become a liberal democracy?

According to Wikipedia, liberal democracy is a representative democracy in which the ability of the elected representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and usually moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, and which places constraints on the leaders and on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities.

The rights and freedoms protected by the constitutions of liberal democracies are varied, but they usually include most of the following: rights to due process, privacy, property and equality before the law, and freedoms of speech, assembly and religion.

Of late, we hear some politicians talking that Maldives is on a reform path towards becoming a liberal democracy. But is this only political rhetoric aimed at pleasing a demanding west, or is there a genuine desire for this staunch Muslim country to ever give the citizenry the freedom of religion?

Islam nor its culture is the major obstacle to political modernity, even if undemocratic rulers have sometimes used Islam as their excuse.

In Saudi Arabia, for instance, the ruling House of Saud relied on Wahhabism, a Sunni brand of Islam, first to unite the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula and then to justify dynastic rule. In Saudi Arabia, Islam's tenets have been selectively shaped to sustain an authoritarian monarchy.

Would the Maldives be prepared to offer foreigners of other faiths who have lived, seek and contributed significantly for the good of our society a right to citizenship? The answer to this question will show whether we are on the path of becoming a liberal democracy.