Every now and then religious tension rises in Maldives. The most recent problem came up due to a directive issued by President Nasheed's Ministry of Islamic Affairs. It said that dancing is not allowed in this year's new year parties. The Ministry advised that it is unislamic for males and females to dance together. Several party organisers lost money as those who enjoyed such music and dancing were kept in check by the police.
In the previous government, the mathee majlis headed by Sheik Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim failed to maintain religious harmony. Groups of people with extreme views refused to pray in congregation with the more moderate people. Ultimately such radical thinking caused a group of young people to blow up a home made bomb in order to inflict harm on foreign tourists.
The divide between the liberal voices and the more hard line conservatives is growing wider. This is a worrisome trend.
President Nasheed is taking laudable action to bring the benefits of a decentralised economy. He also needs to show strong leadership to bring religious harmony. He should demand that politicians refrain from inciting religious and racial hatred.
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2 comments:
I think Bari and Shaheem and all those Adaalath Mullahs are closeted gays. They don't want men and women to dance together because then there will be no homosexuality in Maldives and we all know how most Maldives men are secretly gay and that gay sex has been our tradition and culture from times immemorial and even Kings practicing it in the palace even during last century. So President Nasheed's Ministry of Islamic Affairs message is that all Maldivians should be gays and lesbians.
Well, it is not the problem with Mullahs. Our good old friend Maumoon had created chaos (and vaccum in some cases) in the name of religious harmony and many of us do not believe in religion any longer. If one sticks to the fundamentals and prays 5 times he is branded fundamentalist. If one prays some times or not at all and can engage in sex and the like freely, he is considered liberal and moderate.
It is time that we put on our thinking hats and read the Quran or even the Bible and other religious books to see what a sorry state many of us are in.
It is good that at least now the goverment is looking into dancing and such activities more seriously to recoup our citizens from the vaccum.
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