Opinion: What is making headlines in India about Maldives?

Monday, October 26th, 2009

President Mohamed Nasheed has recently concluded a five day visit to India. From the political angle he met with the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh and Mrs Sonia Gandhi who is the President of the Indian National Congress party and Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance. From an economic angle he met with Confederation of Indian Industry and also Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Groups. From an environmental angle he participated in the High Level Conference on Climate Change and also he spoke at Delhi Observer Research Foundation, on the Environment and Conflict Resolution. And then on a PR angle, he gave series of interviews to Indian media.

What exactly was making headline news in India yesterday? Just when President Nasheed left India, he left a trail of news based on his interviews given to different media outlets. The headlines in the yesterday’s Business Standard read, “There is a Maldivian link to 26/11” (26/11 refers to the deadly Mumbai terror attacks that occurred on 26 November 2008)

And a part of President’s interview to CNN-IBN went like this,

CNN-IBN: Are you saying that all the students who have gone from Maldives are in the clutches of Taliban and have been actively supporting the Taliban?

Mohamed Nasheed: Yes they have been.

President’s comments on Islamic fundamentalism in Maldives were outrageous from so many angles. One reason is that we all wondered why a President who so promotes the principle of honesty did not reveal this piece of information here in Maldives and blurts it out in foreign media as if he was talking about a dance show that was happening here.

We also wondered why he would say something based on his “feelings.” He said he feels that there is a Maldivian connection to Mumbai terror attack of 26 November 2008 and the Indian media translated it to, “There is a Maldivian link to 26/11.”

When you read through the interview you realize, as much as you admire and applaud president Nasheed for bringing true democracy to Maldives in a very peaceful way, comments like, “I feel there is a Maldivian connection to Mumbai attacks.”makes you FEEL that President was being highly immature and going way over board his principle of honesty.

The issue of Islamic fundamentalism is such a hush-hush issue in this country. Over the past few years, Maldives has gone through radical transformations in our religious culture, and the divide between the religious and not so religious is pretty clear in Maldives these days. What is alarming is why no Maldivian authority has openly spoken about this issue and when President Nasheed spoke about it, he chose to do so in a foreign country, not here. I am sure a number of people are in shock at this revelation.

What Defense Minister Ameen Faisal, almost offhandedly told Minivan News was that it was common knowledge that Maldivians were recruited by the Taliban. I wonder how many Maldivians would agree with him.

You have to applaud the President of Human Rights Commission of the Maldives Ahmed Saleem for having the courage to say that Islamic fundamentalism was on the rise in the Maldives and when he criticized the Minstry of Islamic Affairs for inadequate action, even they took it as a slap on their cheeks and quickly released a press statement saying they were taking actions. Even Islamic Affairs Ministry gave absolutely no information about how serious Islamic fundamentalism was in Maldives.

What we need to know from Maldivian authorities is clear cut information about how serious the issue of Islamic fundamentalism is in Maldives. We need to know from the Maldivian authorities just how they are screening the Maldives students going to Pakistan. (We know for sure that all the students going to Pakistan do not come back as terrorists, but some how President’s interview to CNN-IBN gave us a different picture.)

We need to know if Maldives authorities are still going to send more of our students to Pakistan when Islamic terror is a serious issue in that country. We need to know what sort of diplomatic communications is underway between Pakistan and Maldives concerning this issue of Taliban (or is it Al Qaeda Mr. President?) recruiting Maldivian youth.

Mr President, its time for you to speak to Maldives instead of a foreign country and let’s speak honestly, really. No hush hush business. You don’t believe in it! And we certainly don’t.

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