#RIPMaldives: government knew about resort’s ‘human form’ sculptures
Clerics and politicians said the sculptures were un-Islamic.
22 Sep 2018, 9:00 AM
The Maldives government signed off all permits for a resort’s art installation featuring “human form” sculptures that were later removed for being un-Islamic, it has been claimed.
The artwork had been at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort for a few months but, on Friday, it was cleared out by men with tools and ropes.
According to police, the Tourism Ministry said the Coralarium was built in contravention of the permission given to the resort and the Civil Court ruled it posed a threat to “Islamic unity and the peace and interests of the Maldivian state.” Its removal was necessary to “protect the five tenets of Islamic shariah,” local media were told.
The resort and the artist, Jason deCaires Taylor, have yet to comment on the clear-out or the controversy preceding it.
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