Differences of opinion with the moderate scholar were purely academic, Shaheem said.
Chief Justice Didi and Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla removed from the bench.
The first lady launched a National Elderly Action Plan.
The allegations were made to a presidential inquiry commission.
Shaheem was accused of lying to the inquiry commission.
A British tourist drowned near Kuredu resort.
A new bench rejected the defence's appeal for a fresh trial.
Ex-Islamic minister Dr Shaheem accused of lying to inquiry commission.
The agreement takes effect on January 31.
The new law would raise age of consent to 18 years.
Latest Comments
Infrastructure development pushing islands to tipping point or breaking point is just one of the very many problems that puzzle and even surprise the Maldivian leaders and ordinary people. Incompetent people may be overwhelmed and their countries cease to exist. Nobody is going to mourn the disappearance of Maldives from the face of the earth.
Michael Fahmy on Infrastructure development pushing islands to ‘tipping point’Three cheers to MDN. Fight the good fight to the end.
Michael Fahmy on NGO contests ‘arbitrary dissolution’ over alleged slander of IslamThere is a strong case to establish a strong presidential commission to study the origins and growth of extremist Islamic ideologies in the Maldives. There may be specific steps that could be taken to put an end to this kind of religious fundamentalism, bigotry and intolerance.
Michael Fahmy on Preaching licenses suspended as authorities launch counter-terrorism operationUpto the, and including the time of Maomoon Abdul Gayoom as president, Maldivian presidents always had an objective view of, and objective attitude to both China and India. India and China both have relationship problems with each other, but it is not the business of Maldives government. Maldives must not politicise and mix up their relationship with India and China. Maldives seems to be doing that now.
Michael Fahmy on Nasheed reignites ‘debt trap’ row with Chinese ambassadorFriday the 6th of December was Finland's Independence Day anniversary which was celebrated, as usual, by the Finnish Presidential couple's evening Party which was televised as usual and watched by 2.5 million people including myself. This year's party was attended by the Ambassador of Maldives to Sweden and Finland and his wife. Maldivian dignitaries and guests were introduced as the representatives of the nation that will soon be drowned into the deep sea. I have been married to a Finnish woman for 40+ years out of which I have lived 35 years resident in Finland. From what I know of Maldives, Sweden and Finland, I believe that the diplomatic couple from Maldives must have a lot of work to do and must be very busy indeed.
Michael Fahmy on New chief justice and prosecutor general approved as parliament breaks for recessNot a coincidence that the watchdog members are all lawyers of the defendant, current speaker of parliament , who didn’t receive judgements in favor of him during Justice Ganee’s tenure.
Skipper on Justice Ghanee impeachedMaldivian rulers have traditionally been absolute rulers. President Yameen was no exception. But something had happened in 2008 which changed the political landscape in the country quite radically and dramatically. Yameen failed to learn anything from the happenings in 2008. Now he has paid the price and it is a heavy price. When will the Maldivian presidents learn?
Michael Fahmy on Maldives ex-president convicted of money laundering, sentenced to five years in prisonThe registration of Maldivian Reform Movement as a fully fledged new political party in Maldives, the circumscision of Maldivian boys in the newly opened Military Hospital, and 5-6 year olds learning the Holy Quran by heart are three astonishing and praiseworthy events in our great paradise islands recently. Thank you.
Michael Fahmy on News in brief: Maldives Reform Movement registeredEverybody knows what an important thing Islam is in the Republic of Maldives. In Finland, religion is not an essential or important part of peoples' national identity. The result of this is diversity in society which is regarded here as a point of strength. People form their national identity in other ways. For people who are born as Finns, it is parentage, education and culture. For foreign born people it may be marriage, education, language learning and taking an oath of allegiance to the nation of Finland. Maldivian practice in this matter indicates lack of self-confidence and self-esteem in Maldivian society.
Michael Fahmy on NGO Salaf accused of encouraging terrorismFreedom of expression is not without boundaries. Exaggerating the existing situation is what the MDN report has done. The criticism of religion in such a nasty way raise the question about the real intention of the authors. Why would the authors include such hate speech in the report and spark unrest. Is that freedom of speech. Why is amnesty not condemning the Australian Police who sacked its officer for anonymously criticize the government. MDN or any other party should not be addressing such a sensitive issue in such a way if there true intention was to establish democratic and tolerant society
Ali Shan on NGO shutdown ‘shows repression hasn’t gone away’: AmnestyIslam is a hot potato in the Maldives. Do not touch it. Do not play with it. And don't swallow it. Otherwise, no less than your precious life may be exposed to danger. Be forewarned.
Michael Fahmy on Maldives bans NGO over ‘anti-Islamic’ reportThe differences between the public sector and the private sector are not things Maldivians are experienced in talking about. Is it only the public sector that is corrupt, or is the private sector equally corrupt? That there is corruption in Maldives is beyond doubt. But is the private sector better, cleverer and cleaner? What is corruption anyway? Why does not our Islam come to grips with it?
Michael Fahmy on Thursday roundup: businessmen-lawmakers oppose income taxIslam is used in the Maldives for political purposes and ends. That was not the purpose of Prophet Mohammed who gave us Islam. The purpose of Islam is not political revenge taking but something else. Well educated and rich Muslims in Sri Lanka recently attacked and killed and maimed more than 300 innocent Sri Lankan Roman Catholics, and destroyed their properties. Caholics are not enemies of Sri Lankan Muslims and they have done no harm to Muslims. Roman Catholics were attacked because they are a defenseless minority and they are Christians. Islam is as good as its adherents and as bad as its adherents. Maldivians, who are Muslims simply because of a historical accident 800 years ago, must look at their faces in the mirrors and consider their behaviour which is by means perfect.
Michael Fahmy on Opposition warns of ‘popular uprising’ as ban MDN protests continueThe presence of so many illegal immigrants in the country is proof, if proof was needed, of massive corruption and maladministration in this country. Illegal immigrants are making the capital city of Male more congested and overcrowded than it would otherwise be, and they are also taking away jobs that Maldivians themselves should be doing. Maldivians are, perhaps, very lazy and stupid. That is why this is happening.
Michael Fahmy on Weekend roundup: Undocumented migrant workers fill up stadiumBirds of a feather flock together, says a wellknown English proverb. In this context, it simply means that like-minded people are friends to each other. In other words, all Maldivians must be alike in matters of Islam.
Michael Fahmy on Maldives suspends NGO for ‘slandering Islam’I find it difficult to believe that mixing religion with politics and police will serve any useful purpose in Maldives. It looks as if somebody is trying to find an excuse to put the MDP government in trouble, rehabilitate Abdulla Yameen the opposition leader and find a backdoor entry to the *white house* to Hon Gasim Ibrahim,MP. Maldivians must find better things to do.
Michael Fahmy on Minivan Brief: President promises action against insulting IslamI am writing about the comments of Speaker Mohamed Nasheed about China. He seems to suggest that China may be exporting its own form of government to Maldives amongst other countries. As for Maldives in particular, Maldives does not need to be taught by China about dictatorship, one-party rule and even one-man rule. These characteristics are in the blood of Maldivian rulers exactly like in China. I have known Maldives from the time of Mohamed Ameen as prime minister and then president. There are remarkable similarities between China and Maldives and they have been in touch with each other from the earliest times.
Michael Fahmy on Minivan Brief: Weaponised Islam and #MvTreeGrabGreta Thunberg 16, Sweden and President Solih of Maldives are competing for influence in the world and even Maldives, which is clearly a part of the world. Greta seems to be winning. Why? Solih must learn to concentrate on one thing at a time. This time it should have been Climate Change only.
Michael Fahmy on Young Maldivians join global climate strikeIt seems that nobody has the political will to take on Islamic fundamentalism once they come into power no matter how liberal their rhetoric sounds before they acquire power. "Anni"(Nasheed) is speaking big now, as though he is the one who can liberate Maldivians from this danger. When Nasheed first became President I emailed him my concerns about death threats made online towards a critic of Islamic extremism. I have no idea if it was really Nasheed who replied to my email or not as he may have had a system in place whereby someone else responded to emails in his name, there is no way Nasheed could have personally responded to the thousands of emails thrown at him in those early times. But whoever it was, I was assured (under Nasheed's name) that this was all sensationalism and that the online threats were just empty threats. There was no-one in Maldives who would really go that far, a few just say it but would never actually act on it, was the advice I was given by even Nasheed himself. This was years before there was any violence committed towards liberal bloggers, so Nasheed's attitude was understandable, in a way, but given everything he said about Maldivian society being threatened by extremism before he came into power, he came across later as sounding as though he did not believe his own rhetoric, like, it was just a lot of prpaganda he himself had quoted. BUT we knew the threats were real, and felt like we were being treated like a bunch of loony tunes for suggesting that such violence could occur in such a peaceful society, supposedly. History has proven we were, tragically, correct. It actually hurt me that Nasheed treated us like crazies. There was no-one in Maldives who would really go that far, a few just say it but would never actually act on it, was the advice I was given.
Crazy man on Rift emerges between Maldives president and speakerDear President, I know how you are trying to cut down corruption in your country. But i also know lots of cheaters/ murders are also in your country. I am faced with a v big problem and thought of sending this msg to you as i am helpless. I run Frangipani Dehiwela Colombo and Shafraz Ibrahim (who was the main suspect for stabbing Ex Presidents Nasheeds Lawyer) his wife and friend stayed at my place in Last October and ran away without settling my bill for 170,000.00 LKR and now we cannot locate him.Pl help us and my no is 0094710681465 Many blessings if you can help me please.We are innocent and not rich people and this is my only bread and butter.Thank you again.Best regards,Harshini Fernando.
Harshini Fernando on President picks drug court judge for Supreme Court