Political backlash to EU calls for religious freedom
Calls by the European Union to remove a constitutional requirement for all Maldivian citizens to be Muslims have added fuel to a resurgence of religious political rhetoric.
21 Apr 2018, 9:00 AM
Calls by the European Union to remove a constitutional requirement for all Maldivian citizens to be Muslims have added fuel to a resurgence of religious political rhetoric.
Ruling party lawmakers on Thursday reiterated allegations that the opposition is conspiring with foreign groups to “wipe out Islam from the Maldives” after an EU electoral followup mission noted that its recommendation to allow non-Muslims to vote and stand for office remains unaddressed.
Religion is a hot-button issue in local politics. During past election cycles, former president Mohamed Nasheed was accused of pursuing a secularist agenda that posed an existential threat to the country’s 100 percent Muslim status.
At a press conference Thursday evening, MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla compared the opposition leader to Andiri Andirin, a regent in the mid-1500s who tried to forcibly convert Maldivians to Christianity.
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