Extremism the greatest threat to Maldivian democracy: Dr Faizal

Speaking to the House of Parliament during a meeting on November 2, Dr Faizal cited objections within the country to the appointment of women to senior posts in the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM). She also highlighted the practice of preaching against the vaccination of children.

Dr Faizal also stated that she believed that although both the government and the current leadership of the opposition were committed to democracy, the greatest threat to democracy “lies in growing religious extremism.”

The meeting, organised by the All Party Group on third world democracy in collaboration with the UK parliament’s All Party Maldives group and assisted by the Maldives High Commission, was chaired by David Anderson MP. Speakers included Dr Faizal, Chair of the UK-Maldives All Party Parliamentary Group MP David Amess, Chair of the Commonwealth Journalists Association Rita Payne, journalist Mark Seddon, Chair of Third World Solidarity Mushtaq Lasharie, and Yameen Shahid, a member of the Maldivian student community and son of the Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid.