Maldives resort cleared of idols, say police
One man can be heard saying Allah Akbar as a sculpture crashes into the ocean.
21 Sep 2018, 9:00 AM
Maldives police said Friday that “human form” sculptures had been removed from a luxury resort, sending local media images and footage of people using tools and rope to hack away at the artwork or send it crashing into the ocean.
Almost 30 sculptures are part of a semi-submerged gallery at the Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi that has made headlines around the world.
But the artwork has been criticised by clerics and politicians who deem human form sculptures to be anti-Islamic and, in July, the President’s Office ordered the artwork to be removed.
The Civil Court gave the resort a deadline of five hours from 1:30 pm Thursday to clear the Coralarium and that, if it refused to comply, the police and military would remove the sculptures within seven days and destroy them as instructed.
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