Teacher suspended over poem deemed offensive towards first lady
The poem featured a Maldivian folktale she-demon called Santhi Mariyanbu who lugs around a sack of teeth. It recounted a nightmare in which the poor could not afford to pay goods and services tax after the monster finished removing teeth.
20 May 2017, 9:00 AM
The education ministry has suspended a school teacher from the island of Kanduhulhudhoo in Gaafu Alif atoll over a poem deemed offensive towards First Lady Fathmath Ibrahim.
Ashraf Abdullah, a leading teacher at the Kanduhulhudhoo school, was reprimanded over a poem he wrote that was read by a parent at an event held earlier this month to mark Children’s Day.
The poem featured a Maldivian folktale she-demon called Santhi Mariyanbu who lugs around a sack of teeth. It recounted a nightmare in which the poor could not afford to pay goods and services tax after the monster finished removing teeth.
The education ministry spokesman said that the ministry was not aware of the incident, but added that details would not be revealed to the media in case of such suspensions.
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