Umar Naseer under fire over ‘sexist’ tweet

Umar Naseer, former home minister and presidential hopeful, stirred a firestorm of criticism on social media Monday with a tweet suggesting that women are among three negative influences that “makes good people bad.”

Naseer was referring to former President Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned after a violent police mutiny in February 2012, and President Abdulla Yameen, who recently apologised for the Maldives’ biggest corruption scandal occurring under his watch.

The tweet sparked outrage and prompted a barrage of responses condemning the “misogynistic” remark and demanding that he apologise for its implicit message.

But in a second tweet, Naseer brought up Mohamed Amin Didi, the Maldives’ first president, who was deposed and beaten by a lynch mob: “A womanising president was beaten to death in the Maldives. So the 3W is true in the Maldives.”

He later deleted both tweets in the face of unrelenting criticism and ridicule.

Naseer told the Maldives Independent today that his tweet was misinterpreted, insisting that it was not disrespectful towards women.

“Women was used in the context of womanising. It’s about men who has a thirst for women, not women,” he stressed.

He said a public apology is not called for as the tweet was “not about women but womanising,” adding that he already enjoyed the support of women for his presidential bid.

Asked why he deleted the tweets, Naseer said: “Because the feminists couldn’t read the political message it contains and I didn’t want them offended.”

Naseer announced his intention to challenge the incumbent president for the ruling party’s presidential ticket days after his surprise resignation from the cabinet in June.

Yumna Maumoon – Naseer’s colleague in the divided ruling party’s faction led by her father, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – was among the first to rebuke him.

In a tweet she has since deleted, the former state minister for education reportedly called Naseer’s remark biased and said men could also be a negative influence for women.

Local women’s rights NGOs Voice of Women and Hope for Women also condemned the tweet. “Please retract your remarks and apologise for this gender biased remark,” said Voice for Women.

Hope for Women said: “We believe that the tweets were misogynistic, deeply undermines women’s dignity and status in the society as well as promotes sexist attitudes towards women.”

Canadian Ambassador to the Maldives, Shelley Whiting, also joined the fray, along with female lawmakers and a former attorney general.

.@UmarNaseerPPM Women should not be blamed for the failings of their leaders or their governments. https://t.co/VrXJ2D2Fo4

— Shelley Whiting (@shelley_whiting) October 17, 2016

I see we’re in need of most basic of lessons.
Repeat after me.
Women are not a commodity.
Women are people.
Less Trump,more sensibility pls. https://t.co/RlzJSG0Ulk

— Eva Abdulla (@evattey) October 17, 2016

.@UmarNaseerPPM qualifies statement. Don’t be pissed off, he didn’t mean ALL women are bad, just the Maldivian ones https://t.co/UGwxFJUwhe

— AzraNaseem (@Manje) October 17, 2016

It’s unacceptable that a PPM Council member demonizes & denigrates women. I hope we’ll get an apology. W/ deepest respects, @maumoonagayoom pic.twitter.com/xlwEfiMulr

— Dhiyana (@dhiyanasaid) October 17, 2016

@UmarNaseerPPM you might think alliterations in the tweet is smart, such a shame you don’t realize that phrase is archaic and inappropriate.

— Ahmed Tholal (@Tholman_79) October 17, 2016

@UmarNaseerPPM a typical example of the kind of sexism prevalent in this country by politicians who think they have total impunity.

— Ahmed Tholal (@Tholman_79) October 17, 2016

@UmarNaseerPPM Three M’s that destroys a person. Misogyny, Masculinity and Megalomania.

— Ahmed Tholal (@Tholman_79) October 17, 2016

This is disgraceful especially coming from a person seeking higher office. pic.twitter.com/vDO7UJ71zD

— Visam (@visamali) October 17, 2016

Naseer also drew ridicule with many questioning the wisdom of a presidential candidate insulting half the electorate. The gaffe-prone politician was also compared to American presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is mired in a sexual assault scandal.

Just throwing Women in there for good measure, no reason needed. Ladies and gentlemen this is President material right here 👏 👏 👏 #Maldives https://t.co/cQLimjqCqd

— Dhahau Naseem (@_dhahau) October 17, 2016

Man. What an idiot. 🙄
I wouldn’t vote for you even if you were the only candidate on the ballot. https://t.co/cwJ52wk5tH

— sighpad.m™ (@sipadmohd) October 17, 2016

@sipadmohd he thinks he can win without the women’s vote 😂😂😂 @UmarNaseerPPM

— Shaliny Jaufar (@ShalinyJ) October 17, 2016

After the first hydrogen bomb, the arms race escalated further when the US created the most evil weapon by giving a wealthy woman wine.

— Isra (@IsraSaudulla) October 17, 2016

A man who fears that women would send him astray should not aspire to lead a nation in which half the population is women.

— A Ghafoor Mohamed (@aghafoormohamed) October 17, 2016

So in this guy’s Presidency all women will be jailed, wine and wealth prohibited. https://t.co/G4zo0OkORd

— Fayyaz Ismail (@faya_i) October 17, 2016

Umar Naseer thinks he is Rodrigo Duterte but in reality he is actually Donald Trump

— Maahil (@MaahilMohamed) October 17, 2016

Who needs Donald Trump when we have Umar Naseer!! If he is running, I want to start a chat show,

— Tweet Boy (@schafraz08) October 17, 2016

Wit and Umar Naseer PPM doesn’t go together.
I see a bit of Trump and Jonny Bravo in him.

— NzRv (@NzRv) October 17, 2016

Some opposition supporters meanwhile suggested that President Yameen’s remarks in a recent speech were equally offensive and deserving of similar outrage. Addressing supporters in Fuvahmulah, Yameen said the beauty of women from the southern island could cause heart attacks.

President of the oh my loving country said Fuahmulak women gives men heart attacks. That was few days ago. Some chose outrage very wisely

— Munshid (@dyingregime) October 17, 2016

Hassan Moosa contributed reporting.