Will not allow religious freedom in Maldives, says defence minister
Islam is used in Maldivian political rhetoric to appeal to voters and also to malign liberal voices. Those supporting democracy or pluralism are branded as irreligious or anti-Islamic, with sometimes deadly consequences.
15 Apr 2018, 9:00 AM
The Maldives defence minister has vowed not to allow religious freedom in the country, days after former president Mohamed Nasheed called for co-existence and tolerance.
Addressing a seminar on preventing religious extremism and terrorism, Defence Minister Adam Shareef said the Maldives would always remain a country with moderate Islamic values.
“We are facing challenges in promoting Islam and because Maldivians follow Islam. However, we can’t allow for religious freedom in the Maldives. The Maldives will remain a country with moderate Islamic values prioritizing development and peace,” Shareef told the gathering of Islamic scholars.
His remarks about excluding other faiths from the Maldives jar with a new policy paper from the Islamic affairs ministry, which said people were being attacked for holding different religious views and that this phenomenon needed to be addressed at a national level.
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