Maldives: Disturbing Developments In Tourist Paradise
The winds of change affecting one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the Indian ocean, not far from India and Sri Lanka, seem disturbing. Here is a recent news story from Maldives…
“While the holiday makers change into their bikinis in their £1,000-a-night rooms and recline in the sunshine, the face of the real Maldives, rarely seen by outsiders, is slowly changing, says The Independent.
“Traditionally, Maldivian women have tended to wear brightly coloured, form-fitting dresses, and sometimes small scarves to pull their hair away from their faces. Little girls have been given as much freedom as their brothers to play outside, and women have had equal rights to access to education and divorce.
“But this way of life, inspired by a moderate interpretation of Islam, is disappearing. Women in the poorer, outlying villages have been switching to a full headscarf and Arabic-style, loose, flowing, dark robes. They say they prefer to stay indoors. They have begun sending their children to the local mosque to be taught by the growing number of Islamic preachers on the islands.
“Men have begun growing beards, and asserting their dominance. New, grand mosques have also sprung up, paid for by donors in Kuwait, Libya and Iran.
“Islam has been practised in the Maldives since the 12th century, and since President Abdul Maumoon Gayoom came to power in 1978, religion and government have become increasingly intertwined. In 1997, Islam was declared the state religion and the government has declared that the Maldives is 100 per cent Sunni Muslim.
” ‘The tradition has always been that you are Muslim in the private field,’ said one Maldivian political analyst. ‘The government respects Islam but is not Islamic. However, if the government does not act soon, it will find itself overtaken by a more extreme power, instead of the pro-democracy forces it so fears.’
“Tourism is a vital industry for the Maldives. Half a million visitors each year provide 70 per cent of the country’s foreign currency, and the resorts try to be as environmentally and culturally sensitive as they can. The challenge now is to keep the tourist dollars coming in while taking care of the spiritual and material needs of Maldivians.”
The country profile of Maldives is available at the BBC website.
39 Responses to “Maldives: Disturbing Developments In Tourist Paradise”
This won;t matter in another 25-50 years. The ocean will rise, and the Maldives won’t even exsist as anything other than a reef. If they wish to live in destitution without the tourist money untill then, they choose their downfall.
Many tourist island are advertised as a paradise, but if you drive away from the resorts and see what the cooks and maids lives are like, you see what is glossed over in photos. Jamaca and Aruba are good examples of this. Only the BRAVE AMERICAN TOURIST wanders off the tour bus route. I remember the BLOND GIRL in Aruba story, to fuel American parnoia, the original suspects weren’t Dutch boys.
Islam may be a peaceful (according to some) religion, but the way women are treated does not show any signs of peace. Islam nowadays reminds me of what us Europeans used to do when we started sailing the oceans with our missionaries on board.
I believe that Turkey and Kuwait do not treat women this way. Also, the secular Iraq of Sadam, treated Islamic women with more respect than the Democratic Iraq.
I am a Maldivian and really worried of the growing number of fundamentalists lately. I dont think its coming from the middle east, but from Pakistan. These guys wear pakistani type of clothes. Few years back the government was fighting against extremism. I remember they use to take some of those guys with long beards to police and by the time of their release they had no more beard. Now days the government doesnt care about this anymore. This is really worrying and dangerous.
Religion is a beautiful thing, and no religion was ever intended to degrade or lessen the joy and beauty of life, the fact is people, politicians of all religions, have made it otherwise. On this matter; I have lived in the Maldives for 6 and a half wonderful years, and know the culture in both resorts and otherwise. What Rudi says is true, life is not the same as in resorts,but his point is debatable.About Islam in the Maldives, Maldivians are a beatiful people and have for a long time enjoyed living beautifully as we all should. There is nothing more rewarding than to follow and embrace religion with all your heart, however, I as an individual don’t think that Religion, bieng as beautiful as it is, should in anyway be linked to politics and also firmly believe that an individual should be spiritual in his own way. Curbing the rights and freedom of a people in itself is a sin, however preventing lawlessness is a matter we must all consider. I woould never say that the nation should ever divert in faith, but changes, effective changes must be made, for the betterment of its people,government and faith.
Sane thoughts on Insane Matters.
This is ridiculous. People who actually take the time to visit the maldives and islands apart from the resorts realise that the Maldives is not an extremist muslim country. There has definitely been a rise in the number of veiled women, but noticing the number of veils is simply not enough. Also recognize that along with the veils, the girls are usually wearing skin tight clothing. Women are not at all subjugated in the country, in fact many of the most active participants in the political scene in the country are women, including those wearing the burqa. do not read an article in a newspaper and assume that every muslim country in the world is brimming full of extremists.
It is a biased and inacurate article. I been a Maldivian have seen the increase in female wearing veils and increase in females wearing almost nude cloths. Moreover have seen increase in number of men with beards and increase in people taking drugs. Maldives is a free and moderate soceity where men and women have equal opportunities in all aspects of life, namely education, jobs, politics, etc. So what kind of islamic extremism is this? Please get your facts right before publishing.
the article in the independent was inaccurate and exaggerated. It states that the literacy rate in maldives is just 7% or something when the literacy rate there is above 97%. Seems to be a part of a propaganda, but an article this accurate simply amazes me.
Ok Islam and Maldives can be discussed in different ways. But, the most important thing is that Maldives will be already under the sea by 2050 or 2080 Allah is great and most benevolent and merciful. I believe what the scientists are saying and we can see that the global warming activities. My only hope is that before it is too late that the Maldivian’s decide to sell Maldives for the highest bidder. I am sure that at least 1 million USD per each Maldivian can be raised easily. With million USD per head you can settle down in your choice of a free country. With 300,000 populations you cannot run a democracy
I think the article is right. I am a Maldivian who talk about the matter everyday with some of my friends who take coffee with me everyday. Believe it or not, there are many Maldivians with beards who celebrated the tragetic September 911. The spread of radical muslims in the Maldives is a threat to South Asia and Europe, so we should take appropriate action to stop this. If you are not a liar and if you have ever talked to these radical Maldivian Muslims, you will understand their vision. They all believe in the Arab form of Jihad but they never talk about this infront of any non-muslims and it is a daily practice to criticise other religions in this World. I have a friend who graduated from Australia in teaching. When she returned back she married one radical muslim and ended up her carrier by saying that it doesn’t allow her to work any more, instead she should stay at home. This is a good indication of the level of radical muslims in the Maldives.
My advice is to stop this before they start palcing bombs in places targetting at Western Interests. This can only be done with the help of Europe, America or India with the presence of government of Maldives. I know there are very good Maldivian Muslims who are very much against this but they can’t do anything. It is because this is a 100% Muslim country. But do not forget, our president once had taken very strict action against this but they failed due to the current political situation in the country.
The Maldives has been completely taken over by the Islamists. If you speak to most people you will get the same talk you will get from a a member of Hizballah.
This Islamist fervor is very much the work of President Gayoom and Zahir Hussein and Fathullah Jameel who are muslim clerics trained in Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.Since they took power in a covert coup, large numbers of Maldivians have been trained as muslim clerics in Medina, Egypt, Pakistan and Malaysia. The results is that a most maldivians today are now jihadi oriented muslims.Every year the state brings Arab missionaries during the month of Ramadhan to brainwash the local people. In these “Increasing Islamic awareness sessions’, local people are taught to give up their ancient ways and to take on Arab/Muslim culture
The “liberation” of palestine is now one of the main desires of the majority of Maldivians.Recently the Sri Lankan Authorities with help from Maldivian government detained and repatriated Maldivians who were allegedly on their way to carry out suicide missions. Their trial has been a farce perpetrated by the Islamist regime of President Gayoom. They were convicted on lesser charges and the main issue was buried.
It is going to take time and effort if this trend is to be reversed.Soon the next clash will be between the small minority who want a more secular Maldives and the large majority of brainwashed jihadis.
For a closer look read
Colonialism is Alive and Well
Any maldivian who denies that an extreme form of islam is on the rise in Maldives is living in la la land.Its worrying and downright frightning,more than half of the women population in this country has taken to wearing the veil.Before it used to be only men who pressured women to wear the veil, but now even women are forcing other women on this issue. Suddenly you are not a good muslim if you are not covered from head to toe.Seems our ancestors were not well informed on how to follow the religion before.Anybody would think the whole country converted to islam yesterday. The prevailing idea is that a muslim has to adopt the complete arab culture to be called a good muslim.Maldivian culture is dying, and fundamentalists openly talk about how jihadh is a must in the religion to young impressionable maldivian guys.If this keeps up it won’t be long before you hear about some maldivian blowing themselves up in some other country or god forbid in this beautiful place.My own brothers have taken to adopting litterature and all this hogwash that comes from pakistan. those who are a bit more educated will never pass into action as suicide bombers but declare that those who do are courageous muslims.How can they tarnish such a beautiful religion and drag our country down the mud with it? Would help if american and the western world was more just in their dealings with muslims all over the world…..cause their actions are like the major recruiting tool for fundamentalists and unfortunately now maldives is completely in the grips of it. Drugs and fundamentalists are the biggest threat to the society now.
Where in the world did the Independent get its facts? 93% of Maldivians are illiterate? They should get their facts straight before publishing an article. Isn’t that one of the golden rules of journalism? Jennifer Latheef’s quote about Islamic teachers advising women to stay at home..etc is so tainted with her contempt for Maldivians who have begun to embrace their religion more fervently. I dont believe there is anything wrong with men growing their beard, women wearing the niqab, hijab, whatever you may call it. What is so extreme about that? If so then Sikh’s growing their hair and wrapping it in their turbans is extreme, orthodox Jews wearing their skull caps and growing their beards is extreme, heck even nuns with their modest clothing are an extreme bunch then. How come no newspapers are writing articles about these practices? Once the Western media picks on a certain group of people they will write blatantly misinformed articles stained with their prejudice and disrespect for anyone who prefers a way of life different from theirs. They would never complain if our women wear nothing at all and prance around imitating their lifestyle like monkeys. In their eyes thats liberation. If Muslim women WANT to cover themselves up then what’s wrong with that? How does Jennifer know that every woman in the islands who wears a veil does so due to peer pressure? Did she interview every woman who wears the hijab when she came to this sordid conclusion? Her 15 minutes of fame are up, a lot of Maldivians loved MDP (the political party she’s associated to) during its inception but now people like me are sick tired of people like Jennifer who are in our faces 24/7 promoting and pushing their ideology and self interest on the rest of us Maldivians. I’m certainly tired of Jennifer with her needy naggy sob story shoved in our faces at every opportunity. Sure she faced injustice, sure she should feel angry for what the government did to her and try to get justice. I feel sorry and outraged for her. But I have lost all respect for her due to her uninformed and bigoted comments stemmed from her disdain for people who happen to love their religion. I’m tired of their endless squabble with the government yielding no results! Look at our streets look how dangerous it has become, and no its not because of “radical Muslimsâ€? its due to the incursion of drug addicts, rapists, thieves. Of course the government is to blame, they put these hardened criminals on the loose! Look what has happened to our small community when criminals have more rights than ordinary Maldivian citizens who witness drug deals in broad daylight and are robbed, harassed every single day. It is they who have threatened our peaceful existence not bearded men nor veiled women! Wake up and smell the coffee. You need not make these sorts of remarks on a group of people based on one isolated event or an idea you have come up which has no shred of truth. Ask a few women wearing the face veil if they were forced to wear it, if they say yes then I rest my case.
What is wrong with people sending their kids to the mosque? My goodness, they are sent there to learn how to pray and read the quran. That’s what those teachers do. People of all religions send their kids to pray! Be it the church or temple! When Maldivians send their kids to the Mosque to pray its an indication of “rising extremism�?
Has it ever occurred to the “moderate Maldivian Muslims� (analyzing everything from a Western lens) making ludicrous comments on this board that these women who are covered up claim that they feel more liberated then they have ever felt before? My claims are factual by the way. If these women want to cover up and stay at home it is their God given right! We certainly don’t have a lack of women going out to work just because these veiled women stay at home. If these men want to grow their beards then let them. We do have a lot of clean shaved men, drug addicts, goths, r&b “thug wannabes� to make up for those bearded men.
The Maldives is going to sink in 25-50 years? That remark is just ridiculous. I have no guarantee that i will wake up tomorrow, I have no guarantee that i wont be dead due to an accident when i cross the street. How do we know if the world will still be in existence next week? What if a giant meteor comes and wipes the face of the earth? There is no guarantee of this world, of this life.
When I read the article from The Independent its clear that they perceive Maldivians as backward, ignorant Muslim islanders living on fish and water. Oh poor us! Oh America, United Kingdom please, help us poor Maldivians from our backward way of life, save us from those evil fundamentalists, liberate our women from their burkhas and help convert us to their “civilized” way of life, like you saved Iraqis and Afghanis. *eye roll*
The principle of wearing a particular dress such as the all black robe by women and the Indian Kurtha style shirt by men with a freely grown beard don’t do much to be a Moslem. Religion is based on faith NOT on overt display in different forms.
Islam has something wrong in so far as it claims to be superior to other religions. As a result, the followers aim to destroy other religions by hook or crook. This leads them to employ all means of force and even terror. If Moslems could settle the idea that they must cohabit with followers other religion, then their religion, Islam, could be one of the best world religions as they claim.
Moslem women dressed in black covering head to toes and men wearing white loose fitting shirt and having a long beard do not make them any better Moslems than others. This is forbidden in Islam as it amounts to showing off. The intention of our actions make them good or bad. But this does not mean that a good intention could turn a bad action good. Thus, since showing off is not allowed or encouraged in Islam, it cannot be a good deed because it was done with the intention of being a good Moslem.
We know that the God knows all secrets, even those in our minds. If this is true, then what is so good about trying to be different from others which is kind of separatist! We all know that God ‘looks at our hearts’ rather than at how we are dressed and keep the hair on our faces. God knows what He wants from us. What we must realise is that it would be a waste of effort if we try to impress God.
Women look a lot better in loose fitting garments with headscarves. This is all that Islam requires. The veil is an extention and exageration by men who are kind of sexist. They are so gealous of their women looked at by other men. But this backfires! Women with faces covered can look at all passing men without being noticed. Then who benefits from this, the accompanying men or passing men?
In this day and age, one would think that newspapers and journalists would check the facts (which is readily available on the internet) before publishing. Shame on you Independent and other newspapers that have re-published the artcles without checking the facts. Good God! Maldives being an illetarate Nation? Its literacy rate is above 98% one of the highest in the world. And guess what, The women of Maldives have a HIGHER literacy rate then Maldivian Men. Think about that, next time you talk about poor ignorant village women. And if you want to look further back, Maldives used to be a Matriarchy, and the signs of that system well and alive. Women are not forced to do anything!For the love of god, if you can’t visit Maldives, and don’t trust Maldivian talk to foreingers working in Maldives. See if there are women lacking in the workforces, politics and bla bla bla. and see if all the veiled women are stuck at home. Shame on you for disrespecting Journalism.
oh comon guys, i guess the article is very much inaccurate. those who wear veils do so because they like to do so. and it is an obligation for women to do so. besides you can never see a religion like islam which respects women. men are asked to give all the protection they can offer.
besides there’s no growing of extremism in the maldives. its just that the people are more careful about their beautiful religion and are trying to do the obligations well..
the article i would say is some kinda propaganda that the western writers are trying to spread.
93 percent illiterate should be about right. Being abe to read arabic and not understand what you are reading and being able to read thaana in which nothing worth reading has been written does not count as literacy.
mojo: you’re being very silly if you think western writers are bent on spreading propaganda about an insignificant hellhole like the Maldives. with Muslims it is always a “Western” conspiracy. but then the Maldives is a 93% illiterate country, and one can expect such idiocy.
Ahmed Anees, you say
“If Moslems could settle the idea that they must cohabit with followers other religion, then their religion, Islam, could be one of the best world religions as they claim”.
Of course. Islam can be a great religion if Muslims can both denounce, renounce their violent hadiths, and remove many parts of the Koran.
Who is going to do that?
No one:
What is wrong with people sending their kids to the mosque is that they are taught racist intolerant and stupid things.
Jo: Maldivians are a beatiful people. Granted. But islam is not a religion of peace. And with the increase in Islamic teaching we are getting more intolerant and warlike people.A saying of the Prophet Muhammad as written in Sahih Al-Buchary [Bukhari],states: “I have been ordered by Allah to fight and kill all mankind until they say, ‘No God except Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah’ (Hadith Sahih).”
aicha: you say “Would help if american and the western world was more just in their dealings with muslims all over the world…..cause their actions are like the major recruiting tool for fundamentalists”
Blame the west for the way we behave? I know what you are implying is that Israel belongs to Palestinians. Let me tell you – The jews were there long before Mohammed rode his first camel. Palestinians are an invention of Amin Al Husseini the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem who led a Waffen SS Brigade to murder jews during World War11. In fact, you will not find any mention of Palestinians and their claim to a nation before the state of Israel was created.
aicha: The major recruiting tools are the Koran, the Hadiths and the siyara. Read them. In these books you will find the calling and the justification for all the terrorist world muslims are doing around the world.
Ahmed
i am a maldivian living in sri lanka ….i have been brout up with lots of freedom…i dont understand why some body should bother because women choose to wear loose fitting gowns..and it is their personal wish wether to chose so called moderate islam or so called fundementalism,,I think we are better off minding our own bussiness than tryng to point fingers at others
I have gone through all comments by different people and I understood that the root cause of the problem is the believers of Islam and the religion itself. This religion openly cals for Jihad. If it does work for the benefits of humans, then the Muslim World should be stronger and can’t see nations like Ethopia, Sudan, Somalia and you will not have leaderships like what we have in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Maldives, Brunei, etc. If you ask any Islamic scholar about the scietific finds, they will claim for it by saying that it was there in their holy book. So this indicates that there is no way to convince them to follow anything other than Islam, whether it is right or wrong. For an example, can you believe that a man is eligible to marry a nine year old girl and have sex with her at eleven. So this religion is for ignorant people, that’s why most of the Muslims read Quran without knowing what they read.I can conclude my comment by saying “Islam is the religion for killers and terrorists and iggonorant people”.
Sabira, Islam is the only religion that recognises and calls for respect to other religions. This is evidence that Moslems must cohabit with followers of other (revealed) religions, as Koran says. but this does not mean that we must deny (existance of) others such as Buddhism. Since, as human beings, we must respect each other so we must their faith or belief as well. For if we don’t respect, we cannot expect to be without force or threat of it; be it words or swords!
Ahmed, woman wearing black from head to heels is, of course, their right. But the problem is a man or woman trying to be different and not being able to mix with others. More particularly, clading and wearing beards thus they want to show off that they are more pious than those in the same mosque. We have the freedom to wear what we like to, but it is better if we do so not to be separatist, right? For Islam says we are brothers and sisters, so none of us is superior to or more important than others except before God. Before Him, the most pious is one who fears him most.
Sabira, we don’t have to remove or do without any part of Muhammad’s preaching or God’s words, the Hadith and Koran respectively. Can you quote for me from the Koran a call to annihilate people just because his faith is different from Islam? What we must realise is that this world is for the entire mankind, not only for the Moslems or Jews.
I maintain, therefore, that Moslems can and must cohabit with people of other beliefs. Islam is not necessarily superior to followers of other religions. But, if it is superior to even Moslems, then so are other religions to the followers of them.
Shahid, its good to see someone who knows what this is all about.
Anees, It appears you have read the Koran in a foreign language that you do not understand. Take the following script to your imam and ask him to explain it.
If you read the Koran, you will find out that Allah wants Muslims to kill the infidels (unbelievers) wherever they are found (Koran 9:5), and that peace will come only to those who submit to him (Koran 8:17, 48:29, and 65). The Koran also has Allah saying that unbelievers should be killed (Koran 2:191, 3:141, 4:104, 4:89, 8:12-16, 9:5, 9:73-74, 9:123, 25:52…), that Muslim apostates should be killed or chastised (Koran 2:39, 2:85, 3:85, 3:106, 4:89, 16:106, and 47:25-28), that the heads and fingers of unbelievers should be cut off (Koran 5:33, 8:12, and 47:4), and that Muslims should fight and humiliate Jews and Christians (Koran 5:18 and 9:29).
There is more. For Allah, warfare is good (Koran 2:216) and jihad (fighting in the way of Allah) should continue until only Islam is dominant (Koran 2:193, 3:85, 8:39, 9:33, 35:37 and 61:9). Allah wants his followers to slaughter his enemies (Koran 8:67), allows Muslims to loot (Koran 8:1, 8:41, 8:69, and 59:7), to commit suicide (Koran 2:154, 2:207, 3:140-144, 3:157, 9:111 and 47:4), and to acquire slaves (Koran 4:3, 4:23-24 and 8:67). Muhammad himself was allowed to engage in unlimited sex with female slaves and captives (Koran 4:3, 23:6, 33:50-52 and 70:30).
In addition, Allah orders Muslims not to take Jews, Christians and other unbelievers as friends (Koran 3:28, 5:51 and 9:23), and will not forgive Christians (Koran 4:48 and 4:116). Muhammad taught to put the infidels to death wherever they were found (Koran 2:191, 2:244, 4:89, 5:36, 9:5, and 9:29), urged Muslims to fight the unbelievers who are close (Koran 9:123), mentioned that fighting is obligatory (Koran 2:216), and mandated the conquering of those relatives who opposed Muslims because loyalty to Islam overrode all other human bonds (Koran 9:23-24, and 58:22).
In the Koran fighting is urged until Islam is the only religion (Koran 2:193, 8:39, and 61:9), seeking the death of apostates (Koran 9:73-74), accepting slavery (Koran 4:3, 4:24, 5:87-89, 23:6, 24:32-33, 33:50-52 and 70:30), supporting the slaughter of captives (Koran 8:67), the raping of women captives (Koran 4:24), beheading the infidels (Koran 47:4), and approving looting in wars (Koran 24:29, and 48:20-21).
The Koran states that if Muslims do not fight, Allah will replace them with others who will. (Koran 9:39). Those who cannot fight must help fellow Muslims in other ways, including through donations of money. (Koran 8:72). Only Islamic law or sharia is lawful for Muslims (Koran 5:50). There will not be mercy on unbelievers (Koran 5:36-38 and 48:29). The end of the jihad will happen when there is faith only in Allah (Koran 2:193). Power must belong to Muslims only (Koran 63:8), and they must exert power over non-Muslims (Koran 4:141).
i have something to say about this on my blog…actually…the information given by the most famous Maldivian opposition party,MDP members to the independent was not very accurate..and therefore the aricle written there, and all other followups on other sources of Media are not accurate.please read and be informed.. here is the link.
Yes, Sabira, you are right. Having gone through almost all of your references to parts of the Koran, I realise that Islam is bent more on terror than not. Throughout the texts thereof, I found references to force and fight to have unbelievers believe. This is wrong for a religion claimed to be universal. I think the Koran contains texts of self-contradiction, too. For example, the Koran says in 109:6, “You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.” If this is true, whatever is the force and fight for?
Islam is a closed system in which the followers shall have no debate on how reasonable are the tenets on which it is based. The evidence of the truth of this religion is found from within the sources belief in which is a precondition of becoming a Moslem. The Koran and the teaching of Muhammad are to be taken for granted and are unquestionable. However, it makes sense only if the proof comes from outside the sources of what is sought to be justified and this is one of the basic condition of logic.
Islam has a number of loopholes, at the best. Now, it is the duty of the religious scholars to give us all the benefit of doubts about Islam, of course. They would fail in their duty to God, if they didn’t. God knows it, for He is all-knowing. Fear Him!
I noticed that there was some innacurate statements in the article…..especially where it said only 7 percent of people were literate. The Maldives actually has the highest literacy in the whole of asia. However the present reality that radical islam is taking root in the Maldives is a concern. As a born again christian the rights we have in the maldives are severely restricted. I believe this is unfair because every human being should be free to make a choice regarding faith and their love for God. If radical islam takes over the nation of the Maldives, probably it won’t make much difference in that regard, in fact it may help people to begin to prefer a little freedom because they see a form of legalism which is way over the top. Genuine faith can never be forced onto people by legislation.
David Alley,
Most people pretend that people of other faiths do not exist and this is easy because due to law, people of other faiths than Islam are forced to practise in secret.
Maldivians are not willing to give their fellow Maldivians the right to choose their faith because Islam demands of them to be intolerant of other religions.This is denying basic human rights.
I hope, David, that soon one day you will be able to practice your faith openly. I am a Maldivian willing and wanting to give my brothers and sisters their rights as human beings on this earth.
Ahmed Anees: you quote the Koranic verse “You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.”
This verse belongs to the Meccan period when Muslims were weak. It’s an abrogated verse. What’s relevant are the verses that call for violence when Muslims grew stronger from caravan raids, war spoils, killings.
Mojo
Why do women need protection from men? And what do you mean Islam respects women? Why don’t you say Islam respects men as well? You seem to say that Islam is giving or offering them some incentives that they do not deserve. Men and women are born with equal rights and they do not need someone to say what they can do or cannot do. Men and women are equal in every right but men as physically stronger have dominated and subjugated women from the very begining of the humankind. The only power women have over the men’s phsical power is their beauty. So the men, not only in Islam, hide the women’s potential power behind Hijab, Nigab, Veil, Burga or Purdah. They claim that they are doing this to protect women. From what? From Lawless men running around freely without a thought in the world abusing and molesting the women. Instead of locking these lawless gangs and thugs, men lobby to lock women at home and when women go out they have to go out with a Muhrim (Legally Unmarriable Man)as a bodyguard. They also have to get the consent of their husbands to step out of the house. If a non Muslim say something critical of Islam or its adherents it becomes Western propaganda. If someone like us among the Muslims say something unpleasant to the palates of these so called defenders of Islam, we become Christians and Jews. Maumoon and Adhaalth and their cronies calling MDP and their allies Christians, while at the same time MDP’s Islamic voices raising Maumoon as Grand Cardinal of Maldives.
Adhaalth calling Amina Wadood a Jew. The funniest thing is Christians (most probably about 70 to 80 percent of Christendom hates George W Bush) never called American president a Jew or a Muslim. They have called him wife beater, terrorist and even the Devil. Adlof Hitler never got the honour of being called a Muslim by the Western Media for that matter by any other. Muslims has two ways of consoling themselves from the disasters that befell on them. One is to blame the West. The other is to blame themselves which cannot be linked to the West, such as natural disasters and so forth, which they believe come from God as punishments for their deeds. West, be prepared. In a very near future they are going to blame you for these natural disaters as well.
Cruelty to women is common in Arabia and Pakistan. It is a fact. As more Maldivians imitate them through dress and behavior, this will enter into our country. It already has raised its ugly head.
Deal with it now or live the terror. Its our choice. Our childrens future (and for females their genitals too). Wake up and rise up. Learn about Islam.
[24.31] And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful.
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary says bosom is a person’s chest, especially, a woman’s breasts. Thus, women veiling their faces is an exageration of God’s commandment and, therefore, invalid.
Buree:
Koran, and for that matter, Islam is relevant to all times and to all people. This is what Islam says. But, if you say some parts relate to some other time than the present, then this is not true. Gaining strength need not beget violence. This is what the civilisation expects.
If you say that Islam gives in to strength and becomes violent as it emerges strong, then it cannot be said to have come from a sovereign God.
Look at a verse of the Koran: He (God) makes whom He pleases to enter into His mercy; and (as for) the unjust, He has prepared for them a painful chastisement [76:31].
If “enter to His mercy” means become a Moslem and be all that good that this part of Koran is about, and if “the unjust” is not being that it is all about, then what does this mean, “…He has prepared for them a painful chastiement?
Anees,
You don’t need to make all kinds of excuses for Islam, hence it was perfect for Muslims. All religions aim to perfect and benefit humans not to any particular God. Islam did the same. That was the only reason it spread worldwide at such an alarming speed. Islam enjoined all that was good as per the people of Mohammed’s (PBUH) time and forbid all that were bad for the people at the time. Time has changed. People’s perception of good and evil have changed. Necessity forces us to make new laws and regulations that can be adopted by the modern world. You cannot expect single mothers to be stoned to death leaving the fatherless child even motherless. Who will look after the child? The state? Heh, he or she will end up being molested and sexually abused growing up as a criminal, who in turn gives the society more headaches and damages. You cannot expect minor girls to be married in order to lessen the extramarital sex (as the radicals claim) and these children beget children cannot be accepted in today’s world. So its not Islam that has a problem. All the other religions are going thru the same turbulences. Just think of Pope removing of Limbo for unbaptised children of Christian Parents. They are willing and doing it. Islam is not willing as the status qua is excellnt for the politicians of the Islamic world to abuse the religion for their own ends. The politicians in the Islamic world do not practice Islam at all but but preach Islam like H…. . The clerics who need to Fatwa are all appointed and funded by the all powerful dictatorial regimes, who in turn loosen and tighten the screws as they see fit. In China, probably Roman catholic bishops and cardinals are appointed by goverment who officially are Godless. Dalai Lama in Tibet is also chosen by Chinese Government after the real Dalai Lama fled the country. So these government appointed religious people could not do the work of God. The only way to Islam and other religions to prosper is freedom from politics and politicians. May God bless humankind and guide them to a higher level of understanding God in a new perspective.
Here is a verse from the Holy Book of Allah: [4.3] And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course.
Can any one of you comment on this?
I wonder if orphans are only women and the only relation in which we are certain to be just and equitable is marriage! What do our right hands possess?
Another verse from the Koran: [4.4] And give women their dowries as a free gift, but if they of themselves be pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it with enjoyment and with wholesome result.
Allah says, “And give the women their dowries as a free gift, but if they … give up to you a portion of it, then eat it …,” this means the dowrie must be some kind of food or other. Normally, it is valued in terms of money, but it is used not only to buy food that is eaten, but any thing which can be bought for money.
Is it true that Islam treats men and women equally? It doesn’t even in rights of inheritance.
Read the following verse from Koran: [4.11] Allah enjoins you concerning your children: The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females; then if they are more than two females, they shall have two-thirds of what the deceased has left, and if there is one, she shall have the half; and as for his parents, each of them shall have the sixth of what he has left if he has a child, but if he has no child and (only) his two parents inherit him, then his mother shall have the third; but if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth after (the payment of) a bequest he may have bequeathed or a debt; your parents and your children, you know not which of them is the nearer to you in usefulness; this is an ordinance from Allah: Surely Allah is Knowing, Wise.
When a wife without issue leaves property, the husband gets a half of it, but the wife, when the husband dies without an issue, gets only a third! Is this equal in rights? Reade the 4:12 in the Koran. It is clear from Allah’s words in the Koran that women are subordinate to men.
He says in the Koran, “Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.
If you happen to read the verse 43 in the Nisa Surat, you may feel that pure earth wiped on your face and hands is the substitute to water to wash after ‘touching a woman’. Touching a woman, here, means having had sex with her which renders your sex organ unclean, but to go near to the prayer afterwards you need need to ‘wash’ your face and hands with pure earth, if you don’t have water, to be pardoned of not having an obliatory bath. Is this very sensible?
Take this verse of Koran: 4.48] Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin.
This tells quite clearly that Allah need not necessarily be always fair and just, for He says here that He would forgive those He pleases, not all who did any wrong other than associating anything with Him.
Allah not only punishes wrongdoers, but He enjoys doing so is evident in the following verse of Koran:
[4.56] (As for) those who disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.
He says when the skin is burnt, it (the burnt skin) will be replaced so that they (the wrongdoers) shall taste the chastisement. Isn’t this cruelty? Be it from even a God!