Creating the Nation of Pure Islam
There has been much furor and jubilation in the camps of radical and fundamental religious groups these past two days. If they were given the proper resources we might have witnessed members of the Adhaalathu party donning Christmas lights on their beards as they rode in a march of celebration on their camels ululating all the way. That would have been more appropriate a celebration for what, in my opinion, amounts to be an amendment to the draft constitution that in one stroke of the pen completely eliminated the one article that should inspire us to be patriotic towards this bloody country of ours. And instead help create and pave the way towards a 7th century style theocracy.
The amendment proves beyond a shadow of doubt that our hearts, our minds and our soul and the essence of our very being - our very patriotism - lies somewhere in a box in the desert of a lunatic asylum that is Arabia. We have demonstrated the appalling shallowness of our mentality and the unparalleled cowardice of our nature. Not one member of the constitutional assembly rejected the proposal because suddenly the irrational, illogical and unthinking religious personality emerged almost as if it were a modern day miracle!
In one single sentence we have not only made the constitution the laughing stock of the world but possibly created thousands of criminals of conscience and a constitutionally forced race of zombies.
The problem with this amendment is not its coercion of people to follow Islam and the superiority given to religion over nationalism (by our standards a very insignificant part of being human it seems) nor is it about the assumption by the constitution that the country is 100% Muslim either. No. This is vastly more serious than that.
This is about the problem of creating the constitution of this country, once again, based on vague and questionable notions. Notions that this time reek of the overpowering stench of religious propaganda towards creating the 100% radicalized nation of Islam. Notions that are so highly susceptible to interpretation that they belong only in religious texts written in a foreign and prehistoric language - not in the constitution.
What is altogether more disturbing is the fact that we Maldivians, by way of our incredibly stupid, ignorant and shallow nature, will not see beyond the surface of this. Many of us will dismiss any dissent toward this amendment and will not think twice before vulgarly ordering our fellow dissenting countrymen to leave the country - proudly giving ourselves a pat on the back for upholding Islam. Such is our selfishness and the shallowness of our compassion towards our compatriots. - towards our own blood. Today our patriotism rolls with the desert sands of Arabia and there is no turning back.
From today onwards we can throw our dreams of democracy out the window and embrace the cold backwardness of theocracy.
Mohamed Hilmy | November 21, 2007 5:25 AM
From the very beginning reforming the constitution was a farce, an appalling waste of time and resources but it turned out to be a national soap opera of unparellel buffoonery. Opponents of govt. pushed it forward only to find a way to bring down the govt. No one was interested in finding solutions to the problems that plague this country. They have proved that once again by uniformly affirming that Maldivian citizenship is only for Muslims. Being the hypocrites that we are, at the same time we assert the rediculous notion that we are a tolerant nation in order to appease the west. Maldives can never become a liberal democracy. Merely holding elections is not everything about democracy. Our special majlis was never interested to give fundamental rights to us. They have no idea of what political pluralism is.
Hilmy,
Just read the visitor comments at the bottom of the this article at Haveeru. This is the prevailing mentality of us Maldivians. We are simply incapable of thinking.
a | November 21, 2007 7:04 AM
I'm disgusted and outraged. Lost all hopes in all these bigoted politicians, MPs, the New Maldives, and all. It was all rhetoric all these days! Utter waste of time and resources. Where is their voice of outrage if they were serious at all about liberal democracy?! Rhetoric! Rubbish! I'm sure they have lost my vote.
But I'm not surprised. I had written last year that none of these bastards was serious about liberal and democratic values. It is confirmed now.
askmewhatimthinking | November 21, 2007 11:47 AM
Hilmy's comment - 'national soap opera of unparellel buffoonery' beautifully sums up everything. Needless to say anything more
maldiveshealth | November 21, 2007 1:26 PM
What else do you expect to come out of these coconut heads. Shame Shame.. Fools..Hypocrites. Although ...
That is all i have to say.
Suhail | November 21, 2007 1:30 PM
Disgusting, ............. damn hipocrites. Shame on MDP......... Those who do not wish to free others, do not desreve freedom. We are deemed to suffer for the rest of our life.
And I think as I always thought that we are lead to believe that those who suffer in this world are the ones that will flourish in the Hereafter. So unconsciously we are accepting the suffering of the world in order to be the prosperous in the Next.
Shame on us. There is noone to blame but us, and thanks Adhaalth for radicalising our nation and Gayoom for manipulating them. Shame on MDP for abusing religion as much as government or more.
Another 30 years of Bondage in the name of God Almighty.
Ismail Rasheed | November 21, 2007 7:31 PM
I wonder if I could stay in Dhivehistan by paying the "jizya"?
Maybe they will get around to discussing that soon.....
Dr.Freex | November 21, 2007 7:40 PM
I do find it disturbing that attempts are being made to include the word "sharia" and thereby redress the draft constitution under the pretext of us being a Moslem country, to acknowledge the divine status of it as comparable if not equal to that which the Qur'an is for a believer...IF the 'Sharia' is allowed to enforce itself in it's entirety then yes,it may condemn us to "a box in the desert of a lunatic asylum that is Arabia"..
The declaration however that we are, and must remain a Moslem Nation, is Not a positive reinforcement of radical dogma in Itself, at least not anymore than saying liberal democracy fosters crime through it's inherent bias for individual's 'rights' over the greater societal good.
The obvious apprehension of atheists/secularists aside, this does however,it must be admitted, underpin to some extent the desires of radical roots to permeate the eaten away fabric of society, and thus sublimate it to a status of 'Pure Islam' as they perceive it...
What is Democracy?? Does not enforcing 'democracy' nullify itself?...The solution is Not to reject the majority assertions of the country that they wish to remain a Moslem country, but rather to reconcile the socio-cultural milieu with & within "the distinctive context of this post-Reformation, market-oriented Christian Europe's"-'democratic package' which is being enforced by the realpolitik forces in this age for it's self-serving needs, thereby embracing the benefits it claims to offer and also keeping in check the egocentric material radicalism that sprouts from liberalism and which Moslem faith cautions towards..
Democracy is no more Godsent than the 'Sharia' and far from ideal for human co-existence; one has but to look beyond the facade of the 'American dream'..it is however a pacifier which needs to be tested and refined as demands the cultural diversity among humans, and also divorced of from the Wests inherent ethnocentrism in dictating what is best for us !
*Islam and the Challenge of Democracy-(read beyond the first paragraph and one might be able to develop a clearer picture of what is 'democracy' and what is 'Islam');
http://bostonreview.net/BR28.2/abou.html
*The Democracy Hoax- read all 3parts
http://www.ziopedia.org/en/articles/editorial/exposing_the_matrix_-_the_democracy_hoax/
*http://www.scribd.com/doc/404859/Islamic-extremism-in-Maldives
Suhail | November 21, 2007 8:14 PM
Ismail
I feel sorry for you. Stupid sobs.
Ali | November 21, 2007 9:07 PM
.Maldives - where they teach you the art of living in denial.... :-)
thadu | November 22, 2007 5:45 AM
when tourists come to visit Maldives for vacation and when they are under the protection of the Maldivians, i wonder if the bed tax is the Jizya taken from them. Or perhaps, which verse of the Quran or which words of the prophet allowed the trading of alcohol and non halal products! Why does other religions exist, if not to be practiced! If Maldives is to be any better then it is now, some things need to change, and it is far beyond time to start believing that it is not religion that maintains the peace and harmony (which does not even exist anymore although the claim -100% Muslim country- remains) of this nation.
Turtle | November 22, 2007 2:50 PM
Why this hate against Arabs?..You racist or something?..Oh I forgot you are just a nerd.and nerds doesn't do anything but write hateful rant on blogs about each and everything in the world to let loose their frustration of their own selves.
xm | November 22, 2007 8:09 PM
why do Maldivians bend over for Arabs?
ismail | November 24, 2007 8:23 PM
xm: because we're a sodomite nation?
ali | November 27, 2007 9:05 PM
All this hatred because the constitution takes only muslims as maldivian nationals? Well thats how the claus is even now eh!. But not all maldivians are muslims anyway and thats a fact. Still everyone has maldivian passport. Why the hasle then. Coz we cant have temples and churches? whos that religious within us, be it muslim, christian or any other religion. Just shut up and be whoever you want to be.
"Lakum dheenukum waliya dheen"
Suhail | November 27, 2007 9:29 PM
If that is a fact why do you want to deny them the rights to practise their religion openly? And why do you have to confuse the world by officially declaring us a 100 % Muslim nation, when it is in fact an impossible achievement.
Do you have to live in denial. Why not churches and temples? Even the holiest of the holy lands have churches, mosques and synagogues facing each other.
ali | November 28, 2007 5:27 PM
Holiest of holy lands? Where wud that be? I guess you mean that in your terms Suhail. Holy is subject to what a person believes or whats believed in a religion.
My point was, since none in our dhivehi community takes much care and devotion to our religion (besides the growing extremist lot, and they behave like an organization so its not devotion to god as i belive) theres no point in fighting to have freedom of religion. We all follow the west and latest hip there is atheism and im not so sure they even have holy places. maybe the grave of darwin and dawkins, perhaps.
Suhail | November 28, 2007 7:26 PM
I mean the land the most of us who are monotheists consider holier than the rest.
For me no land is holier than any other. It is my understaning and my belief. All are created equal and thus all lands are equal too.
That is why I am not going to fight for no land, even my homeeeeeeee. Neither any piece of land nor a concept of nationhood is worth dying for. By the time people realise this, then only, will we have peace on this earth.
No religion no organization can do it.
fizan | January 15, 2008 6:46 PM
Ignorance sure is bliss... I didn't know about this barbaric amendment up until just now. Its always a good idea to avoid local news as it is almost never is uplifting.
Simon, your post really moved me and I agree with you, it was a sad day in the history of legal reform (now effectively, a misnomer) in this wretched country of ours. And to think our country parades around the international arena in the guise of containing a liberal society... this is infuriating and worrying me at the same time, so I am gonna check the nationality column on my passport and see if reality reflects this abhorrent new amendment ('cos I just decided to take up the Wiccan faith)