I stand here today to express my disgust at having to see, you, our elected representatives squabbling over the bill on Immunity and Privileges to ex-presidents. I am appalled at the very thought of giving immunities and privileges to ex-president Gayoom. As a Dhivehi citizen I demand to know why we should provide all these privileges to this man. A man from whose corrupt clutches, plundering ways and tyranny we have emerged after 3 long decades.

People have died under his watch, honorable members. Dhivehi blood has been spilled under his command. A human life, no matter when, where and how it was lost, must be more precious and important. Do not forget that. To even consider such luxuries as immunity and privileges for this man, before the deaths and the countless lives ruined under his command are investigated and due reconciliation is reached, is an insult on all Dhivehin. It will be an affront to justice and an appalling mutiny to the higher purpose for which you, honorable members, have been put into those seats.

It will be an insult to the constitution that allowed me to vote this man out. I and thousands like me voted him out because we do not want anything to do with him. 30 years is a long time, honorable members. We are at this very moment in time, past those 30 years, because we wanted to see changes. We wanted to see those lives that I mentioned, the ones that were lost, the likes of Evan Naseem and other compatriots, we want to see you question Mr. Gayoom about those lives before you consider his life of luxury. Please do not waste our money and our time on insulting us any further.

Honorable members. Do not be fooled by the gray hair and meek demeanor. Do not succumb to the wide-eyed look of evil disguised as innocence. Do not be fooled into thinking that there is even a molecule of virtue and compassion towards Dhivehin in that man.

If he was such a man of character we would not be at the moment in time and he would oppose this bill and let justice prevail. Right now, he needs to face the music, honorable members. He is not some divine messiah. Those days are gone. 

Honorable members. Show us some guts. It is time to throw this bill out and let us get on with more important things. We've already wasted a lot of time on this man and his family.

To end my message, I'd like to play you a song. One of my favorites from Pink Floyd.

The Fletcher Memorial Home (video here)

Take all your overgrown infants away somewhere 
And build them a home a little place of their own
The fletcher memorial Home for incurable tyrants and kings
And they can appear to themselves every day
On closed circuit t.v.
To make sure they're still real
It's the only connection they feel

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome reagan and haig
Mr. Begin and friend Mrs. Thatcher and paisley
Mr. Brezhnev and party
The ghost of McCarthy
The memories of Nixon
And now adding colour
A group of anonymous latin American meat packing glitterati" 

Did they expect us to treat them with any respect
They can polish their medals and sharpen their Smiles,
and amuse themselves playing games for a while
Boom boom, bang bang, lie down you're dead

Safe in the permanent gaze of a cold glass eye
With their favourite toys
They'll be good girls and boys
In the fletcher memorial home
for colonial Wasters of life and limb
Is everyone in?
Are you having a nice time?
Now the final solution can be applied

Thank you for your time.

"Maumoon has chartered a flight to Singapore leaving tonight!", Mr. Pass informed.

"Maumoon meeting with 2/2 to bring martial law", Mr. Pass warned.

Was anyone expected to seriously believe any of these concoctions? They served a purpose of novelty and as such each message was meant to be taken with a bag of salt. At least, that's how many took them. But the same cannot be said for many others.

But enter the realm of word-of-mouth gossip and you'd have some entirely more potent. This is something to stand in awe of. The sheer power of word-of-mouth gossip to make our logical faculties malfunction is incredible. Especially in a post-election atmosphere.

In the past few days several people have told me that Gayoom left the then presidential palace at Theemuge with much of the furniture and electrical appliances such as air-conditioners. One even went as far as suggesting that Gayoom had wiped the palace clean of the expensive goodies. Another was very angry when he said that before Gayoom left the presidential office he had wiped some shit on the walls of the building.

Yes, there I was. Standing in awe, shocked at the power of stupidity.

People are demanding from the current administration inventories of previous presidential residence, retreat and office. Some people are losing sleep over it. This is a matter of national import. We need Gayoom's underpants accounted for before he strikes again. What if he steals the walls and concrete work of the palace next time? These things belong to the people who have not thought about where Gayoom is stuffing all the goodies yet. (Psst. They were especially designed by Ikea to collapse and fit into a briefcase. What? Yes, all of them.)

I tried to imagine all this. I really did. And it occurred to me that Gayoom has invited these accusations upon himself. Three decades of plundering and robbing the people of this country has labeled him an ordinary, bank-robbing, striped-bodysuit wearing criminal. Now that he's powerless we imagine him being involved in other mundane acts of depravity - stealing air-conditioners (they were really big ones, I was told). Criminal behaviour is in his blood. People have no doubt that Gayoom could sink low enough to remove appliances and spray shit in the office. Yes, Gayoom is capable of any sordid act we can think.

Just ask Mr. Pass. He seems to know everything.

Yes, this blog has been through all that and today it marks the 4th anniversary.

Even if it is not immediately apparent, the arrival of the Internet and the world-wide web has been and will be essential to the reform movement and activism here. How blogs such as Dhivehi Observer has had tremendous influence on politics and political opinion is anyone's guess. It was reported on Al-Jazeera news network that blogger influence on the media, keeping a check on facts and in shaping the polls in the recent US election was as undeniable as it was important. In other words, bloggers represent an essential segment, an uncensored voice if you will, in the cross-section of opinion-formers as more and more people tune into and rely on them to provide free and unbiased commentary and news on current affairs.

Therefore, I am delighted to see the huge explosion of Dhivehi bloggers in the past years. It is an indicator of how many Dhivehin have continued to embrace technology more and more to shape our future. I believe the influence of bloggers on our country's future will gain strength in the years to come.

Understandably, there will always be people who oppose the idea of otherwise ordinary others expressing their opinions so freely and openly. I have had comments accusing me of trying to 'prove how clever and intelligent' I am hiding behind a blog and not being "out there" in the open. Such opinions are exactly what I am talking about: it is proof beyond doubt that blogs are far-reaching and far from being insignificant. If someone is bothered then we're obviously doing something to be bothered about.

Sadly, I've seen many great blogs and bloggers rise and disappear as they have succumbed to such criticism. Admittedly, the comment mafia can be nerve wracking and stressful. But all this can be overcome by wielding the sword of truth and wearing the armor of knowledge. And it is essential that where they are proven wrong, bloggers, as a matter of principle, must admit their mistake and move on. Where they are proven right, bloggers must be humble and still move on. Keeping the debate going either way is what this is all about.

I agree, keeping morale of bloggers high is difficult - especially in an atmosphere of ignorance. Ignorance arising from misunderstanding the concept behind blogs and bloggers, and what they do in the great spirit of upholding a basic human right and protecting the sanctity of that great democratic philosophy of Freedom of Expression. There will always be resistance to free speech. Understanding this is as important as understanding that different people have different opinions.

I do want to happily note that over the past few years commenters also seem to show great interest in blogs and take time to compose constructive comments. I think this is due to a rise in the number of a comparatively more intelligent audience in the blogosphere in recent times. And the comment mafia don't like that very much.

All the same, comments really are the magical mirrors of the blog - reading between the lines, exposing the flaws in our opinions, the loopholes in our ideas and in general testing the blogger to wits-end. If tackled properly they can be challenging as well as rewarding.

Remember, public opinion, blogs, the Internet are all powerful enemies of the establishment. Therefore, please do not shut up.

So. Coming back to the this blog, I must say, it has been a good ride. 4 years of furious typing at the keys hasn't gone up in smoke in vain. I admit it is time for some changes around on this blog. To that end, I am happy to announce that many new features to help readers / commenters will be implemented in the course of the rest of this year. I've already added a 'reply to a particular comment' facility.

Thank you for the few minutes you spend reading my thoughts. It has been a pleasure.

For her, life would not make any difference whoever ruled the country. I explained that now the "Raeesul Jumhooriyyaa" is "Alfaalil Mohamed Nasheed". Now, she was mildly amused and wanted to know whether this fellow Nasheed was a good man.

That remains to be seen, I told her.

Democracy, in its finest glory so far, has arrived on our doorstep today. We have a new president, first lady and a vice president. Today Dhivehin, whether for or against the new administration, have turned a fresh leaf and created history so important that the story of how today was arrived at will make much of the past 30 years insignificant decades from now. Today marks the end of one era and the beginning of another.

This historic moment and the culmination of events and the hard work that lead to today has undoubtedly given Dhivehin reason to hope for a resplendent future. A future free from tyranny and, hopefully, a future filled with opportunity for all Dhivehin.

We are about to slowly shed the old skin of submission and fear towards our leaders. As I said before we need a new way of thinking and it requires a reprogramming of our very neurons. Starting with the simple task of saying "Raeesul Jumhooriyya" without following it with "Al-Uztaz" to getting used to not seeing the face of Gayoom in all public buildings and television to eradicating the culture of corruption.

President Nasheed brings with him new promises. I personally have other expectations from him. I want to see the rule of law prevail over everything else so that justice is fairly and equally served to all Dhivehin. I want to see a reformation of the education system so that future generations grow up to be forward thinking, open-minded and capable. I'd also like to see such events as Science Exhibition brought back into the school year. To help improve and stimulate innovation and productivity in manufacturing and the crafts I want to see the Handcrafts Exhibition again.

Finally, I would like to see the use of reason and and the promotion of reason alone as the guide to formulate policy - not religion and other "beliefs".

It should be said that I approach all the positivity with much caution. Into the winds of change have been thrown dangerous elements. Elements such as the new Ministry of Islamic Affairs headed by Dr. Majeed - a man who claims to have personally witnessed a beheading in Saudi Arabia and talks about it as if it is office gossip. I fear the slow and stealthy infection of conservative and radicalised religion more than I fear the economic challenges. President Nasheed must oppose all right-wing policies for no good can come out of them.

Getting back to my grandmother's question: "Why?". We all know why we are at this point in time.

I just hope that in a not too distant future I wouldn't have to answer the same question with regard to President Nasheed.

Congratulations to all Dhivehin, everywhere.

I'm sure this is not the end of the drama. The handing over the position of the top job of the country will surely be followed by more of the pathetic attempts to hijack people's sympathy. Gayoom is really like a parasitic growth that has been feeding off this nation and unfortunately this growth has acquired the capability to show emotion at the last moment and so is supposedly sad to leave the host.

Where were your tears when several Dhivehin, your own countrymen, died in that atrocious prison shooting, Mr. Gayoom?

I mean, what's with the crocodile tears? I am getting sick to the bone seeing the man making it look like he's parting with his grandmother's heirloom or something. Only Gayoom could harbour such delusions.

Gayoom can try for the "poor old man who loved his country is sacked by the people but he still love the country" line and win a few sympathies. But Gayoom will never be elected as the president of Dhivehi Raaje again. Never.

No matter what Gayoom says there is no changing the past. There is no changing the fact that he ruled like a tyrant and lived like a king for 30 long years. I have no sympathy for this man. Not one ounce, not one atom's worth. He's got tears when HE's about to lose everything. Can we weight those few drops to the amount of tears shed by the likes of Evan Naseem's mother and countless others? There is absolutely no way!

As far I am concerned it is good riddance to him, his family and all his deluded cronies and clowns. So feck off!

What was noticeable in this election was the vast numbers of young people, those who were 18 or little older, that turned out to vote. The important milestone that lead to this was the bill that allowed the change of voting age to become 18 and above. That was, in my opinion, one of the most devastating factors that got the numbers running against Gayoom.

For many this election was never about who could run the country best or who could offer the most promising vision of the future. Yes, that was there too. But it was almost entirely about a change and this was evident in the second round when the Vote for Change campaign really took off and gave momentum to the movement. No, this election wasn't about any particular person being better than the other. Everyone knew this, including the competing parties. Except perhaps DRP. As I said in a previous post, I would vote for a doormat but never Gayoom.

The DRP comedy show

Based on the election results I strongly believe Gayoom could have pulled this off had he played out his campaign cards professionally. The fact is, the DRP campaign bandwagon was increasingly become the spectacle of ridicule and shame even amongst their most faithful followers.

Enter the DRP media team headed by that most interesting character, Mr. Ali Waheed. Throughout the campaign I made a point to actually watch their press-briefings even as I carelessly ignored most MDP briefings. I could say I even looked forward to the DRP briefs. DRP press briefings were right there at the top of those really cringe-inducing episodes of The Office (UK). Gut-wrenching comedy, horrendous irony, terrible antics and manners and fluid, disgusting rhetoric. Ricky Gervais move aside for here comes Ali Waheed!

The DRP media team should seriously think about writing for and appearing on such a TV series. It could be a sellout.

Back to the point. I have not met anyone who did not think it was Ali Waheed and his team of cranky knobs that helped to lose the election for the poor codger Gayoom. I suppose they thought that Dhivehin would never vote-in anyone else, let along Anni, in a duel with Gayoom, whatever poppycock they cooked-up.

Anni, the very ordinary

So now we have our 4th president waiting in line to be sworn-in. I should add that Barack Obama will be the 44th president of the USA - another similarity of sorts. Anyway, so people say that president-elect Nasheed is a drunkard, dribbles from the corners of his mouth, etc, etc, - in other words, Nasheed has neither the character or personality nor does he have the charisma and appearance to be president. I would like to have those of you who say this know that it is utterly unconstitutional to say that. Nowhere in the constitution does it paint the caricature of Gayoom as the most preferred type of president.

I believe leaders are created. They are created from the fusion of circumstance and environment. Perhaps it is 30 years of Gayoom rule that is clouding our mind and memory. If we go back to when Gayoom was sworn-in we find that he was armed while taking oath. There is evidence in the form of Gayoom admitting in an interview that indeed he was armed and indeed it could be interpreted as being unconstitutional and therefore invalid.

Now, was Gayoom being a great leader or a regular terrorist when he was sworn-in? Was Gayoom being a great leader or an ego-maniacal nincompoop to admit in that interview that indeed he was armed? He was the latter in both cases for sure. Comedy has a way, no? Gayoom was never a great leader when he hijacked this country in a mockery of our intellect. So what circumstance and what environment was there that was conducive for creating a great leader out of Gayoom? Not much as he created everything out of the fear of those he served: the people of Dhivehi Raaje, Dhivehin.

President-elect Nasheed on other hand has the opportunity to show what a great, people's leader looks like. Unlike Gayoom who had a running start triggered by a hand-gun, Nasheed will have something more powerful: the undeniable acceptance of the majority.

The inevitable

Mark my words, Mohamed Nasheed "Anni", that ordinary guy who dribbles from the corners of his mouth, will, as time goes by, become a loved, respected and super-star personality the likes of who this country has never seen before. Why? The new, younger generation of Dhivehin know how to do that in style, they love their hero and they are sick of pasty-faced wrinkly geriatrics in high places. Gayoom and his supporters can shut up and eat your hearts out. The future belongs to the people!

Think about it. Here are top ten reasons why I think so:

1. We've got big narcotics problems
2. We're highly religious with fundamentalist separatist groups here and there. God and country appear in the same sentence often
3. We've got presidential systems in place
4. We've had terrorist attacks on local soil
5. We're hooked to trash television
6. We're 300 thousand, they are 300 million
7. We've got a poor majority and a highly wealthy few
8. State is controlled by corporate interests
9. Level of education in grade schools low, increased unemployment, disillusioned youth, racist
10. A stringy, grinning younger man beat a senile, wrinkly codger in elections by an electorate driven by desire for change

Congratulations to Mohamed Nasheed "Anni", president-elect of the Maldives. Congratulations Barak Obama, president-elect of the USA.

Almost everyone is rejoicing the ousting of dictator Gayoom. Everyone, that is, except those that were direct beneficiaries of the corrupt regime. But I do not want to talk about them right now. I want to talk about those who feel the shackles of oppression and the weight of suppression of freedom of speech being destroyed and lifted as a result of having Gayoom ousted.

Yes, it is time to speak your mind.

I believe, freedom of expression, or freedom of speech, is the underlying foundation of great nations of the world. It is essential to the checks and balances system required for the transparent governance to be established. People speaking freely, without hindrance and without fear of persecution and punishment is necessary for truth, justice and the rule of law to prevail.

And it is for these reasons, that those who have been quiet and afraid all these years must come out and start expressing freely. One way, and by far the easiest way, is to start a blog. The Dhivehi blogging community is very strong and it continues to grow in numbers and strength. It has been a vocal participant in building the road towards reform and the transformation of this country that we're seeing today. When you think about it, even Dhivehi Observer is a blog.

So express yourself, create an account on Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. If you are uncomfortable revealing your real name you can sign up using an alias and remain anonymous. Why speak your mind to a few at meetings and coffee breaks when you can have the entire world listen to you and have your thoughts permanently etched into history?

The world is better when we replace silence with our thoughts.

Congratulations to Mohamed Nasheed "Anni", my champion of freedom, our hero and leader of the free people of Dhivehi Raaje.

Congratulations to Dr. Hassan Saeed, Buruma Gasim and Ibra without whose support we'd be in darker and vulgar times.

Congratulations to all those who worked day and night to spread the word of truth.

See, truth has prevailed today. And I am humbled by the unity and the strong will of Dhivehin. What a people we are! Dhivehin are truly Champions of Democracy and our message will echo throughout the world.

The revolution is here! Let us begin the process of rebuilding towards prosperity and peace.

What kind of change?

It is important to understand that we are not just voting for a change of power or are merely changing the person in control at the helm of this country. No. The vote to change has little to do with a person but absolutely everything to do with the people, with Dhivehin. Let it be understood by everyone, by our compatriots, friends and family, that we are changing the very neurons in our brains, freeing them from the shackles of lies and deceit of Gayoom and liberating our conscience from three long decades of darkness.

Let us tell everyone that on the morning of 11th November we will be breathing fresh Dhivehi air the likes of which we used to breath before we plunged into the dark, constricting abyss 30 years ago. Let us emerge from the cocoon of depravity and tyranny and breath the fulfilling and deep breath of freedom. And with that deep breath let us promise, on that auspicious morning, to pick up the pieces of decades of broken promises, of shattered lives, and start the slow and rewarding process of making this beautiful country the property of Dhivehin again.

An insult to human intellect

It disturbs me that those who support the dictatorship of Gayoom resort to hiding behind the concept of democracy to justify their delusion. I am exercising my democratic right, they say. I'll have those of us who think along these lines know that it is one thing to ascribe to the great time-honored ideologies behind democracy and another thing to be ignorant fools. It is not just my democratic duty but my very nature as a human to stop you from insulting the supreme intellect of humanity and making a mockery out of the great institution of democracy itself.

It is an insult on the Dhivehin that suffered physical torture the likes of which we cannot possibly fathom. It is an insult to all Dhivehin that you can lie in your tiny room that you share with two other families and not see the irony of your own situation. It is an insult on the families of those who died under the bloodied hands of Gayoom that you can cheer on without blinking an eyelid. It is an insult to me and Dhivehin, my dear deluded compatriot, that you can call yourself a responsible member of Dhivehi society.

So it is my duty as citizen of this nation to be angry, sickened and appalled by the very sight of Gayoom and his supporters. How do you weight 30 years of deceit, corruption and lies of Gayoom against someone who has absolutely no such history is beyond my mental abilities.

Let us tell our undecided friends something today. Tell them that we live in one of the tiniest nations in the world. Our population is merely 300,000. In comparison Hitachi employs over 350,000, McDonalds over 440,000, Indian Railways limited over 1.2 million and the corporate giant Wal-mart has 2.1 million employees. Million! The entire population of Dhivehi Raaje is peanuts compared to the employee base of these giants. And we think we're so big and complicated a place to manage that it requires an old fool with 30 years of experience in oppression and corruption to do the job?

Gently pat them and tell them to wake up.

Thankfully, there is great consolation to be had in the fact that during the past four years Dhivehin have already changed. Humans are by nature seekers of goodness and security. It is in our nature not to approach a slithering serpent. It is in our nature to avert danger by learning from past experiences. This is why I tell you that it is an insult on human intellect to see Dhivehin wide-eyed and in awe of a sick and dangerous man. In broad daylight these people are approaching the serpent.

Disappointments

But what is truly mind boggling is that so-called educated and learned people like minister Nasheed can digest lies and clown around in front of the old fool like a little school boy trying to please his headmaster. Is he exercising his democratic right or being a complete asshole I wonder? It baffles me to think what he could possibly gain from outrightly insulting 60% of the electorate and insulting those who have suffered at the hands of Gayoom under his watch! Enlightened and educated people see the weight of mounting evidence such as the Auditor General's reports or just a glance at history and do what is morally right. But Mr. Nasheed et. al. are below basic human morality and integrity. How else do we explain this?

At some point in his blogging life, to avert accusations from another blogger that Hill and Knowlton was behind his blog, he pointed at one of my own blog posts in which I said that I was proud to have inspired many into blogging among them Mr. Nasheed. Is not it strange that given the opportunity to do so from a high post and status in public service Mr. Nasheed has now failed to conversely inspire me or other ordinary citizens and failed to demonstrate that he takes public interest and the interest of all Dhivehin seriously?

If anything I am appalled to be left in shock at the sudden transformation of who I thought was a brilliant and patriotic son of Dhivehi Raaje. But jealousy and envy towards his friends Dr. Saeed, Dr. Shaheed and Anni and Ibra is overpowering and has reduced this brilliant man to a state of a bickering and yelping lapdog of a senile wrinkly old man.

In any case I am insulted and disappointed today to have inspired such a foolish man and proud to have not being inspired by him. If I had been, I'd probably be seen drooling and clapping at DRP rallies as lie after preposterous lie is fabricated for the benefit of a murderous dictator and his family. But why have I always been on the side of truth? Why have I never once voted for Gayoom? Why has my family and every close friend of mine and tens of thousands of people stood for the truth and against this regime? Why have we simply had enough?

A cursory glance at the front line of a DRP rally will reveal two things: a band of semi-educated fools and thugs - cronies of a failed system. In a recently rally held in Kulhudhuffushi, what appeared to be a deranged Dhivehi woman screamed in support for Gayoom saying "We will never sell our vote to anyone else but Gayoom!". Truth has strange ways of showing its pretty face, does it not?

The fact is that this regime has inspired people to rebel and come out and fight for equal justice. The fact is the majority of Dhivehin want change. And the fact is that we are in the final stages of our metamorphosis into a people's Dhivehi Raaje and there is no stopping.

I am voting for change

And today I am voting you out and opting for change by voting for Mohamed Nasheed "Anni" - the arch nemesis of Gayoom, the champion of freedom and hero of all Dhivehin.

Let truth prevail and the voice of liberation be heard. Let the fight begin!

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1842)

The chance for change to the political landscape of this country is upon us. More importantly, the chance to kick-start the process of economic, social and educational change and steer our future towards prosperity, security and betterment for all Dhivehin is right here. The chance to take control of our destiny out of the hands of a greedy and selfish few is finally here. It is time to inoculate our beloved Dhivehi Raaje against corruption, tyranny, torture, drugs and poverty. It is time to take back our nation. It is time for change.

So join this cyber campaign for change and send out a powerful message to the entire world and be part of history. Let us flood the front page of mvblogs with our message.

To join this cyber campaign simply create a new post titled

I am voting for change

And write the following in the entry body:

I am voting for change because I want a brighter and better future for all Dhivehin.

Or write your own words. It is up to you.

Thank you.

If you have any ideas to share please post a comment. Also please help spread the word via Facebook, Twitter etc.

This clandestine force I am talking about is called Maumoonism and it has all the features and qualities found in religious belief.

Maumoonism requires blind faith in its founder and an utterly awesome amount of rejection of logic and reality. It thrives on fear and ignorance. Its tools of fear are punishment and retribution. It grows on the soil of intimidation and requires a leap of faith into great unknowns and mysteries - the authenticity of which must be accepted without question or proof by followers.

Belief in Maumoonism requires complete rejection of obvious, empirical, corroborated and documented truths and instead propagates the fallacy of understanding some unknown, absurdly twisted and mind-boggling form of supposedly "higher" truth. The more absurd and illogical is something, the "higher" the truth and the deeper it's meaning.

And it looks down upon people who cannot see this higher truth.

Maumoonism is averse to criticism and will actively discredit and eliminate all critics and their work. Its foundation is based on one thing: that its founder operates above the law and common-sense but he does all that for the good of everyone as he is supremely benevolent and merciful. It requires begging to the founder for short-term benefits and waiting to see if his holiness will comply. Sort of like prayer.

Maumoonism requires absolute submission, which is why we are constantly baffled that in the face of mounting evidence against the founder and his rhetoric there are unwavering and religious followers - a lot of whom are highly educated and otherwise sane people. It inculcates a false sense of higher purpose in followers.

In fact, Maumoonism behaves like any other religion and in that regard is fighting to stay in that special place in our hearts that we give to religion.

Therefore, those of us fighting for change are guilty of apostasy to Maumoonism. We are rejecting the popular faith and embracing logical truth and common-sense of apostasy. Yes, Maumoonism is competing with Islam and it can be as fanatical and extremist.

Tolerance

Ibra writes on his blog about the growing sense of xenophobia in the run-up to the runoff elections. I have huge problems with Ibra's view on this xenophobia issue and also his stance on freedom of religion.

In bringing in support for his argument that the constitutions calls for tolerance and respect for differences in others - among which I assume are differences of beliefs - he invokes Article 36c of the constitution.

It states:
Education shall strive to inculcate obedience to Islam, instil love for Islam, foster respect for human rights, and promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among ALL people. (emphasis added by me to reflect Ibra's quote)

This seems all jolly good. But hypothetically speaking, as the constitution exercises its authority over Dhivehi Raaje and Dhivehin only, and as the articles and clauses in the same document is subject to interpretation, one could argue that by stating "ALL people" in this context it is exclusively talking about just Dhivehin - not foreigners. In fact, a cursory reading of the above article would bring to mind just that. That is, one would not read the above and immediately see "ALL people" as encompassing the citizens of earth. After all, this is not a universal declaration and is not universally authoritative and applicable.

But let's leave that there.

When we talk about xenophobia and the fabrication of fear toward people of other beliefs there is one thing we must remember before we open our mouths to condemn such acts.

Article 9d states:
Despite the provisions of article (a) a non-Muslim may not become a citizen of the Maldives.

How can we talk about xenophobia and condemn the religious fear-mongering being carried on by Gayoom without first taking a critical look at the above article? It is clearly saying that despite what is being said in article (a) this constitution is intolerant towards people of other faiths and would not allow them to be citizens of Maldives solely based on their beliefs.

What we have here is the constitution creating the "others" - a class of people different in beliefs - by mere association. A class of people now afraid of losing their citizenship. By association, it is creating the paths and laying down the foundation for xenophobia. It is identifying the "non-Muslim" as not worthy of having citizenship of Dhivehi Raaje. It is establishing discrimination and drawing lines between "ALL people" of the same blood based on their faith alone.

Now tell me, how can we be tolerant when our constitution itself fails at that miserably?

Freedom of Religion

Ibra has said many times that those who want freedom of religion must fight for their right. I think Ibra forgets that in an Islamic society - especially one that is fast becoming ultra conservative in many ways - talking about freedom of religion itself may constitute apostasy. Does Ibra forget that the punishment for apostasy is death in Islamic law? It is true, that there is no capital punishment in our law. But in Islamic societies anyone can take it upon themselves as their duty to carry out God's law. The state might not carryout the death penalty but fanatical elements in society can be more than happy to do it for the greater good of the Umma.

Why was it I wonder, that when the bill for Article 9d was tabled not one member of the parliament opposed it even when the obvious absurdity and contradictions to other articles on the same constitution was staring them in their face? Social stigmatization, being ostracized, being demonized and called names, being threatened not just by the state but by almost everyone and being targeted by fanatics - these must have been the fears of even the liberals like Ibra at that very moment. I shudder to imagine the implications as an ordinary citizen.

Is this issue ever going to be brought to the debates in the parliament? I do not think so. Not for a very long time anyway. For, the above fear of social stigmatization alone will be the deterrent and the reason why no member will ever touch this issue.

The terrific fear programmed into the minds of Muslims from a very early age regarding apostasy and therefore resignation from the fold, is far greater and vastly more effective than any Gayoom can ever hope to match. The social implications and the tide of religious intolerance is far stronger and overpowering than any Anni or Ibra can ever fight against.

Now tell me, how can anyone begin to fight for their right to have freedom of religion here?

Notes:
It must be stated that followers of other religious faiths such as Christianity or even unbelievers have a far greater hope of having their rights respected and possibly even protected if Gayoom takes the office again. This is irony Maldivian style. But this I believe is true. For based on past speeches and actions by Gayoom and the recent apostasy case against him one can safely conclude that the fear and intolerant finger-pointing that is coming from Gayoom's camp towards MDP (and the coalition at large) is just a show to garner the support of religious apologetics. In reality, I believe those who want to protect their precious Islam (and the 100% Muslim illusion) must vote for Anni as hard-line religious groups seem to be now aligned to his party. Having said that, I'd never vote for Gayoom whatever the cause.

Here is a typical scenario:

Incompetent and scared journalist (ISJ): Some people are saying that the DRP Zaeem has ordered a ban on ass-washing after taking dumps for all DRP members. What do you have to say to that?

Angry and frustrated DRP general (ADG): Toilet paper is sometimes made in Indonesia by some large factories, the details of which I don't have right now, but we are told that the plants bearing the paper flowers are not due to be in full bloom until 3021. Now, I know some people say that is simply not true. But that is because they haven't seen the underside of a dung-beetle close-up. They just want to take a "cheap shot" at something! We don't use any dung-beetles nor are we using any Indonesian masseurs!! This is outlined in our constitution which was passed sometime back. Next time ask some worthwhile questions!!!

ISJ: (shits in the pants)

Yes, I've almost lost all my front teeth due to excessive teeth-grinding as a result of watching these news conferences. What a bunch of fluffy bunnies we see as reporters. Someone please replace them with lions with teeth!

Money

Over 40% of the population falls into the low income bracket. The election came at an unfortunate time for many of the families that fall into this category. By the end of Ramadan a large number of families would have used up much of their savings and would have been scraping the bottom of their proverbial piggy-banks. The election came at this crucially deprived time when, for many families, any kind of financial help would be a welcome breath of, albeit temporary, fresh air.

There was a lot of talk of cash handouts being issued days before the vote in many islands. This depravity of Dhivehin having to always beg or depend on temporary solutions to their life's problems was also the result of decades of exploitation of ordinary Dhivehin by those in power. Gayoom took this to new heights in the past 3 decades. Dhivehi mentality, especially of those living in other islands, is one of living for today and not worrying about tomorrow. It is this simple-minded ignorance combined with the other characteristics of the typical Dhivehin - subservience and submission to authority - that have made Dhivehin vulnerable.

It is altogether possible that an extremely large percent of the 40% that voted for Gayoom simply cannot imagine anyone else in power. Some middle-aged or older women I talked to do not find it objectionable that Gayoom is corrupt or that he stole people's money. "He didn't touch my money. It's in my wardrobe even now!", they say. They don't mind begging for medical or any other welfare. They simply don't mind whatever Gayoom does as long as he appears to protect something falsely perceived to be of supreme import.

Religion

The Islamic dogma does not provide well for the tolerance of other faiths. Muslims, by virtue of their doctrine, are paranoid of other religions. (One wonders how followers of God's most superior faith are so feeble-minded.) Over the decades all Gayoom had to do was recite a few unintelligible (to the common Dhivehin) traditions from the ahadith or verses from the Quran and we Dhivehin, drooling with delight, raised him to a divine status. How can someone who is so religious ever lie or deceive? It is impossible for such a person to become evil!, are some of the thoughts.

What Gayoom did was slowly convert the genuine Dhivehin in us into paranoid semi-Arabs. That's all. He then deliberately failed to make Dhivehin even moderately religious and failed to teach religion which, of course, augments this paranoia by way of ignorance. Then he programmed the ordinary Dhivehi brain, already muddled up with religious paranoia, the popular mantra of "iraadha kurevvun".

This "Allah willing" business has made us indolent and apathetic. Dhivehin are staunch believers of "minvaru kurevvi varu" or "minvarah eemaan vun" or whatever life of drudgery and poverty we endure we believe that's what Allah has ordained for us so we must accept it. What? The kids haven't had a meal for two days? Sit back, relax, something will come up. And up comes cash handouts from Allah's warrior sent to Dhivehi Raaje: Gayoom (alayhi salaam), who, incidentally, needs nothing in return but a tick on a piece of paper.

Just listen to what Gayoom said on that TV talk show! You and I might laugh at him for blaming Allah for his failures but I wouldn't be surprised that the majority of Dhivehin thought it to be an excellent, justified explanation. Apparently Allah wasn't on Gayoom's side during his 6 terms in power when he was trying to do all these good things for the pious Dhivehin. Allah didn't want Gayoom to succeed. But during each election time Allah worked with Gayoom to iraadha kurevaigen get him reelected. I don't know which one of the two has the more twisted sense of humor.

Do not be shocked. How else do you explain that? This is the case in almost all majority Muslim countries. Islam gives certain powerful tools that those in power can exploit and boy do they exploit them. Dictatorships and monarchies along with extreme poverty, backwardness and ignorance are popular with Muslim countries for a reason. Gayoom exploited this loophole to new heights.

Today

We Dhivehin have always needed a father figure to look after us and give us tiny rationed handouts in time of great need. We're used to that. And times of great need are plentiful because that's the work of our beloved leader as well. And for that to change it will take time. Perhaps another 30 years.