Male, July 28 (NIE): The Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has said that forces which are jealous of his rule, are trying to force Islamic Maldives to allow the practice of other religions.
In his Independence Day address to the nation on July 26, Yameen said: “Every day the government is pressured to allow religions other than Islam. Every day there are warnings of an imposition of sanctions on the Maldivians, because we enforce Islamic Sharia and teach Islam in schools.”
“There are traitors who are jealous and want to disrupt the country’s peace, beauty, and development,” he added.
Yameen noted that his government has made the holy Quran a compulsory subject in the national curriculum for the primary stage.
“One of the most important goals of this government is to ensure that from 2017 onwards, every student who finishes the primary stage will have completed the Quran,” he added.
The President recalled that some people (like his present day detractors) had invaded the country with a group of Tamils on November 3, 1988. The assurance these Maldivians had given to the Sri Lankan Tamil terrorist group was that they would create a safe haven for it.
“Today too, we see the same work being done day and night by a group of Maldivians in self-exile. They call for a boycott of Maldivian tourism. They obstruct investments and foreign assistance; call for sanctions on Maldivian citizens; invite foreign powers to trample on Maldivian independence and urge abandonment of Islamic principles,” Yameen charged.
According to him, research shows that the developed countries in the world took to democracy after building their countries.
“But in the Maldives, the work of bringing democracy started before building the Maldivian state. We should accept that we have lost a lot of time since the pro-democracy movement began in 2004,” Yameen said.
Death Penalty
On the re-introduction of the death penalty ,the President said: “While some countries are unhappy with the implementation of the death penalty in the Maldives again, others are expressing concern about the impartiality of the Maldivian judiciary.”
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“But given the Islamic Sharia and the Maldivian constitution, enforcing the death penalty is not the job of the country’s ruler now. In Islam, the punishment for deliberate murder is death. This is stated clearly in the holy Quran. Therefore, enforcing the death penalty to implement the legal system is a must,” Yameen said.
Referring to foreign interference in the Maldives, he said: “Just as we respect the domestic independence of other countries, they should also respect our domestic independence.
The international community led by the West and human rights groups keep harping on the shortcomings of Yameen’s rule.
No Truck With ISIS
Disapproving of Maldivians going to Syria to fight for the Islamic State, Yameen said: “ No matter how few, those going to Syria and participating in acts of terrorism in the world, are by each such acts, blasting a hole through the defensive fortress of the Maldives.”
He warned that participation in such crimes will only “invite the influence of others on the Maldives.”
“Even if some believe that this is done in their individual capacity, the whole Maldivian ummah shares the consequences. Therefore, as we believe that measures against terrorism and extremism need to be further strengthened, a specialized institution had been set up to work with neighboring countries fighting terrorism. The government has submitted a paper to the People’s Majlis to debate and decide upon further steps,” the President said.
Economic Diversification
Yameen noted that the Maldives is depending overly on tourism .The country has no power over the tourism industry and is therefore vulnerable.
“Work must start on broadening the economy and increasing investments in other sectors. Job opportunities must be increased and the reins of the economy must be in the hands of Maldivians,” he said.
