Maldives Sees Competing Protests Over Islamic Law

MALE, Maldives (AP) — Thousands of Maldivians protested Friday in the capital calling on the government to enforce strict Islamic law, while government supporters held a counter rally against what they call religious extremism.

More than 3,000 people heeded a protest call by the opposition Adhaalat, or Justice, Party and several other religious groups that accuse President Mohammed Nasheed’s government of compromising principles of Islam.

“Islamic Shariah is equal to peace,” read some placards carried by protesters. “We elected you to rule according to Shariah,” read others.

Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party also rallied supporters to defend a “moderate” stand.

Nasheed had earlier claimed that the real intention of the protesters is to introduce Islamic penalties such as stoning, amputations and executions, though the protesters have not specifically called for them.

Maldives is an Indian Ocean archipelago of 300,000 Muslims that prohibits practicing any other religion.

Though the country is known more for its exquisite island resorts and does not allow stoning or executions, it is under scrutiny for absence of religious freedom and punishments such as public flogging.

A blogger who called for religious tolerance has been detained for more than a week by authorities accusing him of blasphemy and of promoting anti-Islamic concepts such as gay rights.

Blogger Khilath Rasheed, whose website was blocked last month, has said he was being victimized because he belonged to the Sufi sect of Islam not the majority Sunni branch recognized by the authorities.

London-based human rights group Amnesty International has named Rasheed a prisoner of conscience and called for his immediate release.

Nasheed speaking to his supporters said the Maldives has followed a moderate form of Islam for centuries and he saw no reason why they should change.

Debates on religious issues have become prominent in the country in recently since a group vandalized a monument gifted by Pakistan marking a South Asian summit last month with the image of Buddha. Buddhism was part of the present Islamic republic’s ancient history.

Also there has been an angry protest against United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay after she called on Maldives last month to end punishing women who are found to have had sex outside marriage by flogging.