Being a tourist paradise, liquor is on sale at the resorts which have come up on some of the uninhabited islands. Restaurants patronised by foreigners in Male also sell liquor. From the government view, such sale is a pure revenue measure. But the opposition is not ready to buy the line. It is targeting President Mohammed Nasheed though the tourist orientation of the economy predates his regime.
No surprise, therefore, President Nasheed is at the receiving end of Adhaalat (Justice Party) and several other groups; the charge is that his government is compromising principles of Islam; with its inability to blunt the criticism, the charge appears to stick. Nasheed supporters staged a ‘counter’ rally after the Opposition protestors left for home. But it was not an impressive show.
Maldives is not an orthodox Muslim state. It, however, prohibits practicing of any other faith. In recent years Deobandi school of Islam practiced in Pakistan has spread its influence to Maldives and this has given birth to a new stream of Madaris, and a wave of what may be called Islamism amidst calls for enforcement of Sharia. Viewed against this backdrop, the demand for demolition of SAARC monuments – one of them set up by Pakistan itself and it carries the image of Buddha– becomes a cause for concern because the protestors see the monuments as idols. Buddhism is a legacy of entire South Asia, though only two countries Bhutan and Sri Lanka practice it.
If Male protestors are equating replicas of historical monuments to idols which are worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists for instance, shows the depths of indoctrination they have been subjected to. What such youngsters need is counselling but it is a far cry in the political milieu Maldives, a country of nearly 1,200 islands and some 300 thousand inhabitants, finds itself today.
Maldives traditionally practiced moderate Islam. For valid reasons. It cannot afford to shun the tourists from liberal western economies since tourism is the country’s economic lifeline. Maldives cannot go backwards to the Stone Age. To build its economy, it needs not grants in aid but foreign investment, and for this a healthy investment climate is necessary.
President Nasheed has a tough task on hand. He should handle the situation carefully. Resorting to strong arm methods practiced by his predecessor Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who at one time was the longest serving leader in Asia, will not give him any dividends. Any form of religious intolerance, like, for instance, victimising Sufis, as was done recently, and blocking access to Internet sites or blogs – one instance was reported in November will make the opposition taste blood and that will be a call to harden their position. It will defeat President Nasheed’s efforts to usher in a transparent administration that respects the rule of law.
Since politics and economics are intertwined these days across the globe, Nasheed should focus more on an economic turn around of the country and cash in on the political advantage that comes as a by-product.
