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Dhimmi laws in the Maldives: Non-Muslims won't be second-class citizens; they won't be citizens at all. From Inspire Magazine:
The Maldivian constitutional assembly has passed an amendment stating that “none, except Muslims can be Maldivian citizens”.
According to the Barnabas Fund, an organisation that supports the persecuted Church, the implementation of this amendment to the constitution means that a number of Maldivians will lose their citizenship and become stateless. In the Maldives it is illegal to practise any other religion than Islam.
While there are a few Christians in the country among the expatriates, there are also some Maldivian Christians, converts from Islam, who would lose their citizenship. Although the current constitution does not specifically mention this, any person who follows, preaches or simply reads texts of other religions is punished until he or she turns to Islam.
Under President Gayoom, whose autocratic regime has recently come under attack, militant Islamism has become more widespread. After a bomb explosion earlier this year, which injured a number of tourists and was attributed to an Islamic militant group, the president promised to take measures to combat Islamic extremism. This seems to contradict this latest amendment to the constitution.
Indeed. In the aftermath of recent jihadist bombings, do they think this gesture will make them safer? Or are they attempting somehow to balance the recent crackdown on Islamic militancy?
More information from the Maldivian Democratic Party:
Non Muslims are to be denied Maldivian citizenship in the new Constitution, after 78 members of the Peoples Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) voted on 19 November 2007 in favor to approve an amendment that requires all Maldivian citizens to be Muslims. Prominent Maldivian lawyers have expressed concern following the passage of the clause in the new Constitution stating fears that the prerequisite to be a Muslim for Maldivian citizenship would create complications. Lawyers predicted that the new clause would deprive a number of current citizens of Maldivian citizenship, resulting in some Maldivians becoming stateless after the proclamation of the new Constitution.
“Under the existing Constitution, every child born to a Maldivian mother or father is a Maldivian citizen. But we know there are non-Muslims among them. There are such children living in Australia and Europe. They have Maldivian passports. Under the existing Constitution, it is possible for a foreigner of another faith to become a Maldivian citizen. Therefore, with the passage of this clause, a lot of Maldivians will be stripped of citizenship the day the new Constitution comes into effect,” Member for Seenu Atoll and prominent lawyer Mr. Husnu al Suood, told reporters on 19 November 2007. Other lawyers have noted that Islam allowed Muslim men to marry Jewish and Christian women and that the new clause would suppress the rights of such spouses.
Posted by Marisol at December 12, 2007 7:39 AM
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...a few terms come to mind...racism, stupidity, hate, ignorance, intolerance, violence, 7th century mentality, anti-social tendendacies, mental disorders, and a few others.....but throw them all into the pot and boil them down...you may discover you have Islam.....
Ban Muslim Immigration...
Posted by: exsgtbrown![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 12, 2007 7:52 AM
If you can't convert 'em, make 'em non-citizens!
There is no freedom of conscience in Islam. According to the values that form Western civilization, we will never negotiate the right of an individual to believe in what they choose. Having said that, things don't look so good in Europe.
Posted by: tanstaafl at December 12, 2007 9:59 AM
"the president promised to take measures to combat Islamic extremism. This seems to contradict this latest amendment to the constitution"
No contradiction here. He did take measures -- he gave them EVERYTHING THEY WANTED. What's the matter with you? Don't you know that that's how you make peace with Islam? Do EXACTLY what they say, and no one gets hurt.
In America, we call that the Mafia.
Posted by: PersonOfTheBook at December 12, 2007 10:16 AM
Check out the Maldives ministry of tourism site:
Maldives...the Sunn(i) side of life.
"Things to do:
Not only do you discover aspects of the planet denied to most people, but you make a lot of good friends as well!"
Classic.
-XRDC
Posted by: XRDC at December 12, 2007 10:20 AM
The West can learn something from Maldives. But it will refuse to do so.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at December 12, 2007 11:08 AM
Having one of the highest birth rates in the world does not bode well for the moon worshippers in the Maldives. The Rapa Nui effect is taking it's (a)toll.
(ok, that was bad I'll admit...)
-XRDC
at December 12, 2007 11:12 AM
I wasn't planning on visiting any time soon, now I never will.
Posted by: johnb at December 12, 2007 11:42 AM
Greetings:
"All animals are equal. Some animals are more equal."
Posted by: 11B40 at December 12, 2007 1:47 PM
I wonder if the folks at the University of Pennsylvania will be making adjustments to their codification project to accommodate this new law. All they really need to do is copy and paste the Nurenburg Laws.
Posted by: DrMack at December 12, 2007 3:07 PM
Isn't this apartheid, but concerning religion?
Why isn't the Maldives being treated in the same way that South Africa was for racial apartheid?
Posted by: Voltaire at December 12, 2007 6:44 PM
Clearly something like this happening was being signalled back in August when the Justice Minister and the Attorney-General both resigned. The A-G, Hassan Saeed, co-authored a recent book, "Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam".
From the back cover "This book argues that the law of apostasy and its punishment by death in Islamic law are untenable in the modern period. The law of apostasy conflicts with a variety of foundation texts of Islam and with the current ethos of human rights, in particular the freedom to choose one's religion [...] the authors discuss arguments by prominent Muslims today for an absolute freedom of religion and for discarding the punishment of apostasy."
It is sadly ironic that a Muslim holding these views feels no longer able to arrest the direction his country is heading in and must resign:
Cabinet Resignations Rock Government
By Ajay Makan
August 5, 2007
at December 13, 2007 3:40 AM
Clearly something like this happening was being signalled back in August when the Justice Minister and the Attorney-General both resigned. The A-G, Hassan Saeed, co-authored a recent book, "Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam".
From the back cover "This book argues that the law of apostasy and its punishment by death in Islamic law are untenable in the modern period. The law of apostasy conflicts with a variety of foundation texts of Islam and with the current ethos of human rights, in particular the freedom to choose one's religion [...] the authors discuss arguments by prominent Muslims today for an absolute freedom of religion and for discarding the punishment of apostasy."
It is sadly ironic that a Muslim holding these views feels no longer able to arrest the direction his country is heading in and must resign:
Cabinet Resignations Rock Government
By Ajay Makan
August 5, 2007
Attorney General Dr Hassan Saeed and Justice Minister Mohamed Jameel have resigned from the government in a massive blow for the reformist credentials of President Gayoom.
The two ministers have been in charge of drafting and enforcing laws since Gayoom appointed them to the cabinet in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
But both men today said the President had obstructed reformist legislation. And, in a direct attack on the President, Jameel told the press, “I entered government to serve the whole country, not just one person. My conscience does not allow me stay in the cabinet.”
Justice Not Served
The resignations were submitted at 2.30pm this afternoon, and Saeed and Jameel arrived at Daabaurgue for a hastily arranged press conference just after 3.30pm.
“I have resigned because the reform agenda, which I joined the government for, has failed, and it is not appropriate for me to stay in the cabinet,” said Dr Saeed, who is considered the architect of the reform agenda, alongside Foreign Minister, Dr Shaheed.
Former Justice Minister Jameel was even more blunt: “Justice is not served in this country. The system works to protect the rights of the few.”
Obstructive President
Both ministers accused the President of obstructing reform.
“I have had to approach members of parliament to put forward reform bills as private members,” Dr Saeed said. “It is a very sad thing for the Attorney General’s Office to have to go to an opposition MP to pass legislation.”
Dr Saeed said President Gayoom had blocked decrees on an independent judiciary and freedom of assembly.
Jameel said, “the President has not done enough to control extremist Islam.”
“We submitted an action plan to control religious extremism, but the President has sat on it for six months,” added Dr Saeed.
New Maldives?
Dr Saeed and Jameel were leading members of the "New Maldives" group of young minister brought in to write and deliver the reform agenda in 2005.
The New Maldives ministers have said reform is best pursued from within the government and maintained President Gayoom is generally committed to reform.
But now Jameel and Saeed say the President has deliberately obstructed their work..."
more at
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=3492
at December 13, 2007 3:44 AM
The results have not been slow in coming. All the Italian press have reported the case of an Italian woman tourist who was viciously raped in the Maldives and discovered to her horror that there is no law against rape there. The Maldives live on tourism and Italians are a particularly large proportion of the tourists. This will surely put a dent in Maldives tourist revenues, especially if such accidents are repeated (as seems to be expected).
An even jollier prospect is global warming. The scariest predictions have the low-lying Maldives ending up under water in a few decades. Now THERE's a nice thought...
Posted by: Paolo at December 14, 2007 3:59 PM
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