MALDIVES 5
The government prohibited the importation of icons and religious statues, but it
generally permitted the importation of religious literature, such as Bibles, for
personal use. The sale of religious items, such as Christmas cards, was restricted to
the resort islands patronized by foreign tourists.
Under Majeed Abdul Bari, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs took several steps to
increase its control over the ways Islam is practiced in the country. For example, in
April 2009 the ministry started a program to promote religious awareness in
schools; however, the program promoted only Islam rather than an awareness of
other religions. Miadhu News reported the program aimed to create a disciplined
youth who "love the religion and the country" and respected their parents.
In February 2009 President Nasheed inaugurated an independent council of
religious scholars called a "fiqh (jurisprudence) academy." The council consisted
of 17 religious scholars, all of whom were appointed by the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs. The council's stated purpose was to debate religious matters, issue fatwas,
and link with fiqh academies in other countries. The vice-president of the academy
stated one of the aims was to tackle religious divisions in the country. During the
year, the Fiqh Academy released two regulations, one on how to use the translation
of the Qur'an published by the president's office and the other banning public
places of worship for people of faiths other than Islam. The council held regular
meetings.
During the reporting period, the ministry banned religious groups from holding
separate Friday prayers. A member of one prayer group stated the fixed prayer
time of 12:35 p.m. was not Islamic. Instead, the group prayed at the time of the
first call to prayer, which depended on the lunar calendar. The ministry justified
the ban, stating that separate prayer groups violated the Protection of Religious
Unity Act that was intended to promote religious homogeneity.
The Telecommunication Authority of Maldives stated that since 2008 it blocked 11
Web sites containing anti-Islamic sentiments and pornography at the instruction of
the Ministry for Islamic Affairs. Three of the Web sites – www.rajjeislam.com and
two blogs – were unblocked in April 2009 after their publishers and authors agreed
to remove objectionable content. The blocked Web sites included a blog called
Random Reflections and a Dhivehi and English-language Christian Web site.
According to Minister of Islamic Affairs Abdul Bari, the election of President
Nasheed's government provided a mandate to stop "un-Islamic" conduct. Steps
were reportedly underway to close "discos" in Male to prevent members of the