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Scholars Defy Government On Veil Ban

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By Minivan News
October 21, 2007

Religious scholars are openly questioning President Gayoom’s right to define Islam in the Maldives, as the country divides over how to deal with religious extremism.

The government appointed Supreme Islamic Council, “has not yet decided,” whether to implement an instruction from Gayoom to ban the full veil.

The Adhaalath Party has called on supporters to defy the ban, the first time the conservative Islamic party has called on supporters to disregard a Government directive.

The crisis has been precipitated by draconian measures proposed by President Gayoom in response to the September 29 explosion in Male' which injured twelve tourists.

Gayoom has called for a ban on foreign clerics preaching in the Maldives, and a law to criminalise words or actions likely to encourage extremism.

In a speech last Saturday he warned extremism will not be tolerated, “in the name of freedom and human rights,”

But ten days after the Supreme Council received a letter from the President instructing it to enforce a ban on women covering every part of their skin, the scholars’ body says it has not decided how to respond.

Gayoom, himself an Egyptian educated Islamic scholar, rode to power in 1978 promising to establish true Islam in the Maldives. He set up the Supreme Council to promote state approved Islam and has controlled religion in the Maldives since.

But the Government’s response to the apparent Islamist attack on the Maldives’ lucrative tourism industry has led several scholars to call for a fundamental change in the relationship between the Maldives state and mosque.

Last week Sheikh Rasheed, the Supreme Council chief, said presidential control has left his body powerless to fight extremism. Rasheed has backed a private members’ bill to make the Supreme Council independent with statutory powers of its own.

The call has been echoed by the Adhaalath Party, who say the Government must empower scholars to reform religious dissidents rather than criminalising them.

The conservative Islamic party has called on supporters to ignore the ban on the full veil, saying it amounts to an attack on Islam.

Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, who is head of Adhaalath’s scholars committee as well as a Supreme Council member said the veil is, “a part of Islam,” with disagreement only about whether it is “required or optional.”

Doubts have surfaced within other Government agencies charged with fighting extremism, about the effectiveness of the President’s proposals.

Fayyaz Ali Manik, dean of the Government’s Sharia Law Faculty, which the President’s office claims harbours extremists, said he was “surprised” by the allegations.

He said the Government’s use of the word extremism lacked clarity. “If wearing black dresses and veil is extremism then it should be said clearly.”