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Pres speaks out regarding MDN report

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has assured that the government would take action on the report ‘Preliminary Assessment on Radicalisation in the Maldives’ published by non-partisan NGO, Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN).

In the statement published on President Solih’s social media on Monday, the President asserted that observing and respecting the holy tenets of Islam is a fundamental facet of Maldivian society and is stipulated under Article 10 of the Maldives Constitution. He further noted that any attempts to tarnish the name of Islam or the Prophet PBUH will not be permitted in the Maldives, and that the allegations against MDN, relating to the aforementioned report, will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate measures will be taken as stipulated under the Maldives constitution.

The President also appealed to the public to continue to conform to holy directives and principles of Islam and unify in peace and solidarity.

The report titled "Preliminary Assessment of Radicalization in Maldives" assessed how 'radical' Islam was practiced in the Maldives, describing Islam and Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) in derogatory terms, and in contradiction with the principles of Islam.

The contentious report issued in 2016 challenged principles and teachings of Islam in the Holy Quran, and disrespected Prophet Mohamed (PBUH).The report outlined several verses from the Quran and 'hadith' - (record of the traditions, actions or sayings) of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) as examples of ideas included in school text books that contribute to promulgation of radical worldviews.

The contents of the report have prompted harsh criticism from the public and religious scholars, with scores expressing their outrage and concern on the report. MDN has since apologized for the contents of the report, and retracted it from their website. While the organisation has stated that they are working with Islamic scholars to revise the report, some members of the organization have defended the report on social media platforms.