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Slain Blogger’s Dad Wants India to Check Intolerance in Maldives

India should help the people of Maldives, says Yameen Rasheed’s father.

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Yameen Rasheed, 29, was stabbed to death outside his apartment in Male, the capital city of Maldives, last month. A popular blogger and a democratic rights activist, Yameen had been receiving threats for quite some time.

In his critical commentaries of the Maldivian government, the 'disobedient writer' made starkly clear his scepticism towards their every move. His blogs ran on common themes of religion, incompetence of Maldivian police, and thorough scrutiny of the ruling leaders whose international dealings are bringing corruption into the country.

Well, sure, God himself freely mentions Christians and Jews right there in the Qur’an. But in his infinite majestic wisdom, he chose not to include any illustrations in there, thus allowing weak-willed Maldivians to remain steadfastly Muslim.
Yameen, in his blog ‘Daily Panic’

Yameen’s father, Hussain Rasheed, was in New Delhi recently to campaign for justice for his son. Ironically, before his death Yameen had vociferously demanded justice and accountability for the mysterious disappearance of the Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan.

Maldives has seen at least 18 killings attributable to political and religious reasons in the past three years. For a country with a population of roughly 4 lakh, this is a huge number. The number of journalists and activists leaving the country fearing persecution is steadily rising.
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Hussain, too, left Maldives for India when his English-medium school in Addu, founded in 1983 amidst great resistance from the authorities, was shut after seven years.

He migrated with his entire family as harassment and charges of blasphemy had become a routine affair under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s regime. His own children, too, needed access to quality education.

Yameen studied in India before he went back to Maldives, like many of his compatriots with a dream to build a new country, when democracy was restored with Mohamed Nasheed being elected as the president in 2008.

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Yameen had been receiving threats just before he was stabbed but he chose to withhold this information from his family. Hussain, as a concerned father, was worried about the growing intolerance and violence in Maldives. Notwithstanding, he encouraged Yameen to continue expressing his ideas.

“I was apprehensive but I did not stop him from writing on democracy and other things. Somebody has to be there to talk about it.”  
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Yameen had complained to the police about the threats he had received. After his death, his friends gave a copy of the complaint filed on Dec 22, 2016 to his father. Hussain rues the fact that his son never shared the same with him.

I would not have left him there in Male. I’d have taken him somewhere.

Hussain has little faith in Maldivian government and police. After all, they did nothing to save his son despite complaints. Precious little has been done after a month of his death. The Maldivian media has also gone almost silent.

Hussain suspects that it is due to the government's coercion. He wants India to step in and check the rise of fundamentalism in Maldives.

India thinks that it is enough to have an arrangement with the Maldivian government for the security of the Indian Ocean. Support base for ISIS is growing in Maldives, something can happen in India also. If there is a free and fair election, the current government will not even have 5% of the popular vote. Indian government should come and help the people of Maldives.

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Topics:  Maldives 

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