Maldives Says Islamic Identity Is Crucial To Protect National Unity

Last August, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief issued a report strongly critical of the Maldives for its lack of religious freedom. The report said that in the country, the concept of national unity appears to have become inextricably linked to the concept of religious unity. Minivan News reported yesterday on a response to the report. On Tuesday, Maldives Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Hassan Sobir, addressed the UN's Human Rights Council, saying: "It is of paramount importance to the Government of the Maldives to maintain our Islamic heritage and identity and to protect the national unity and harmony that flow from it...The current challenge facing the Maldives is therefore to preserve our identity and unity while at the same striving to conform to international standards."