Muslim Protesters Vandalize Monuments Donated To Maldives By Other South Asian Nations

The 17th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was held on Nov. 10 to 11 in Addu City, Maldives.  In connection with the Summit, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka donated monuments to the Maldives.  Both monuments were promptly vandalized by protesters who claim the statues are idols that are illegal to import or display in the Maldives. The monument donated by Pakistan was set on fire and later stolen. Two men have been arrested in the incident.  However, according to Minivan News yesterday, Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla said the monument "conflicts with the constitution of the Maldives, the Religious Unity Act of 1994 and the regulations under the Act because it depicted 'objects of worship' that 'denied the oneness of God'." The paper reports further:

The religious Adhaalath Party and the party of former President of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), have declared those responsible for destroying the monument to be “national heroes”.

The Sri Lankan statue, a lion (representing Sri Lanka's national symbol), was doused with crude oil, according to as separate Minivan News report yesterday. Ahmed 'Marz' Saleem, PPM Council, member filed a complaint with police against the Maldives Customs Department for its allowing "idols" to be imported into the country. He says the importation violates the Police Act, Customs Act, Contraband Act and the Religious Unity Act.

UPDATE: According to Haveeru News Service (11/17), the Maldives Islamic Ministry has ordered the Foreign Ministry, the President’s Office and Addu City Council to remove monuments displaying irreligious graphic content. The Pakistani monument is the clearest example. However the President's press secretary said that "returning a gift given by another government is not an easy thing to do."