A 2 Billion Dollar Church in Maldives :: Dhivehi Observer

Editorial
A 2 Billion Dollar Church in Maldives - desperate propaganda from the dictator's parrots

A.S.I.Moosa (Sappe'), Dhivehi Observer, 10 April 2005

When anyone opposes and criticises the dictatorship of Gayyoom, they get labelled by his lackeys as traitors, terrorists, fundamentalists and/or Christian missionaries. Dhivehi Observer, Maldivian Democratic Party and other opposition organisations have been blamed by Gayyoom and his top officials for trying to spread Christianity in Maldives and attempting to destroy the religious unity in the country. Gayyoom's cronies claim the opposition is fully funded by Christian organisations with the objective of converting Maldives to their faith.

Dhivehi Observer and MDP have categorically denied these allegations on several occasions but there are still some locals who have this fear. They are not convinced that the objective of these organisations is only to hold Gayyoom accountable for the atrocities that he has committed against the Maldivian people and install a democratic government through multi-party elections.

The opposition groups do not use Islam as a means to get to further their objectives, whereas Gayyoom has preached that no matter what he as an Islamic Leader does, according to Islam we have no right to question him! Gayyoom has preached such nonsense through his clerics, who treat Gayyoom as a god. At the forefront of this blasphemy is the head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affair Sheik and Chief Justice Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim, who is a pandering servant of Gayyoom, and a cleric who like Gayyoom needed 25 years of training in Egypt and Saudi Arabia to obtain a basic degree in Islamic Sharia.

Senior government officials who have little interest in religion, like Education Minister Shaugee and Trade Minister Yameen, have also spread these 'Christian' rumours to the public, in addition to the propaganda Gayyoom spreads to the remote islands of the Maldives.

These allegations have no basis whatsoever and no evidence has been presented by the regime, apart from obvious lies and rhetoric.

On 7 April, an article in Haveeru Daily News (read the article written in Dhivehi) reported Sheikh Rasheed, the head of the Supreme Islamic Council, saying that a Christian missionary group named Jafwaa attempted to build a US$2 billion church in the Maldives in 2000. He also said that the group's headquarters is in the country that claims to be the most powerful in the world. He refused to name the United States of America; the allegation was part of the larger propaganda he spreads to save his master Gayyoom. Rasheed claimed that several international organisations assisting Maldives with tsunami aid after last December's devastation, also distributed missionary items such as Dhivehi translation of the bible.

This Christian missionary thing has been going on for years in Maldives well before Dhivehi Observer and MDP were formed in 2003. Many believe that it is Gayyoom allies like his Executive Director of Palace Adam Naeem, Hudhuasurumaage, who initiated this last wave of Christian missionary activities through his AMDC Clinic in Male'.

Islam has been practised in Maldives for nearly 900 years. The Maldives rulers officially converted to Islam in 1153 and the vast majority of Maldivians are strong believers. "A few copies of Bible are certainly not going to shatter our belief," said a social worker who studied in UK from the age of 10 and went to British schools and universities. He now lives in Maldives and remains faithful to Allah.

These allegations connecting Christian missionaries and the Maldives opposition movement are nothing but utter rubbish. The two billion dollar church (there in no church that has been built with 2 billion dollars anywhere in the world to date) is a fantasy, and further proof that Gayyoom and his slaves are desperate and ignorant people. Why would the Christian missionaries want to spend billions converting one of the world's smallest countries with less than 300,000 people who have been Muslims for hundreds of years?