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Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom is the 'biggest and the only terrorist' in the Maldives
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Editorial - Friday, 3rd September 2004
"Free countries do not export terror. Free countries listen to the dreams of their people. By serving the cause of liberty, we're helping others and we're making our country more secure. By serving the cause of liberty, we're helping to spread the peace that we all want. By serving the cause of liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals of our country. Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world" George W Bush
For over 26 years Gayyoom has terrorised the people of Maldives with illegitimate use of force and arbitrary arrests. He has undermined the constitution of Maldives time and time again, whenever it suits him. His government is mired in nepotism and corruption. There is no freedom of speech, association and assembly. There is no rule of law apart from his will. There is no free press. He rules the most peace-loving people in the world with absolute terror. Maldivians are now talking about resorting to violence, and the world must pay attention to their cause. They want to get rid of Gayyoom by any means possible. Thousands of family members and pro-democracy activists in the Maldives who have tasted the torture and cruelty of Gayyoom, are talking the language of violence. Maldive pro-democracy elements abroad are not able to communicate with all these people because even websites are blocked. People are scared to speak on the phone or reply to an SMS message. Violence is inevitable if Gayyoom continues his torture methods. The world must act before it is too late.
Amnesty International, among others, has reported and recorded Gayyoom's brutality and crimes since early 1990s after the arrest of the pro-democracy writers of Sangu and Hukuru magazines. Then, respectable people were detained and subjected to torture and ill-treatment for years without trial. The US State Department has documented the human rights abuses in the Maldives, but no action has been taken to solve the problem. So, what is to be the fate of the Maldivians?
Every Maldivian knows how Gayyoom rules with a brutal national Security Service who see it as their duty to defend their commander-in-chief at the expenses of the lives of the Maldivians they are supposed to protect and guard.
Gayyoom has terrorised our people for over quarter of a century and the world still just stands by, watching his moves and waiting for diplomacy to take effect. Our families are arrested and tortured, and all we can do is wish them well and hope for a quick release. This is because our people fear this brutal murderer Gayyoom who does not hesitate to beat young people to death, shoot unarmed civilians with automatic rifles, and detain people indefinitely without charge for years. No one should tolerate this kind of terror and cruel action against any person, nor matter who they are or where they are from.
George W Bush, the President of the United States of America, the greatest and most powerful nation today, said last night in his speech to the Republican Convention: "Free countries do not export terror. Free countries listen to the dreams of their people. By serving the cause of liberty, we're helping others and we're making our country more secure. By serving the cause of liberty, we're helping to spread the peace that we all want. By serving the cause of liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals of our country. Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world".
I believe this is a clear message to dictators like Gayyoom who are the real terrorists and the root cause of terrorism because it is cruel treatment of their population that provokes decent people to violence. When all hope is lost, what chance is there for rational thinking?
I call upon President George W Bush to relieve the people of Maldives from the tyranny of Gayyoom and to help us live in peace and liberty, let the people of Maldives enjoy freedom and democracy. The only terrorist in Maldives is Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. Please terminate his terror campaign, for the good of humanity. Free us from this tyranny and let freedom reign in Maldives too. Dear President Bush, please match your words with good deeds, show the world your commitment to eradicate terrorism. Let this be the age of freedom and liberty for all humanity.
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