I recently attended a naming ceremony and heard the recitation of a Mauloodh after a long time. I forgot how beautiful it is. Recently there have been various debates on the practice of reciting Mauloodh, whether it’s a good or bad thing to do. I’m not exactly sure of the doctrinal facts behind the arguments, but I’ve personally always liked it. There’s a powerful and yet soothing element to the strong male voices reciting those verses, that make you just want to stand still and listen.

I’m not the most pious of Muslims, but I have never doubted the existence of God. My boyfriend, however often accuses me of being extremely irrational because I refuse to get into arguments or debates about Islam with him. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, or maybe I’ve taken the fearing aspect of the God fearing issue too much to heart. It may be superficial to not doubt anything in words and yet do it unwillingly by not performing certain required acts, but that unquestioned base respect seems to be deeply ingrained in me.

Religion, although not shoved down my or my family’s throat, has always been significant, as I’m sure is the case for most Maldivians. In the Maldives, Islam is a constant. Passing the boundaries of doctrine, it is also a cultural and social entity that surrounds our every day movements. We have been known as a country of moderate Islam, and yet the debates on religion in the current political environment diverge from one extreme to another. Religion is a political weapon of immense power and proportions, and lately the central focus of the pros and cons between Anni and Maumoon have been exactly that, the future of Islam in the Maldives.

Initially, this issue arose because of anti campaigns that were launched against the opposition, which have been ongoing for over 4 years. Any opposition is labelled as individuals or organisations against Islam. This would be Maumoon’s Islam, the version he has defined as the moderate Islam of the Maldives. Hence, the opposition can be Christian missionaries, Jewish sympathisers or Wahaabees, take your pick. Actually, Maumoon, Ali Waheed and Co. will do it for you.
Now, ours is a country where the constitution clearly stipulates in Article 10 that Islam is the religion of the country and that all citizens are required to be Muslims. Thus, trying to obstruct the place of Islam in the country is unconstitutional. So, logically, you would think that anyone contesting for the Presidency would be aware of this fact and not try to bring in another religion. Dear citizens, or dear 40% it cant even be that easy to do.

Then there’s the question of “ageedha”. Arent peoples’ ageedhas strong enough to resist a ‘covert conversion to Christianity?’ Or is the ageedha strictly limited to the symbols- buruga, closing shops for bangi or reciting an elaborate solawath? Surely the appearance of a buruga cannot be claimed as being very religious. After all the buruga is usually accompanied with super tight skinny jeans, high heels and a whole lot of makeup. Not that there’s anything wrong with this combination. After all you can never judge the intensity of a person’s faith by their outward appearance. It will always let you down.
Actually, this is what annoys me about the politicization of this religious debate. It diverges into such extreme camps, making you pick sides which don’t really fit into your beliefs. For instance, last night the DRP held a show (I cant call it a rally, it really was a show) which was unbearable to watch. Season, Niuma and the rest of the DRP’s gang of actors and singers performed for about three hours, dancing, singing and gyrating in skin tight, glittery outfits to their adoring fans in blue. This spectacle was interrupted by Maumoon, where he gave a speech on religion and how he has been the man who has strengthened Islam in this country. He recounted how he travelled to many Islamic nations to seek funding, in order to build the Islamee Marukaz. He also then accused the opposition of having links with Christian missionary groups. It was your typical, DRP attack at the opposition, but what made tonight special was that the hypocrisy of Maumoon’s words were given special illumination by the acts that were put on before and after his speech.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with singing or dancing, in fact if I could carry a tune, I would be out there doing it, but for Maumoon to claim that the opposition will destroy Islam in this country, after that spectacle was laughable. Well it was to the opposition. I’m not quite sure the same goes for the 40% who voted for Maumoon. Sometimes it feels like the nature of the opposition or MDP’s Aneh Dhivehi Raaje campaign was too clean. The policies, pledges, and press conferences did not gain precedence over the shaking and twisting bodies of Suneeta and Niuma. Maybe we should have wrapped the policy papers around their bodies and then put them on stage. Nevertheless, what is sad is that no matter how much the opposition speak of religion and no matter how much the opposition try to direct the focus to issues, all the DRP have to do is point their figures and say “they are Christian missionaries and this time the vote is to choose between a church and a mosque”, and Maumoon’s 40% will scream and cheer and continue to dance.

How do you counter this meaningless drivel? Maybe you cant? Does the opposition try to show themselves as being even more religious than Maumoon? Do we get our friendly beards, Adhaalath and of course lets not forget Dr. Hassan Saeed to get up on stage and see who can recite the most ‘ayaih’ and ‘hadiths’? Adhaalath gets up on stage on an alliance platform and says, women shouldn’t become judges and shouldn’t contest for the Presidency, strictly contradicting the constitution and the MDP Itthihaad’s policies. Sheikh Hussain Rasheed talks about Maumoon’s faith and then questions why his wife and daughters arent veiled? Or his colleague will talk about how Maumoon’s government has destroyed Islamic faith in this country to the extent that you now see couples all over each other on the street, which was not an image you used to see before in the streets of Male’. Is that really what we want to reduce the religious debate to? Speaking about the burgua, I personally would rather go along with Maumoon’s than Adhaalath’s version, and whats wrong with a little love on the streets? Its better than seeing someone being stabbed.

Lets not kid ourselves, Maldivians have never been the most strict followers of the faith. We have an external impression which is portrayed by the 100% Islamic state statistic, and then we have a subculture of sneaking around, which slightly reduces this 100%. Is the country ever going to be ready to debate about the issue of religion in a moderate manner? Probably not for a long time. The global trends do not allow it and neither does our local political context. Until then, the opposition will present Adhaalath and BA Naseem and Maumoon will call everyone against him Christian missionaries, while doing whatever he wants.

30 years in power has allowed him to say whatever he wants, and not back it up with anything credible. 40% of the country have shown that they do not require their leader to be held accountable, that his actions do not have to back up his words and that receiving a Dhivehi translation of the Holy Quran along with some money is a sufficient portrayal of someone who will protect the faith. In addition to the sense of fear that he has helped to establish, there is also the idea that without Maumoon life as they know it would disappear. Here’s hoping that they soon realise that their strength of faith is something they control, and not something controlled by the head of state, be it Anni or Maumoon.