Islamic preacher Ibrahim Fareed arrested
The Last Resort
Miskiy Meehaa (pseudonym)
Maldivian Islamic preacher Ibrahim Fareed was arrested in Malé on
Saturday 8 June at 3.15 p.m. Later, the National Security Service took
extra clothes from his house, indicating he will be held for an
extended period.
Fareed was attracting large crowds of several thousand people to a
recently opened mosque near the New Harbour area. Several days ago he
was summoned by the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs and warned
about his lectures which focussed on the themes of Islamic behaviour
and Sharia law. Fareed was warned that his lectures were threatening
'peace and harmony'. In that case, he replied, Prophet Muhammad's
words threatened 'peace and harmony'.
Lectures in Maldivian mosques can only be given with the permission of
the Supreme Council. These speeches usually occur after the evening
prayer. Fareed had received permission, and after this warning he was
relegated to the status of reserve speaker, badhalu gai. On the night
of Friday 7 June, the large crowd at the mosque included NSS officers
in plain clothes.
After the arrest people commented that a similar situation exists in
Egypt where many Islamic preachers have been gaoled. Others were
prompted to reminisce that one of President Gayyoom's former teachers
at Azhar University in Cairo had visited Maldives a number of times
before falling out of favour. He never returned to Maldives and is
believed to have emigrated from Egypt.