by Azra Naseem
A deviation today from the usual focus on Maldives’ insane politicians: the spread of revolutionary Islamist thought in the Maldives, and some of its regional implications. This week I went to a conference in New Delhi about culture as a factor in regional cooperation in South Asia. These are some of my thoughts and observations from the conference.
The Maldives’ ‘State of Emergency’ is fast becoming a distant memory. France, tragically, had reason to declare a real one on 13 November. It opened the eyes of many to the circus that Yameen called a State of Emergency in Maldives. Others, however, saw the Parisian calamity as a chance to ‘mock’ MDP opposition which—in an inspired move—ridiculed the Gayooms’ state of ‘calm and normal emergency’ by inviting everyone to a tea-party. The Mad Hatters didn’t get the memo, and have never got the joke. Hence the following response to the Paris attacks from MP Dr Abdullah Khaleel, ‘the most educated man in the Majlis’:
It is time for the Opposition of France to run for Kullikalhu! pic.twitter.com/MOJ2i0Wplp
— Dr Abdullah Khaleel (@abkhaleel) November 14, 2015
*Kullikalhu [Sudden/Emergency BlackTea] is the name MDP gave to its tea party
The sniper who wasn’t
Azra Naseem
One thing certain about this Yageen government is that everything is uncertain. You can rely on nothing. What is promised rarely appears, and what appears rarely lasts. The State of Emergency turned to be as transient as a senior cabinet minister in Yameen’s government. It was boldly arrived at, emphatically announced for 30 days, but was timidly gone in four. What has to be written now instead of a developing story is history.
Last ‘chapter’ ended with Yameen’s 45 minute tirade absolving himself of all blame and placing it all squarely on the rounded shoulders of his ‘fondest VP’. Shortly after, things began to spin out of control. It was as if the president was on a bad acid trip he could not escape. Everyone was out to get him. Snipers, bombers, witches, soothsayers, sharp shooters…they were all coming at him. When a president with an army at his command and an armoury at his disposal has a bad trip or an episode of intense paranoia, the consequences can be markedly different from when an ordinary person has such experiences. Everyone is forced to live the President’s nightmare. So here’s what happened next.
Forensic Hocus Pocus