MDN suspended following controversy over 2016 report
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment suspended MDN, from October 10
A petition was also launched online, to ban MDN
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment has suspended Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN).
While clubs, associations and organizations are registered under the ministry, it said that the decision to suspended MDN was reached as the group is being investigated for the anti-Islamic rhetoric used in a report.
MDN’s ‘Preliminary Report on Radicalization in Maldives’ report was released in 2016, but recently made headlines with sections of its 125-page circulated on social media.
The ministry said that the human rights group was suspended from October 10, under Article 39 of ‘NGO Bill.’
While the MDN report has been subject to public scrutiny for days now, the group has apologized for the language used in the report. MDN said that the report will be revised “with assistance from religious scholars.”
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has also released a statement on the matter, assuring the public that the matter will be "thoroughly" investigated and that "appropriate measures will be taken as stipulated under the Maldives constitution" to ensure religious unity.
He added that Maldives "will not permit any attempts to tarnish the name of Islam or the Prophet PBUH."
Police said that the case against MDN is being treated as "high priority", and gave assurance that those behind the report will be held accountable.
