Ministry announces decision to dissolve MDN
5 ނޮވެމްބަރު 2019 | އަންގާރަ 07:07MDN was placed under temporary suspension by the Youth Ministry in October
The controversial MDN report is deemed to contain disrespectful content that mocks Islam
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment has announced its decision to dissolve Maldives Democracy Network (MDN).
The decision was revealed via a statement, after Maldives Police Service (MPS) forwarded their initial assessment on the “Preliminary Assessment of Radicalization in the Maldives” report by MDN to the ministry on 1 November.
Police declared that the report, in fact, consists of content that is disrespectful and mocks the religion, ridicules Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and tarnishes Islamic tenets.
MDN was placed under temporary suspension by the Youth Ministry in October.
This comes at a time the opposition coalition has been holding protests calling to ban MDN, arrest its officials and strip them from government positions.
The call is joined by Islamic scholars as well as the opposition coalition.
A total of 115 councils have released statements calling to ban the organization following the surfacing of the report, which was initially publicized in 2016.
Opposition has been calling for MDN officials who fill government posts, to be sacked and for the resignation of Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Hameed.
The controversial MDN report, for which it has since apologized, is deemed to contain disrespectful content that mocks the religion, ridicules Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and tarnishes Islamic tenets. Although the report was publicized in 2016, it came into the spot light recently and has churned public turmoil, with several social media users calling to take action against MDN.
Although police have issued summons to several MDN officials over the matter, none of them have turned up.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih earlier assured that the issue will be "thoroughly" investigated and that "appropriate measures will be taken as stipulated under the Maldives constitution.”
The government and authorities have expressed concern over particular groups misusing the situation and inciting hatred, provoking violence and creating public disorder, in the name of defending Islam.
