In the thirty years of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration his children were more or less invisible to the general society. They held political positions but were never active in politics. This is especially true when it comes to protests. However, with the changing tides and President Maumoon’s shift to the opposition, his two children, Ahmed Faris Maumoon and Yumna Maumoon finally changed the long held views on them and begun to appear on the frontlines of protests.

When opposition Jumhooree Party Leader Qasim Ibrahim was arrested and brought back to Male’ for his remand hearings, the siblings were in the crowd protesting the arrest near Salsa Royal area. A sign of changing times indeed. The sights, sounds and experience of Friday’s protest were in stark difference to their lofty upbringing.

Both Faris and Yumna faced the coming crowd of Police officers armed with shields; they were armed with posters. They stood in the same ranks as the public, experienced the same things. This is probably the first time the two had experienced pepper spray.

While the siblings are on the forefront, their other siblings are firmly within the Government. Dunya Maumoon currently serves as a Deputy Ministry at Health Ministry, while Ghassan serves at President’s Office.