MALDIVES: NON-MUSLIMS TO BE BARRED FROM CITIZENSHIP?
Nihan Zafar
On 7 August, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the President of the Maldives and Asia’s longest serving ruler ratified the amended constitution of the country. It culminated a process of constitutional amendment that lasted for four years. Maldivians are lucky this time because when Gayoom came to power in 1978 he initiated a constitutional amendment that lasted for 17 years from 1980 to 1997.
The amended constitution provides the people with several civil rights such as freedom of expression and assembly. However, the constitution prevents non-Muslims from becoming citizens of Maldives, curtailing freedom of religion in the country. Even though the government claims that Maldives is a 100% Muslim country, bloggers and rights activists have been voicing concerns about the citizenship clause for a while.
More:http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/14/maldives-debate-on-amended-constitution/
Nihan Zafar
On 7 August, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the President of the Maldives and Asia’s longest serving ruler ratified the amended constitution of the country. It culminated a process of constitutional amendment that lasted for four years. Maldivians are lucky this time because when Gayoom came to power in 1978 he initiated a constitutional amendment that lasted for 17 years from 1980 to 1997.
The amended constitution provides the people with several civil rights such as freedom of expression and assembly. However, the constitution prevents non-Muslims from becoming citizens of Maldives, curtailing freedom of religion in the country. Even though the government claims that Maldives is a 100% Muslim country, bloggers and rights activists have been voicing concerns about the citizenship clause for a while.
More:http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/14/maldives-debate-on-amended-constitution/
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