Mohamed Nazim, Ma. Eynaaz (38) from Male’ claimed himself as a non-Muslim tonight at a gathering held by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
Capture: Nazim talking to Dr Zakir Naik
The man claimed his religious status to the public during the Questions and Answers time slot given by Dr Zakir Naik – a famous Indian religious speaker invited to the Maldives by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
Dr Zakir Naik and Nazim had a brief heated debate regarding the questions posed by Nazim on the apostasy case in Islam.
The exact words of Nazim: Dr. Zakir Naik, (Zakir Naike’), I am a Maldivian, I am still struggling to believing in religions, that’s why I came in from of this raw, I was born as a Maldivian, my parents taught me the religion of Islam, they are good practitioners actually, I read a lot of books, I have read the translation of Quran, yet, still I don’t believe the religions, so what do you see as my verdict in Islam, because Maldives is definitely Muslim state?.
Nazim asked the above question and the whole crowd was silent to learn what he was asking, even the moderator seems to be shocked, he then requested Nazim to repeat the same question above and he clarified it to Dr Zakir Naik with a defiant manner.
After the said non religious claim by the previously unnoticed man heated the atmosphere of the crowd, attended well over 15,000 people to listen to the religious lecture organised by the Adhaalath powered Ministry of Islamic affairs.
At the end of the lecture the extremists tried to manhandle the self claimed Non Muslim man and chanted death to the man. The police force was quick to respond and taken the man to their nearest police post located nearby the Stadium.
Reports says that now the man has been moved out from Male’ to the Dhoonidhoo detention facility for his safety and for further questioning regarding his non religious claim.
According to the Maldives constitution, all Maldivians are strictly required to follow the religion of Islam.
Nazim and his Girl friend Anikó Gombos
Video: Part:1
Video Part:2
Latest Update:
As requested by the Police, Criminal Court has extended the confinement period of Nazim for five days to investigate the case. Meanwhile public anger is mounting very high and has never been this worse against a Maldivian in recent history regarding a religious issue. Various reports says that the Islamic Ministry even created a task force to deal with this home grown infidels.
Update:
Nazim reverts to Islam today 1st June 2010
More updates ahead…
@Dhona
Sigh, you are a strange and angry woman. If you don’t like the religious homogeneity in the Maldives you should get yourself an education and leave the country, I will do it soon. Study hard, get good grades in school and college so that you can get a good international job and never look back. Now are you done being belligerent to me when I only have your best interests at heart. I am not abusing any claim to authority I have over you…only Mullahs do that. I am simply making a suggestion, which is part of my right to free expression…no?
Also you might do well to understand that in the context of Maldives, religious freedom is an individual right whereas our law is designed for the COLLECTIVE. “Salus populi suprema lex”….look it up, sometimes the right of the individual gives way to the welfare of the community.
first of all rules are there to be broken.. law and constitution will always change… and change will always come either you want it or not.
secondly i am a strange woman…ans even i know that… but not an angry one but passionate about what i do! my expression of passion might seem as anger to you.
you think i should get myself “AN” education, just because you think i am not educated enough. for you education might be about good grades in school and college.. for me education in knowing the reality of the situation..not some covered up book theory. i guess your getting yourself that education since your planning to leave soon for an international job… i am guessing you wont end up helping people in a refugee camp, because i sense your more of a person who likes to talk about big new ideas (Advertisement) and end up not implementing them.
you know funny thing about me and you… you have to get the education to get a job and i have already been in an international job with out any academic background. i didn’t even do my o levels, and i was helping out on countries curriculum in an international job.
do you know why you need book education and i don’t… its because i didn’t read but i have seen a woman living with 10 kids in one single room in male. her oldest son 19 sells drugs and 17 year old girl is a prostitute. why they are doing this… because they need money to feed.. to go to school and live in a big house like you.
people like you don’t do anything for the society but you commenting on places like this anonymously makes you feel like your playing a very big role in shaping the society.
you might prefer to dress in black and study hard in schools and colleges because you think that’s what makes a person and his or her education to live freely or even to be intelligent to get a good job.
if your willing to give more suggestions be ready to know why your suggestions are so oddly naive to me!
even if i get thousands of international jobs… i would end up working for Maldives because that’s what i want to do with my life… if i am to work… and if this makes you think i am an angry or a stubborn woman i think maybe who your thinking about is not me… its about yourself.
i suggest if you personally want to advice me in specific you should better write to me on my mail or blog and do me the favor of not coming back here to talk about this. because now as people like you wished nazim has covered himself in a hijab (not literally speaking) and put up a flag for his own safety, and the government of course pleased him to do so and its over!!! for this page. i know for you its not over because you still kind of think i am your rival or something and you want to continue… if so do as i mentioned before… i love debates too that doesn’t make someone an angry person!
oh one more thing…
“If you don’t like the religious homogeneity in the Maldives”
seriously? this is what you came up with!!!
@Dhona
Sigh, I called you angry because you seem to think I was insulting you; I wasn’t. Relax.
Tsk Tsk, you make all these assumptions about me…I am not rich, don’t live in a big house and I don’t look down on anyone with a lesser education than me. Now there is formal education (book learning) and informal education (personal experience) and I have a lot of BOTH. All I’m saying is that a whole lot of these debates tend to be acadaemic in nature…and the better you are versed in different (i.e a formal education) the better you can argue your position. No, you are not a “rival”, in fact I like you in an amusing motherly sort of way….I dont know who you are, or what your blog is, if you tell me then we can continue this conversation elsewhere.
Also most of my educational choices have been tailored to a career where I can help the poor…specifically countries such as India or African countries, not for the benefit of some dumbass theocracy. I may not be a patriot but I am concerned about other people and like it or not “book learning” as you crudely call it can help, the fields of economics and sociology can all yield tangible benefits and I am also willing to get my hands dirty. No, I dont look down on people with a lesser education than me, so I suggest you don’t look down on people who like to read.
Stop being mean
@Dhona
“oh one more thing…
“If you don’t like the religious homogeneity in the Maldives”
seriously? this is what you came up with!!!”
Yes it is and it’s the advice that I live by…you seem to think I was insulting you. I am not….but face reality, you don’t have enough like minded people on your side to be at the vanguard of some misguided movement for religious pluralism. Tell me, what exactly did Nazim “accomplish”
And you need to be nicer to me.
They are like rats of our society. Now what do you if you have a rat problem. You get rid of the rat.