Former president Nasheed refuses to clarify the

Former president Mohamed Nasheed has refused to clarify his interpretation of an “alternative narrative” in Islam.

At a press conference held in Mookai Hotel today, Sun Online asked the former president for his interpretation of the remarks he made Copenhagen last April when he had said that an alternative narrative is needed to counter the radical Islamic viewpoint.

When asked repeatedly, the former president said that “a MDP government will fully protect Islam in the Maldives.”

“What I have to say is that a MDP government will fully protect Islam in the Maldives. That is one of our basic principles. In relation to what was said in Denmark, I’d have to say that in a MDP government, Islam will be fully protected,” former president Nasheed answered.

In a question and answer session during his lecture titled “The Maldives: Will democracy prevail,” on 16th April 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark, a member of the audience asked the former president whether he could try to explain the struggle between progressive and reactionary thinking in Islam.

Nasheed had answered by saying that the increase in momentum of the ideologies is due to the liberal Muslim's inability to provide an “alternative narrative” to counter the radical Islamic viewpoint.

“What the radicals are doing, they have an answer for everything, anything. You can ring up in the middle of the night and say “Sheikh. I’m not able to sleep.” And then the Sheikh would give you a Hadith, and a revelation on what the Prophet did, and what God has prescribed on sleeping in the middle of the night. Then you go back to sleep. We don’t have a help line. We don’t have an alternative narrative.” Nasheed stated at the lecture.

When Sun Online asked about the allegations against him by Sheikh Ilyas Hussain that the former president had refused say the proper prayer (salawat) for Prophet Mohamed, former president Nasheed said he has always said the prayer for Prophet Mohamed and that he will continue that practice.

“We have to say salawt for the Holy Prophet. As far as I know, it is to say a salawat for the Prophet. We have to continue to do that… we will always continue to do it,” Nasheed said.

During a sermon at Artificial Beach on the 1st of this month, Sheikh Ilyas Hussain said that, when former President Nasheed was asked to praise God for his blessings and say a prayer for Prophet Mohamed, Nasheed had made remarks that would “make a person’s blood boil.”