Alhan

Adaalath Party has responded to the statements of Alhan Fahmy, the Vice President of ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) claiming that Adaalath had violated the Noble Quran in terminating its coalition with MDP.

In a gathering of MDP held last Friday, Alhan Fahmy had said that Adaalath’s decision to terminate political cooperation with MDP was against the tenets of Islam, and therefore prohibited under Islamic law. Alhan, representing Feydhoo Constituency at the People’s Majlis, heavily criticized Adaalath Party, quoting the meanings of Quranic verses and trying to prove on their basis that Adaalath had violated Quranic injunctions.

In response to Alhan’s criticism, Imran Abdullah, President of Adaalath Party said that the issue did not call a verdict of prohibition or permissibility, and that he did not believe Alhan to have the credence of issuing such a religious verdict in a public place.

Imran said that pronouncing opinions on prohibition and permissibility in matters from a religious perspective was something that only highly qualified religious scholars could do, and that Alhan’s statements were outrageously inappropriate. Imran also said that such actions would only work to harm the reputation of Alhan himself.

“Under the Law on Protecting Religious Unity, what he did is a criminal offence. He can be prosecuted for that, although that decision belongs with the public”, said Imran.

According to the Law on Protecting Religious Unity, only a person carrying an official authorization from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs can pronounce religious verdicts or give religious addresses in a public platform.

Imran said that his party’s decision to break coalition with MDP was not a religious decision, and that it was purely a political decision, which was induced by MDP’s repeated failure to live up to the terms and conditions of their union.