MDN implores authorities to investigate death threats

Maldives Democracy Network (MDN) has appealed to authorities imploring them to investigate the death threats being received by the members of the organization in the wake of a controversial report named “The Preliminary Assessment of Radicalization in the Maldives” published in 2015 that recently hit the headlines.

A statement issued by the organization condemned the repeated and constant death threats targeted for the organization’s members and employees. MDN also stated that these death threats were a result of the contents of the report that showed how much religious extremism, terrorism had taken hold of the country and the details of these activities included in the report. MDN also accused that these death threats were made to bar an investigation into the activities noted in the report.

The statement also acknowledged that the language used in some parts of the report were not appropriate and noted the apology issued by the organization to the public for this. MDN was also cooperating with the authorities on the investigation according to the statement and that blasphemy and mockery of Islam was not something endorsed or accepted by the organization.

MDN’s statement follows a large public outcry to nullify to the organization, detain and punish the members of the organization behind the composition of the report. Many have accused the organization of publishing irreligious content, harassment and mockery towards the Prophet Muhammed (SAW). The report included some content that refuted and belittled some principles of Islam and criticized the actions or Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW).

With MDN calling for the death threats made against the organization to be investigated, the calls by the public to ban and punish its members have not quelled and has resulted in the issue catching the attention of some international organizations and associations.