Speaker Nasheed: Stop using religion for political gains

Speaker of the Parliament and former President Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday called to stop using religion for political gains within the Parliament.

While speaking on amendments to the Public Finance Act during the Parliament session, MP for Maavashu constituency Mohamed Saeed stated that it was mandatory to speak about the slander of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). He added that submissions on this would not be accepted by the Parliament.

At this point, Nasheed asked MP Saeed to stop talking and said that was disheartening for the members of the Parliament as well as Maldivians to see religion being used as a weapon for political gains.

“Taking religion as a weapon and using it for political gains in the Parliament is not only distressing for members. It is distressing for all the citizens of Maldives. So I ask yet again for members not to do that.”

On June 6, the Parliament rejected the emergency motion submitted over the Maldivian government’s failure to condemn India’s ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) spokespersons’ slander of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The emergency motion was filed by Maduvvari MP Adam Shareef Umar.   

A total of 43 parliamentarians took part in the vote to decide whether to accept or reject the emergency motion. The emergency motion was rejected by the votes of 33 parliamentarians; with only 10 parliamentarians voting to accept it.