So long 'Shaatey'

Yes, 'Shaatey' is dead & buried. Finally. I was never proud of the name anyways. I picked it only because my preferred option wasn't available.

I've to say obtaining a custom domain was a great idea. I found the domain I wanted, got rid of 'blogspot' & it only cost me $10 for an year's subscription on blogger.

Will be back with a proper post very soon.

toodle-o
me

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Maumoon’s favourite hobby revealed…

The Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem is a liar. A barefaced liar.

I mean it was only days ago that our former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom proclaimed that he never misused a single penny from state funds. So obviously the AG cooked it all up. Maumoon will have a strong case against AG should he consider filing a lawsuit.

Really.

Anywayz the Presidential Palace’s audit report was a delightful read. I’d say it’s deliciously eye-opening. We all knew the Palace was using up a great deal of the state funds but this is the first time the bare facts are laid before our eyes since the place’s inception in 1994.

The report is crammed with gape-inducing figures but here’re some that particularly caught my attention:

1) 7 Mercedes Benzes at the Palace for the President alone. Hilath called up earlier asking me the same question I’ve in mind, “What the heck was he doing with all that?” I’m guessing it must be his favourite hobby: collecting Mercedes Benzes.

2) Redefining ‘welfare funds’. This is really the saddest part. All this time we were under the misguided impression that it’s the regular, destitute people who are entitled to this. Hell no! They don’t need that. They’re doing totally fine in their impoverished state. It’s Maumoon’s relatives, friends, ministers & senior officials of his regime who were getting the better of the ‘welfare funds’. Already well-off but they were endowed with tens of thousands of dollars for their
5-star accommodation in Singapore, 5-star living expenses & 5-star healthcare while a regular person received tickets to India or Sri Lanka & $300 for their entire trip.

3) $7m for the yacht. Need I say more? Yes. That’s almost a 100 million Maldivian Rufiyya for heaven’s sake. Amazing.

4) 60% of state subsidies received by DRP members. Coincidence perhaps.

5) Rf1.1m ($85,603) in “Traveling Expenses” for the 19 who accompanied Maumoon to pilgrimage in 2007. Now I realise that it’s not only official diplomatic trips that need large contingents.

Such extravagance, such exploitation, such blatant disregard for grassroot welfare.

Once again Maumoon has launched his all too familiar defenses, “It’s simply not true” & “Strategic timing by Auditor General to influence the election”. Well, as AG said, he does what he has to do when he can do it & that’s international best practice.

I’m interested though to see the detailed response Maumoon has promised to disprove AG’s findings. That’ll surely be an uphill task.

*image from http://www.airports.com.mv/about_maldive1/places.htm

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those disgraceful bastards

You know, I'm just completely & utterly disgusted after reading this article about Al-Qaidha-linked jihadists rejoicing the earthquake that hit Italy on Monday.

One comments "O Allah, keep the earthquakes and tragedies coming - cursed be Europe, Israel and the United States", while another read, "At last they have had their dark days too. O Allah, kill them and leave them destitute vagabonds."

Now, what kind of mindset would make you rejoice in the tragic death of hundreds of innocent people? How would those jihadists feel if their friends & loved ones are killed by a catastrophe & Christians sing jubilant chants to celebrate the tragedy that struck the "enemies of Christianity".

If there's one thing I can't stand, that'd be disregard to humanity. What did those Italian women & children who died did to hurt Islam? Go about their daily lives? & what about the possibility of muslim casualties among them?

You rejoicers are disgraceful & you give a bad name to Islam.

Those who described this earthquake as "divine punishment" for "the enemies of Islam", here's a little history for you. Muslim countries have been subjected to some of the deadliest earthquakes ever to be recorded, claiming the lives of hundreds of folds higher number of people than the 300 who died in Italy:
- Pakistan, 2005. 73,000 deaths
- Iran, 1990. 40,000 deaths
- Iran, 2003. 26,000 deaths
- Iran, 1997. 1,600 deaths
- Afghanistan (allegedly the hub of Al-Qaidha), 1998. 4,000 deaths

Iran remains amongst the countries most susceptible to earthquakes along with Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population. The Tsunami killed the most in Indonesia.

Now, what were those incidents all about? God's answer to the enemies of Islam as well??
It's just the way tectonic plates work. This time it happens to be the Italians. Next time, maybe you. Just be grateful that you're alive & quit celebrating the unfortunate loss of innocent lives in the name of religion.

* Update (17/4/09): Earthquake hits Afghanistan killing atleast 25 people & destroying more than 200 homes.

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history repeats in aneh dhivehi raaje

when Maumoon blocked the anti-regime DO and handed life sentences for writers of Sandhaanu years ago, we pushed forward for democracy & press freedom in the country more relentlessly than before. It paid off ultimately. the state had no choice but to give in as the sentiments of hatred reached boiling point especially after the ruthless murder of Evan Naseem by the cops.

it was only then, 25 years after being in authoritative control, maumoon inititated the democratic reform process.

since then we've enjoyed a freedom unimaginable years ago. gone were the days when reporters and artists were taken in & tortured for expressing even a hint of rebellion.

but now, like a lot of other writers & advocates of freedom of speech, i'm mad cos censorship is starting to take its toll on expression once again. the ministry of islamic affairs is blocking websites that deem unislamic.

among them simon's blog 'randomreflections'. i was a regular at randomreflections but i never felt it was anti-islamic. radicals may think so but i never recalled the author saying anything offensive against islam & i like the fact that the blog opened many issues of religion for discussion.

this is a sad day for democracy.

i'm a believer of islam & i've good friends who arent. they have their basis for disbelief & i've no problems with that. in any case the debate between faith vs science should prevail cos it's a healthy one & it remains a firm test of humankind's ability to accept & tolerate.

yes our country is grateful to Anni & MDP for what we're experiencing today. they deserve due credit for pioneering the long march for freedom. that's why Anni is the top man now.

however when his regime abandons the very ideals the long march was founded upon, it has to be subject to serious scrutiny.

this is a direct result of the growing islamic fundamentalism in the country. i was just reading how Adhaalath & other religious hardliners consistently threatened writers of women's magazine Rasrani since it's inception. even businesses pulled out their ads & the magazine ceased to exist after just two publications. read the details here.

Rasrani wasnt politically or religiously motivated but the fact that it was operated by women & advocated women's rights made a certain fraction of the society uncomfortable.

moreover little girls are kept away from school by their parents who believe a woman needs no education & they belong at home. now that's a whole new discussion by itself.

it wouldnt be a surprise if Anni defends this censorship. afterall many believe he got the edge over Maumoon by playing the religious cards right, which ofcourse was orchestrated by Adhaalath. He owed Adhaalth a substantial degree of authority which he offered by handing them the ministry of islamic affairs.

it was only a coupla years ago when Aishath Aniya, the then MDP's deputy secretary general was blasted by radicals even to the extent of death threats when she published an article on dismissing the veil. Anni & MDP remained silent about her situation & showed no support for her. eventually she resigned from her post.

further, Anni had to renounce Dr. Aminath Jameel as his running mate at the last minute after the religious fraction of MDP declared it was an inappropriate position for a woman. the fact that he didn't stand by Dr. Aminath Jameel clearly showed he would succumb to the pressures of islamic fundamentalists even if it meant going against his will.

this really is a scary thought.

the MDP coalition always insisted on rayyithunge verikan (people's rule) throughout their campaign. i clearly remember Anni saying in a campaign speech, "i'll step behind the people, listen to their chants & repeat it." Now here's a chant we want you to repeat, among others: "we want full freedom of speech. it's a basic human right."

image from my flickr

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yesss!

yesss! three down. how many more to go??

this is only a short update cos i was just reading haveeru online & was delighted about the arrest of the two guys linked to Fazeel case (you might wanna refer to my previous post)

cheerios & will be back on blogsphere once i'm home in a few days...

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