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Justice Party (Maldives)
Encyclopedia
The Adhaalath Party is a political party
in the Maldives
.
The Adhaalath Party was registered as a political party in August 2005, when political parties were allowed to operate for the first time following widespread protests for democracy. The party is believed to have taken their ideals from the Ikhwaanul Muslimeen or Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. In some local media news agencies in Maldives, the party is described as "an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood movement of Egypt."
The party's first president is Sheikh
Hussain Rasheed Ahmed
.
After the party-backed candidate lost in the first multi-party presidential elections in 2008, the party joined a coalition of opposition parties in the runoff elections that ousted the former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom from power.
The Adhaalath party members dominate a newly introduced Ministry of Islamic Affairs
, headed by prominent party leader Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari.
The party failed to win any seats in the subsequent parliamentary elections. However, one party member, Abdul Muttalib, won a seat running as an independent candidate.
On 3 June 2011, the party held its second internal election to elect a president and vice president.Sheikh Imran Abdulla was elected as party president and Dr Mauroof Hussein was elected to serve as its vice president.Sheikh Imran was the only candidate that contested for the position of president and Dr Mauroof was the only person contested for the position of vice president.
, which has been threatening Islam
in the Maldives after the introduction of democracy.
The party has been repeatedly accused by leaders of both major parties of abusing religion for political purposes. Adhaalath Party leaders have accused former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom of not being a Sunni Muslim; however, the courts controlled by the dictatorship of Maumoon dismissed these charges as baseless.
In January 2009, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, for the first time, ordered restrictions on New Year DJs in the capital city of Male'.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs released a statement saying that religious discussion should be made only by religious scholars, prompting for the first time in Maldivian history the freedom for religious scholars to base their verdicts based on the quran and sunnah to make the pathway to establish laws which Islam has called upon.
In 2009, the Minister of State for Islamic Affairs, belonging to the Adhaalath party, proposed that 2 million[what currency?] from the annual Zakat (Islamic charity) be diverted to a TV channel devoted to religious programs. The party justified it as being funds for the "Cause of Allah
" (Fi Sabeelillah). This idea was halted by the pro-secularist MDP and DRP. Other criticisms of the party include that the party has no known manifesto
or economic or foreign policy.
Since 2010, the party has a special women's council and a youth council which will contribute to the future of the party. The party states that according to Islamic Shariah, women "may not" run for leadership roles in the case of higher ruling orders such as presidency yet this is an advice from Muhammad. The Maldives constitution says that if any law contradicts the Islamic Shariah it cannot be implemented.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
.
The Adhaalath Party was registered as a political party in August 2005, when political parties were allowed to operate for the first time following widespread protests for democracy. The party is believed to have taken their ideals from the Ikhwaanul Muslimeen or Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. In some local media news agencies in Maldives, the party is described as "an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood movement of Egypt."
The party's first president is Sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Hussain Rasheed Ahmed
Hussain Rasheed Ahmed
Hussain Rasheed Ahmed is a Maldivian Sunni Islamic scholar and political leader, currently is the Minister of State for Islamic Affairs of the Republic of the Maldives...
.
After the party-backed candidate lost in the first multi-party presidential elections in 2008, the party joined a coalition of opposition parties in the runoff elections that ousted the former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom from power.
The Adhaalath party members dominate a newly introduced Ministry of Islamic Affairs
Ministry of Islamic Affairs
Ministry of Islamic Affairs can refer to:* Ministry of Islamic Affairs * Ministry of Islamic Affairs...
, headed by prominent party leader Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari.
The party failed to win any seats in the subsequent parliamentary elections. However, one party member, Abdul Muttalib, won a seat running as an independent candidate.
On 3 June 2011, the party held its second internal election to elect a president and vice president.Sheikh Imran Abdulla was elected as party president and Dr Mauroof Hussein was elected to serve as its vice president.Sheikh Imran was the only candidate that contested for the position of president and Dr Mauroof was the only person contested for the position of vice president.
Criticism
The Adhaalath party has been criticized by pro-secularists for standing up against secularismSecularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
, which has been threatening Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the Maldives after the introduction of democracy.
The party has been repeatedly accused by leaders of both major parties of abusing religion for political purposes. Adhaalath Party leaders have accused former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom of not being a Sunni Muslim; however, the courts controlled by the dictatorship of Maumoon dismissed these charges as baseless.
In January 2009, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, for the first time, ordered restrictions on New Year DJs in the capital city of Male'.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs released a statement saying that religious discussion should be made only by religious scholars, prompting for the first time in Maldivian history the freedom for religious scholars to base their verdicts based on the quran and sunnah to make the pathway to establish laws which Islam has called upon.
In 2009, the Minister of State for Islamic Affairs, belonging to the Adhaalath party, proposed that 2 million[what currency?] from the annual Zakat (Islamic charity) be diverted to a TV channel devoted to religious programs. The party justified it as being funds for the "Cause of Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
" (Fi Sabeelillah). This idea was halted by the pro-secularist MDP and DRP. Other criticisms of the party include that the party has no known manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
or economic or foreign policy.
Since 2010, the party has a special women's council and a youth council which will contribute to the future of the party. The party states that according to Islamic Shariah, women "may not" run for leadership roles in the case of higher ruling orders such as presidency yet this is an advice from Muhammad. The Maldives constitution says that if any law contradicts the Islamic Shariah it cannot be implemented.
External links
- Women & Higher Positions
- Adhaalath Party Website (English)
- Adhaalath Party Website (Dhivehi)