Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that over 200 Maldivians are actively participating in the war in parts of Syria and Iraq.
President Nasheed made the statements in an exclusive interview to the English daily, The Independent. He highlighted that Maldives has, of late, seen a rise in extremism and religious fundamentalism and their influence had penetrated the Police and Army.
“What’s happening is they are taking people in for training and they will go away [to fight abroad]. They are using the Maldives military to train their people,” Nasheed said.
He further alleged that there were strong ties with jihadi groups and Maldivian Police and Army. “Their strength in the military and in the police is very significant. They have people in strategic positions within both,” Nasheed stated.
Nasheed added that President Yameen and his Government are ineffective in dealing with the situation. He stated that there were many instances where locals had raised the flag of Islamic State (IS) in street protests and that the Government had not acted on those who had done so.
“I have a feeling that our police and military are already taken. Eventually the Islamists will create havoc in the Maldives. I have no doubt about it,” Nasheed said.
It had been erroneously reported in article that Minivan News Journalist Ahmed Rilwan had been missing for six months. The reporting journalist also stated in the article that Rilwan was taken forcibly near his apartment, after being threatened by a knife. The journalist had made serious attempts to portray Maldives as hostile to tourists.