A bill has been submitted to the Parliament on Tuesday seeking to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act to include vandalism of mosques as a terrorism offense.
The bill was submitted by North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo) who proposed adding a new clause to the end of the section that defines terrorism offenses – to classify the vandalism of mosques as a terrorism offence.
North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim. (Photo/People's Majlis)
According to Kudoo, the bill was submitted in response to repeated incidents of mosque vandalism across the Maldives, citing such acts violate the sanctity of these places of worship. He emphasized that upholding the sanctity of mosques is an essential aspect of respecting the religion.
Notably, the Umar al-Farooq Mosque in Addu City’s Hithadhoo district was vandalized two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Furqan Mosque and Masjid al-Sultan Hassan Izzudheen were vandalized on November 1st and November 11th, respectively. A 24-year-old Maldivian man was arrested over the vandalism at Izzudheen Mosque.