Senior officials of Adhaalath Party have met with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to share their concerns relating to the recently proposed bill on acts of hatred.
The government had proposed an amendment bill to the Penal Code of the Maldives, to specify certain acts of hatred as criminal offences. As such, the bill states acts such as calling a Muslim an apostate / infidel and promoting violence against an individual over a perceived lack of religious faith are criminal offences.
A meeting was held at the President’s Office on June 20 upon request of Adhaalath Party, to express the party’s concerns over the effects the bill could have on social and religious harmony. Following the meeting, Adhaalath Party said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had assured the party that the government will address the issues raised by religious scholars and the general public regarding the bill.
The bill was submitted to the parliament on behalf of the government by Parliamentarian Hisaan Hussain. The bill aims to prevent lives from being threatened due to being labelled as an infidel or an apostate. However, many religious scholars have expressed concern that the bill would provide unlimited freedom for people to express anti-Islamic views and disrupt the religious harmony of the country.