US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO742

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, SA/RA, DRL/IRF, DRL/CRA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KIRF, KSEP, MV, Religious Freedom 
SUBJECT:  Maldives:  Draft International Religious 
Freedom Report for 2004 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo-DRL 05-07-04 unclass email 
-      (B) State 82752 
 
1.  (U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified -- 
Please handle accordingly. 
 
2.  (U) Per Ref B, Mission submits below the draft 
Maldives International Religious Freedom report for 
2004.  A Word document with tracked changes in the final 
2003 version of the Maldives report has been sent to the 
Department via email (per Ref B instructions). 
 
3.  (SBU) Draft Maldives International Religious Freedom 
Report for 2004: 
 
Begin Text: 
 
The 1997 Constitution designates the Sunni branch of 
Islam as the official state religion, and the Government 
interprets this provision to impose a requirement that 
citizens must be Muslims. The practice of any religion 
other than Islam is prohibited by law. Non-Muslim 
foreigners are allowed to practice their religion if 
they do so in private and do not encourage citizens to 
participate. The President is the "supreme authority to 
propagate the tenets of Islam." The Government observes 
Shari'a (Islamic law). 
 
There was no change in the status of respect for 
religious freedom during the period covered by this 
report, and freedom of religion remains severely 
restricted. 
 
Many citizens regard Islam as one of their society's 
most distinctive characteristics and believe that it 
promotes harmony and national identity. 
 
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues 
with the Government as part of its overall policy to 
promote human rights. 
 
Section I. Religious Demography 
 
The Maldives is an archipelago consisting of 
approximately 1,200 coral atolls and islands scattered 
over 500 miles in the Indian Ocean southeast from India, 
and its population is approximately 280,000. 
 
It is believed that the entire indigenous population is 
Muslim, the vast majority of which adhere to the Sunni 
branch of Islam. Non-Muslim foreigners in the Maldives, 
including more than 500,000 tourists annually 
(predominantly Europeans and Japanese) and approximately 
31,000 foreign workers (predominantly Pakistanis, Sri 
Lankans, Indians, and Bangladeshis) are allowed to 
practice their religion only in private. 
 
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom 
 
Legal/Policy Framework 
 
Freedom of religion is restricted significantly. The 
1997 Constitution designates Islam as the official state 
religion, and the Government interprets this provision 
to impose a requirement that citizens be Muslims. Muslim 
holidays are generally national holidays. Foreign 
residents are allowed to practice their religion if they 
do so privately, and cannot encourage Maldivian citizens 
to participate. 
 
Restrictions on Religious Freedom 
 
In July 2000, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom stated that 
no religion other than Islam would be allowed in the 
country, and the Home Affairs Ministry announced special 
programs to safeguard and strengthen religious unity. 
The Government has established a Supreme Council of 
Islamic Affairs to provide guidance on religious 
matters. The Government also has set standards for 
individuals who conduct Friday services at mosques to 
ensure adequate theological qualifications. 
 
The President must be a Sunni Muslim and under the 
Constitution is the "supreme authority to propagate the 
tenets of Islam." Cabinet ministers also are required to 
be Sunni Muslims. Members of the People's Majlis 
(Parliament) must be Muslim. 
 
The Government observes Shari'a. Civil law is 
subordinate to Shari'a, which is applied in situations 
not covered by civil law as well as in certain acts such 
as divorce and adultery. Under the country's Islamic 
practice, the testimony of two women is required to 
equal that of one man in matters involving Shari'a, such 
as adultery, finance, and inheritance. In other cases, 
the testimony of men and women are equal. Shari'a also 
governs intestate inheritance, granting male heirs twice 
the share of female heirs. The Constitution provides 
that an accused person has the right to defend himself 
"in accordance with Shari'a." The Government only 
registers clubs and other private associations that do 
not contravene Islamic or civil law. 
 
The law prohibits public statements that are contrary to 
Islam. 
 
There are no places of worship for adherents of other 
religions. The Government prohibits the importation of 
icons and religious statues but generally permits the 
importation of religious tracts, such as Bibles, for 
personal use.  The sale of religious items, such as 
Christmas cards, is restricted to only the resort 
islands patronized by foreign tourists. 
 
The Government prohibits non-Muslim clergy and 
missionaries from proselytizing and conducting public 
worship services. Conversion of a Muslim to another 
faith is a violation of Shari'a and may result in a loss 
of the convert's citizenship. 
 
Islamic instruction is a mandatory part of the school 
curriculum, and the Government funds the salaries of 
instructors of Islam. 
 
Abuses of Religious Freedom 
 
The law limits a citizen's right to freedom of 
expression in order to protect "the basic tenets of 
Islam." According to Amnesty International and other 
sources, in early 2002, four individuals were arrested 
for distributing Islamist and anti-government 
literature. On July 7, 2002, after being convicted of 
the charges, three of the defendants were sentenced to 
life imprisonment and the fourth was given a ten-year 
sentence. 
 
There were no reports of religious detainees or 
prisoners during the period covered by this report. 
 
Forced Religious Conversion 
 
There were no reports of forced religious conversion, 
including of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted 
or illegally removed from the United States, or of the 
refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the 
United States. 
 
Persecution by Terrorist Organizations 
 
There are no known terrorist organizations, as 
designated by the Secretary of State under Section 219 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act, operating in the 
Maldives. 
 
Section III. Societal Attitudes 
 
Most citizens regard Islam as one of their society's 
most distinctive characteristics and believe that it 
promotes harmony and national identity and helps remove 
any desire for different groups to break away from the 
state.  The President regularly encourages all 
Maldivians to strengthen their religious unity. 
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy 
 
The U.S. Government does not maintain a resident embassy 
in the Maldives; the U.S. Ambassador in Colombo, Sri 
Lanka, also is accredited to the Government in Male. The 
U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with 
the Government in the context of its overall dialog and 
policy of promoting human rights. 
Prisoner Lists and Issue Briefs 
 
There were no reports of religious detainees or 
prisoners during the period covered by this report. 
End Text. 
 
4. (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD