The party of deposed Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has been attacked by the rival National Unity Party over a youth sports policy which it says will promote homosexuality and sodomy
The Maldivian Democratic Party has been attacked over a youth sports and entertainment policy which a rival party says will promote homosexuality in the country.
Maldivian Democratic Party leader Mohamed Nasheed was removed from power in February last year as a result of what he says was a coup detat and the party is campaigning to return to power.
On Friday the party launched a youth policy called ‘entertainment without fear,’ aimed at getting young Maldivians more active.
‘We will open the opportunity to develop a sports school through public-private partnership,’ Nasheed said in launching the policy.
‘We would also establish a special pension scheme for athletes who represent the country abroad as part of their retirement support.’
Nasheed assured young people that police would not be allowed to barge in and ruin their fun.
‘Young people will decide what songs they wish to dance to,’ Nasheed said.
However a spokesperson for the ruling National Unity Party accused Nasheed of promoting homosexuality through the policy.
National Unity Party spokesman Abbas Adil Riza took to state controlled media to claim that the Madivian Democratic Party was trying to, ‘promote illicit activities such as homosexuality and sodomy.’
However Hassan Latheef, who served as Nasheed’s Youth and Sports Minister told Minivan News that his party did not promote lawlessness or un-islamic behavior.
‘Maybe for Abbas Adil Riza having fun is simply a group of men getting together for a dance wearing excessively thin white sarongs,’ Latheef said.
‘We are saying that entertainment can be carried out within the boundaries of the law and Islam. We are not promoting drug abuse or homosexuality at all … What we are saying is that the government should facilitate development and entertainment for young people.’
Under sharia law LGBTs in the Maldives can be whipped and jailed for up to 6 years.
by Andrew Potts
Source – Gay Star News
