Monday, July 20, 2009

Gayoom's ordeal

It's hard to gauge what was going through Gayoom's mind as he was escorted by police for questioning earlier this evening. Certainly, during the dictator's own rule hundreds, even thousands, are likely to have said their "last prayers", as we say here in the Maldives, when the police came to take them away.

Back then people spent months, even years, in detention centres without trial. Many of them would have incurred Gayoom's wrath by criticising his regime; somehow, someone would have heard them and carried tales to one of his brothers-in law. I know a woman who was taken in for questioning by police for switching off the television while Gayoom was on air.

Then there are the tales of torture. People were beaten, hung, leaves tied round them and tied to chairs inside goat sties. There were those that had their backbones broken, even killed. One of Gayoom's classmates, Ahmed Adam, who claimed some of the dictator's children were conceived out of wedlock, found himself in jail and languished there for years to suffer the most horrific torture imaginable. A hearty, robust man when he went in, he was reduced to a cripple when they were done with him. Adam died soon after he was released from prison. 

And let's not forget Ahmed Waheed, who wrote scathing articles about Gayoom in the 1990s weekly Hukuru, banned by the dictator months after it came out. Nobody knows quite what they did to Waheed, but whatever it was was so terrible that he's stopped talking to people. The former writer and TV producer can be still be seen hanging out in Ameeni Magu and the south seawall in Machchangolhi, immersed in a strange, autistic-like state. 

Witnessing Gayoom leave the police headquarters an hour or so after he went in, I'm thankful that things are not the same now and that the erstwhile dictator didn't have to suffer any of what his critics suffered in the not too distant past.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Has he ever been asked why he put all those people in prison without trial, and subsequently tortured?

We need to sit him down in front of a camera. Present the facts prior to asking these questions so he cannot deny them, and see what he has to say. Apart from being entertaining, perhaps some of his blind followers will stop putting him on a pedestal and see him for the tyrant he really is.

Khilath Rasheed - journalist and blogger from Maldives said...

Anonymous: Add to that, we should have a lie detector test and give Maumoon truth serum so that Maumoon lovers will finally wake up and realise what a torturer the dictator was.

But I guess some Maumoon lovers are so blind that even if Maumoon confesses he's a torturer, they won't believe him.

Anonymous said...

Maumoon’s promise that the Government will face “bitter consequences” for arresting him made my heart burn with sorrow and rage for all of Maumoon’s victims who continue to suffer the “bitter consequences” of Maumoon’s narcissistic self worship. For example, I was speaking to a woman who, when she was only nine, was violently woken up by Maumoon’s NSS who blasted into her bedroom at 5 in the morning looking for her Grandfather. She continues to suffer from severe anxiety as a direct consequence of that event. Her story is one of many thousands of tragic cases of Maldivians whose lives were ruined as children due to Maumoon’s cruel power trips. Have some mercy for the suffering of your victims, Maumoon. We all know what bitterness you are capable of causing, but if you want to die knowing you have done the right thing by your maker and by humanity, what about cultivating some mercy and compassion for once in your life. Your use of the words ‘bitter consequences’ was received by thousands like a dagger to the heart. You so viciously reminded all of your victims of the pain you put them through.

The way you had been treated was so kind, you can’t compare the way you treated your victims to that. I mean, first, you were told you would be arrested hours in advance; it was not whilst you were asleep at some hideous hour, and you even admitted yourself you were treated humanely. It is about time you began to express some gratitude for the merciful way you are being treated by His Excellency’s Government. After the severe trauma you had put His Excellency through during his life, you need to weep at his feet for a month begging forgiveness and gratitude for his soft approach with you. For example, he was not there to see his own daughters being born, have you ever apologized to Madame Laila and President Nasheed for the hell you put them through? Do you have any idea how much pain you have caused and how sorry you need to be?

You claim to be a great Muslim scholar, but a true Muslim leader is called to embrace suffering for others, (In Sahih Muslim a Muslim leader is called to be a shield for his people) not to impose suffering on others.

The Islam that I feel shreds my heart with painful mercy for the oppressed; it causes me to tremble with indignation when I see any exploitation or abuse of power. Obviously for you, your Islam makes you feel happy to see your own people suffer, you seem to love to abuse power.

I say, throw the book at Maumoon. Show him justice until he is sorry for what he had done and just steps aside from politics. If you wanted to stop hurting your people, Maumoon, you would just leave politics alone and go back into Islamic scholarship. If you were caring, you would know that you are only hurting the people that you claim to love by remaining in politics. To me, this demonstrates you are not caring at all.

Really, I just wanted to write this letter to comfort all those whom Maumoon’s words hurt so deeply. Take care, dearly beloved Dhivehin, Allah loves and is closest to the oppressed; Allah will shield your soul in times of trial and has a great reward in Jannah (Heaven) for all the suffering you have been through at the cruel hands of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Ayat for you all, 2: 214

Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of God?" Ah! Verily, the help of God is (always) near!

Anonymous said...

Maumoon’s promise that the Government will face “bitter consequences” for arresting him made my heart burn with sorrow and rage for all of Maumoon’s victims who continue to suffer the “bitter consequences” of Maumoon’s narcissistic self worship.

For example, I was speaking to a woman who, when she was only nine, was violently woken up by Maumoon’s NSS who blasted into her bedroom at 5 in the morning looking for her Grandfather. She continues to suffer from severe anxiety as a direct consequence of that event. Her story is one of many thousands of tragic cases of Maldivians whose lives were ruined as children due to Maumoon’s cruel power trips.

Have some mercy for the suffering of your victims, Maumoon. We all know what bitterness you are capable of causing, but if you want to die knowing you have done the right thing by your maker and by humanity, what about cultivating some mercy and compassion for once in your life. Your use of the words ‘bitter consequences’ was received by thousands like a dagger to the heart. You so viciously reminded all of your victims of the pain you put them through.

The way you had been treated was so kind, you can’t compare the way you treated your victims to that. I mean, first, you were told you would be arrested hours in advance; it was not whilst you were asleep at some hideous hour, and you even admitted yourself you were treated humanely. It is about time you began to express some gratitude for the merciful way you are being treated by His Excellency’s Government. After the severe trauma you had put His Excellency through during his life, you need to weep at his feet for a month begging forgiveness and gratitude for his soft approach with you. For example, he was not there to see his own daughters being born, have you ever apologized to Madame Laila and President Nasheed for the hell you put them through? Do you have any idea how much pain you have caused and how sorry you need to be?

You claim to be a great Muslim scholar, but a true Muslim leader is called to embrace suffering for others, (In Sahih Muslim a Muslim leader is called to be a shield for his people) not to impose suffering on others.
The Islam that I feel shreds my heart with painful mercy for the oppressed; it causes me to tremble with indignation when I see any exploitation or abuse of power. Obviously for you, your Islam makes you feel happy to see your own people suffer, you seem to love to abuse power.

I say, throw the book at Maumoon. Show him justice until he is sorry for what he had done and just steps aside from politics. If you wanted to stop hurting your people, Maumoon, you would just leave politics alone and go back into Islamic scholarship. If you were caring, you would know that you are only hurting the people that you claim to love by remaining in politics. To me, this demonstrates you are not caring at all.

Really, I just wanted to write this letter to comfort all those whom Maumoon’s words hurt so deeply. Take care, dearly beloved Dhivehin, Allah loves and is closest to the oppressed; Allah will shield your soul in times of trial and has a great reward in Jannah (Heaven) for all the suffering you have been through at the cruel hands of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Ayat for you 2: 214
Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of God?" Ah! Verily, the help of God is (always) near!

Anonymous said...

Not liking Maumoon, hating him or loving him is not the question. The question is whether Rule of Law has come to the Maldives with Anneh Dhivehi Raajje. I think not.

During Maumoon's Regime, it was the same, when the Bosses say the Police (or Sifain during most of his days) follows. I still see the same.

Maumoon cannot be taken to a court or an inquiry. Don't abuse me yet, its not me saying so. Its the Constitutions under which his regime ruled until August 8th 2008. So unless there is something after August 8th 2008, there is only one way to take him to a court or inquiry. A 2/3 majority vote by the Parliament.

If you don't believe me read Article 44 of the Constitution. Ask the Home Monister Shihab who voted for it. Ask Afeef and Zaki. Our problems came and will come from the Majlis. Maumoon was able to hold on to him "throne" for 30 years thanks to a bunch of clowns in the Majlis, and I see no change there.

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