No regulations were violated in broadcast of Andhalus lecture, says Broadcasting Commission

The Maldives Broadcasting Commission has said that the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) did not violate any regulations by broadcasting the lecture, ‘Andhalus’.

The commission said today after investigating the matter, that the public broadcaster did not violate the broadcasting Code of Ethics by broadcasting the lecture, which was focused on the lessons to be learned from the fall of the 800-year-old Islamic empire, Al Andhalus.

An official of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission said that this decision will be submitted to the parliament tomorrow.

Chairman of MBC Ibrahim Umar Manik said earlier, that prior to the broadcast, their editorial team checked whether the lecture was organised by a political party, and whether the lecture would be given by a politician or someone who is authorised to give lectures.

He said that the live broadcast was allowed because it was organised by Jamiyya Salaf, and because the lecture was given by a person who were authorised to do so, and not by a politician.

He said that he did not believe that the purpose of the lecture was to use religion to hold an anti-campaign activity against a particular candidate.