Nasheed: I do not wish to see Salaf banned

Former President and current Speaker of the Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed has said that he has no desire to see the Jamiyyath Salaf, an organization created to increase religious awareness and advance Islam in the Maldives, banned.

Nasheed said so despite the fact that a case against the organization alleging support for terrorist activities is under investigation in the Parliament.

“I do not wish to see the Salaf organization banned. Further talks encouraging killings, sending people to war by any organization must not happen,” said Nasheed who went on to allege that members of the Salaf organization had “sacrificed” themselves by suicide bombings after traveling to take part in wars abroad.

Nasheed’s statements were in response to Naifaru MP Shiyam’s accusation that the government was working to ban the organization and silence the voices of religious scholars in the country.

Nasheed responded strongly to these accusations by saying that he will not allow the use of religion as a weapon to create enmity between people with political differences in ideology.