Minister: Harassing foreign diplomats does not give victory to Palestine

Harassing foreign ambassadors stationed in Maldives and their families does not help the Palestinian cause, says Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, the country’s Islamic minister.

Shaheem’s remarks come a day after two female protesters were arrested from Male’ for repeatedly demonstrating outside diplomatic missions against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and for repeatedly harassing a specific ambassador.

In a post on X on Thursday morning, Shaheem said that repeatedly demonstrating outside the residence of a specific ambassador, demanding that they leave the country, and threatening their family is not justice.

“Harassing foreign ambassadors based in Maldives and their families does not give victory to Palestine,” he added.

ރާއްޖޭގައި އުޅުއްވާ ސަފީރުންނާއި އެބޭފުޅުންގެ ޢާއިލާތަކަށް ގޯނާ ކުރުމަކީ ފަލަޞްޠީނަށް ނަޞްރު ދިނުމެއް ނޫން.އެތަށް ދުވަހެއް ވަންދެން ވަކި ސަފީރެއްގެ ގޭދޮށުގައި އަޑުގަދަކޮށް ރާއްޖެއިން ފައިބަން ގޮވައި އެބޭފުޅާއާއި އާއިލާއަށް ބިރު ދެއްކުމަކީ އިންސާފެއް ނޫން.

— Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed (@Mohamedshaheem1) August 29, 2024

Two female protesters - Aishath Shadhiya, 47 – the wife of Islamic scholar Dr. Mohamed Iyaz, and Dr. Shazra Ibrahim – were arrested from Male’ at around 01:00 pm on Wednesday.

According to the police, they repeatedly demonstrated outside diplomatic missions in violation of the laws on peaceful assembly, used megaphones to shout and use foul language, hindered the work of diplomatic missions, and also repeatedly targeted a specific ambassador with acts of harassment.

The police said that they ignored repeated warnings by the police to leave and obstructed law enforcement.

They were arrested under a court order.

Shadhiya and Shazra had repeatedly staged demonstrations in Male’ and Hulhumale’ since as early as June. According to the police, this includes on June 16 and August 9, when they followed a foreign ambassador and left items outside his residence, including what appears to be a mock dead body covered in a white shroud.

The police did not specify which ambassador they targeted.

Maldivians have been holding protests in the streets of the capital, Male’ City, for months, demanding that the government ban Israeli citizens from entering the country, amid mounting outrage over the atrocities in Gaza, and other occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel’s current war on Gaza, which began on October 7th, last year, has killed more than 40,500 Palestinians, many of them women and children.

It has also reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble, displaced the vast majority of residents, and resulted in widespread malnutrition.