The Government of the Maldives has decided to bring an amendment to the Penal Code of the Maldives, to criminalise mocking Islam and expressing anti-Islamic views.
The Attorney General’s Office revealed the amendment is being brought along with another amendment bill that criminalises labelling a Muslim as an infidel or an apostate, and conducting acts of hatred in the name of Islam. The Attorney General’s Office said the new amendment bill aims to describe and list down “anti-Islamic acts”, which are criminalised under Article 611 of the Penal Code of the Maldives.
Speaking at a programme aired on PSM News, Minister of State for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Ilyas Jamal said the government is committed to fight both ends of the extremist spectrum in order to eliminate the threats to a peaceful society. The state minister said the government is working on establishing a peaceful society for all by eliminating hate crimes, while also preserving the core Islamic values and principles that have been in place for centuries.