![The head of Lord Buddha statue that was on the display. [Courtesy National Museum, Maldives]](/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/The-head-of-Lord-Buddha-statue-that-was-on-the-display.-Courtesy-National-Museum-Maldives-231x300.jpg "The head of Lord Buddha statue that was on the display. [Courtesy National Museum, Maldives]")
The head of Lord Buddha statue that was on the display. Courtesy National Museum, Maldives
The scene took place at the Maldives’ National Museum where the destruction occurred. A group of five men who were a part of an Islamic Extremist group targeted artifacts dating from the Pre-Islamic era in Maldives. Of those destroyed, many Buddhist and Hindu relics were smashed and broken to pieces making them merely unrecognizable. Pieces destroyed, specifically included the “Bohomala sculptures, Hanuman statues, and the a sculpture of the Hindu water god, Makara.
The two five faced statues from Male were also brutally damaged. This five-faced male was the only remaining archaeological evidence of a Buddhist era in Maldives and it too was destroyed, completely destroying any true history of the country. In addition an 11th century coral stone of the Lord Buddha was also wiped out.
The museum staff were emotionally distraught and upset that any evidence of a Buddhist existence in Maldives was completely destroyed and torn down heartlessly. They stated that all their 12th century statues were lost which were made of coral and limestone. There is no way to restore them because they were very brittle and this makes it very difficult to remake, one of the staff members said. The Adhaalath Party, a Maldives Islamic group, who supports the newly elected President Mohamed Waheed, stated that the constitution does not allow idols anywhere in Maldives.
Maldives also does not permit non-muslims to become permanent citizens of the small island nation.
Sooner or later, extremist version of Political Islam will destroy culture that is perceived to be at odds with their world view. They are that committed. Make no mistake. Prudence calls for us to withdraw some of these invaluable artifacts behind the protective walls of the West before more is lost.
—SWL
the perpetrators should be tracked down by interpol and the UN and these people should be given life sentences. Irrespective of any religious or non-religious beliefs these artifacts are important in understanding the development of human civilisation. From a purely secular point of view, knowing whether a group of people colonised a specific area or not for example can tell us at what level of technology, art or craft a specific people were capable of for instance.
Anyone with such ridiculous levels of intolerence, lack of respect or sensitivity for others are pure scumbags. Such acts are crimes against humanity, in that they should not be considered isolated incidents. They should be considered in conjunction with what happened at Bamiyan, the destruction of medical texts (considered anatomically correct pictures blasphemous) and the fact that humanity itself suffers grave losses due to such acts. This is not the mindset of the humane, these people will not only continue to destroy human cultural heritage, they will attempt to irradicate all aspects of human culture, art, science, religion, past, present and future that doesn’t fit into to their disgraceful, shallow, backward, medieval world view. Worse still, these goals are intended due only through the subjugation of the rest of humanity. The whole of the world should unite against such barbarism, including ESPECIALLY, the moderate muslims of the world in total unison.
Human beings won’t do such type of acts, they won’t come under counts of HUMAN, they are devils of kalli yug.
after 30yrs there will be no country called maldives on world map.its going to disseapear
They have a wrong view. They will destroy all the ancient monuments belong to every other religion. They are not human beings. They are not like animals. There is no way for us to enlighten them to light. They are in utter darkness. It doesn’t matter. They don’t allow other people to live peacefully. World problems, environmental and population etc. arising up because of Islamic wrong view. Beware of their actions. Good humans should take precautionary actions soon, if they need to live on this planet. – B. Dhammajoti
Until recently, the people of the Maldives practiced a type of folk Islam which was influenced by Buddhism. They recited the Qur’an in the style of Buddhist chanting, the earlier mosques resembled Buddhist temples and the architectural designs of the mosques had a mix of Buddhist and Islamic influences, many Maldivian had had Hindu or Buddhist type names alongside Muslim ones and Dhivehi was written in a Brahmi based scrip[t. Now, the Maldives has been destroyed by these fundamentalist elements and now Maldives is so far gone that it look as it will never return back to its former glory. Had Hinduism and Buddhism still continued to exist in Maldives even after the arrival of Islam and Hindus and Buddhists had been able to coexist peacefully alongside Muslims, then the Maldives would have been a very different place now.
It seems quite obvious that wherever so-called “modern” versions of Islam (in other words any “radical” or “fundamentalist” form) occurs (that lacks progressiveness), then any other type of philosophy (political or otherwise), worldview, law, faith, creed, religion or even (anything so vague as) a “point of view” that does not agree with (their interpretation of) sharia then it must be banished, nay crushed out of existence, not allowed to exist anywhere, quite simply because the only “truth” that exists is (their interpretation of) sharia. Thus the concept of Nafs (or aspects of ego) that ought to be defeated or purified is correct, but explain the exact same human process (the destruction or transformation of negative emotions and/or mental states and the development of positive emotions and/or mental states) in terms of either fetters, defilements, hindrances and/or factors of enlightenment (Buddhist) or call it tikun or shvirat hamidot (Jewish) and it is wrong. Further, one can speak of stages of sainthood or levels of divine proximity, which would be deemed correct from an Islamic perspective, but in no way could the seven degrees of prayer (St.Theresa of Avila, Christian), the Jhanas (Buddhism) or stages of hitbodedut OR hisbodedus (Jewish) be considered truthful or accurate. If one studies and compares these varieties of religious or spiritual or mystical experiences or goals, what appears to the most glaring of truth is that they are speaking, referring or alluding to the exact same human experiences and the only difference between them is the linguistic or cultural perspective. To fight and argue, let alone vandalise or kill, over such parochial, provincial, xenophobic differences is something one would expect to have overcome or abandoned in childhood. Unfortunately, despite the glaring parallels of all faiths, these Islamists are unable to coexist with anyone. I call to all moderate Muslims and ask you, can Islam survive these animals or is it doomed to degenerate to this form of hatred and narrow mindedness (they do shout louder than the moderates don’t they, they are heard more by the rest of the world than those Muslims who love peace and cooperation) and since it is YOUR faith what are you doing to protect it from such rot and degradation ?
This is the inevitable cointinuing dogma of the islamists against vigrahaaradhana the principle of which is not understood by them nor do they have the decency of tolerance; the only way hindoos whose philosophy of life acceptrs all postulates and paths to god and therefore all variants of path to god are essentiallty hindoo is to maintain their majority and also be non violent; and also demonstrate our openness to all forms of worship ;in contrast with their meanness . Now since the shrines are preislamic, no power on earth lshould be allowed to destroy them.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
Plato
Maldives had been settled by people from the nearest coasts, like the group today known as the Giravaaru. It is unlikely that the Giraavaru islanders were the only early settlers in the Maldives. The Giraavaru people were just one of the island communities predating Buddhism and the arrival of a Northern Kingly dynasty and the establishment of centralized political and administrative institutions. Prince Koimala from India or Sri Lanka entered the Maldives and became the first king from the House of Theemuge. Maldives was settled by successive waves of migration from India and more importantly Sri Lanka, had a vibrant Buddhist and Hindu culture.
The ancient Maldivian Kings promoted Buddhism and the first Maldive writings and artistic achievements in the form of highly developed sculpture and architecture are from that period. The conversion to Islam is mentioned in the ancient edicts written in copper plates from the end of the 12th century AD. Over the centuries, the islands have been visited and their development influenced by sailors and traders from countries on the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Until relatively recent times, Mappila pirates from the Malabar Coast harassed the islands.
The Maldives were not always Islamic. Maldives was converted to Islam in the year 1153 AD by Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary – a Muslim from Maghreb (North Africa) . When Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary visited the Maldives the reigning king was Sri Tribuvana Aditiya. The first King of the Theemuge dynasty King Sri Mahabarana was his maternal uncle. Sri Tribuvana Aditiya ascended the throne around 1138 AD. After conversion to Islam he adopted the name Muhammed Ibn Abdulla. He sent missionaries to various parts of the Maldives to spread Islam. The first Friday Mosque to be built in Malé and the Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu Miskiy at Malé were commissioned by Sultan Muhammed Ibn Abdulla.
After arrival at Malé Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary stayed in Maldives for several days. He was a Hafiz, a person who could recite the entire Holy Quran from memory. According to Thangeehu Kurevunu Dhivehi Raajjeyge Thaareekhuge Thanthankolhu (Researched excerpts from the History of the Maldives) the Hafiz succeeded in converting Maldivians to Islam after much effort and endeavour. His first efforts to proselytise did not meet with success. However his relentless perseverance turned out to be a tremendous service to the nation as Maldivians finally embraced Islam. The first convert was the king himself, who was followed by his wives and children and members of the court. After the people embraced the Islamic faith the Buddhist temples and idols were destroyed. Archaeological excavations carried out in Maldives at various times this century confirm the fact that there had been Buddhist temples in Maldives during the 12th century AD..
Even after Maldivians adopted Islam Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary stayed in the Maldives to teach Islam to the people. He died during the reign of Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu (Muhammed Ibn Abdulla). According to historian Hassan Thaajuddheen, he was laid to rest at the shrine at Medhuziyaaraiy in Malé.
The popular title attributed to Sultan Muhammed Ibn Abdulla, which is Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu implies that the Sultan was a pious and kind-hearted person who was generous, especially to the weak and poor. During his reign he strengthened adherence to the rules and principles of Islam, established laws of governance and destroyed the symbols of Buddhism. It is said that a long time after Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary’s death, the Sultan left on pilgrimage to Mecca and did not return.
The 16th century saw the colonization of the islands by the Portuguese and the 17 years of Portuguese rule is referred to in Maldive history as “the dark night of Portuguese Christian rule.” It is claimed that the “seas ran red with blood” as the Portuguese attempted to convert the citizens to Christianity. The return to power of native rulers saw an Islamic revival, the adoption of the Arabic-style script, Thaana, and the visit to the islands of religious scholars who became the chief advisers to the sultans. Under their influence, the Kingship came to be seen as an institution created by Allah and held according to His wishes. Thus, correct religious practice on the part of the king (sultan) was seen as an essential justification of his right to rule and religious scholars were an essential part of the court. The Maldives was fairly unaffected by the British rule (the Raj) in the rest of South Asia and it wasn’t until 1887 that the country became a “protectorate” of the British; however, the British did not significantly interfere with the running of the state. Full independence was gained in July 26, 1965.
Until recently, the people of the Maldives practiced a type of folk Islam which was influenced by Buddhism. They recited the Qur’an in the style of Buddhist chanting, the earlier mosques resembled Buddhist temples and the architectural designs of the mosques had a mix of Buddhist and Islamic influences, many Maldivian had had Hindu or Buddhist type names alongside Muslim ones and Dhivehi was written in a Brahmi based scrip[t. Now, the Maldives has been destroyed by these fundamentalist elements and now Maldives is so far gone that it look as it will never return back to its former glory. Had Hinduism and Buddhism still continued to exist in Maldives even after the arrival of Islam and Hindus and Buddhists had been able to coexist peacefully alongside Muslims, then the Maldives would have been a very different place now.
Similar to the Afghan Islamic Taliban’s destruction of the priceless Buddhist and other historic artifacts in 2001, in February 2012, a group of Islamic extremists forced their way into the National Museum in Maldives and attacked the museum’s collection of Pre-Islamic sculptures, destroying or severely damaging nearly the entire collection about thirty Hindu and Buddhist sculptures dating from the 6th to 12th centuries.
The scene took place at the Maldives’ National Museum where the destruction occurred. A group of five men who were a part of an Islamic Extremist group targeted artifacts dating from the Pre-Islamic era in Maldives. Of those destroyed, many Buddhist and Hindu relics were smashed and broken to pieces making them merely unrecognizable. Pieces destroyed, specifically included the “Bohomala sculptures, Hanuman statues, and the a sculpture of the Hindu water god, Makara. The two five faced statues from Male were also brutally damaged. This five-faced male was the only remaining archaeological evidence of a Buddhist era in Maldives and it too was destroyed, completely destroying any true history of the country. In addition an 11th century coral stone of the Lord Buddha was also wiped out. The museum staff were emotionally distraught and upset that any evidence of a Buddhist existence in Maldives was completely destroyed and torn down heartlessly. They stated that all their 12th century statues were lost which were made of coral and limestone. There is no way to restore them because they were very brittle and this makes it very difficult to remake, one of the staff members said. The Adhaalath Party, a Maldives Islamic group, who supports the newly elected President Mohamed Waheed, stated that the constitution does not allow idols anywhere in Maldives.
Anyone with such ridiculous levels of intolerance, lack of respect or sensitivity for others are pure scumbags. Such acts are crimes against humanity, in that they should not be considered isolated incidents. They should be considered in conjunction with what happened at Bamiyan, the destruction of medical texts (considered anatomically correct pictures blasphemous) and the fact that humanity itself suffers grave losses due to such acts. This is not the mindset of the humane, these people will not only continue to destroy human cultural heritage, they will attempt to irradicate all aspects of human culture, art, science, religion, past, present and future that doesn’t fit into to their disgraceful, shallow, backward, medieval world view. Worse still, these goals are intended due only through the subjugation of the rest of humanity. The whole of the world should unite against such barbarism, including ESPECIALLY, the moderate muslims of the world in total unison.
Wahhabism has been taking roots in Maldives from the days of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Abandoning its tolerant, syncretic brand of Islam, Maldives now moves towards an intolerant Wahhabi society. Recently two Maldives MPs – Dr Afrasheem Ali & Aishath Velezinee – were killed by Wahhabi Jihadists.
Such actions sadly are the unmistakable proof of the inabilities and deficiency of the so-called “religion of peace”. It is an intolerant and anti-semitic ideology, incorporating a primitive so-called religion as well as a fascist political system, inseparably. while the evil is winning, a natural paradise will soon be lost.
Shame on u Maldives people if u can’t not protect Hindu temple in ur city ,,,,shame on u & on ur country,,