An article published by the Lowy Institute on 7 October 2022, explains how, unlike his predecessors, President Ibrahim Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) no longer wishes to turn a blind eye to the
threat of Islamic extremists in his country. This threat has been clearly outlined in a report entitled “
Prison Radicalization in the Maldives”, which was joint-published
by Transparency Maldives and the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2022.
World Watch Research analyst Thomas Muller gives some background information: “There are around 50 surviving Maldivian women and children detained in camps in northeast Syria, which the president is seeking to repatriate. They are all that remain of the estimated 250 men and women (a significant number considering the population is little over 500,000), who were lured by hollow promises to fight for jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria. They have experienced the lies and worst sides of radical Islam and their experiences are likely to serve as a useful warning against joining jihadist groups. According to the prison report, the lies begin in the Maldives, where gangs have often recruited unemployed young men from dysfunctional families who join jihadist groups for a sense of belonging and status, more than to escape poverty. Extremist views have created a virulent breeding-ground for Islamic radicalization within prisons and at present there is little hope for any successful re-integration of radicalized inmates into society. New government rehabilitation programs, perhaps involving the testimonies of the repatriated families, are clearly required.”
Thomas Muller adds: “Any decrease in the levels of radicalization will be welcomed by the tiny Christian community, especially by those who have converted from Islam to Christianity.”
