Journalists Unite

This last week, journalists from across South Asia met in Kathmandu, Nepal to discuss the plight of 62 journalists from Sri Lanka currently in exile. The meeting organized jointly by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) with the purpose of strengthening solidarity among South Asian journalists saw imminent journalists from the region gathered to discuss measures that can be taken to strengthen relations as well as handle crisis and security issues for working journalists.
While the outcome of the conference can only be measured in the coming weeks, one thing that struck my mind was how earlier this year, President Nasheed had called on Burmese journalists in exile that Maldives can be a safe haven for them. What I would like to know is whether this same invitation can be extended to our Sri Lankan colleagues, who had been forced from their homes with fear of persecution for being a journalist? After all, Sri Lankans have been long standing neighbors and fraternal brothers of the Maldivians. Our youth attend Sri Lankan schools, and almost everyone has visited the country at least once in their lives.
It is important that the plight of these journalists be brought to the attention of our Government who had so generously opened our doors to persecuted journalists across the region. It was not too long ago that our local journalists underwent similar treatment under the former government. Maybe, it was the same experience by President Nasheed that prompted him to make that announcement shortly after becoming President. And maybe it is time that he made good on that promise, and set some guidelines under which journalists seeking asylum in the Maldives can look for that protection.

To wear or not to wear

Yesterday while walking down the road, my sister who wears the headscarf asked me a question that was innocent and funny at the same time.
"Why is it that girls who wear the buruga seems more oriyaan than people who don't?"
I had no answer to her and then azmyst twittered: I really appreciate the fact that most girls who wear buruqa compensate by wearing tight tops and tighter jeans. Who cares about the hair :)
And then we have the French considering to ban the buruka, and denying a Moroccon woman naturalization cause she wore the buruka.
Coincidence?
A colleague of mine once said: Me Aminath men buruga alhaafa laa hedhun thakah vuren decent vaane mi buruga naalha Inaya laa echehives. Aan, eyna ge top thakakun neyge viyya gaige vanaa thakehves, ekamaku mi aminathuge nei mashah neyge bandiyeh!
It is quite true that in Male' if you walk down the road, the amount of girls in circulation cutting skinny pants wearing buruga is considerably higher than the ones in ordinary pants and no buruga.
So is it really the buruga or is it what you wear? I fail to see the point.
While I don't agree with the French passing a law taking away the choice to wear the buruka, I think its equally important that Maldivian women truly respect that piece of cloth and wear it like its meant to be worn! Or not at all!

Happy Birthday to me

My review for Happy Birthday

.... Considering the protagonist worked at a bank, lived a pretty normal and decent life, with a loving and adoring stay-at-home wife and an adorably chubby son, the fact that he kept a stylish and deadly looking knife on top of his kitchen cabinet would seem odd to many. And that he would use that knife rather than say your average kitchen knife would again seem disturbing to many. But maybe the director felt that the stylish and freakishly large knife would look more imposing in the movie poster than your average kitchen knife, and decided to go with it, with no explanation why the average guy in his story kept an illegal weapon at his house, and within the reach of his adolescent son....

read the rest on www.thevoice.mv/people

No place for women

In a quite historic and ironic move, Dhiyana Saeed became the first Minister to be fired from President Nasheed's government. Is it just coincidence that she is also one of the two female ministers on his Cabinet?
As the friction between the quite vocal Dhiyana and President Nasheed accelerated one comment by the President at a press conference was literally quite below the belt. His comment that the AG was making a fuss about undue influence on the elections by the President and Government was cause her husband was a candidate was quite a low blow. It questioned her competency and her professionalism, but that aside, it was a quite sexist thing to say, cause how many would accuse a man of favouring his wife if the situation had been reversed?
On International Women's Day, the President announced that he would assist 10 female candidates contesting for the Parliamentary elections irrespective of their political affliation, and I don't think there is any women candidate who was given a helping hand during the campaign. Maybe he helped out his niece and some of the MDP candidates, but for DRP women candidates? Not quite sure! At one rally, one of the MDP members even verbally attacked DRP women candidates questioning their virtue, it was MDP Chairperson Mariya who stepped in and congratulated all women for standing for the Majlis position on equal footing as men.
Needless to say, it seems quite a fight for women if they are to make an impression on this Government.