Bloodied Truth: March 2007

I'm back! Not necessarily to ameliorate the issues '"Maldiwians"' (doubly quoted for a reason, mind) are facing today but, in all probability, to compound them.

As the title of this post would suggest, my subject for the day is Mohamed Nashyyyydhh. This is one bloke who's always been careful about flying under the radar, maintaining an ever-present aura of mysteriousness. His mannerisms and character have never been as heavily published as those of more prominent political figures (the endlessly-cannibalized Qasim comes to mind). How did he manage to maintain such an apt veneer? More importantly, why am I interested in this man (aside from the possible 'queer' intonations)?

It's because I read this article on the hyphen.gov.mv website. Having read that, I'm starting to wonder if someone's veering away from (or plunging head-on into, depending on how you see it) the vicinity of the "Maldiwian Mentality." Regardless of whether Nashyyyydhh wrote this article or not, it's endorsed by the ministry he oversees.

[In order to ensure this article does not get 'swept under the carpet' because of 'pressure' from us idiots in the blogosphere, I'm going to put up a copy of it at the end of this post.]

First of all, there is the proposition to consider compartmentalizing and restricting the accessibility of news about Maldivez (based on whether the compartments are 'White or Black; Yellow or Colored; European or Asian; Moslem or Non Moslem'). How can someone hailing from IIUM, where a multitude of races, colours, ethnicities and religions mingle together, make such an irresponsible remark? I don't know about the rest of Maldivez, but if you ask me, I'd say let everyone be involved in the process of reforming Maldivez. Let these people be the white AND the black, the yellow AND the coloured, the European AND the Asian (and the other continents too!) and the Muslims AND the non-Muslims too. To put forth that question on a government-endorsed website speaks volumes about how haphazard the governance of this country is (let alone the mindset of one Nashyyyydhh). On the other hand, this could be a ploy by the government to attract retaliatory remarks about the statement, subsequently improving Maldivez' standpoint within international media (????????).

More thought-provoking questions the ministry's (Nashyyyydhh's?) article asks of us:

Is it good to involve foreigners to operate within Maldivez to push the political agenda of the Maldivez for the Maldiwians?

Is it wise that we abandon our political rights and allow those to be pursued, pushed and manipulated by foreign interests?

Without referencing the methodologies of foreigners (foreign governments, pundits, journalists, politicians, specialists, activists, gurus, etc) Maldivez will have to 'reinvent the wheel' all over again. Without actively involving them within the process of reform we'll never really get the caveats they possess. Unless of course you think you're already at par with people like Ahmadinejad.

I recall the media going bonkers over a drug bust that happened in a not-too-distant past. Some USD50 million worth of drugs were discovered at the bottom of a reef. What I know for certain is that these drugs do not belong to a Maldiwian (given that even the most flamboyant local owners of resorts cannot tie up that sort of money in a drug deal). Isn't the fact that the investigation into discovering the financiers (we all know the relative origins of the drugs, but who funded the operation?!) has yielded nothing (and possibly never will) say a lot about the influence foreign interests already have on Maldiwian politics? In this particular case it might actually be in Maldivez' best interest to acquiesce to such pressure in order to maintain its international caricature (or better still, to attain an investment).

If that is too ephemeral a parallelism, then take into consideration people like Lily's Shiva or Sonu and Eva or the likes. Don't tell me they don't contribute to this country's political journey (whether it be tangible or intangible contributions). Can you honestly tell them that they are barred from influencing the political process? Would you personally be the one to tell them so, Nashyyyydhh?

The truth of the matter is, whether we accept it or not, we are being 'pursued, pushed and manipulated by foreign interests.' Proof of this is evident in Tourism Ministry's revision of lease contracts signed with resort owners, allowing the complete sale of the ownership of such lease contracts to foreign parties. This is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, this sort of compromise with the demands of foreign parties will ensure that this country becomes more appealing to investors from abroad.

'They also accept that their country must be reported to men and women of that country by their own countrymen.'

Have you been following the recent wars in Afqhanistan and Iraq? Did you not see the foreign journalists scurrying about getting their footage and stories? It's a different situation you say? It's a war you say?

How about the journalists that covered the conference in Iran on the Holocaust? Yet another askewed reference you say? That the news was not published in Iran itself but in foreign media you say? How many Iranians do you think would have read these foreign publications on news.google.com? I have personally met Iranians who attest that news.google.com is available from within Iran and that they keep a keen eye on the articles posted there. In fact, these articles further clarify/solidify Iranian views (whether negative or positive) on matters such as the Holocaust and their recent nuclear research debacle.

Foreign media is not only a means of reinforcing Maldiwian politics, but also an inevitable constant which will always keep publishing news about our country (whether Nashyyyydhh likes it or not). If Nashyyyydhh is smart, he should sell exclusive rights on all news about Maldivez to a major news network out there, thus making some money out of it. Even then, the chosen news network would obviously sell those stories to its competitors in order to capitalize on their investment.

'Maldiwians will not have any right to decide, form, or push a political agenda of another country.'

That Maldivez will not infringe on the politics of other countries doesn't mean Maldiwians aren't interested in reading about them. In fact, we're all gossip-mongers over here, so much so that we'd love no less than the juicy details. Are we not bigots to be denying other countries the right to find the reality within Maldivez?

'This is quite different from empowering foreign nationals to run our political agenda for us, to be the political activists of this country through the channels of media.'

Yet you say, 'media is nothing but political activism. It pursues a strong political agenda for the nation' followed by, 'We would definitely need foreign knowledge, talent and expertise. We would also need their consultancy, guidance and technology transfer.'

Who do you think these foreign blokes are? A bunch of idiots? Do you think they'd give you all the knowledge they have and not publish their deeds? Do you think a political mind like Mahathir Mohamed would help improve our nation's politics and then just wither away without recognition?

My dear Nashyyyydhh, that is my reaction to your 'green statement.' Now I expect a comment from you or one of your team emphasizing what a so-called 'green-statement' is: that it's just a very loose attempt at surveying public opinion and that the meanings inherent within are wholly speculative. The point is, once published on a website under a ccTLD wholly owned by the government, such articles become views/thoughts of the nation. As such, I suggest that these articles be very thoroughly scrutinized before being published.

HERE'S THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE hyphen.gov.mv WEBSITE:

A “White Paper” is a draft policy statement of the Government seeking adoption or conclusion. A “Green Paper” is a pre - policy document prepared by the Government for public consultation on an issue for which a policy is just being debated or formulated. Following that line, I submit not a Green Paper but a “Green Statement” for consultation and advice.

By the way, my name is Mohamed Nashyyyydhh. I work at the Ministry of Information. I seek your reaction to this statement:

The Statement

The power to decide the future of Maldivez must belong to men and women of Maldivez birth – the children of this nation. Our political aspirations as a nation or as individuals or as groups must remain a truly Maldiwian affair. Our national debate must be run by Maldiwians for Maldiwians. It being the forum for that debate, and reflection of those aspirations, the Maldivez Media Landscape must be held by us, for us all.

The Rationale

The media is nothing but political activism. It pursues a strong political agenda for the nation.

No doubt, the people of every country have an absolute say in the political choices of their country. Every citizen of this country too has a fundamental right to take part in and actively pursue his or her beliefs and choices on the politics of this country. Each one of us has a fundamental right to take part in the choices this country makes as a nation. The journalists are the key activists in that political arena who push the agenda of the people forward, hold the government responsible on their behalf, and expose their shortcomings and design the way forward.

If we agree that, such activism is the legitimate description of the role of a free press or a free media, then the question is this? To which extent shall we allow our political agenda to be pushed by foreign interests: White or Black; Yellow or Colored; European or Asian; Moslem or Non Moslem?

This question becomes increasingly relevant in the realities of Maldivez today. It is becoming clearer and clearer that foreigners are “seriously” getting involved in our politics, through various channels. Media is very appropriately one of those channels. The question to answer is this: Is it good to involve foreigners to operate within Maldivez to push the political agenda of the Maldivez for the Maldiwians? Is it wise that we abandon our political rights and allow those to be pursued, pushed and manipulated by foreign interests?

Foreign journalists come here so that they can report Maldivez to their papers, networks and countries. They also accept that their country must be reported to men and women of that country by their own countrymen. That is so, simply because, they believe in the political significance of the media; political activism of journalists; and the acrobatism of the trade.

Maldiwians will not have any right to decide, form, or push a political agenda of another country. If that is so, should we not limit Maldiwian politics and agenda setting to children of the Maldivez soil alone?

We would definitely need foreign knowledge, talent and expertise. We would also need their consultancy, guidance and technology transfer. Foreign participation and assistance may be extremely useful in assisting Maldivez acquire the capacity to nurture a free and independent media and develop its institutions. This is quite different from empowering foreign nationals to run our political agenda for us, to be the political activists of this country through the channels of media.

Our tea boutiques, our barber saloons, our corner shops, our resorts, our imports may be dominated by foreign interests. But our media landscape is not a street barber’s saloon. Our media is the heart of our national debate; our politics; our future. The power to decide the future of Maldivez must belong to responsible men and women of Maldivez birth – the children of this nation.

You say what?

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