People making fun of Islam on social media will get house calls from government officials who will educate them about the faith, authorities have said.
It was common for Maldivians to use social media to insult or disrespect the country’s official religion, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Ziyad Bagir said at a news conference, and the house visits were intended to correct that.
The move comes amid the trial of seven people charged with murdering liberal blogger and Internet activist Yameen Rasheed, whose death was justified and even welcomed on social media by those who saw him as an apostate.
One article at the time said mocking Islam was punishable by death, while a Facebook page threatened more killings against those it accused of campaigning for secularism. It spoke of a hit list, announcing there would be no rest until all apostates were beheaded.
Islamic ministry officials at Thursday’s news conference did not explain what constituted mockery, nor did they give a reason for singling out social media. [Maldives Independent] Read more
