The big story today was a news conference at the Ministry of Justice to announce harsher penalties for child molesting and public sexual behavior.
A note to my American readers: You should keep in mind that I am in a part of the Maldives that most tourists never see, except for maybe a brief sightseeing tour en route to the airport. On the resort islands you are free to do as you please, alcohol is for sale and skimpy bathing suits are permitted at poolside. These are world class resorts and a huge part of the Maldives economy. I can't wait for a chance to verify for myself that the diving is spectacular. I would hate to discourage anyone from visiting this beautiful country and meeting its people who are, for the most part, friendly and welcoming. However, living in the heart of the capital means the reality of strict Islamic law.
The new penalties call for longer sentences for pedophiles, but also for such things as openly gay behavior. Kissing in the street is a crime. Getting caught behind a locked door with a member of the opposite sex who is not your spouse is punishable by public caning. No sex is permitted outside of marriage, but a man can only be charged with rape if there are four male witnesses. There have been a couple of shocking gang rapes in the news lately. We had an interesting discussion with the 15 year old girl who was translating the English version of this story on whether animalism or beastiality was the appropriate word for sex between humans and animals.
Rilwan did his usual good job with the news conference, and we got vox pop (the British term for man on the street) interviews from one of the atolls. Not surprisingly the reaction to the new penalties was all positive, including a bite from the newly formed human rights commission. In fact, people think the human rights commission should be calling for even harsher penalties for rapists and pedophiles.
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