Nazim to Fayyaz: No achieving human rights targets with this line of thinking

Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has expressed concern over remarks by main opposition MDP stating people should to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu what was done to former Maldivian president Mohamed Amin Didi, citing this should not be the thinking of leaders.

In an MDP press briefing on Monday afternoon, Fayyaz said that “brutality will be met with brutality”. He also said that Maldivian people will take “a play out of history books” in the face of brutality.

He had made the remarks in response to questions regarding comments made during a recent MDP rally in Kulhudhuffushi City, when one of the speakers said that people should do to President Muizzu “what was done to Amin.”

While speaking at a function held on Tuesday to mark this year’s Human Rights Day, Minister Nazim said was assassinated as part of a political plot by political figures.

He condemned leaders of participators of the state taking an example out of the incident and calling for what was done to Amin to be done to the incumbent president as Human Rights Day is being celebrated.

In this trajectory, he questioned the efforts being undertaken to ensure human rights as a state.

Minister Nazim said a state is made up of not just ministries, councils and independent institutions but also all other interlinked parties.

“As I have indicated before, our efforts to ensure human rights will be like pouring water onto a hollow pitcher if political parties included in the governance mechanism are not operating on the right path,” he stressed.

He expressed disappointment over such remarks being made on Human Rights Day, adding the nation does not wish to witness such scenes.

Speaking further, Minister Nazim said the idea that human rights can only be by implementing laws is outdated. In contrary, he cited changes in human lifestyles and mindsets as the driving force behind it.

“We cannot achieve the basic human rights targets we seek to achieve without shaping the views of political leaders who are there to guide the people this way,” he added.

Fayyaz’s remarks have enraged ruling PNC who have called to investigate his remarks.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has also released a statement following the remarks, citing they incited hatred and encouraged violence. The human rights watchdog urged against such actions.