Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment has called all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) registered in Maldives to operate within the laws of the country and the tenets of Islam.
The ministry mandated to oversee local NGOs issued a press statement in such rhetoric at a time when the public has been heavily criticising Maldives Democracy Network (MDN), a local NGO, for a report it has published. The ministry further advised all NGOs to support the efforts of the administration to preserve religious unity. It also requested NGOs to respect laws and the constitution.
The ministry further raised concerns due to lack of actions against the NGO from the government in the previous administration as the report was published in 2016. It further stated the issue has been forwarded to Maldives Police Service (MPS) and Ministry of Islamic Affairs for further measures and investigation.
MDN has withdrawn and apologised for the report that mocked Islam and the Prophet Mohamed after the public got enraged and voiced against the publication. However, senior members of the NGO has been defending the report and demands police action against matters observed in the report. While MPS has not issued any statements regarding the report, the matter is currently under investigation.