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Why history is for fools and heroes in Maldives by Michael O'Shea, Australia Historical research in Maldives is completely controlled by the ruling family and the National Security Service. The President, Maumoon Gayyoom, and his brother-in-law Abbas Ibrahim, Director of the National Council of Linguistics and Historical Research (NCLHR), have total control over the local intellectual output of the country and use the overwhelming power of the National Security Service (NSS) to enforce their will. Independent historians and writers are constantly intimidated, and if necessary arrested, tortured and imprisoned. This is the main reason Dhivehi language is dying. It is almost impossible to use it in any creative way without attracting the hostile attention of the Maldivian authorities. For any part of Maldivian history over the last 2,000 years the government has a particular line that must be followed or else, for Maldivians at least, there is the prospect of punishment. Another small group hostile to Maldivian traditions and objective research were local scholars of the past who have rewritten Maldivian literature in a puritanical style. With such formidable barriers to understanding the country's language and history, internet users are lucky that Majid Abdul-Wahhab has decided to share some of his knowledge. Below are links to some of Majid's pages. Check his internal links for more, and remember to scroll down through the pages; Majid often saves the best for last.
Earliest surviving photograph taken by a Maldivian. [ more photos ]
Majid's Maternal Grandfather - Bodufenvalhugey Seedi
'The affluence of the Addu and Huvadu merchants was always resented by the mercantile classes in Malé. World War II presented the central authorities backed by Malé merchants, their first opportunity to address this state of affairs.' [ more ] |
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Maldives Culture is an independent internet magazine of Maldivian cultural issues.
Editors and translators: friends and Michael O'Shea, Australia
We invite contributions from Maldivians and others interested in Maldives.
Contributions and comments - mc_editors@hotmail.com
