Trial against 12 "extremists" from Himandhoo begins

| DATE: 2007-10-27 |
MALE, October 27, 2007 (Haveeru News Service) -- The trial of 12 \\\"extremists\\\" from North Ari atoll Himandhoo has started in the wake of the recent arrest of many from the island after Police and the Army clashed with extremists from the island over the shutting down of an illegal mosque in the island. The 12 are charged under Maldivian Law on Religious Unity.

The State is prosecuting the 12 under Clause 4 of the Law on Religious Unity by accusing them of having a part in conducting normal and Juma (Friday) prayers at a private mosque set up in a private home called Dhaarul Khairu. Maldivian law requires that all mosques be official and that people cannot hold private congregations at private places when performing the namaz.

The defendants are Husham Ismail, Mohamed Adam, Nizar Ali, Ahmed Naseem, Mohamed Shiyam, Ali Nasheed, Moosa Naseer, Mohamed Abu Bakr, Mustafa Ibrahim, Ismail Shareef, Abdulla Mohamed and Hussain Adam.

At a hearing on Thursday six of them appeared. The hearing heard the testimony of a witness -- Police Inspector Hussain Waheed.

The State Prosecutor is lawyer Ali Shah.

Inspector Waheed said that last year he visited Himandhoo twice on a police operation and that his and the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs scholar\\\'s advice were not heeded by the extremists.

He said that only “two to three extremists” prayed at official congregations.

The official mosque in the island has been closed for around three years after some members of the community testified that the mosque was built on top of a graveyard which is haram (prohibited) in Islam. The Council recently announced that work on building another mosque near the harbor of the island will resume this year.

Thursday’s hearing adjourned after the Judge called on the defendants’ lawyer to produce his witnesses.