Maldives

Maldives

Maldives is a 500-mile-long string of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean.

Religion: Muslim 99.41%, Buddhist 0.45%, Christian 0.10%, non-Religious/other 0.03%, and Hindu 0.01%. Islam is the only recognized religion and is strongly promoted for national unity and the preservation of the government’s power.

Ideological Influence: Islam

Head of State: President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

Persecution: Free speech is not respected for the press or for non-Muslim religions. Outsiders are only allowed brief visits to inhabited areas of the Maldives, so their influence on Muslim communities will be minimized. In 1998, all known Christian foreigners were expelled from the country, and all known Maldivian Christians were arrested. International prayer and protest helped facilitate their release later in the year. Maldivian believers are now carefully watched. They have suffered ostracism and loss of jobs, and they cannot openly meet together or read the Scriptures.

Missionary Opportunity: The Maldivians are still among the least evangelized on earth. The Scriptures are in the process of being translated into Dhivehi, the official language of Maldives.

Maldives

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VOM NEWS—Bartlesville. The Voice of the Martyrs has just learned that five evangelists were recently arrested in the Maldives for spreading, “religious propaganda of the Christian religion” along the roads of Male. The arrests were made July 15th. According to a VOM News source, the five men had translated the Bible into their language and were distributing copies throughout the Islamic nation. Maldives is a nation of 1200 islands and only about 200 are inhabited. Approximately 250,000 people live in the Maldives and more than 99% are Muslims. Government officials oppose Christian evangelism and use federal powers to enforce allegiance to Islam. The five evangelists now in prison have been identified as: Mr. Mohamed Fauzee, 34, of GA, Villingilli, Gulbakaage; Mr. Mohamed Shaaz Waleed, 31, of G. Meadow; Mr. Abdullah Fayaz, 26, of H. Foddoogs; Mr. Mohamed Shwalz, 22, of H. Tharaboozuge and Mr. Mohamed Amir, 34, H. Nashaa. A newspaper account reported that one of the men arrested was caught, “red handed” while placing the material on the roads of Male. The printed material contained “various information about that (the Christian) religion, such as the benefits or advantages of knowing that religion.” It is not known at this time if and when the evangelists will face trial. VOM is urging Christians around the world to pray for these five men—that God will bring them peace in the midst of their imprisonment and the courage to continue to evangelize their unreached nation in, or out of prison.