"The Indian Ocean archipelago with 1,192 tiny coral islands is known for its exquisite resorts." Not for long. No soft skin for you, Infidel! This is Sharia: anti-Semitic (calling for an end to flights to Israel), and destructive of art and human creativity (vandalizing the Buddha statue). They want to stop sales of alcohol and further restrict religious freedom. This is real Sharia. This is the way it is explained in Islamic legal manuals (see here) and the way it has always played out everywhere it has been implemented. Yet Islamic supremacist spokesmen in the West insist that Sharia is benign, compatible with Constitutional values (Imam Rauf), and so amorphous and multiform as to be impossible to speak out as having any definite features (Reza Aslan), and the credulous and compromise mainstream media buys it.
Maldives closes hundreds of luxury resort spas Associated Press December 31, 2011 (hat tip Jagan)
No more of this
A statement from the president's office said "the government has decided to close massage parlors and spas in the Maldives, following an opposition-led religious protest last week calling for their closure."
An official from the president's office said the tourism ministry notified the resorts on Thursday but hasn't confirmed if the spas have been closed. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
The Indian Ocean archipelago with 1,192 tiny coral islands is known for its exquisite resorts.
Thousands at last week's protest called on the government to halt what they called "anti-Islamic" activities. Sunni Islam is the official religion in the Maldives and practicing any other faith is forbidden.
Last week's protest was called by the opposition Adhaalat, or Justice, Party and several other groups that accuse President Mohammed Nasheed's government of compromising principles of Islam and want strict Islamic law.
The protesters also want authorities to stop the sale of alcohol in the islands, shut down brothels operating in the guise of massage parlors and demolish monuments gifted by other countries marking a South Asian summit last month because they see them as idols.
They also wanted to halt a plan to allow direct flights to Israel.
Though the country does not allow stoning or executions, it is under scrutiny for its absence of religious freedom and for punishments such as public flogging.
Debates on religious issues have emerged since a group vandalized a monument gifted by Pakistan marking a South Asian summit last month with the image of Buddha. Buddhism was part of the present Islamic republic's history.
An angry protest last month followed a call by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay for the Maldives to end floggings of women being punished for adultery.
