Two huge statues of the Buddha erected on a beach at the exclusive Four Seasons Resort, as part of celebrations for the 55th birthday of British billionaire businessman, Phillip Green, have caused huge controversy in the Maldives.
The statues have openly flouted Maldivian religious law, placing Green, the owner of well known UK high street brands including TopShop, and more accustomed to grabbing UK business headlines, at the centre of a media storm in the Maldives.
The public observance of any religion other than Islam is strictly prohibited under Maldivian law.
Although one might reasonably argue that no celebrity bash with Kate Moss, George Michael and Jennifer Lopez in attendance, has been convened for religious observance, the law also prohibits foreigners from brining any material which may be used for idol worship into the country.
Articles associated with Buddhism are particularly controversial, given its widespread practice on the islands until the arrival of Islam 500 years ago, and recent moves by religious radicals to remove pre-Islamic traces from religious practice.
Standard practice by airport authorities has been to confiscate statues of the Buddha arriving with foreign nationals, and destroy them or return them to their owners on departure.
However, in Mr Green’s case not only did the state somehow overlook the arrival of two ten metre tall Buddha statues, and hundreds of miniature ones, it has gone to great lengths to ensure that the Buddha-themed celebrations take place without any hitches.
The party officially begun on Thursday evening with a fireworks display put on by the National Security Service (NSS) in a departure from standard police duties. The NSS have also beefed up security around the Four Seasons Resort, ensuring that the celebrities can party in privacy.
On Friday the President’s Official Website proudly reported on a cosy evening chat in which the President had thanked Mr Green for choosing the Maldives to celebrate his special day.
While trumpeting the arrival of “Britain’s fourth richest man” as a “boost to Maldivian tourism”, the authorities simultaneously attempted to prevent any knowledge of the Buddhist statues from reaching the Maldivian public.
A member of staff at the Four Seasons Resort reported that the mobile phones of staff were confiscated by NSS personnel in order to delete images of the statues.
But while images of the Buddha were not allowed out, representations of Maldivian Islam were not allowed on to the island; women wearing veils have been prevented from entering the island over the four day period.
Workers at the resort were also angry that Maldivian men had been forced to work on constructing the large granite structures, despite some voicing religious objections.
This all comes days after Tourism Minister, Mohammad Shougee, told Minivan News journalist, Philip Wellman, at Berlin’s ITB tourist fair, that the government was working to increase contact between Maldivians and visiting tourists, opening up the possibility of construction of further resorts on already inhabited islands.
The actions at the Four Seasons Resort seem to fly in the face of official policy of gradually sharing the benefits and profits of tourism with more local people.
The Buddha statues have been the subject of intense discussion across Maldivian society. Conservative religious opinion has been outraged at what is seen as brazen idolatry. At a time when Maldivian society is ill at ease about the apparent growth of radical Islam, the controversy is presenting a tailor made opportunity to rally around the Islamic flag.
Maldivians of all persuasions have also expressed frustration at the apparent ease with which wealthy foreign nationals have purchased exemption from the laws of state.
There are even rumblings of discontent amongst Malé based expatriates who have complied willingly with the laws restricting religious freedom in the past, only to see high profile expatriates now flout them with government approval.
Phillip Green and his many guests will probably leave the Maldives blissfully unaware, but their flying visit has highlighted serious tensions in Maldivian society about the cultural and economic impact of tourism and the extent of religious freedom.
Sadly it has also highlighted the difficulties the current government faces in managing these tensions.
Tell us your views on the Buddha statues by emailing your comments to minivan.news@gmail.com
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