On my way to Male’ from home I came across a GM of a large company in Male’. We talked about the previous night’s telecast of the Special Majlis. I told him that I was quite concerned about what I saw. He asked me what it was and I told him about how the Honorable Member of Meemu Atoll "Meemu" Shafeeg had responded to the Honorable Member of Alifu Alifu Honorable Majdhee in a point of order (which it actually was not). Honorable Shafeeg had accused Honorable Majdhee of being bought over by the government of President Gayyoom by appointing his "disabled" father as island chief.
To my mind, Honorable Shafeeg was unbecoming of a representative of a people, when he cannot respect others – especially disabled people; it was annoying, to me. And it had nothing related to the agenda item being deliberated. I am sure the people who Honorable Shafeeg represent, must have a good reason to back him to represent them in such a manner. Especially now, to display these values to the young minds in the constituency and the country in general.
The gentleman I spoke thought otherwise. He felt that it was the right way to deal with the likes of Honorable Majdhee. That attacking anything including his father or other members of the family, in the Majlis and on public television would be the way to contain the people who supported dictator Maumoon. He told me that I was missing the point. That the issue was actually that Honorable Gasim Ibrahim, the Speaker of the Special Majlis – was a puppet of Maumoon; and it were people of the likes of Honorable Majdhee, who gave it legitimacy. And it would be proper to use any means to break that support.
I am sure I am out of place in this country that is going through a period of transformation to becoming a full liberal democracy, in which people will have respect and dignity and basic human rights. Ofcourse, the likes of parents and family of Honorable Majdhee will be exceptions and they will have to pay for their next-of-kins’ being on the wrong side of the equation.
In a discussion on the subject with a dear friend who has been my mentor for a long time, he said that it would be best to see these things in the light of the current state of affairs of our society. He said that it would be better to see these things as a reflection of and the reality of the society that we live in; and not to be emotionally affected by these dramas.
Smile and Let Smile 
mamduh
July 21, 2007 at 7:22 pm
can we see something and still not be affected by it? The very act of seeing, or fact, you could say, involves recognizing something as something. And this something then crystallizes; into an experience, a notion, an attachment, an emotion and perhaps even a value and belief, whether false or not.
Mohamed
July 21, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I still cannot come to terms with someone standing up in the Majlis tomorrow night and ridiculing Horoable Shafeeg’s mother just for the sake of belittling him or taking revenge from him. The likes of me, however, will not hold or survive in public office in this day and age, I guess.