The other day I was having a conversation about doing business in the region with a foreign investor over a glass of fresho orange juice. He is a Muslim.
During our conversation I asked him what the biggest difficulty was that he faced in doing business in Maldives. He said almost spontaneously without a second thought that it was “gossiping”. He went onto explain that it was known as “gheeba” in their country. I did not tell him that we have the same word in our vocabulary too. I asked him what he meant.
He then went onto explain, that it was talking about other people in their absence. I told him that I quite agreed, and that this was wrong also because it did create unfounded stories and rumors about people which were not true. He told me that it was not only talking bad about other people. That “gheeba” was talking about others what they wouldn’t want even when what is said maybe true. He claimed that proper human rights would be to completely refrain from talking about other people without their permission even if what is said maybe true. To him, that was the true Muslim spirit.
I am sure this investor must have had quite an experience to say it so spontaneously and in such a pin pointed manner. I was not surprised!
Let’s see how our People’s House (the so called Majlis) can be made “gheeba” free, in the first place. A place which upheld the true Islamic Faith that they so passionately made to be the pillar and guiding principle of the August Constitution. Perhaps, the ordinay folk will follow the leaders of the nation, and make this country worthy of investment by businesses without hesitation then.
I give my vote for an “gheeba” free Maldives. How about you?
Smile and Let Smile 
Anonymous
January 17, 2009 at 4:29 pm
if you talk something unpleasant about a person whom i love will fall under the gheeba catogory, and if it is commited against a person whom i hate for any reason what so ever will be regarded as a “jihad” for freedom. That is why one man`s feedom fighter becomes another person`s terrorist. so the line of demarcation between gheeba and seeking freedom is cleverly drawn in the mind based on how you perceived the big picture in front of you and this sort of things happened,as far as i know, when there are dissimulation and compromise for the selfish interest that emerge in politics.
Shihab
January 17, 2009 at 11:29 am
Yasir, yes I know…
Abdulla Yasir
January 17, 2009 at 11:10 am
Shihab,My comment wasnt a personal attack. What I meant in this case was, some people try to invest but only talked about it.
Shihab
January 17, 2009 at 10:26 am
I like it when people who know me make a personal comment… People who don’t know me think: – I did nothing for this nation- I dont know what I am talking about – I dont have a mind of my own – I didnt write 3 years back – I vote for Mavota Shareef and Aslam – I should not respond to personal attacks on my blog Cheers
Shihab
January 17, 2009 at 10:22 am
Good to hear from you Yasir… hehe he… good one…
Anonymous
January 17, 2009 at 9:19 am
I’d like an ‘idiot free’ nation if i had a choice.
Abdulla Yasir
January 16, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Can you relay to your foreign investor this message: some people try to shit but only farted.
Anonymous
January 16, 2009 at 9:00 pm
well you are demonstrating gheeba here yourself. you couldn’t even name an MP. SInce you say you voted for a gheeba free parliament I could only assume you are either talking about mavota shareef or aslam.Moreover you should read sayings of prophet Muhammad (saw) about “fitnah”. It is worse than any other crime. it goes even to the extent that it says to stop even doing a good deed if that god deed is going to create fitnah in the society.But Shihab, this is exactly what you are doing. Ypou are creating fitnah on various blogs between the parliamentarians and the people who elected them. they may have made their mistakes, but lets not forget that it’s this parliament who fought and got us these new found freedoms. I am sure you wouldn’t have dared to write this blog 3 years back.
Anonymous
January 16, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I too prefer to have a gheeba free society in the maldives, but 1`m doubtful about becoming this a reality.simply because maldivians are inherently inspired by their religion and the most popular religious scholars(adalath scholars) have unanimously issued their fatwa that in politics there is no gheeba at least against those whom they regard as their political rivals.