The Maldives used to be serious competition for Barbados tourism
A Maldives court has sentenced a 16 year old girl to be publicly whipped 100 times for having sex outside of marriage. Of course, under Maldives common practice the girl could have been married off and having sex at 9 years old because the Muslim Prophet Mohammed made that the rule. (The dirty old wanker!)
100 lashes is a tough go and women sometimes die from the punishment. No big deal because under Islamic law they are only women and thus their worth is lower than men in any number of areas including inheritance, being a witness in court and being subject to religiously sanctioned beatings in the event they do not obey their husband.
The Maldives are known for publicly flogging women, but more of this tough love Islam is happening lately and no doubt it will impact the tourism industry in the country. (Indian Express: Maldives’ Court sentences 16 year old girl to 100 lashes for sex act.)
But it’s good for Barbados!
As we pointed out in previous stories, this religious fervour by Maldives Muslims is good news for Barbados. The Maldives, a group of over 1,100 tiny coral islands, is often compared with Barbados as a vacation and retirement destination. Although far-removed from each other geographically, both countries compete for the same United Kingdom and European travelers.
In the last few years though, The Maldives has fallen under control of very religious Muslims who adhere to the rules of their faith as laid out in the Qur’an…
- Islam is the official religion and no other religions are allowed. Non-Muslims are not allowed to be Maldives citizens.
- Guest workers and tourists are not allowed to bring Bibles, Buddha statues or other non-Muslim religious articles into the Maldives.
- Guest workers and tourists are not allowed to pray to any god but Allah.
- Alcoholic beverages are prohibited except at a few tourist resorts, and efforts are underway to ban alcohol entirely.
- Buddhist and Hindu exhibits were smashed at the Maldives National Museum so that all traces of the religions that preceded Islam have been removed from the public record.
- In January 2012, the Maldives shut hundreds of resort spas as being ‘un-Islamic’, and the powerful opposition announced that it was studying the complete ban of music for the same reason.
We think that the choice is clear for British and European tourists.
Barbados or The Maldives? Let me think about it…
Barbados: Friendly people, great beaches, wonderful food, the best rum in the world and we don’t flog unmarried women for having sex or imprison Christians for possessing a bible or a rosary.
Honey… forget about the Islamic paradise of The Maldives… book two weeks of party, sun, rum and sex in Barbados – and don’t forget we want to see the changing of the sentries at The Garrison and do some coastal fishing with Shaun Sandiford.
How about a Maldives Wedding? Continue reading