① The globally popular resort destination, Maldives
The Maldives is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean. It consists of 1,192 coral islands, each hosting a resort. Among the numerous islands in the Maldives, less than 200 are inhabited. Each other island is home to a single resort. The first resort opened its doors on an uninhabited island in 1972, establishing resorts on each island. The landscape of white sands, emerald seas, and palm-fringed beaches is nothing short of paradise.
The Maldives, in particular, is a popular honeymoon destination for people worldwide. Not only for its beautiful scenery, but it also became famous as a global resort for its perfect privacy. If you travel to the Maldives, you can enjoy a relaxing vacation in a luxury resort with everything.
A trip to the Maldives usually begins and ends at a resort. Most tourists travel in resorts on islands, not in local neighborhoods. Upon arrival in Male, the capital of the Maldives, tourists travel to the resort by yacht or seaplane.
② Woman arrested for wearing a bikini
Meanwhile, a woman who spent time on a Maldivian beach in a bikini was arrested by the police, sparking controversy. The video of the detained woman began to spread on social media, attracting attention. The woman in the video was British and was led away by three local police officers while wearing a white bikini. She was drunk at the time. During this process, the police tried to handcuff the woman, but she strongly resisted, even clinging to the police officer’s leg. One officer attempted to wrap the woman’s body with a beach towel. The woman then shouted, “You are sexually harassing me now.”
The woman said, “The police took me to the station, beat me, kicked my stomach, and tried to undress me. It was terrifying.”
The woman was arrested for ignoring local culture, wearing revealing clothing, and being drunk on the beach. When the video was released, some criticized the Maldivian police for their excessive response in arresting the woman. Multiple media outlets in the United States and the UK reported, “It is unclear exactly where the woman was arrested, but whether it was an abuse of power by some Maldivian police officers or discrimination against Britons in the Maldives needs to be seriously addressed.” They pointed out that consideration and protection for foreign tourists were not provided.
The Maldivian police officially apologized for their rough behavior towards the woman. Mohamed Hameed, the head of the Maldives Police, stated on Twitter, “I apologize to the tourists and the public. My immediate task is to professionalize the police service, and we study that issue. This matter is under investigation.”
③ Maldives, a Strict Islamic State
The woman was arrested on Maafushi Island, about 15.5 miles from Male, the capital of the Maldives. Maafushi Island is a local area where locals live and is rarely visited by tourists. While the Maldives may seem to have an open culture because of its significant tourism industry, it is pretty conservative. This is because the Maldives is an Islamic state, with about 99% of the population being Muslim. The state religion of the Maldives is Islam, and the constitution stipulates that non-Muslims cannot become Maldivian citizens. The Maldives is one of the countries where Sharia law is enforced.
In this country, tourists cannot carry a Bible, and Maldivians can be severely punished for possessing one. Alcohol and pork are also prohibited, as is public display of affection. You can’t even wear a swimsuit on the beach. When entering the Maldives, you cannot bring in alcohol. If you try to bring in alcohol, it will be confiscated at the airport, but they will give you a storage certificate to retrieve it when you leave. Foreign tourists can eat food prohibited by Islamic law, such as alcohol or pork, at the resort. Bikinis are allowed in popular tourist spots in the Maldives but are strictly prohibited outside the resorts.
Thus, while the Maldives is an Islamic state, the lifestyle in places where locals live and where tourists visit is entirely different. Because the places where locals live have the color of a strict Islamic state, unimaginable things happen to tourists. In the past, the Maldives was internationally criticized for sentencing a 15-year-old girl, who had been repeatedly sexually assaulted by her stepfather, to 100 lashes.
By. Kim Min Jae
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