Climate minister arrested for witchcraft

Published 1 July 2024 at 11.33

Foreign. Maldives Environment and Climate Minister Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem has been arrested since she was accused of using black magic on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzou. This is reported by India Today.

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Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem was arrested last weekend along with two other people in the capital Male, the police announced this week.

The climate minister has been remanded in custody for a week pending further investigative measures.

Local media Sun reports that Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem is accused of using “black magic” against President Dr. Mohamed Muizzou. However, the police have neither confirmed nor dismissed this information.

The Maldives is a country with a Muslim majority. Although witchcraft is not a crime under the national penal code, it can result in six months in prison under Islamic law.

The Maldives has a history of incidents involving alleged black magic. In 2012, police broke up a political opposition rally and accused the organizers of throwing a “cursed rooster” at officers during a raid.

In April 2023, a 62-year-old woman was murdered at Manadhoo by three neighbors who accused her of to practice black magic. However, a lengthy police investigation found no evidence to support the claims of witchcraft against the victim.

The Maldives has also been at the center of the so-called climate, as climate activists have warned that the island nation will soon (or already should have ended up) below the surface of the water.