Salaf Leaders Leave Scholars' Association Amid Rasmalé Project Dispute

Senior leaders of the Salaf Association have resigned from the Ilmuveringe Gulhum (Scholars' Association) in the Maldives. According to reports from Adhadhu, those who left include Salaf Association President Abdullah Mohamed, its spokesman Hassan Moosa Fikuree, and Dr. Ali Zahir. Abdullah Mohamed is also the brother-in-law of First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, wife of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. The departure comes as the Scholars' Association has been preparing a research study on the government's decision to lease Rasmalé to Eagle Hills of the United Arab Emirates. The study, which has been circulated to over 160 members, calls on the government to stop the project on religious grounds, stating that it is a religious obligation to halt the development. It argues that the project does not meet Islamic conditions and warns of religious risks from a non-Muslim population settling near Malé. The Salaf Association itself has also been conducting its own research into the Rasmalé deal. The government maintains that the lease is for 99 years, while Eagle Hills has indicated that any sale or gift of property within the project could trigger a new 99-year lease period. The article notes that attempts to reach the Salaf leaders for comment were unsuccessful. The Rasmalé deal has been controversial, with the government signing a secret agreement on September 21 and planning to sign a permanent agreement on November 11. The project has drawn significant opposition from political figures and religious scholars.