Can the Maldivian Sheikhs incorporate religion into tourism?
Can the Maldivian Sheikhs, like Adam Shameem ever be able to incorporate religion into its tourism industry? Should there be supervision or government control on what gets preached?
YEARS AGO, acquiring the license to preach Islam was ‘not easy’ in the predominant Muslim Maldives. Back then, it was tightly controlled and politicised by the former government. Critics argue that license was issued more based on political affiliation rather than the religious background and educational qualification.
35 year old Sheikh Adam Shameem Bin Ibrahim is among the many preachers who are using the new found freedom. A graduate in Islamic revealed knowledge and heritage from International Islamic University in Malaysia, Adam Shameem has travelled nationwide ‘inviting’ people to Islam. Shaheem, who is now doing his PhD from International Islamic University in Malaysia, is no extra ordinary man. However, his latest idea of preaching Islam to the tourists visiting the Maldives, which he has been promoting, is something that needs to be debated. With thousands of followers, a video posted on his Facebook page reaching out to the youths of Maldives asking them to ‘take the message’ to tourists. “It is the duty of every Muslim to spread the word of Allah, We should learn languages like Chinese and Japanese and target tourists speaking in different languages and convey the message to them” he said in the video shot in one of the beaches of a resort. His message is very clear, yet certain questions do arise. How do we approach the tourists to preach the religion? What would be its pros and cons? Would the tourists visit the Maldives to learn Islam? Would they prefer a destination, where they are targeted by religious figures? How would it affect the country’s economy? Should it be about only Islamic awareness or Religious awareness? Many such questions need answers. Certainly, preaching the religion is not a problem. But the method used would really matter. A possible way could be to set up religious stalls, where interested and curious tourists can visit and learn about the religion. They could buy books, talk and engage in discussion with sheikhs etc. However, with growing religious extremism in the country, if we let the fanatics and extremists to preach anything and everything as they now preach to the locals, it could create heavy negative publicity which would plunge the whole tourism industry into chaos. So can the Maldivian Sheikhs, like Adam Shameem ever be able to incorporate religion in its tourism industry? Should there be supervision or government control on what gets preached? How can we prevent extremist and conflicting ideas from being preached? And at last, is it safe to proceed with his idea?
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