A public spat between Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and scholar Dr Mohamed Iyaz has escalated following allegations involving Dr Iyaz’s wife, Aishath Shadhiya, who was arrested for protesting against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Dr Iyaz claimed a government minister instructed him to divorce his wife, an accusation that Shaheem has denied.
The incident dates back to 28 August, when Shadhiya, 47, and Dr Shazra Ibrahim, 36, were detained for protesting near diplomatic missions in Malé against Israeli atrocities in Gaza. The protests reportedly disrupted activities at the British and German embassies, among other locations. The women were released on the condition that they refrain from protesting near embassies.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Shaheem addressed Dr Iyaz’s claims. “Dr Iyaz is telling people that he doesn’t have control over his wife, and she doesn’t listen to what he says. So, then someone might say that he shouldn’t be with such a person,” Shaheem remarked, denying he had ever directly told Iyaz to divorce his wife.
This comes after Dr Iyaz, on 8 September, revealed that a government minister had told him to divorce Shadhiya. Although he did not disclose the minister’s name, Iyaz stated, “It was the government itself, not the people.”
During the press conference, Shaheem also claimed he had not communicated directly with Iyaz for some time. He expressed surprise at the accusations, stating that he had learned about them through the media and denied any involvement from the government in Iyaz’s personal affairs.
In response, Dr Iyaz took to X, formerly known as Twitter, accusing Shaheem of lying. “When my wife was in police custody, Shaheem ordered through Mohamed Shifan to ‘Tell him to divorce Shadhiya,’” Iyaz wrote. He also refuted the claim that he had complained about his wife’s obedience, adding, “By the grace of Allah, I have a faithful and obedient wife.”
Iyaz further criticised Shaheem’s moral standing, referencing a previous scandal in which Shaheem was allegedly caught in a compromising situation. “When you talk about morality, you should ask yourself how many lessons of morality you need after being seen with a girl in someone’s apartment,” Iyaz tweeted.
Iyaz also revealed that Shaheem had sent derogatory messages about Shadhiya in a Viber group of Maldivian scholars during her detention. Iyaz said he had advised Shaheem to stop but felt compelled to threaten to post a tweet if the messages continued.
The detention of Shadhiya and Dr Shazra Ibrahim sparked controversy in the Maldives, marking the first instance of demonstrators being detained for pro-Palestinian protests. The Maldives Police Service (MPS) arrested the women for allegedly disrupting diplomatic activities, citing violations of the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act.
The arrests led to criticism from opposition parties, including the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Adhaalath Party, which called for their immediate release. The government, however, defended the police’s actions, stating that protests should not disrupt work at diplomatic missions.
The incident also fuelled broader public discontent over the government’s perceived failure to fulfil its promise to ban Israeli nationals from entering the country.
