Gibberish editorials of Dhivehi Observer; the symbol of yellow journalism
15/09/2005 | Ali Shafeeq, via e-mail

Doubtlessly, we all consent upon the indecent and unethical journalism exercised by the wicked online tabloid Dhivehi Observer (DO). After all it is the first ever Dhivehi website of that nature. But how on earth such a website ever be the ‘People’s Press’ though it has named itself so. If all that appear on Dhivehi Observer is democracy, what else is democracy other than shamelessness and a gateway for seditions?

I rarely bother to read the everyday nonsense of DO except that I read its editorials occasionally. The only reason I read its editorials is that the editor of DO may not personally be responsible for its folderol, saying that the content attributed to various anonymous authors does not reflect DO’s views or they do not necessarily  express the views of DO itself. Whatever the excuses may be, DO’s editor Mr. Ahmed Shafeeq Ibrahim Moosa ( Sappe’) cannot refuse to be personally accountable for his very own gibberish editorials.

Sappe’s editorials are in general directed to attack the government of Maldives, and particularly to censure President Gayoom and other senior government officials in a personal manner. As far as my humble knowledge concerns, his editorials lack constructive criticism, and contain misleading radical views which I see as barbaric, seditious and apolitical thoughts of an insane man.

To prove my above claim, allow me to examine DO’s most recent editorial headlined “Mubarak's victory puts Gayyoom hopes up”. In the first sentence of this editorial Sappe’ says “There is no doubt that the victory of Husni Mubarak in the first ever presidential election in Egypt for 7000 years would have given the Maldives dictator Gayyoom renewed hope of remaining in power for more years”. His assumption of President Gayoom being given renewed hopes to continue autocratic rule in the Maldives, and labeling Egypt as an autocratic nation for the past 7000 years, signifies his ignorance which proves his incompetency in understanding political systems and constitutional developments around the world as a whole. The truth is that historically, party politics was introduced to Egypt since 1907, and from 1923-1952 she was governed by a multiparty parliamentary system, a well-known democratic system, and one of the most successful contemporary political systems which is practiced in various countries such as UK, India..etc. Later on, following the revolution which was led by Jamaal Abdu' Nasir, and the socialist ideology that took root across the country after the revolution, one-party system was reinstituted for sometime, but multiparty system was reestablished back in 1976 and continues up to date.

Despite the existence of these historic democratic practices in Egypt, how could it be labeled as a country that has been a dictatorship for 7000 years or until the recent presidential election? Sappe’ may think holding a competitive presidential election is the only way out for democracy. It saddens me when he has forgotten that the country where he lives, and which he believes is the world’s best democracy had never experienced a presidential election ever. As for his concept, this practice in the UK, as well as in India is systematically autocratic and democracy hasn’t yet prevailed in those countries due to the absence of competitive presidential elections.

Ironically, he believes that the Maldives’ media should report the Egyptian presidential election along with critiques and should accuse Egyptian authorities of vote rigging and other election irregularities. Hence, he has described the media’s stand in reporting this event without any comments on how the election took place, and without shedding light on the internal political quarrels in Egypt, or absence of governmental intervention in Egyptian political affairs as a support for intimidation and autocratic rule, and to lessen the Maldivian people’s hope for reform and further strengthening of democracy. To answer this claim I would pose a question if he ever realized our country’s position in international politics, and if he ever knows what it means to adopt a policy for intervening in the affairs of other countries. I am not surprised, because I understand the personal grudge involved in these apolitical editorials.

Finally let me point out the way how Gayoom is blamed for other’s political interests such as Gayoom being accused of using Mr. Qasim Ibrahim a high-profiled reformist and the country’s wealthiest business man. I don’t think Qasim’s own decision to join Gayoom’s cabinet and DRP has anything to do with brute force, intimidation and influencing such people’s conscience. It was Qasim’s own choice to join the regime and we all should democratically accept the fact that he has every right to choose whatever direction he wants to reach his political goals. What we all believe is that Qasim is a man who cannot be bribed for a song, and there should be a strong political reason behind his decision to step off the MDP.

My whole point in composing these few words is to enjoy the legal right I have to express my disgust towards the content of DO and specifically, to uncover its editorial fictions. This is nothing personal, but a message for public awareness and to save the populace from the misguidance and misinformation which may be caused by its yellow journalism. However, I do not expect a rotten egg to be returned to its natural state, but I want to disperse the knowledge I have, that the 'egg' we have here is completely rotten, so that the people would not eat it and get diseased.

Ends.

Note to the Contributor: This article is slightly edited for clarity and defamatory literature.