<p>The attempted assassination of former Maldives president and the current speaker of its parliament Mohamed Nasheed underscores the rising threat of terrorism and extremism in the Indian Ocean country. A bomb rigged to a motorcycle parked a few metres outside his house went off, injuring Nasheed, two of security personnel and a British bystander. The former president was in a critical state but is now improving. A strong voice in the fight against climate change, Nasheed is an outspoken proponent of democratic and secular values. Consequently, he has many enemies, who would want to eliminate him. No terror group has claimed responsibility for the blast but Maldivian officials believe that Islamist extremists are behind the bomb attack against the former president. Three people with suspected links to the assassination attempt have been taken into custody so far.</p>.<p>Maldives is known to be an idyllic paradise but behind this image lie several grave problems such as religious extremism and drug trafficking. The country has suffered at least two major terror attacks linked to religious extremism. In 2007, a blast in a park in Male injured 12 foreign tourists. A little over a year ago, the Islamic State (IS) carried out multiple bomb attacks at Mahibadhoo harbour destroying a sea ambulance and four speedboats. While the number of violent attacks in the archipelago may be small especially when compared to that in other South Asian countries, the Maldives has witnessed a far greater degree of religious radicalisation. Many Maldivians have gone with their families to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside IS terrorists. Indeed, Maldives has the highest per capita numbers of jihadists who fought in these two war-torn countries. Several of them returned home to indoctrinate others.</p>.<p>The assassination attempt points to a failure of intelligence. The government had no inkling of the plot to eliminate Nasheed. This is a matter of concern. The Maldives’ geography – the archipelago comprises over a thousand islands, many of which are uninhabited – makes it difficult for the government to monitor jihadist training and indoctrination activities in the remote islands. But these are unacceptable excuses. To the credit of the Solih government, it has put in place programmes to de-radicalise youth. It is also rehabilitating jihadists returning from Iraq and Syria and other battlefields. These are welcome steps but clearly not enough. Some of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s allies are known to have links with extremists. Their statements and activities are providing fertile ground for religious extremism to thrive. The Solih government must act against them to keep Maldives safe.</p>
<p>The attempted assassination of former Maldives president and the current speaker of its parliament Mohamed Nasheed underscores the rising threat of terrorism and extremism in the Indian Ocean country. A bomb rigged to a motorcycle parked a few metres outside his house went off, injuring Nasheed, two of security personnel and a British bystander. The former president was in a critical state but is now improving. A strong voice in the fight against climate change, Nasheed is an outspoken proponent of democratic and secular values. Consequently, he has many enemies, who would want to eliminate him. No terror group has claimed responsibility for the blast but Maldivian officials believe that Islamist extremists are behind the bomb attack against the former president. Three people with suspected links to the assassination attempt have been taken into custody so far.</p>.<p>Maldives is known to be an idyllic paradise but behind this image lie several grave problems such as religious extremism and drug trafficking. The country has suffered at least two major terror attacks linked to religious extremism. In 2007, a blast in a park in Male injured 12 foreign tourists. A little over a year ago, the Islamic State (IS) carried out multiple bomb attacks at Mahibadhoo harbour destroying a sea ambulance and four speedboats. While the number of violent attacks in the archipelago may be small especially when compared to that in other South Asian countries, the Maldives has witnessed a far greater degree of religious radicalisation. Many Maldivians have gone with their families to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside IS terrorists. Indeed, Maldives has the highest per capita numbers of jihadists who fought in these two war-torn countries. Several of them returned home to indoctrinate others.</p>.<p>The assassination attempt points to a failure of intelligence. The government had no inkling of the plot to eliminate Nasheed. This is a matter of concern. The Maldives’ geography – the archipelago comprises over a thousand islands, many of which are uninhabited – makes it difficult for the government to monitor jihadist training and indoctrination activities in the remote islands. But these are unacceptable excuses. To the credit of the Solih government, it has put in place programmes to de-radicalise youth. It is also rehabilitating jihadists returning from Iraq and Syria and other battlefields. These are welcome steps but clearly not enough. Some of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s allies are known to have links with extremists. Their statements and activities are providing fertile ground for religious extremism to thrive. The Solih government must act against them to keep Maldives safe.</p>