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February 9th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda
Further reports today suggested that the unrest had spread to other islands,
but none of the “resort islands” popular with tourists. The protests were
focused mainly around municipal buildings such as police stations and
courtrooms. There have been no reports of foreign holidaymakers being
affected by the unrest.
Given the unrest, the Foreign Office has advised holidaymakers to exercise
caution and to check with their tour operators or travel companies for
further developments.
A spokesman for Kuoni, the luxury long-haul specialist tour operator, said it
was “business as usual” for holidaymakers on the islands, which are
particularly popular among honeymooners seeking uniquely idyllic retreats.
“Most visitors take a seaplane from Malé straight to their island resort,” she
said. “The resorts are self-contained and are usually populated solely by
holidaymakers and resort staff, so unrest is unlikely to spread there.”
The ousting of Mr Nasheed has, however, raised concerns that hard-line
Islamist influence over the country’s policies will increase – a development
that could significantly affect the experience of foreign visitors.
Islam is the state religion of the Maldives, and some opposition parties have
begun adopting hard-line Islamist rhetoric ahead of presidential elections,
scheduled for next year.
Protests against “anti-Islamic” activities in December prompted the
authorities to order the closure of all the islands’ spas, although Mr
Nasheed overturned the ban less than two weeks later. Many resorts in the
Maldives have luxurious modern spas. Calls have also been made for the sale
of alcohol to be banned on tourist islands, as well as on Malé Island.
Simon Hawkins, the managing director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation,
based in Malé, said the impact of the president’s resignation would be
difficult to assess until it became clear who would replace him.
“The previous regime adopted very liberal policies, which have opened up the
country and benefited tourism,” he said. “Until the new cabinet is unveiled,
it is hard to predict what impact there might be on visiting holidaymakers.
“However, all the politicians know that tourism is hugely important to the
islands’ economy – they realise that a sudden switch to Sharia law would be
damaging.”
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