Hate crime bill widens Islamic divisions in the Maldives

'Irreligious' or not? Debate splits ruling party, fuels instability in South Asia

The Maldives' capital, Male. The archipelago of 400,000 people is being divided by a religious dispute. © Reuters

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent

July 22, 2021 14:04 JST

BANGKOK -- Two years after a landslide victory in the general elections, the governing Maldivian Democratic Party has been rattled by sharp divisions within its ranks as lawmakers split into factions in an emerging battle for the soul of Islam in the South Asian archipelago.