Maldives deports Christians for bringing in literature

NEW DELHI — Authorities in the Maldives held a Bangladeshi Christian in jail for 23 days before deporting him for bringing Christian literature into the South Asian archipelago that claims to be 100 percent Muslim.

Customs officials found Jathish Biswas with 11 books on Christianity in the Dhivehi language. Arrested on Sept. 27 at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Malé, the nation’s capital, he was deported Oct. 19.

 “While I was not physically harmed, authorities treated me as if I wanted to destroy their nation by bringing in Christian books,” he said. The Maldives — the only nation after Saudi Arabia to claim that all of its 300,000 citizens are Muslims — has laws banning the import of any material that contradicts Islam. 

The immigration form all foreigners are required to sign warns that pornographic material, idols, alcohol, pork products and “materials contrary to Islam” are prohibited in the country.

A recently implemented regulation under the nation’s Religious Unity Act of 1994 states, “It is illegal in the Maldives to propagate any faith other than Islam or to engage in any effort to convert anyone to any religion other than Islam. It is also illegal to display in public any symbols or slogans belonging to any religion other than Islam, or creating interest in such articles.”