Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Back Spinning the Discos


Ministry of Islamic Affairs says there are discos operating in the capital Male. The Ministry says they operate during weekends but didn’t say where. Minister Dr. Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has revealed that he plans to hold discussions with law enforcement agencies to stop them, according to Voice of Maldives (VOM).

There are different ways of shaping behavior. One is behavior change communication (BCC). Another is force or the threat of force. Since according to the VOM report the minister is consulting law enforcement agencies and not NGOs and the media, it appears that he has chosen the latter option.

Using force against social practices could be like back spinning –a technique used by DJs to make a vinyl disc momentarily spin backwards through applying force. The back spin is only momentary because the underlying turntable platter keeps rotating in the original direction and would take the disc forwards the moment the DJ releases his fingers.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Could't have said it better!

I can not understand Abdul Baree's stand on this. What is it with him and Discos. Have we heard a single comment (just a comment even) from this minister on the gang rapes, pedophilia, murders cases that are rampant in our society today. I have to admitt, its scary that a Minister is spending much time on weekend discos while there are plenty of pressing and urgent issues in our society that needs immediate address.

If these Discos have a history of violence and rapes, then, defenitely needs to see in to it and increase security, but if not, i donot get his gusto involvement in this! If Baree has a problem with others dancing together, first, i think Dhivehi film industry needs to be completely ban.
I dono, i just can not wrap my head around Dr Baree's stunts sometimes..

Nice allegory by back spining.

Anonymous said...

Disco will be permitted for couples only and for youngsters it will be medical discos hehe

Anonymous said...

ya it's hard to understand Baaree and the like worrying over unnecessary issues such as one dancing, listening to music or not wearing the 'burugaa'. These people are hypocrites. It's a shame that they think they're best of their kind in beleiving Allah. I've a feeling that a bigger problem could arise in future dividing the maldivian's into two different groups and a war between the two groups may occur in couple of years time. It won't be a war between ethnic groups but with ideologies. It would be a sad day to witness. The looming threat is becoming more and more obvious and the rebellious young generation would not tolerate it when they simply try to force certain things. Baaree and the lot should realise that it's previous governments harsh way of dealing with beard and burugaa actually reinforced that attitude in the society.They shouldn't be surprised when people get rebellious and take off their burugaa, shave their beards and walk in bikini's and have discos when and as they choose. Moderate people are getting frustrated about this extremists on certain issues while they are blind to serious issues

Anonymous said...

Doc Maj must be a very bad dancer. Maybe he likes it slow jamaa-ath style.

Anonymous said...

I know doc majeed bari.He is a terrible dancer. But his wife loves dancing inside the black tent.

Anonymous said...

I'm sending DJ invitations to all MoIA officials for the next new year celebrations.

I don't know what the hell is wrong with Baree. If this ban is forcefully imposed I fear Baree will move on to banning other things he disproves of.

But on this matter I'm optimistic (for once). Hell, I'd hold a dj myself in protest, and I'm not even into dancing.

Anonymous said...

Majeed's behavior demonstrates the narrow intolerant way that fundamentalists' minds works.

Anonymous said...

Wonder why Abdul Baree is so possessed with disco while we have more urgent problems at hand.So far the actions and statements of Baree gives the impression that he is not the suitable man for this role.Why he was so quiet when the head of state was caught drinking Sula Siraz?What about the many cases of paedophilia and gang rape, incest etc etc..What about the various other abnormal and criminal behavious so rampant in other society?The whole problem here is that both the society and the government doesnot have any clear plans of engaging youth.Dont they know that there is plenty of energy in youth and the problem here is that many of them dont have any means of utilizing this energy in a productive way and the end result is what you see.Many gangs in Male as if this is Los Angeles or some other well known crime ridden metro.So the DJ issue is nothing but a cheap gimmick to attract attention as a good samaritan trying to rid this society of its evils.I should say let the DJs continue if they dont create any disturbances or crime in the neghbourhood.At least this will act as a means to release the excessive energy of our youth.

Anonymous said...

tight ...!

Anonymous said...

If i may, a bit out of topic.
TVM is showing dheenee nasaeyhay programm where schollars are preaching on certain topics.
A while ago i saw Dr Ahmed (was it?) preaching on the topic "Christian missionary and war against Islam". Its scary that these things are broad casted in TVM (currently state owned), its hate mongering speeches. They do present the facts from history, but its very one sided. Christian cruisades are as wrong and cruel as Islamic Jehad's and has to be presented in media with a balance. there is history of violence on crusades and as well Islamic Jehad that is even current in our time.
This in my view is wrong. In the name of educating the citizen on the religion, they are spreading hatred and a conspiracy theory that Christian missionaries are here in Maldives.

Please stop this insanity and allocate those time to more productive programmes to educate ppl on human rights, global and national financial system, environment etc..

Anonymous said...

Shiham, your comment is very relevant to the big picture. This society is being manipulated by extremists, who want to shape the Maldives into something like Afghanistan.

Anonymous said...

Yeah look at the ultra conservative Mullahs with a group of brain washed youth standing on the road infront of Dharumavantha Miskiiy after every Friday prayers and how they look at the other passers by with so much contempt and arrogance.Some times they act in a way for the others to feel as if they are the choosen
ones.Perhaps choosen to create hatred like never seen before and ultimately come to power and rule like the despotic afghanistani Taliban.
The regrettable thing is that even this government is oblivious to this impending danger or they may simply be too busy to notice the dangers written clearly on the wall while trying to strenghthen their own flimsy coalition government.Ultimately what we see is a Himandhoo scenario being repeated in Male without those comical helmets and crude weapons.The message is still the same.The governments authority is challenged repeatedly and these people take a lot of pleasure out of this.More over they are slowly and steadily recruiting more and more youth into their group.I wonder when the government will take tough action against these people who are as dangerous to the society as drug pushers and other unwanted marauders seen so frequently in Male and other parts of the country.