Ahmed Shafeeq Ibrahim Moosa
Encyclopedia
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
: އަހްމަދު ޝަފީގް އިބްރާހިމް މޫސާ) (b. 4 November 1968), commonly known as Ahmed Moosa or Sappé, is a senior member of the new democratic government of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, previously he was pro MDP member, when Gasim announced this candidacy for president, Moosa decided to support him, and in the second round hhe reverted to the MDP.
Moosa is the President's Envoy for Science and Technology. He was appointed on 11 March 2009.
Moosa is amongst those who campaigned for democracy and human rights which led to the end of the 30 year rule of Gayoom in November 2008. He is the founder and editor in chief of the news website Dhivehi Observer.
Moosa is a senior member of the Maldivian Democratic Party
Maldivian Democratic Party
The Maldivian Democratic Party is the ruling political party in power of the Maldives. It is a liberal party with its stated goal being the promotion of human rights and democracy in the Maldives. This party won the first ever multi-party elections in the Maldives...
and was elected to its first General Council. He was a widely outspoken critic of the former president Gayoom. He lived in self-proclaimed exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with his family from 2003 - 2008. The opposition Coalition won the Presidential Election held in October 2008.
Moosa is normally resident in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, United Kingdom.
Early and personal life
Moosa was born in MaléMalé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. He first married in 2003 and has three sons from that marriage. He married secondly Fathimath Moosa, with whom he has a son and a daughter.
Before his political career began, Moosa filled several government and private company posts. He also managed and ran his own businesses. In March 1999 he founded A Company Private Limited. The company was mainly involved in consultancy work in engineering, web design, printing and publishing, composition of business and marketing proposals and reports.
Moosa was practically involved in designing and production of the election campaign material for Ilyas Ibrahim
Ilyas Ibrahim
[Ilyas Ibrahim] is the brother-in-law of the former President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. He was a minister in Maumoon's cabinet for a long time and served as the MP for Malé from 1980 to 1995...
(brother-in-law of the president Gayyoom) in 1999 who ran against Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting...
(of the opposition) for representing the people of Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
as a member of the parliament. "I worked in Ilyas's last campaign (1999) on the request of Mr. Qasim Ibrahim which later turned out to be a regrettable experience." http://www.minvanradio.com/do/maldives_statement_21Nov2004_dhivehiobserver.htm
Since 1999 Moosa has been a consultant to Qasim Ibrahim
Qasim Ibrahim
Qasim Ibrahim is a businessman and politician in the Maldives.It has been claimed that he is also the wealthiest person in the Maldives, with a net worth of approximately $456 million in 2000, according to his interview for the Adduvas Weekly...
, former finance minister and leader of the Jumhooree Party, which is part of the current government coalition. Moosa was also a director of Horizon Fisheries Private Limited, a company with majority shares owned by Qasim Ibraim and former DRP member of parliament, Ahmed Nashid (ADK).
Educational background
Moosa completed his secondary education at the Malé English SchoolMalé English School
Malé English School is a private school in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. M.E.S was established on 10 April 1977 by Ahmed Zahir of Maafannu Seena and Hussain Shihab of Maafannu Kaly.-External links:*...
, Malé. In 1990 he acquired General Certificate of Education with distinction in all subjects, from Asmai Secondary School, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. On 13 July 1995 he graduated from University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
with a B. Eng with honours in mechanical engineering. Two years later, in 1997, he graduated at University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
acquiring PhD (Engineering) in metallurgy and materials.
Political career
In 19 September 2003, Evan Naseem who was serving at MaafushiMaafushi
Maafushi may refer to the following places, all in the Republic of Maldives:* Maafushi , inhabited island* Maafushi , uninhabited island* Maafushi , uninhabited island* Maafushi , uninhabited island...
jail was severely beaten up and ultimately paid with his life; end result of a series of complicated disputes between inmates. News broke out the following day and there was a civil unrest in the capital city
2003 Maldives civil unrest
On Saturday September 20, 2003 civil unrest broke out in Malé, the capital city of the Maldives. This unrest was provoked by the death of Hassan Evan Naseem at Maafushi Prison - located on a separate inhabited island - and the subsequent shooting at the same prison, that killed 3 and injured 17...
of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, covered this event and Moosa gave an interview to the BBC the following month and left Maldives, on 15 October 2003, to United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The interview was aired on 17 October 2003. He says he left the country because he believed he would be in danger if remained in Maldives. "I have already left the country fearing the worst" said Sappé in a written statement published on his website.
He joined Maldivian Democratic Party
Maldivian Democratic Party
The Maldivian Democratic Party is the ruling political party in power of the Maldives. It is a liberal party with its stated goal being the promotion of human rights and democracy in the Maldives. This party won the first ever multi-party elections in the Maldives...
on 10 November 2003, soon after its official announcement and was a member of its general council. However, he does not get involved with day to day operations of the party for two reasons. That is; MDP's major operations are carried out in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and he operates his own website DhivehiObserver, which is his major line of connection with the Maldivian public.
After his initial interview with the BBC, he gave several other interviews. They appeared to have exerted pressure on Maldivian government.
According to the article published on The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
on 15 September 2006, Ahmed Moosa was threatened via email by the wife of police commissioner Adam Zahir, Husna Latheef, on 11 April 2005. Moosa filed a complaint to Wiltshire Police who investigated the death threat with the assistance of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in London. The threat was traced back to Husna Latheef's email and was issued with a first verbal warning under the Harassment Act.