Another significant observation is that these respondents belonged to outer island regions. Freedom of religion was also named as one of the matter of incongruence between human rights and Islam. People also believed that human rights principles conflicted with Islamic values among which dress code, the use of music in schools, freedom of conscience and thought, inability to implement harsh punishments, detainee/prisoner rights and promotion of interaction between sexes are notable. Most people who thought human rights are not compatible with Islam because the punishments for offences prescribed in Islam conflicted with principles of human rights, were from urban regions and mostly from Malé. It is also important to note that it was mostly young people who expressed concern regarding human rights hindering implementation of the death penalty. against them, depriving children and women of their basic human rights and propagating and promoting extremist ideologies.10 Decreased respect for gender equality, calls for harsher punishments, glorification of violence and disillusionment about rights are manifestations of radicalization and violent extremism7. In December 2019, during the national decentralization symposium ‘Viyavathi Raajje’ conducted by the President’s Office, Maldives Police Services and the National Counter Terrorism Centre presented their findings on the nature and extent of radicalization and extremism in the Maldives, along with national indicators for profiling those manifesting radicalized and extremist views and beliefs8. During the live- streamed and broadcasted session, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohamed Hameed, revealed that the authorities have identified 1,400 people harbouring extremist ideologies. He also confirmed that 423 Maldivians have to date, attempted to travel to Syria and Iraq to join rebel groups, and 173 of them have succeeded.9 The National Counter Terrorism Centre also disclosed the characteristics of those holding extremist and radicalized ideologies in the country. The Centre said they were people who do not accept the laws of the state and disregard them citing incongruency with Shariah; people migrating to or ready to move to countries with ongoing war in the name of jihad; people claiming Maldivians other than themselves to be infidels hence justifying/ promoting/advocating and glorifying violence 7 8 9 https://www.undp.org/content/dam/norway/undp-ogc/ documents/Discussion%20Paper%20-%20Preventing%20 Violent%20Extremism%20by%20Promoting%20Inclusive%20%20Development.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVK1siuhUw https://en.sun.mv/57176 28 10 https://nctc.gov.mv/announcement/anncmnt4.pdf