A costume worn by a dance group during Eid concert in Gaaf Alif Villingili has drawn criticism from Culture Minister Yumna Maumoon and the public.
A platform called MvCrisis shared a 39-second video on social media of a performance by the dance group in Villingili. It shows three women dancing in tights and skirts. Two of them were wearing burqas.
Sharing the video on Twitter, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Yumna Maumoon said "there should be some kind of standard in attire."
"Eid are days when people of all ages from the island gather for merriment and revival of social spirit through cultural and modern activities. In Eid activities and other activities as well, there should be some kind of standard in attire," Yumna said.
The Villingili show was performed by the famous Goma Group. The video shows the costume used during one song of the show.
The video uploaded on Thursday night has been viewed more than 100,000 times with more than 100 comments, a lot of which criticized the dance group's costume.
"This is very sad. When will we move away from such things?" one asked.
Some people characterized it as a "dirty" act. Others said people should learn how to properly celebrate Eid.
"Maldivians should learn the age-old Eid tradition. Eid games and activities should be revived on islands. These are such dirty things. Eid is a day that people of all ages from the whole community celebrates," said Shifana Wajeeh, a popular personality and CEO of the Heat Health and Fitness Center.
Last Wednesday was this year's Eid. The government was closed for the whole week for Eid, which was festively celebrated in the capital Male' and across the country.
