An increasing number of religious scholars are speaking out against the decision to grant the Rasmalé project to the United Arab Emirates-based Eagle Hills.
Under the agreement, 500 hectares of land in Rasmalé will be leased to Eagle Hills for 99 years. However, the terms are structured such that the apartments and properties developed on the site may never revert to Maldivian ownership.
The apartments, designed for permanent residency by foreign tycoons, will trigger a fresh 99-year lease whenever a unit is sold or inherited.
Sheikh Fazloon Mohamed voiced his opposition to the deal yesterday, joined by Dr. Mohamed Iyaz and Sheikh Zamzam Farish, who also spoke out against the permanent handover of Rasmalé.
Sheikh Farish, who holds a government position, expressed his concerns in a Facebook post, stating that the terms of the Rasmalé deal prevent the land from ever returning to Maldivians.
"I checked the Eagle Hills website tonight following rumours about the sale of Rasmalé land. If the agreement stands as described on that site... it is unacceptable. It means that land is lost to Maldivians forever," he wrote.
Commenting on the matter, Iyaz stated that the government must disclose the full reality of the Rasmalé agreement to the public.
"Upholding the sovereignty and independence of the nation is a duty upon every citizen. While many are warning that leasing a portion of the Maldives to foreigners for such an extended period could compromise national independence, and amid allegations of hidden agendas, the government must clarify the facts," Iyaz said.
Fazloon, among the first to criticise the project, asserted yesterday that the handover of Rasmalé to foreign entities must be halted.
"This is a dark, clandestine crime designed to allow the sale of Maldivian properties to the Zionist associates of the Eagle Hills owner, ensuring these buildings remain with Zionist generations and facilitating their settlement in the Maldives. If we do not oppose this today, we will regret it tomorrow. We must resist this before the nation's peace and sovereignty are lost," Fazloon said.
While the government maintains that Rasmalé has been leased to the UAE’s Eagle Hills for 99 years, the agreement is structured to ensure the land never returns to the state.
