Paper short abstract:

An empirical analysis of unchecked Saudi-funded spread of Wahhabism and Salafism in Maldives, and its implications for South Asian security. Contributes towards bridging the existing gap in knowledge of Maldivian affairs in attempts to understand South Asia's security environment as a whole.

Paper long abstract:

The Maldives is the smallest nation in South Asia, yet the radical changes in its religious beliefs and practices have the potential to have an enormous impact on the changing security environment in South Asia. Currently the Maldives has the highest number of fighters in Syria and Iraq from any South Asian country. Ignoring, or ignorance of, anti-democratic and religious developments in the Maldives leaves a significant gap in the understanding of the region's security as a whole. This paper provides empirical analyses of the following politico-religious changes in the Maldives: the ongoing authoritarian reversal; the fast-spreading, and intensifying adoption of Wahhabi and Salafist beliefs; increasing government-led 'religious unity' with Saudi Arabia; foreign policy-pivot away from democracies; and the large number of Maldivian fighters who see the Maldives as 'a land of sin', and leave to join 'Jihadists' in Syria and Iraq. It will look at the regional implications of these developments, examine Maldives' ties with other countries in the region, and explore how these ties can help or hinder regional security. It also highlights the dangers of ignoring Maldives in regional security analyses.