Hassan Saeed
Encyclopedia
Dr. Hassan Saeed was attorney-general of the Maldives
from 11 November 2003 to 5 August 2007. He ran as an independent candidate for the Presidency of the Maldives, and placed third of six candidates. Saeed was appointed as the Attorney-General at the age of 33 by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
on 11 November 2003.
before earning his Ph.D.
at the University of Queensland
in Australia
, Saeed served as the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court before being appointed as Attorney-General.
, a fellow graduate of the University of Queensland and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mohamed Jameel Ahmedl.
Saeed was thrust in to the limelight as President Gayoom began a new term of office committed to a rapid overhaul of the country's archaic governance system and legal framework, shortly after riots rocked the capital in the aftermath of the killing of four persons in prison, discrediting the country's archaic penal and legal system.
Saeed supported a reform agenda proposed by President Gayoom
. He proposed a 5-year plan to reform the criminal justice system, beginning 2005, to overhaul the nation's legal framework, penal system and the judiciary. He tabled a new Penal Code before the parliament.
Together with Foreign Minister Shaheed and the Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed (not Mohamed Nasheed
), Saeed is also the chief architect of the alleged Road map for the Reform Agenda published in March 2006 by President Gayoom
regime.
defected New maldives
trio with Hassan Saeed as the front runner contended for 2008 Maldives Presidential Election as an independent candidate, Hassan Saeed as the presidential candidate chose Ahmed Shaheed
as his running mate.
and is the co-author of the book Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam, a book that elucidates the position of Muslim scholars on apostasy and practice prevailing in the Muslim community. In the book the authors Abdullah Saeed and Hassan Saeed argue that the law of apostasy and its punishment by death in Islamic law conflicts with a variety of fundamentals of Islam. They contend that the early development of the law of apostasy was essentially a religio-political tool, and that there was a large diversity of opinion among early Muslims on the punishment. Saeed has argued in the newspaper Indian Express that Islamic anger over the U.S. invasion of Iraq, along with increasing Internet access to the Maldives, has caused a shift towards greater fundamentalism.
Saeed is also a Barrister-at-Law in the High Court of Australia
. He is also an Advocate and Solicitor in the Republic of Maldives. He has written editorials in the British newspaper The Guardian
advocating democracy in 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...
from 11 November 2003 to 5 August 2007. He ran as an independent candidate for the Presidency of the Maldives, and placed third of six candidates. Saeed was appointed as the Attorney-General at the age of 33 by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia...
on 11 November 2003.
Education
Educated in International Islamic University MalaysiaInternational Islamic University Malaysia
The International Islamic University Malaysia , also known as IIUM or UIAM, is a public publicly-funded university in Malaysia. Its main campus is located in Gombak, Selangor with its situated in Petaling Jaya / Nilai and its medical-centric branch in Kuantan, Pahang. The university is sponsored...
before earning his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Saeed served as the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court before being appointed as Attorney-General.
New Maldives Trio
A leading member of the New Maldives faction of the governing Maldivian People's Party (DRP), Saeed was elected as the Vice President of DRP in April 2006. The same month he also co-founded with Dr. Ahmed ShaheedAhmed Shaheed
Ahmed Shaheed is a Maldivian politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from November 2008 to December 2010; previously, he had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for two years, from 14 July 2005 until August 20, 2007....
, a fellow graduate of the University of Queensland and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mohamed Jameel Ahmedl.
Saeed was thrust in to the limelight as President Gayoom began a new term of office committed to a rapid overhaul of the country's archaic governance system and legal framework, shortly after riots rocked the capital in the aftermath of the killing of four persons in prison, discrediting the country's archaic penal and legal system.
Saeed supported a reform agenda proposed by President Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia...
. He proposed a 5-year plan to reform the criminal justice system, beginning 2005, to overhaul the nation's legal framework, penal system and the judiciary. He tabled a new Penal Code before the parliament.
Together with Foreign Minister Shaheed and the Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed (not 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...
), Saeed is also the chief architect of the alleged Road map for the Reform Agenda published in March 2006 by President Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia...
regime.
With the defected faction
After 7 years in the cabinet the then Attorney General Saeed and Justice Minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmedl resigned from the government in what was viewed as a setback for the reformist credentials of President Gayoom. The resignations were submitted at August 5, 2007 2.30pm, and Saeed and Jameel arrived at Daabaurgue for a press conference just after 3.30 pm. Accusing Gayoom of misdeeds, Hassan Saeed said “I have resigned because the reform agenda, which I joined the government for, has failed, and it is not appropriate for me to stay in the cabinet.” Following his resignation from the Cabinet, Saeed, along with former Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed and former Justice Minister Mohmamed Jameel Ahmed has set up a corporate and business law firm called "Raajje Chambers".Presidential Bid
Gayoom'sMaumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia...
defected New maldives
New Maldives
New Maldives began as a group of young ministers who supported the dictatorship of President Gayoom and claimed to be working to usher in liberal democracy to the Maldives. Its most public proponent is Ahmed Shaheed, supported by Hassan Saeed and Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, who were serving as Foreign...
trio with Hassan Saeed as the front runner contended for 2008 Maldives Presidential Election as an independent candidate, Hassan Saeed as the presidential candidate chose Ahmed Shaheed
Ahmed Shaheed
Ahmed Shaheed is a Maldivian politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from November 2008 to December 2010; previously, he had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for two years, from 14 July 2005 until August 20, 2007....
as his running mate.
Islam
A madrasa student and Islamic Scholar, Saeed is an advocate of liberal IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and is the co-author of the book Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam, a book that elucidates the position of Muslim scholars on apostasy and practice prevailing in the Muslim community. In the book the authors Abdullah Saeed and Hassan Saeed argue that the law of apostasy and its punishment by death in Islamic law conflicts with a variety of fundamentals of Islam. They contend that the early development of the law of apostasy was essentially a religio-political tool, and that there was a large diversity of opinion among early Muslims on the punishment. Saeed has argued in the newspaper Indian Express that Islamic anger over the U.S. invasion of Iraq, along with increasing Internet access to the Maldives, has caused a shift towards greater fundamentalism.
Saeed is also a Barrister-at-Law in the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
. He is also an Advocate and Solicitor in the Republic of Maldives. He has written editorials in the British newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
advocating democracy in the Maldives.