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Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

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World Leader

The Resume

    (December 29, 1937- )
    Born in Malé, Maldives
    Obtained Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Sharia and Civil Law in Al-Azhar University (1966)
    Lecturer in Abdullahi Bayero College (1969-1971)
    Minister of Transport (1977)
    President of Maldives (November 11, 1978-November 11, 2008)

Why he might be annoying:

    He has been accused of nepotism because he appointed his brothers-in-law as cabinet ministers.
    Some dissidents say that he claims to be a devout Muslim, but has shown his true colors through his authoritarian regime.
    He ignored the high rates of crime and child abuse that went on in the Maldives during his presidency.
    His regime oversaw the murder of a 19-old man named Hassan Evan Naseem in the notorious Maafushi Prison, sparking greater pressure for democracy in the Maldives (September 19, 2003).
    His father had eight wives, even though the maximum number of wives a Muslim man can have is four.
    His surname, ‘Gayoom’, is an anagram of ‘yam goo’.
    He fueled his country’s economic growth by violating human rights in his country, such as the outlawing of political parties, immense restrictions on press freedom, and persecution of non-Muslims.
    His wife is twelve years his junior.
    He was friends with Saddam Hussein when he visited him (1980).

Why he might not be annoying:

    His mother died when he was studying in Egypt.
    He is Asia’s longest-serving non-royal head of state.
    As an environmentalist, he created artificial islands in order to provide living space for Maldivians as well as desperately trying to prevent rising sea levels which can submerge his entire country within a few decades.
    He encouraged tourism in his country.
    He stopped becoming president during the same day he became president.
    He couldn’t finish his PhD studies when the Egyptian government halted his funding for school fees (1966).
    He got arrested for criticizing Ibrahim Nasir’s policies (March 12, 1973, July 28, 1974).
    He condemned the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990).
    He eventually improved the human rights situation in the Maldives after 2003.

Credit: Big Lenny


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 91 Votes: 56.04% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 87.50% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 35 Votes: 34.29% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 30 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 25 Votes: 48.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 40 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 38 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 21 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 10 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 58 Votes: 67.24% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 70 Votes: 61.43% Annoying