News Desk
MALE’, Maldives — A seemingly innocuous pair of socks has ignited a firestorm of controversy in the Maldives. The issue: the country’s national emblem, a revered symbol of sovereignty and Islamic heritage, has been printed on socks sold online for $2.85, prompting accusations of disrespect and calls for retribution from some Maldivians. The product is sold on Temu.
The controversy surfaced in a local business group on social media, where a member shared images of the socks, which feature the Maldives’ national emblem—a coconut palm, a crescent moon, and two crisscrossing national flags, inscribed with the Arabic phrase “Ad-Dawlat Al-Mahaldibiyya” (State of the Maldives). The emblem, rooted in Maldivian Islamic tradition, is a source of deep national pride. Seeing it emblazoned on an item meant to be worn on feet—a part of the body considered impure in many eastern cultures—sparked immediate outrage.
One group member, in a post that quickly gained traction, expressed fury, speculating about the country of origin behind the product and suggesting a provocative response: printing that country’s flag on toilet paper. The comment drew vocal support from some, who viewed the socks as a deliberate affront to Maldivian identity, while others in the group remained silent, reflecting a more muted or ambivalent stance. The exchange underscored the sensitivity surrounding national symbols in the Maldives, a small but proud nation of 515,132 people, the oldest independent nation in South Asia, and the first to adopt a constitution in the region.
The socks, it turns out, are sold on Redbubble too, a global online marketplace where independent artists upload designs for custom merchandise like T-shirts, stickers, and, in this case, socks. The design in question was created by a Farhan Hafeez, an artist based in Australia, whose Redbubble portfolio includes multiple variations of Maldives-themed products, from flags to emblems, printed on everything from tote bags to metal prints.
In eastern and Islamic cultures, placing sacred or respected symbols on items associated with the ground or feet can be seen as profoundly disrespectful.
