Top 10 Interesting Facts about Laila Ali Abdulla

Mrs. Laila Ali and husband being received by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri E. Ahammed- Author; Ministry of External Affairs- Wikimedia

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Laila Ali Abdulla

Laila Ali Abdulla is a Maldivian activist and First Lady of the Maldives from 11 November 2008 until 7 February 2012.

She is the wife of the fourth president of the second Republic of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed and the mother of two girls Meera Laila Nasheed & Zaaya Laila Nasheed.

Abdulla’s husband, Mohammed Nasheed, was the Maldives’ first democratically elected president (2008–2012).

1. When her husband was arrested she played a role in fighting for his release

Mohamed Nasheed, Laila’s husband- Author;Ministry of External Affairs- Wikimedia.

In 2014, Nasheed was found guilty of terrorism on false charges and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Ali Abdulla worked alongside Nasheed’s lawyer, Amal Clooney, to get his charges overturned.

2. Laila held a press conference asking India’s prime minister to intervene in her husband’s case

Photo by Vanilla Bear Films on Unsplash

On 24th March 2015, Laila Ali Abdulla held a press conference in which she asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in her husband’s case so that he can be released from jail.

In a phone interview with the media, she said, “I do not know what it will take PM Modi to do it but my wish is that India helps in ensuring that my husband is freed unconditionally and that representative democracy is restored. How India does it is for the PM to decide.”

On 30th June 2015, Abdulla again held a Press Club Newsmaker urging for her husband’s release, stating that he was under solitary confinement throughout his detention.

3. During her husband’s case, she even met the British prime minister to discuss it

David Cameron- Author; unknown- Wikimedia

In January 2016, Mr. Nasheed was allowed to leave the Maldives through an internationally brokered deal.

On 23 January 2016, Ali Abdulla accompanied her husband and his lawyer, Amal Clooney, to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss Mr. Nasheed’s case.

4. She had Amal Clooney represent her husband

Amal Clooney- Author;Foreign and Commonwealth Office- Wikimedia

Amal Clooney is a Lebanese-British barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, specialising in international law and human rights.

She is a very high profile lawyer who has represented very high profile people including the former president of the Maldives.

Laila spent a lot of money trying to safeguard her husband’s release. Her devotion was well noted and even highly praised.

5. She is very private

Photo by Jason Dent on Unsplash

It is noted that Laila Ali Abdulla is a very private person and not much is known about what she is currently doing. Much of what is known about her is how much she fought when her husband was accused of terrorism involvement.

6. She was heavily pregnant when her husband was arrested thus being something that affected her mental state

During that period she noted that:

“It is not easy for me to share what I go through. I’m not the kind of person to cry and stay in bed. My children would never have seen me in that state. When Anni was arrested, I had to consider how it might effect our children, and I had to lie to them quite a lot.

Once he was arrested two weeks before I was due to give birth to Zaya [second daughter]. He was an MP at the time. Meera [their first daughter] was four years then. I had to lie a lot as she suddenly lost a father who spent a lot of time with her. I told her he had gone to another island, that he had called when she was sleeping. Or sometimes, I would tell her there is no phone on the island he was staying at. That is how I held on. That was the most difficult thing I had to do. In one way, it’s easier now that they are older and they know what is going on.”

7. Laila is known to be quite a strong woman

Image by Elias from Pixabay

On 6 May 2021, an assassination attempt was made against Laila’s husband, Nasheed, near their home while he was getting into his car.

He sustained serious injuries after an IED bomb that was stuffed with bearing balls as shrapnel was detonated near his home. He was treated in the intensive care unit, after undergoing multiple emergency surgeries.

During the whole time, Laila worked towards protecting her family and ensuring their children were out of danger.

8. She really had a hard time during her husband’s campaign for democracy in the Maldives

Photo by Fred Moon on Unsplash

Laila Ali in an interview admitted to having undergone a very rough patch together with her daughters, during her husband, Mohamed Nasheed’s long campaign for democracy in the Maldives.

9. She was featured in a documentary film

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Laila was featured in a 2011 documentary film known as ‘The Island President.’ This is a 2011 documentary film about the efforts of her husband, Mohamed Nasheed to tackle rising sea levels resulting from climate change.

It was produced by Actual Films, an Oscar- and Emmy-winning American documentary film company based in San Francisco, and directed by Jon Shenk, the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.

10. She is only the third first lady in the Maldives

Laila Ali- Author; Prime Minister’s Office- Wikimedia

Laila in the history of Maldives is only the third first lady of the Maldives and is known quite well for her activism work.

She was really involved in fighting for her husband’s release, making her known as the passionate Maldives first lady who didn’t rest until her husband’s release was secured.