BANGALORE – The rising tide of religious intolerance in the Maldives is threatening the country’s young democracy.

Monuments donated by Pakistan and Sri Lanka were vandalized last week as they were seen to be “idolatrous” and “irreligious”.

Member-countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) donated monuments to mark the just-concluded 17th summit of the regional grouping that the Maldives hosted.