President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has implored all Maldivians to embrace the Islamic values of being kind, generous and caring for one another this Ramadan as the country faces the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the nation on the occasion of the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, President Solih said that due to the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, the Maldives remains under a State of Public Health Emergency with precautionary measures imposed across the country. He underscored that this would make this year’s Ramadan very different from those of past years.
Speaking in this regard, President Solih noted that even though the community spirit and joyful air that typically accompanies the holy month will be diminished in these difficult times, we must not resign ourselves to hopelessness. He urged all Maldivians to overcome these despairing times by practising the core values preached in the Holy Quran; kindness, charity and mercy. He also stated that there is no better time to practice those values than during Ramadan, as the holy month is intended for Muslims to pray, reflect, to keep in mind those less fortunate, to contemplate our own thoughts and actions, and to see if they align with the spirit of Islam.
The President further stressed the importance of engaging in good deeds, prayers and recitation of the Quran during this month. Moreover, the President called upon the people to turn to the examples of those who embody the sacred values of our faith; the healthcare workers working day and night to care for the sick and to contain this virus; the grocers and delivery staff helping to keep each household provisioned; and the police officers and MNDF soldiers assisting those efforts, while they keep the country safe from other threats.
The President also extended his greetings on the occasion to the people of the Maldives and the leaders and people of other Muslim countries.
Concluding his statement, President Solih urged everyone to help each other in the spirit of Ramadan as every act of kindness, every small mercy, every bit of patience, and every prayer, matters, and to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of those who are risking their lives to contain this crisis, by keeping them in our prayers.