Vice President Faisal Naseem has held discussions with the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Ahmed Zahir, and Senior Officials at the Ministry regarding their duties as the country battles the spread of COVID-19.

The main focus of the online discussion held this afternoon were the different challenges in performing their duties as a result of the stringent safety standards put in place to protect the community from COVID-19, and the steps to take following easing of the current precautionary measures.

The representatives from the Islamic Ministry shed light on their ongoing tasks and highlighted the Islamic Guidance Programmes conducted by the Ministry. They also updated the Vice President on this year’s Hajj and Zakat arrangements, the status of ongoing mosque construction projects, and discussed courses at the National Centre for the Holy Quran and other Quran classes conducted at different Islands. The representatives also shared concerns on the shortage of Quran teachers.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice President urged speedy improvements at the National Centre for the Holy Quran and noted the importance of capacity building of Quran teachers in more effective way. He advised on quality assurance during mosque construction projects to increase ease of access for the public and also noted the importance of following safety guidelines when reopening mosques after easing COVID-19 precautionary measures.