President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that Islam is the essence of the Maldives’ cultural sovereignty and independence, asserting that the nation’s strongest safeguard is its continued existence as a 100 per cent Islamic state.
The President made the remarks while addressing the nation at a ceremony held at Hulhumalé Central Park tonight to commemorate 900 Hijri years since the Maldives embraced Islam.
In his address, the President emphasised that the values of protection and preservation instilled by Islam in the individual, social and national lives of Maldivians are fundamental principles that must be passed on to future generations. Highlighting the five pillars of Islam, he said the protection afforded by Islamic faith across all spheres of life has helped shape Maldivian society into a peaceful and trusted community.
The President stated that Islamic guidance dispelled the darkness of polytheism and social inequality that existed in Maldivian society before its conversion to Islam. He further stressed that Islam instilled the conviction that all people are equal before Almighty Allah while safeguarding the sanctity of human life and the dignity and property of the Maldivian people.
Emphasising the importance of safeguarding the intellect, the President described intoxicating substances as a major scourge that destroys families and communities. He asserted that adherence to Islamic principles is essential to protecting the nation from such threats, stressing the need for collective efforts to nurture a productive and wise generation through the reform of the mind.
The President also announced the establishment of Maldives Awqaf Investments Limited, a national endowment company intended to fund religious activities as well as social and infrastructure development. He described the company as a means of revitalising the religious sphere and strengthening its financial foundations.
The company will undertake sustainable business activities permitted under Islam and expand financial resources for religious purposes, while contributing to national development efforts towards achieving the goal of the Maldives becoming a developed nation by 2040.
President Dr Muizzu said that whenever Maldivians had risen to defend the nation, they had done so with the spiritual conviction of safeguarding their religion. Citing Utheemu Bodu Thakurufaanu’s struggle against the Portuguese, the President stated that Maldivian society had been preserved as a fully Islamic nation because Maldivians had remained steadfast in their faith and had not betrayed their religion.
Concluding his address, the President urged Maldivians to remain steadfast in their faith amid the challenges of an increasingly globalised world. He called on citizens to shape the religious foundation of national development, beginning with the individual and extending to the wider community, and to ensure that the Maldives remains a 100 per cent Islamic state.
At tonight’s ceremony, the President also unveiled the official logo and slogan to be used for one year in conjunction with the 900th anniversary of the Maldives embracing Islam.
The President was accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. The ceremony was attended by Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Speaker of Parliament Honourable Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Cabinet Ministers and members of the Parliament.
Chief Executive Officer of Al Rajhi Company Bandar Abdullah Al-Rajhi and foreign ambassadors accredited to the Maldives also attended, alongside young khateebs and qaris and a large number of members of the public.
