Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has dismissed rumours of President Abdulla Yameen not performing the Hajj pilgrimage despite traveling to Saudi Arabia in September.
Asked to address the speculation during minister’s question time at yesterday’s sitting of parliament by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim Shareef, Shaheem suggested the rumours were being spread by former President Mohamed Nasheed, who he said was unable to make the pilgrimage while in office.
“The president of the Maldives made the Hajj [pilgrimage]. As you know, he was supposed to go the UN assembly but went to Hajj after cancelling it,” he said.
He claimed that former President Nasheed declined an opportunity to perform the pilgrimage during his tenure and had sent the first lady instead.
Shaheem was state minister for Islamic affairs under the Nasheed administration.
Nasheed’s remarks concerning President Yameen’s Hajj pilgrimage “opens the door for others to talk further about the things they have done,” Shaheem said.
“So I think it would be better to stay quiet without going around talking about such personal matters,” he said.
In an interview with Minivan Radio last week, Nasheed repeated calls for President Yameen to publicly address speculation concerning the trip to Saudi Arabia and his health.
The opposition leader referred to former President Mohamed Ameen informing the public about his health in a letter sent from Sri Lanka to the Maldivian parliament.
Nasheed claimed that according to close associates President Yameen was unable to perform rituals at Arafat due to poor health.
He implied that the source of the rumours was government-aligned Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) Leader Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, who accompanied the president to Saudi Arabia.
The public deserved to know the truth about the president’s health as speculation creates fear and doubt, he added.
Following numerous unofficial trips to Singapore by President Yameen this year, President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali denied rumours that the president underwent brain surgery in Singapore.
“Rumours being spread about the president’s health are false,” he tweeted on October 23.
Nasheed meanwhile contended that President Yameen was ruling “in absentia” or away from the public eye.
If the president is “incapacitated” and could not execute the duties of his office, Nasheed said the Constitution requires the vice president to assume the president’s powers.
In late October, an anonymous senior government told newspaper Haveeru that the MDP were using areca palm trees planted in Malé by the city council for black magic to curse President Yameen with ill health.
A close associate of President Yameen told the newspaper that the president did not seek treatment for a brain tumour.
Instead, the associate claimed, the president sought treatment for infections caught during his Hajj pilgrimage and had to be admitted at a Singapore hospital.
The anonymous government official said the president’s close associates believe that black magic or sorcery using the palm trees were responsible for the president’s ill health.
“[They] believe that [President Yameen’s] health worsens with every palm frond that falls off the areca palm trees. And that his health would worsen further with every tree that blossoms,” the anonymous official was quoted as saying.
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Is this a joke..Black magic etc..
There are better things that both the government & opposition has to do rather than practice 'magic'..
Both need to sit & do some 'magic' to help the economy recover.
The mature thing to do would have been to ignore the opposition MP's question but no! Why do the mature thing when you can always respond to tabloid rumors with more gossip?
I can't believe our tax Rufiyaa is spent on this Islamic Minister, the opposition leader's Presidential Pension, those Parliament members and subsidies for political parties. Well spent lads, well spent!
The President cancelled the UN meeting and went to Mecca for pilgrim! Fact!
But that dose not answer the gossip that President Yaameen attended the Arafat on the day of Hajj this year?
If the Islamic Minister appeared in the Parliament with sufficient proof like the original passport that was carried by the President on his visit to Mecca for Hajj and slammed it on the face of the accusers, it would have been the best proof that the President could have given!
However, as nothing of this sort has been done, the gossip and question remain unanswered!
The government increases tax on Toursim to pay these morons; this is the only country in the world taxing to pay salaries for people who come with fake certificate. People should not pay a penny as tax in Maldives. This tax money is spent for unproductive people and welfare of those who have done nothing for the country the only thing they have done was producing some useless people. And in fact no single cent is spent to increase the wealth or to create healthy economy. People should rise against taxing, and call to reduce the government merely to one executive. The Maldivian government is based on taxing, and distribution of the tax among the useless people only . Just think for a moment, the judiciary and police is useless who can’t even handle domestic violence and few drug addicts, and few bullying gangsters. Even you don’t need such huge spending to run a family with few corrupted sibling. You don’t have to tax to improve infrastructure which is not happening anyway, because there is no infrastructure in Maldives and even you can’t have an infrastructure on high sea. If you take deep breath and think for a moment, you will understand once you get rid of the politics and convert Maldives to business establishment, overnight you will have a healthy functioning society.
Black magic and sorcery! O common! Knew we were trying to go back in time, but didn't realise we were trying to go as far back as BC. Even England executed its last witch in 1682!
@ Don & Dumb and Dumber : Black magic and sorcery are very real. Look it up guys. But yeah what these idiots are trying at each other is plain ridiculous. These are the leaders we are stuck with for the moment.
@Nova: Nothing a coup won't solve. 🙂
The only way a Maldivian will believe is if president swear while touching Koran.. even if it is not true.