President Abdulla Yameen has described Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as “a leader of exceptional quality and courage” following the monarch’s passing yesterday (January 24) after a lung infection.
“With the King’s passing away, a light on enlightenment in the world has gone. His demise would be a great loss to his people, to the Muslim Ummah, and to the entire world,” said Yameen.
Flags throughout the Maldives national flag will be flown at half mast for three days, while funeral prayers were held for the leader – believed to have been around 90-years-old – yesterday evening.
King Abdulla has been succeeded by his 79-year-old brother Salman bin Abdulaziz, who visited the Maldives in February last year before donating MVR18.4 million (US$ 1.2 million) for 10 new mosques in the islands.
During the trip, the then Prince Salman expressed his desire to assist the Maldivian government to preserve the Islamic identity of the nation, adding that the Arab kingdom sees the Maldives as a country of ‘special importance’.
As part of the government’s policy of enhancing ties with the Arab world, a Saudi delegation of government officials and private businessmen visited the Maldives last month – reportedly after a request made by President Yameen to King Abdullah.
Yameen yesterday praised King Abdullah’s 2002 peace plan for the establishment of the state in Palestine, saying the plan remains the “fundamental document guiding any discussion on the topic”. The plan proposed the normalisation of Israeli-Arab relations in return for full withdrawal from the occupied territories.
“Similarly, the King’s tireless efforts and his personal interests in promoting dialogue and understanding among different cultures and religions are recognized around the world,” said Yameen.
“Most importantly, the King was the architect of several important initiatives in Saudi Arabia, including education and other social sectors. Such changes have inspired several generations to embrace the changes in Saudi Arabia.”
Both former President Mohamed Nasheed and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party have expressed its sadness at King Abdulla’s death, calling it a loss to both his country and the whole Muslim world.
Saddened by the passing of HM King Abdullah. My condolences to your family on this day of grief @Alwaleed_Talal pic.twitter.com/swEtXqQqxe
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) January 23, 2015
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Ten new mosques on the islands? Oh dear!Shouldn't the Saudis be funding useful buildings for a change instead of pushing the wahhabi agenda once again? Buildings like schools, hospitals, orphanages, community halls and especially, drug rehabilitation centres for your junkies and dopeheads.
I suggest you update your Male power and desalination plants with the donation. That way we cow worshippers won't have to bail you out, again, when the plants goes kaput and you are left without drinking water.
If you cannot comment in proper English, keep moving.
Leader of a country with the highest human rights abuses in the world.
Leader of a country with no freedom of press or media.
Leader of a country which funds terrorist organisation around the world.
Leader of a country where free speech is not tolerated.
Leader of a country that doesn't allow woman to drive.
Leader of a country that robs the pockets of all Muslims with outrageous charges to attend Hajj.
Nothing exceptional about crushing the Arab spring in SA with brute force and torture at the hands of a royal command.
So know we know the values Yameen places on good leadership.
Pft, his regime was scared of one guy running the arab version of 'colorless' and had him flogged. He's a big, cowardly chicken with an army twice the size of the US, and yet was helpless when he died.
@ DMF
There are important things in life than the empty rhetoric of Human Rights conventions. Ever wonder Saudi is one of the closest ally of the US.
Who funded to eliminate Soviet occupation of Afganistan.
Who was with the US as a bulwark against spread of Communism
Who is maintaining low oil prices to contain Iran and Russia.
Who does humanitarian work through out the world
Who maintains a good welfare state for its citizens.
Answer - Saudi Arabia.
The blind followers of Human rights conventions need to open their minds.
During the trip, the then Prince Salman expressed his desire to assist the Maldivian government to preserve the Islamic identity of the nation, adding that the Arab kingdom sees the Maldives as a country of ‘special importance’.....meaning to establish a terrorist state like Saudi Arabia?
Dumb, Mindless and Fanatical on Sun, 25th Jan 2015 1:26 PM
Seems another one in need of an education on world affairs.
KSA is a founder member of OPEC, an organisation that has held the world to ransom with artificially inflated oil prices for the past 3 decades. The drop in Oil prices is based on the USA opening up previously unexplored oil reserves via the Fracking process, which is significantly more cheaper process of extracting oil and has now flooded the market. KSA are not happy about this as they and other OPEC members have now lost their monopoly to set prices.
On the other matters of Human rights, isn't it a basic right to choose how you live, elect your government, travel without restrictions, be treated as an equal regardless of birth status. Obviously you have never lived in KSA or you would know it is only elite that benefits in the country, not the common man. Foreign nationals have no rights to legal council and no rights on employments, and the courts will take the word of a Saudi national over a foreigner to convict without defence.
Additionally you should be reminded that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi Nationals, seems to have undone all the so called humanitarian work that is claimed to be done. KSA can keep their charity if it comes with death and destruction.
I suggest you live in KSA for a few months, then come back with a real view of the courageous King and his family's rule of KSA.