Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef conducted prayers before a huge congregation in Male’ this morning, as thousands of Maldivians joined fellow Muslims across the globe in celebrating Eid ul-fitr (the festivity of breaking the fast).
Up to 50,000 people were reported to have attended the ceremony in the stadium area on Ameenee Magu at 7:00am.
The area, more commonly used for games of football, was prepared to accommodate male worshippers, whilst provisions were made for female worshippers in the adjoining track area.
During the 20 minute sermon, the Imam advised young people to be steadfast in their prayers and to avoid the intellectual war with which they are faced, reported local media.
Ameenee Magu was closed to traffic as tables were arranged, laden with food for the early-morning worshippers, celebrating the end of Ramazan and its month of daytime fasting.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s released a statement yesterday calling for unity and brotherhood over the holiday period, which runs for the three days following the end of Ramazan.
Waheed stressed the importance of strengthening family relations over the Eid period as well as placing national interests above personal ones.
The President, after attending this morning’s prayers, made his way to the official residence of the President, Muleeaage where he received members of the public after 9:30AM.
Along with the First Lady Madam Ilham Hussein, Waheed was visited by state ministers, members of parliament, state dignitaries and foreign diplomats.
Zakat – the giving of alms –  one of the five pillars of Islam, occurred before the Eid prayers.
Local media reported that 80,408 people paid Zakat in the Maldives this year, amounting to  MVR2.4 million (US$155,642) for distribution to the needy.
The ministry noted that a large number of people were paying Zakat through means other than the government.
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I have missed a golden opportunity to see my dearly beloved leader, President Waheed, and his most beautiful wife. I will try again next year. May the Prophet of God, Mohammed, and his latest incarnation, Gayoom Didi, continue to bless you and keep you in the meantime. God bless the Maldives, and the USA of course.
@Michael Fahmy: LOLOLO awesome!
Always love your rich, cultural-historical insights Mr. Fahmy but your comedy is rich as well!
Well, The ppl that went, must have been paid by Deputy CEO of Maldives Ports Limited, Ahmed Faiz to go, wouldn't be surprised if Faiz admits to it on the next audio of a conversation with himself about his own power!
Nicely written report.
Eid mubarik all.
Religions are invented to coax, intimidate, and whip into shape, ignorant societies.
Everybody knows this.
It does not belong in developed societies. Instead democracy and transparency would suffice.
Mr. Bosely, I am really amazed that you can write some to be liked by "some people" commenting here!
But the truth of this event is far out of sight!
These so called Sheikhs who are in league with this coup can resort to anything and everything that will suit their cause.
And Waheed was saying "President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s released a statement yesterday calling for unity and brotherhood over the holiday period, which runs for the three days following the end of Ramazan" this while he is employing one Faiz to hire gangs to do otherwise!
Beautiful!
Michael Fahmy, mockery and satire are the base arts of Jews and apostates.
For emulating them you are an opressor and hence you are not welcome on our soil to implement your bigotry and schemes of opression upon those who only wish to serve Allah (swt).
Do not come next year or any year. Or your fate will be that which is incumbent upon one who once believed and now disbelieves, for that is what was commanded to be by the lord of mercy and his final messenger.
"Waheed stressed the importance of strengthening family relations over the Eid period as well as placing national interests above personal ones."
This comes from the man for whom personal interest overrides everything else. He kept a low profile, biding his time, sitting close to his enemy (former President Nasheed), whilst devising ways to get to the seat he has coveted all his life.
Now, he is devising ways on keeping his butt on that seat for the foreseeable future. We shall wait to see how this unravels in good time.
Dhivehi Hanguraama on Mon, 20th Aug 2012 is an example of religious intolerance in the Maldives that was roundly condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.
By writing in his English language which is reasonably good, DH believes that he is qualified to be included among highly civilised people.
He is not. The filthy use of English language, showing extreme religious intolerance, and making propaganda for the worst type of Islam, he qualifies to be an embarrasment to thoughtful and freedom loving Muslims.
Frankly, people like you defame and degrade Islam by your behaviour. You are actually mocking Islam, while appearing to be doing something just the opposite.
You claim to be defending Islam. You are an absolute idiot. You must stop writing.
I would advice you to migrate to a remote corner of Pakistan where you can find other people of your kind.
I might as well. Pakistan seems to be one of the few Islamic countries willing to uphold the dignity of Islam against harlots and blasphemers, all of whom deserve prompt garrotting.
All apostates and Shias(enemies of Maldives) must be garroted on the spot!!!
@DH, actually no.. its a country in different tribal regions, the punishment of being raped is being stoned (which is not Islamic law), and tribal disputes are resolved with gang rape,
gaand e rasool, how the hell are any of them shias?
And no they shouldnt be killed, but we should unite as muslims against enemies from the outside, and eventually the confusions would be lost
"Michael Fahmy on Mon, 20th Aug 2012 10:26 PM
Dhivehi Hanguraama on Mon, 20th Aug 2012 is an example of religious intolerance in the Maldives that was roundly condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.
By writing in his English language which is reasonably good, DH believes that he is qualified to be included among highly civilised people.
He is not. The filthy use of English language, showing extreme religious intolerance, and making propaganda for the worst type of Islam, he qualifies to be an embarrasment to thoughtful and freedom loving Muslims.
Frankly, people like you defame and degrade Islam by your behaviour. You are actually mocking Islam, while appearing to be doing something just the opposite.
You claim to be defending Islam. You are an absolute idiot. You must stop writing.
I would advice you to migrate to a remote corner of Pakistan where you can find other people of your kind."
This is beautiful, could not have said it better. Sorry but Pakistan is a vile place full religious IDIOTS and archaic beliefs similar to 90% of the Maldivian people. !
The pinnacle of human civilisation is the stage in which a man may regain his honor against the harlotry of his lascivious wife and the ummah may punish a blasphemer by forever silencing the offender, thereby preserving the dignity and beauty of Islam.
Most Dhivehinn are too emasculated and prone to heresy themselves to understand the merits of the Pakistani way of life and why we would do well to emulate them in many regards.
@Anthony,
Mr D.H above is probably a parody of a muslim by some nut trying to create a stereotype
Says the man who accused Pakistan of resolving legal disputes through gang rape.
Unmarried sex is punishable under the Pakistani penal code for your information, so your accusation is baseless and smacks of bigotry against a fine, upstanding nation that has educated many of our sons for free.
Perhaps you too should make use of their generous offer of tutelage, educate yourself, and desist from besmirching my reputation.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/refusing-to-kill-daughter-pakistani-family-defies-tradition-draws-anger/245691/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/21/pakistan-gang-rape-mukhtaran-mai
http://www.aljazeera.com/NEWS/ASIA/2011/04/201142110545244100.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13158001
Its both the people who run minivan and the people like you who brings down the Islamic civilisation.
a few hundred years ago we were the best scientists, the best warriors and the best innovators in maths, medicine and science, now
we have disintegrated to filth like you,
Go to pakistan and unite with your tribal warlord and kill someone for missing a sunnah prayer.. sarcasm
you who defend rapists and filth like that in the name of islam?
Cowardly piece of crap,
Do it in your egos name, but not Islam's you dumb piece of crap
It amuses me to see Maldivians villify Pakistanis.....its like the pot calling the kettle black!!
You people have so much in common.....you should seriously consider calling yourselves The Islamic Republic of South Pakistan.
All you need to do.....pay attention now Islamic Ministry.....is write the Pakistani blasphemy law into your statute books and you will be just like your sunni brothers.
Sent from my iPad
@MissIndia Newdelhi
Wow you can afford an Ipad?
The only indians I know are the ones that clean my windows and scrub my toilet.
I really an flattered and really am impressed you saved up for such a long time to buy an ipad, just to comment on something I posted, a good indian is an obedient indian.
It's a given the more educated the nations become, the more atheistic the society becomes.
In an odd way, this is exactly what creator wanted, or else it would not happen.
Maldivians have a long long long way to go, before they can realise the dumbness of believing in God in sky,
Your similarity with Pakistanis is uncanny.....like twins separated at birth
Only difference I can see is that Pakistanis are good looking.....you guys look like neanderthals.....It seems the 'caveman' look is trending in Male these days.....don't wash, don't shave and get yourself a really stupid haircut
Stay away from my country.....you'll frighten the children
Sent from my iPad
Ofcourse I will stay away from your country folk, was your people aware that in todays world, people use deodorant?
Id really want to go there, but I dont think they allow gas masks on the aeroplane.. really your stench reaches all the way here,
And oh btw, talk to me after shaving that dumb slug inbetween your nose and your lips, Only country in the world even women have facial hair: India
(and p.s met a few Indians before, most of them unlike people like you are decent, great people. But you aren't and you stink too)
I quite agree with Indira NewDelhi. India has plenty of ghetto areas, and you'd see things you would never see in the Maldives, that's true. And some parts of India are so poor that working class males travel to countries like Maldives for work and such, also true.
But go to the more well developed areas, you'll see an upper midle class, well educated, attractive and fashionable community. There is no parallel to this in the Maldives.
Maldivians on average (if not universally) are quite dull (intellectually) and unattractive.
Most women look better with the hijab and most men look very weak; skinny to the point of skeletal infact, very short and very hairy. The U.S womens basketball team could beat up two dozen of your police force, without a sweat.
They've also taken up the habit of adorning themselves with bizzare assortments of necklaces, bangles and earings, which do nothing to hide their unkempt beards and long, greasy, curly hair.
India has two ends of the spectrum. Highly unattractive; highly attractive. Maldivians are just ugly.
Oh jennifer, thou art wonderful