Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Religious Council’s Chair Al-hafiz Ahmed Zaki has said that many Maldivian religious scholars were invited last night to preach in a sermon organised by the council but the sheikhs refused to show up “because it was an MDP podium”.
“The scholars have decided not to preach to MDP members to try and let others believe that MDP members belong to another religion,” Zaki said, speaking last night. “However, MDP members are all Muslims and they do want to hear religious sermons.”
Zaki speculated that the scholars refused the invitation thinking that the series of religious sermons commenced by the MDP Religious Council was politically motivated.
“The religious sermons are not only targeted solely for MDP members but for all the Maldivians,” he said.
Zaki said the result of handing over the Islamic Ministry to another political party was that the party assigned to implement the MDP manifesto in upholding religion was not implemented.
“Despite the Maldives consisting of many religious scholars, it was a big challenge that there are many scholars that refuse to preach on MDP podiums,” he said.
He urged religious scholars to preach to everyone, from the President to normal citizens.
Former President of Adhaalath Party Sheikh Hussein Rasheed told Minivan News that the Adhaalath Party has always cooperated MDP in its religious sermons.
“I don’t have any information that anyone among us received an invitation to go preach at last night’s religious sermon,” Shaikh Hussein Rasheed said. “Last year also we went to Seenu Atoll with MDP to preach, so we have always cooperated MDP in that.”
Sheikh Rasheed said that the reason why scholars refused to preach on an MDP podium might be that scholars think it meant getting involved in politics.
“Now many of the scholars are independent and they are not involved in any political activity or political party, perhaps that’s the reason why they won’t go on sermons organised by political parties,” he said, adding that Adhaalath had “no issues” with MDP.
In November last year, former Chair of MDP Religious Council Sheikh Adam ‘B. A’ Naseem resigned claiming that he was unhappy with the party’s religious policy.
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It is really pathetic Adhaalth party’s mullah’s brand MDP party and its members as heathens. This is their attitude and they are of the opinion that the present government should agree and do things according to their narrow minded ideology. That is the reason why they refused to give sermons at MDP podium.
Few days back Mullah Iliyaas Hussain made statement; why do we get dengue epidemic, he believed that because we are not praying five times. And also of the ways the women folks dress and adapt the barbaric western attitudes.
Does it really matter what AP think? I am more worried about the heart attacks that these guys induce, with the hate filled fear mongering speeches. Especially addressed to elderly and children.
They conveniently forget that Allah can enact all his laws perfectly. But when AP sees someone who does not pray 5 times a day, they want to punish him. Then they want label him a apostate. And then want to kill him.
How stupid can AP be. If Allah wants to punish someone for leaving religion, Allah can and will do it. Why should AP take part in it?
My guess : AP also realizes that they have been conned by the Arabs with the God story, now do not believe any ill-will can fall onto anyone for leaving Islam. Hence to make it credible, they resort to fear-mongering and death threats, and murders.
Nothing against Al-hafiz Ahmed Zaki. But it worries me that MDP's Chair of their Religious Council is not a religious scholar. Al-hafiz is the title given to someone who has byhearted the Qur'an, doing which does not necessarily make you a scholar.
Rain @ he recite the Qur’an very sweetly and most of us like it. That is surely a positive quality in him.
Adhaalath Party must be the only muslims on the planet along with LeT, Al-Shabab and Al Qaeda. Everyone else...infidels. Not much reason to give sermons aimed at infidels right?
Upon taking charge of the administration (with the help of religious scholars who helped change a lot of minds in the vote) MDP has shown their real face by bringing forward actions that this country has never seen before often contradicting the age old Islamic traditions we bare. Selling of alcohol on residential islands which was stopped because a large number of even the not-so-religious folk opposed it. The religious unity regulation; its still in PO for unknown reasons, presumably it doesn't go hand-in-hand with kind of democracy the grassroots level of MDP members believe in. A sudden need to create relations with Israel; while knowing that the majority of people in the country does not like the Jewish nation or their actions on Palestine. Mr Zuhair's irresponsible and crazy rants on Islam and religious scholars of the country. I feel that if Hafiz,Zaki or someone from MDP can address issues such as these, then the religious scholars might think otherwise.
@ heck, the punishment a person will get for not praying 5 times a day is much worse than what AP describes. what do you mean Allah can enact all his laws perfectly? the laws are already there and it is already perfected.
Why are there so few people in last night's Adhaalath party meeting? Did they invite very few people?
What is wrong here is not that AP is refusing to preach to the MDP. It is only to be expected from Islamists whose aim is not simply to spread the word of God but to gain political power through religion.
The real problem is that MDP is asking these preachers to come and lecture to them. WTF for?
The preachers are giving sermons like they are going out of fashion - there’s one somewhere everyday. Why cannot MDP members go and listen like any other member of the public?
Why do they need a special religious lecture for the MDP? Isn’t this asking for a distinction between ‘MDP Muslims’ and Other Muslims??
It is MDP itself, then, that has allowed Adhaalath to make up this difference and score political points. We can’t now turn around and blame Adhaalath. MDP lost this time, Adhaalath won.
The question is – why is MDP playing this game in the first place?
What a racist bunch are in Adhaalath. Doesn't they know discrimination are against Islamic teachings.
If some people does not like Adhaalath or believing Muslim scholars to begin with, why complain and feel so bad when they don't show up? Instead be happy cause otherwise people would tend to realize that the complainers are people that pretty much can never be pleased with.
So the religious ones should not bother trying to please people that are not even happy with themselves. Not everyone in MDP is bad, but they have corrupted a large section of the party by allowing well known corrupted people with influence to have a growing voice in the party itself. These corrupt people are firstly not religious, does not love the Prophet (pbuh) or fear Allah (swt). If a normal person without political power is lack on their religion, the effects are limited to that person only. But when a person with influence and political authority has no faith in Allah (swt) and takes religion only second to worldly success... than they should not be in power and also should not be given any importance by the religious community.
Any importance given to a party which firstly does not condemn government dealings with Israel can seem to look like the religious community is endorsing that party. Hence, a believer and religious scholars should only support political parties and organizations which puts Islam and the pride of Islam before greed of money, power and alliance with oppressive regimes like Israel.
preach to the the kafirs (no offence). Preach to the lesbians, preach to the gays, preach to murderers and even religious sinners...isnt dat vot our religion says??? correct me if I am wrong. Shows how much religion the bloody preachers have in them. WE DONT NEED THEM.
So far as I am concerned, it is the heart and the good thought that counts...May I suggest to start accomodating secondary school students who recite quran for the sermons of the parties. They also advance and we dont have a need for the bloody mullahs to attend