The Muslim World League (MWL) is to establish an Islamic centre in the Maldives, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has announced.
The Makkah-based NGO’s Deputy Secretary General Dr Adil bin Ali met with Shaheem today, with the minister telling local media that the Islamic Centre was to be based in Hulhumalé.
Haveeru reported that Shaheem had praised President Abdulla Yameen’s efforts to enhance ties with fellow Islamic states, calling the establishment of an MWL office in the country “a great achievement”.
The world league – founded in 1962 – currently operates centres in 21 countries throughout the world with the aim of “propagating the religion of Islam, elucidating its principles and tenets, refuting suspicious and false allegations made against the religion”.
The organisation currently has an office in the Islamic Centre in the Maldives capital, Malé.
Shaheem was reported as telling Haveeru that Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz had ordered Saudi institutions to work with the Maldives following his trip to the country earlier this year.
While the prince donated MVR18.4 million (US$ 1.2 million) to a mosque project with plans to build 10 mosques in the Maldives in October, a delegation of Saudi officials and businessmen visited the country last week to assess the means through which the kingdom can assist in developing the Maldivian economy.
“Maldives does not just want Islamic projects, but wants investment from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries,” said Shaheem during the visit.
After being invited by Shaheem in January, the Saudi Arabian Muslim Scholars Association agreed to provide a grant of MVR1.6 million to assist in the provision of Islamic education in the Maldives. The Yameen administration has pledged to enhance Islamic education during its term, introducing Arabic lessons in some schools this year.
Haveeru reported today the MWL deputy secretary general will meet with President Yameen during his visit, and will also give a lecture in Malé’s Islamic Center about lessons learnt from Prophet Mohamed’s life on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi – the festival of the birth of the Prophet.
In his message to mark the occasion today, President Yameen urged the people to emulate the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed tweeted a message saying “we must visit the teachings of Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) on discourse and respect for diversity in Islam”, while former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said “we must rededicate ourselves to follow his sublime teachings”.
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