The government will focus to develop and modernize the Islamic Ministry within the next five years, said Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed in an exclusive interview to Sun.
Speaking on the first exclusive interview after taking office, also the Minister of Islamic Affairs for the former government Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem said his focus will be on raising funds and modernizing the Islamic Ministry to implement the strategies outlined in President Yameen’s manifesto.
He said the Ministry will employ scientific methods to spread the religious dogma among the youth and focus special attention to strengthen the religious beliefs of younger people.
“The main thing will be to develop this place (Ministry of Islamic Affairs), develop funds, and to help implement the manifesto through funds. I intend to achieve this through modern means. So our efforts to improve Islamic beliefs within the youth will be carried out in line with scientific realities,” Sheikh Shaheem said.
He said the weak economy is the biggest challenge in implementing the manifesto, but said he is confident they can overcome the challenge through President Yameen's expertise and guidance.
Sheikh Shaheem also noted the importance of incorporating the Islamic way of life into the current education system. He said the existing Islamic curriculum needs to be modernized and that Islam should be taught through scientific facts. He will push the Education Ministry to incorporate the changes, Sheikh Shaheem said.
As per President Yameen’s manifesto, an independent Supreme Council of Scholars will be established, which will consist of apolitical religious academics that do not belong to a particular political ideology and immune from external influence, said Shaikh Shaheem. He said it is important to develop the credibility and incorporate faith in religious scholars within the society.
Sheikh Shaheem said the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is also cooperating with the new government to implement President Yameen’s manifesto. Noting that there is a calm in the political atmosphere following the inauguration of the new government, Sheikh Shaheem said he plans to take the opportunity to meet with former president Mohamed Nasheed to discuss ways move forward.
He said the meeting with former president Nasheed will be a step towards solidifying the country's new-found unity and that he is certain the former president and his MPs will support the current government’s plans. Concluding the interview, Sheikh Shaheem said he would like to call on the Maldivian judiciary, the parliament, and the implementing branch to work for unity and development of the country.
“We will soon assemble a special plan that will allow everyone to work together. We will share the plan with everyone and we will do all we can to ensure religious unity in the Maldives,” the Islamic Minister said.