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Government to form Mosque Committees

The National Council on Mosques has issued rules requiring the formation of a mosque committee on every island to monitor the condition of mosques daily. The rules of the National Council on Mosques, which came into force in 1987, has been repealed following the implementation of the rules.

The rules of the National Council on Mosques were formulated under the Protection of Religious Unity Act. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs will be responsible for the affairs of mosques and Imams who express religious slogans in different islands of the Maldives, as per the law. A mosque committee should be formed on every island to monitor the day-to-day condition of the mosques. In addition to establishing a system to continuously monitor the condition of mosques with the assistance of this committee, all mosques should be held to the same religious standards.

Under the rules of the National Assembly on Mosques, it is the responsibility of the Assembly to give advice to the Minister on matters relating to mosques and imams, as well as to advise the Minister on matters requiring reform. The committee will also advise the minister on maintaining the dignity of mosques, ensuring their cleanliness and on the construction and repair of mosques.

The rule states that the National Council on Mosques will be formed by the Minister of Islamic Affairs and should have seven members. They are the Chief Imam appointed by the President, the Head of the Mosque Management Section of the ministry, the Head of the National Centre for the Holy Quran, an individual appointed by the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, an individual designated by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, and a member of the public appointed by the Islamic minister.