Minister of Defence and National Security Adam Shareef Umar has said Maldives would never give up on its principles regarding religion, even in the face of extreme external pressure. Addressing the seminar held on "Role of Moderation in Countering Terrorism and Promotion of Peace and Security," Minister of Defence and National Security Adam Shareef Umar reiterated the commitment by Maldives to function as a moderate and peaceful country.
In this regard, Defence Minister Adam Shareef highlighted, Maldives follows a zero tolerance policy against any act of terrorism and violent extremism and said, labeling Muslims as terrorists is a weapon used to commit atrocities.
Continuing on, Minister Adam Shareef highlighted the administration has been successful in taking concrete actions against terrorism such as establishing a state policy to eliminate any threats of terrorism in the country.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Ziyad stated the administration aims to maintain the country free from threats of terrorism and violent extremism. Minister Ziyad noted that Islam is a religion that has has always promoted peace and stability in society.
Meanwhile, President of Global Forum for Moderation Al Imam Al- Sadiq Al-Siddiq Abdel Rahman Al-Mahdi stated acts of extremism and terrorism were present even before Islam prevailed in the world. He thanked Maldives for initiating the seminar and highlighted such platforms are vital for Muslim countries to discuss the best ways to counter threats of such violent actions in the world.
The seminar which is organised under the collaborative effort of Islamic Ministry, Maldives National Defence Force, National Counter Terrorism Centre and Maldives Police Service would proceed from April 14 to 15 at Kurumba Maldives.