The incumbent President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is the only President to have made the completion of the zakat system a reality after pledging to do so, Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said today.
Speaking at a ceremony for the opening of the "Maldives Zakat House" for the purpose of increasing the sums of money paid by the public as zakat, Shaheem said the system needed to be completed in order to ensure that zakat funds are provided to deserving recipients.
Shaheem heaped praise on the President during the ceremony held at the Islamic Center's auditorium. Only President Muizzu has been able to conclude efforts to complete the zakat system, he said.
"Out of the Presidents who have ruled in the country, the only President who wrote about zakat in his presidential manifesto and made it a reality is President Muizzu," said Shaheem, who also served as Islamic Minister under former Presidents Abdulla Yameen and Dr. Mohamed Waheed.
Shaheem urged all citizens to stand in defense of President Muizzu's government with a special appeal to religious scholars and leaders of Islamic associations.
President Muizzu assumed office at a time when the country's Islamic identity needed to be strengthened and the national fabric needed to be woven anew, Shaheem said, calling it good fortune to have a leader such as Muizzu at such a juncture.
"Having President Dr. Muizzu at the helm of the country at this time is a great blessing for us, an opportunity that each community gets one year in 100 years," Shaheem said. "President Muizzu's cooperation to this ministry should be written in golden letters."
Organizing the collection of zakat and disbursing zakat funds will now be carried out under the new House inaugurated today.
The institution will also undertake announcing the threshold for property zakat every six months as well as compiling and maintaining a list of low-income individuals and orphans in collaboration with the relevant agencies.
According to the President's Office, the new institution was set up for the task of developing the zakat fund in a manner that widely benefits deserving recipients of the alms.
