The Islamic Ministry on Monday has granted custody of mortuaries, cemeteries and mosques to city councils.
According to the agreement signed between the Islamic Ministry and Male City Council, the city councils will now be the custodians of the mosques in their respective cities.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Mayor Shamaau Shareef assured that the council would fulfill their responsibilities to ensure that the repair and renovation of the mosques are carried out efficiently. A committee will be established to monitor the supervision of the mosques, Shamaau added.
Permanent Secretary of Islamic Ministry, Musab Abdulla revealed that the ministry had faced several challenges while the mosques were under the mandate of the Housing Ministry, and was confident that the City Council would manage the mosques competently.
Although the mosques will be managed by the city councils, permits required for the construction of mosques and for the conduction Quran classes, religious sermons and other religious activities at mosques will have to be sought from the Islamic Ministry.
New president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had vowed to empower the city and island councils in a bid to ensure a more decentralized system of governance in the archipelago.
