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The country has an area of 1,300 square kilometres (500 sq mi) distributed across 1,200 coral atolls and islands, with a population of around 450,000. The population is a distinct ethnic group with historical roots in South Indian, Sinhalese, and Arab communities [citation needed]. The vast majority of the Muslim population practices Sunni Islam.
Public worship by adherents of religions other than Islam is forbidden. [17] On the inhabited islands, the mosque forms the central place where Islam is practiced. [2] Because Friday is the most important day for Muslims to attend the mosque, shops and offices in towns and villages close around 11 a.m., and the sermon begins by 12:35 p.m. [2]
Islam is the state religion of the Maldives. [2] The 2008 Constitution or "Fehi Qānoon" declares the significance of Islamic law in the country. The constitution requires that citizenship status be based on adherence to the state religion, which legally makes the country's citizens hundred percent Muslim. [3]
Sunni Islam is the state religion. Historically, the Maldives were converted to Islam from Buddhism in the 12th century. Under the 2008 constitution Islam is the official religion of the entire population, as adherence to it is required for citizenship.
Maldivians voted in parliamentary elections Sunday, in a ballot crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, whose policies are keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the ...
The Maldives, [d] officially the Republic of Maldives, [e] and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's mainland.
The Sultanate of the Maldive Islands [2] was an Islamic monarchy that controlled the Maldives for 815 years (1153–1968), with one interruption from 1953–1954.. Maldives was a Buddhist kingdom until its last monarch, King Dhovemi, converted to Islam in the year 1153; thereafter he also adopted the Muslim title and name Sultan Muhammad al-Adil.
It was previously known as Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and was constituted by the president of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1996. [4] The institution was renamed in November 2008, [5] by the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs' mandate is established by Constitution of Maldives.