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Nation mourns passing of ex-Islamic minister Dr Majeed

The 55-year-old religious scholar was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Colombo when he passed away Tuesday afternoon. He was hospitalised last Friday after suffering a stroke. 

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Maldivians are mourning the untimely death of former Islamic minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari in Sri Lanka.

The 55-year-old religious scholar was undergoing treatment at a Colombo hospital when he passed away Tuesday afternoon. He was hospitalised last Friday after suffering a stroke.

According to media reports, he was breathing with the help of a ventilator the past few days.

He is survived by his wife and five children.

Dr Majeed was the first Maldivian to earn a doctorate in Quran Tafseer (interpretation). A heavyweight religious scholar and founding member of the Adhaalath Party, he was appointed the country’s first minister of Islamic affairs in 2008 and served in the post during the three-year administration of former president Mohamed Nasheed.

He was also the first president of the Centre for Quran Studies established by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Dr Majeed was a senior lecturer at the national university, president of the Adhaalath Party scholars council, and politically active with the opposition alliance at the time of his death.

Tributes have been pouring in for the late scholar. Opposition leader Nasheed called Dr Majeed a notable reformist among Maldivian religious scholars who “never hesitated to speak the truth”.

President Abdulla Yameen offered condolences to the family as ministers and ruling party lawmakers paid their respects.

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