Saleem: More Must Be Done to Teach Maldivian Children Love for the Nation and Its National Days

Member of the People's Majlis and renowned writer Hurafushi Mohamed Saleem has said that a greater responsibility must be fulfilled in teaching Maldivian generations about national love and the days that mark the nation than the responsibility being fulfilled today. Speaking on RaajjeTV's "Fathaairu" programme, Saleem said that knowledge of Maldivian history is scarce in the Maldives. He said that if love for Maldivian history is not created among schoolchildren, there will be no difference for them between 11 November and "Monday". Noting that a spirit of nationalism exists among Maldivians, Saleem said that the national spirit is now being lost. Therefore, he said, it must be examined how nationalism is absent among both small children and adults. "Many hundreds of things to every Maldivian citizen that the state has truly provided. Gave citizenship, gave a passport, facilitated the opportunity to travel to various places in the world and to go to many hundreds of countries without a visa, gave Aasandha. What is it that the state does not give, but even so, loving the nation is not something that comes from being given things; it is something that must come from a sincere heart," Saleem said. In addition, Saleem said that just as an awareness programme on republicanism was run at the regional level during President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's rule, an awareness programme must again be run teaching the special matters within republicanism and how this system works. Therefore, Saleem said that a greater responsibility must be fulfilled in teaching and informing about Maldivian national love and the days that mark the nation than the responsibility currently being fulfilled.