Minister Meriton meets foreign Muslim delegates |12 February 2014

Muslim clerics from Bahrain have expressed their support to the ongoing social renaissance campaign to address the social issues in the country and have discussed ways to better strengthen the collaboration between the government and the Muslim community in Seychelles.

This came about after a two-man delegation of Muslim clerics paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton recently.
 
Sheikh Sultan Bilal, the assistant board director of the Islamic Centre for Dawah, Riffa, Bahrain, who is accompanied on his 10-day visit to Seychelles by his colleague Sheikh Abdur-Rahim Muhammad, called on Designated Minister Meriton in the company of the Imam Abdur-Rahman Heneka, the president of the Islamic Foundation of Seychelles (Mahé branch).
 
The meeting was also attended by social affairs principal secretary Linda William-Melanie.

Discussions between Sheikh Sultan and Minister Meriton focused on the involvement of the Muslim community in the social renaissance programme, the need to strengthen the rehabilitation programme being offered for inmates at the Montagne Posée prison, improved collaboration between religious groups and non-governmental organisations involved in running detox facilities for drug addicts and the importance of instilling positive values in the younger generation, starting at an early age.

Sheikh Sultan commended the minister for undertaking the tremendous task of initiating social renaissance, which the minister has described as “an uphill struggle,” that would transform the social landscape of the country, prevent the more vulnerable from falling prey to social malaise and encourage people to live better.

The delegation has expressed deep interest for the Muslim community to work with the ministry to instigate positive social changes in people.

Besides conducting a series of training on the delivery of public lectures, Sheikh Sultan also visited the Montagne Posée prison where he brought spiritual enlightenment to inmates incarcerated there. His visit to Seychelles marks the beginning of a long and fruitful working partnership between the Islamic Centre for Dawah and Muslim organisations in Seychelles.

Sheikh Sultan was a guest of honour at the opening of the new mosque at Beaufond Lane in October last year.