The President H.E. Musa Bihi Abdi hosted a large gathering of Iftar and dinner at the presidential palace for the clerical fraternity of Somaliland.
The Iftar is the breaking of the daily fast during the Holy month of Ramadan.
The gathering saw the attendance of the VP H.E. Abdirahman Abdullahi Ismail (Saili’i), the Chief Justice Hon Adan Haji Ali Ahmed, the First Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Said Mire Farah (Girre), members of the cabinet, and eminent members of the clergy, politicians and other notable personalities.
Several speakers addressed the function that expounded on the monumental role the men of the pulpit played in pastoral teachings in perpetuating upright morals to the societal good and success in life, both now and in the hereafter.
Of note, the former minister of the religion and endowment minister Sheikh Mohamud Sufi Muhammad, prominent Borama clergy Sheikh Abdullahi Sheikh Ali Jawhar and scholar Abdirashid Mohamed Baheer spoke in depth about the role of scholars in the prosperity and success of the nation, urging the leaders of the country to give special importance to the protection of the Islamic religion and people.
The Minister of Religion and Endowments hon. Sheikh Abdirisaaq Hussein Ali (Albani), thanked the president for holding in esteem the country’s religious leaders and scholars and the importance and acknowledgement he always gave their advises, heeding them.
On his part the head of state H.E. Musa Bihi acknowledged and lauded the role the religion and endowment ministry played in the assembling for the Iftar cum supper during the auspicious occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan.
He reiterated the importance and need for peaceful stability and solidarity in the lifetime of all societies.
The president underscored the integrity of Somaliland as a nation with its bonafide territory.
“I and the people of Somaliland are united on the fact as concerns the issues of Las Anod, fighting must stop that the issue of Lasanood should be addressed peacefully for this is what we have always stood for”.
He said that the army has always been besieged and under constnt attacks hence they have always been defending themselves and has never been offensive or in the attack.
He said that there was no way that the state would attack its own citizens who are fellow muslims.
“Since the people of Somaliland are ready for peace, and I as the leader, am very ready for peace right away since it only depends on whether the adversaries can vouch for the same”, he said.
As concerns the national integrity, the president noted, “Somaliland and Somalia share the borders that divide the two countries and that they are two different governments that once came together in brotherhood, but the union failed when the government collapsed and each parted ways reverting to their former borders and rebuilt their respective countries as different entities.”.
He pointed out that 33 years later the country stood as a defacto one with all the trappings of nationhood hence emboldened as one amongst the over 50 African states.