President of the Republic presides over launch of Ramadan celebrations

His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, held an iftar dinner on Tuesday evening at the presidential palace in Nouakchott in honour of the leaders of national political parties, imams, members of parliament and representatives of civil society organisations, marking the launch of Ramadan celebrations for the Hijri year 1447.

The dinner was attended by the First Lady, Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah, as well as the Prime Minister, Mr. Mokhtar Ould Djay, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Constitutional Council, the President of the Democratic Opposition Foundation, the Minister in charge of the Office of the President of the Republic, the two Ministers Advisers to the Presidency of the Republic, and members of the government.

The iftar was also attended by officials and advisers to the Presidency of the Republic and to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Governor of Nouakchott West, some military and security leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of international organisations and bodies accredited in Mauritania.

During the ceremony, Sheikh Ould Saleh, Secretary General of the Association of Mauritanian Scholars, gave a lecture entitled ‘Citizenship in Islam,’ in which he reviewed various definitions of citizenship, including that it is ‘belonging to a specific group that entails mutual rights and duties between the individual and the state,’. He added that it is ‘a person’s belonging to a nation or homeland in which they believe and whose nationality they hold, and in which they enjoy their civil, political and social rights unless these are taken away through conviction, and perform their duties on an equal footing with all citizens, regardless of their religious, ethnic or sectarian affiliations.’

In the same veine he added that citizenship is also ‘a legal relationship between the individual and the state, defined by laws that include rights and duties,’ pointing out that its most prominent foundations are human brotherhood, universal respect for human beings, justice, and the fulfilment of covenants. He emphasised that loyalty to the state is required by sound reasoning, determined by interest, and called for by religious values. Its requirements include respect for public order, compliance with laws, defence of the homeland, and contribution to its development and progress.

Sheikh Ould Saleh explained that the national state seeks to achieve justice and equality among all its citizens without discrimination on the basis of religion, race, or colour, noting that this concept is consistent with the objectives of Islamic law, which aims to achieve the interests of people in this world and the hereafter.

He emphasised that citizenship is not just a slogan, but a practical exercise based on guaranteeing rights and performing duties, and establishing coexistence based on tolerance, cooperation and respect for others, considering it a safety valve for the stability and advancement of societies in the modern era.

He noted that His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, has emphasised on more than one occasion the need to consolidate the values of citizenship and combat harmful behaviours and backward mentalities. This is with stressing that the Mauritanian people consider linguistic diversity, cultural heritage and traditions to be a national treasure that must be preserved and promoted, and that the foundation of a modern state and the essence of national unity is the bond of citizenship, which must be prioritised above all else in order to build the nation and fulfil the aspirations of the people.

He pointed out that His Excellency the President’s call to uphold unity, harmony, cohesion and integration in the midst of diversity is in line with the objectives, guidance and historical applications of Islam, and represents a fulfilment of what our ancestors built in this country in terms of distinctive doctrinal, sectarian and behavioural unity, despite ethnic diversity, as a trust that must be preserved and maintained.