Islamic Center architect still adores the project

Dato' Hajeedar Abdul Majid is a renowned Malaysian architect. He has drawn up blueprints for the mosque located in Malaysia's Islamic University and various others. So when he was presented an opportunity by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the early 1980's, he didn't think of it as something that special.

However, after he finished crafting a blueprint for the Islamic Center, it had created a home for itself in a special place in his heart. 

This was quite evident when he spoke yesterday in the hall of the Islamic Center. Hajeedar stated that he would get even more emotional compared to a Maldivian when thinking about this work. It has been 40 years since he drew the blueprint.

"I praise Allah that I am able to be here after all these years," said Hajeedar during a special event held in his honor.

He gestured to a picture of him in the building as he was saying this.

"You can see how youthful and proud I was with my long hair," as he referenced the picture of how he looked when he was working on the Islamic Center blueprint.

Hajeedar, who is now 80 years old, people had depicted him in his youth as someone who wouldn't listen to what other people had to say and would do as he pleases. He said that not letting go of one's own self for good reason "when looking back at it" was the right choice.

Hajeedar advised the university in attendance at the event to proceed "as you are and do what you want".

After having introduced himself, he began talking about the work he did regarding the Islamic Center blueprint. He had said that President Maumoon had sent him a letter in wanting to recruit his services.

"A while ago I had told President Maumoon when I was at his home that the invite I received to design this mosque was the most unexpected of all," said Hajeedar.

He had said that even Malaysians weren't aware of Maldives at the time. When Hajeedar told his father that he had received an invite for a mosque project in Maldives, his father asked where Maldives was.

"I told him it was somewhere in the Indian Ocean," said Hajeedar.

Even though not much was known about Maldives to them, his family and friends spurred him to take on the project.

He had spoken of many individuals by name whom he had met when he was speaking of the details from the projects beginning to its end. He had expressed joy during the event and thanked the Islamic Minister and high ranking individuals of the Maumoon Foundation.

Committee member of the project and then-Public Works Consultant Abdulla Kamaluddin told Mihaaru News in a past interview that Maumoon had looked at Malaysia's Bangsar Mosque as an example.

When finding the individual who had designed that mosque, they came to find out that it was none other than Hajeedar, who was running his own architecture firm. 

"We brought him back to Maldives and asked him to create a concept and draw up the blueprint, and then we developed it. The President was quite involved in the project. The architecture company is called Hajeedar and Associates Sdn Bhd, with Hajeedar being the owner. He even did a part of the contract for free," said Abdulla.

All the engineering work for the Islamic Center was done by Malaysian companies. Four companies were involved along with 50 individuals.

Born in 1945 in Kuala Lumpur, Hajeedar is the owner of Hajeedar and Associates Sdn Bhd. He has also been awarded the industry's highest honor, the PAM Gold Medal from the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM). He also served as the President of the institute from 1985 to 1987.

Even if Male' builds more high rises, the Islamic Center will never lose its position as a landmark. Instead of seeing a beautiful dome or the overall beauty of the mosque, it symbolizes religious unity more than anything.

"This work makes me quite proud."