Former President Abdulla Yameen has declared that every effort made against those in power in the interest of the people is a powerful jihad.

Speaking at the “Aabaadhee 60” rally held in Thinadhoo last night, Yameen said jihad is not something waged by taking up arms, but rather every courageous effort to uphold the principles of a people. He added that what was witnessed in Thinadhoo was a national jihad that will be remembered in history.

“I am not invoking this jihad in an Islamic sense at all. This jihad is truly our desire to change these things,” Yameen said.

Turning to the country’s economic situation, Yameen said the rising dollar exchange rate cannot be resolved by silencing people, and that the Finance Minister and the Governor must step forward and explain to the public how they will fix it. He noted that trying to solve the problem by banning things through law does not work — it is, he said, like throwing wood on a fire.