The capital of the Sultanate of Brunei .. An Islamic cultural lighthouse in 2019

Imran Abdullah

The city of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, the capital of Islamic culture, has been selected for the 2019 Asia region. The festival will be celebrated by cultural and academic events, including the Bandar Seri Begawan Architecture and Antiquities Exhibition, the Second International Islamic Exhibition and the Jerusalem Photography and Drawing Exhibition.

The nomination was made during the Ninth Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, which is an opportunity to introduce the rest of the Muslim world to the authority of Brunei Darussalam, which is considered the oldest state in Malawi until now, and the central role played by Islam in the country since he converted to Islam Ruler of the country Aung Alec Betar (Sultan Mohammad Shah) in 1402.

Bandar Seri Begawan is the country's capital and largest city. Two-thirds of its population is Malay Muslim, some of whom are of Hadrami origin. They speak the Malay language, which is the country's official language. The city produces textiles, furniture and wood and has oil and natural gas resources.

The influence of Islam in the country has been evident since its inception. Scholars from the Middle East were accepted into the Bronze community and the first mosques were built. During the reign of Sultan Bolkia, the fifth Sultan of Brunei (1485-1524), Brunei extended its influence to the entire island of Borneo.

With the establishment of the Brunei Act, known as the "Brunei Rule of Law" under the reign of Sultan Muhammad Hassan (1582-1589), the Sultanate worked to apply Islamic law to the rule of the state, its traditions and the management of its resources.

As the city center changed from Kuta Batu to the water settlements in Kampung Ayr (Water Village), Kampung Ayr became the center of economic, social and cultural development. The visitor can still see the names of the villages that depict the social and economic activities they once enjoyed.

In 1906, the center of the country shifted from water colonies to land. Modern development and prosperity began, and in 1952 Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III began modernizing Bandar Brunei (Brunei). He gained the title of modern Brunei architect.

Brunei Town continued to develop as a center for economic, social and cultural development. Islamic infrastructure, including the Sultan Omar Ali Saif al-Din Mosque, the establishment of the State Religious Affairs Department, and the establishment of Islamic religious schools were also developed.

Brunei was a British protectorate and was also subjected to Japanese occupation. Brunei declared a new constitution, fought an armed revolution and gained independence from Britain on 1 January 1984. It has become a modern industrial state and ranks high on human development indicators and per capita GDP.

Sultan Haji Hassan al-Bolkiah Mu'izz al-Din al-Dawla agreed to change the name of the city of Brunei to Bandar Seri Begawan on 4 October 1970.

The Declaration of Independence states that His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassan Bolkiah Moezuddin and State is the Islamic executor and Islamic law of Brunei Darussalam. On 1 January 1984, the Sultan announced that Brunei Darussalam would always be an independent, democratic and sovereign Malawian Muslim kingdom. The Sultan supports Islamic teachings according to the Sunnis and the community (according to the Shafi'i doctrine), according to the Declaration of Independence.

The Sultanate has made efforts to strengthen and strengthen the Islamic spirit in the country, such as the establishment of the Teachers College in Siri Begawan in 1972 and the Quranic Memorization Institute in 1993. The Sultan Omar Ali Saif al-Din Institute for Islamic Studies in 1999, the Prohibition of Wine in 1990, the Establishment of Islamic Banks in 1991, Peace in 1992, and the application of the Penal Code of 2014.