Dear Editor,

The recent Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Foreign Ministers meeting in Kampala, Uganda, was not attended by Guyana.  It was seen as a snub to an important African ally, Uganda, and more importantly, to the OIC.  More recently, Guyana’s last minute effort to send a delegation to the Dakar OIC Heads of Government Summit was a diplomatic embarrassment.  One can conclude that Guyana’s relationship with the Islamic world is at an all-time low.  Not to mention that Guyana appointed an honorary consul in Jerusalem, the disputed capital of Israel to the dismay of many Islamic nations. Thus, it seems that Georgetown has accepted Israel’s assertion that Jerusalem is its internal capital.

Today the global financial crisis has pushed many European nations and the United States to seek financial help from the oil producing Gulf nations.  Some of these very nations and financial institutions have been providing developmental aid to our neighbour to the west, Suriname, who is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and ISESCO.  Guyana lags behind and continues to beg for debt forgiveness which can’t sustain growth.  The OIC is willing to pay Guyana’s OIC and ISESCO dues, but Guyana lacks active participation in these forums, thus there is no one to advocate for Guyana.  Furthermore, different diplomats they send sporadically are unaware of the OIC and its deliberations.

Guyana should use its Muslim minority to forge stronger ties with the rich oil and gas producing nations such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Libya.  This has not been exploited at all.

This is what has been done in Suriname.  Suriname has appointed a Presidential Envoy to the OIC, Mr Rafiq Chiragally.

To date Guyana has no diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia.  It is the only member of the OIC who is not a member of the Islamic Development Bank and ISESCO.  Frequently we hear that President Jagdeo will make an official visit to the Middle East.  These empty promises need to be fulfilled.

Yours faithfully,
Ray Chickrie