Dear Editor,
Our recent letter, ‘Muslims are marginalized in Guyana,’ that appeared in Stabroek News, was not meant to create any ‘divide and rule’ analogy but was to evoke meaningful discussion as to why such an environment exists, and how we as individuals and the community as a whole can contribute to improve the status quo in the country, especially at the political level for all minorities and disenfranchised groups. From the outset, we would like to make it very clear that we are not affiliated with any organisations in or out of Guyana nor are we inviting ‘Islamic terror’ to Guyana. We are very much aware of Muslims’ entrepreneurship and their strong economic presence in Guyana. However, the crucial question we raised is, why are Muslims marginalized in diaspora studies and excluded from the senior level of the Government of Guyana cabinet and diplomatic appointments? It is a question we pose to the Muslim leadership in Guyana, as well.
We would like to thank the two gentlemen who responded to our letter, and took note of Mr Maxwell’s observation on the voting pattern of Muslims and Mr Abu Bakr’s validation of some of the points raised in our paper. But not surprisingly, the responses to our letter, and especially by cyber bloggers, demonstrated a great deal of anti-Muslim hysteria. Sadly, when discussing Guyana Muslim/Islamic issues, one is quickly branded as “anti this and anti that” and wanting to turn Guyana into an al Qaeda/Taliban-like den, and wanting Shariah law.
Turning our attention to Swami Aksharananda’s response, he spoke in defence of secularism, and called for Guyana to end membership in organisations that have “little or no regard for fundamental human rights as contained in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and countries that have the most brutally repressive and undemocratic regimes in the world today.” The Swami was referring to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) because in his own words “many of its members, a bizarre cult of death is glorified, compromises these values…” Going by the Swami’s logic, Guyana will also have to leave the United Nations since many “bizarre cult of death” countries are members of that body of which Guyana is a member. Also, Guyana will have to sever ties with such authoritarian’s regimes as Russia, China and Cuba – so yes, let us “get out now.” The Swami needs to look around at the violation of some of the basic human rights in our own backyard and in the so called motherland.
The Swami has raised an important point that the OIC Charter advocates Islamic values but that’s not all; the charter calls for economic, cultural and political cooperation. Membership in the OIC is not a violation of Guyana’s constitution. Guyana like Suriname, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Mozambique, Uganda, Russia and Thailand are not predominantly Muslim countries but are also members of the OIC. Further, like Swami said the economic factors brought Guyana to the OIC, but importantly as well, it is a forum that Guyana can lobby should there happen to be any inter-religious conflicts in the future.
We would like to point out that India tried several times to join the OIC but unfortunately, its application for membership was stymied by Pakistan. India also participated in a few of the OIC conferences in the past, and several years ago the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) was granted permission to operate a programme in India. Maybe the Swami is not aware of these precedents.
The Swami eloquently said that Guyana “is a secular and democratic state and cannot be seen as favouring any one religion over others”; this is exactly what membership of the OIC requires. Here again Swamijee has exposed double standards. Looking at numerous written pieces and speeches in which he attacked the people of India’s free choice to convert to other religions, it is clear that Swami’s position on secularism is inconsistent. The Swami has postulated the radical Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Shiv Sena’s mantra that “Indianness is synonymous with Hinduness”; this is in clear violation of an individual’s basic human rights. At one point the Swami tried to push for the establishment of an RSS office in Guyana. The RSS and its affiliate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are intolerant of minorities.
His religious stance, his receipt of award(s) as well as his affiliation with groups such as the RSS and Shiv Sena, speak volumes about the Swami’s ‘state of mind’. Just a few days ago, Mr Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, again addressed his party concerns regarding the “desire” of the RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat to “make India a Hindu rashtra that is Hindtva” country which Mr Karat reminded Bhagwat is contrary to the tenets of India’s constitution. Something that the Swami might want to explore is the fact that India’s constitution affords minorities their own civil code.
The Swami’s own PPT which is online acknowledged that he “came into contact with the RSS while studying in India.” Also, he was host to Ashok Singal, President of the Vishwa Hindu Pariṣhad (VHP) which is deemed a ‘right-wing Hinduvta organization,’ during one of his visits to Guyana. Not to mention that Kuppalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan, another leader of the RSS, is also a friend of the Swami.
Maybe, the Swami hasn’t lived in a predominately Muslim country but he is certain that “the question which we raised a while ago in this column as to why Islam is so universally misunderstood and misinterpreted by so many of its followers across the world could not be asked in any of the OIC states, and would invariably be seen as ‘Islamophobia,’ with the potential of a death penalty.” That is not so, because some of us have lived or spent a lot of time in many Muslim countries and a debate on this subject is being articulated from Guyana to the Straits of Malacca. We have lived and travelled in Muslim countries and know of the sentiments in the streets of those countries. Swami Aksharananda can attend the next Doha Forum and take his thesis to seek answers there.
Interestingly, from Allah’s lips to the Swami ears – and he seems to have an issue with Irfaan Ali having “presidential ambitions” – it would seem from the Swami’s narrative that he has issues with any Muslims who seek the office of the presidency in Guyana. Is it only because Mr Ali represented Guyana at the OIC several times and condemned “Islamophobia?” Islamophobia is real and the data to back it up is out there. It is not an effort by the UMMA “to insulate Islam and Muslim practices from any kind of criticism,” as alleged by the Swami. The OIC has been very vocal in condemning radical Muslims and their practices which hardly makes news in Western media outlets.
In conclusion, our letter accurately documented Muslim marginalization in Caribbean diaspora studies and in senior government positions such as in the cabinet of the PPP and among diplomats appointed by the PPP.
Yours faithfully,
Shabnam Alli
Ray Chickrie
