MEMBERS of the Muslim community in Guyana were assembled in reverence before the crack of dawn, looking to the East for the full glare of the sun that signals the commencement of the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr. Eid-ul- Fitr, or Eid, commemorates the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. The day begins with early morning prayer or Salatul Fajr and continues with a show of compassion, visiting relatives, friends and acquaintances, sharing gifts to children, relatives and charity to the less fortunate.
President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday joined Muslims gathered for Eid celebrations at the Peter’s Hall Jamaat on the East Bank of Demerara where he was conferred with a plaque for his profoundly laudable and outstanding  role in the governance of Guyana.

The plaque reads: “History and time evaluate every action; Presented to His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo in recognition of your selfless, honest, dedicated and transformative leadership as President of the Republic of Guyana. Your legacy will continue to be written long after your Presidency. We, the executive and members of the Peter’s Hall Jamaat, wish to record our appreciation for your outstanding leadership.”

The award was handed over by President of the Peter’s Hall Mosque Badrudin Hassan and was accepted with gratitude by President Jagdeo who, in turn, credited Guyana’s achievements to the resilience of its citizens.
The Head of State expressed delight at what he described as “a Guyana that is more at peace with itself,” where people live together in greater harmony, especially in an era when countries are embattled.

The reputation which Guyana maintains as a country with a high degree of tolerance was built on the cultural variations brought by forefathers of the different ethnic groups that composed the population, according to President Jagdeo.

In this regard, the Head of State implored respect and appreciation of each other’s religion and culture in a spirit of co-existence.
“As a child of this country every one of us must recognize that every other culture belongs to us because if we have this country’s blood in our veins then our history cannot start when our ancestors came to this land. It has to be the history of indigenous people and their culture, the history of the African slaves who were brought… that’s part of our history too,” President Jagdeo said.

On an auspicious day as yesterday, President Jagdeo was in high praise of the work of the Muslim community in philanthropy.
“I count on Muslims because of your faith, because you have demonstrated over and over again your capacity to help through charity and your capacity for progress to play a leadership role in changing our country,” Mr. Jagdeo stated.
Later on in the celebration, President Jagdeo joined members of the Peter’s Hall Jamaat in distributing sweet meats and other goodies as is the custom of the Eid festival. (GINA)