ON Thursday September 13 last, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints held a conference on religious freedom to which they invited representatives of various religions, and the Inter-Religious Organization represented by its Chairman, Pastor Ronald McGarrel.
The Guest of Honour was First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger who gave the feature address.
The First Lady emphasised that at conferences and discourses of this kind, the focus should be on the diversity of religious beliefs and religious freedom. Though the State has its role to play in upholding religious freedom, the main responsibility rests on the shoulders of ordinary folk.

In the First Lady’s words, “I agree, and wholeheartedly believe that the State must play a role in the freedom and rights of individuals, including rights to freedom of religion or belief. But this does not preclude the duty of every citizen to promote and preserve those rights…

“The politicians, the Judiciary, law enforcement officers, public servants, representatives of religious rights and organisations… In fact, every citizen has to play a role in the implementation and defence of these freedoms.”

Pastor McGarrel pointed out that all religions strove for peace as their ultimate summum bonum, and that it is therefore a contradiction in terms for any one faith to claim that it has a monopoly on truth and salvation, since such a position generates discord, which is the opposite of peace.

Mrs Granger’s remarks reflect the ambience in modern post-Independence Guyana. In the colonial era, despite the religious diversity of Guyana, officialdom treated the country as a Christian one, and in particular the Protestant version of Christianity. The non-Christian religions had far less rights and freedoms than the Christian, and this resulted in strong resentments, and the delay of national unity and cohesion.

For example, only Christian holy days were permitted to be celebrated as public holidays; oaths, even in the Courts, had to be taken on the Bible; prayers on public occasions were always Christian prayers; on official forms where names had to be stated, these were always termed “Christian names” and so on.

In addition, only schools run by Christian denominations were given government subventions, while those run by Hindu and Muslim religious organisations did not qualify.
With the advent of Independence, Guyana had its own Constitution, which safeguarded religious freedoms. The discriminations against the non-Christian religions began to be dismantled as far as possible. Hindu and Muslim holy days were now nationally celebrated as well as Christian, and oaths and official prayers tended to be representative of the three national faiths. Sometimes, non-denominational prayers were used, as in the Parliament where one of Rabindranauth Tagore’s psalms where God is invoked but without any religious tag.

Guyana has today evolved into the most religiously-tolerant society and country in the world. Even in the Caribbean, Guyana is more ahead than others in religious acceptance. Things which in other countries lead to serious religious and political disputes and even violence are accepted as a norm here.

For example, wearing an hijab by Muslim women and some Rastafari women is taken for granted, and no one notices it, while in Europe it is a bone of contention. And so is visiting places of worship of various religions. The normal Guyanese, irrespective of his religious affiliation, would very comfortably visit Hindu, Muslim or Christian places of worship, and may even participate in their rituals. And in marriages, religion is not the barrier that it is in most countries.

Guyana’s unique position in the world as the most religiously tolerant country is not only due to the Constitution protecting and advocating religious freedom, but far more so, as First Lady Sandra Granger pointed out, it ultimately depends upon how ordinary folk think and act.

When strangers visit Guyana, they are completely astonished at the religious acceptance which pervades the country and its psyche, an acceptance which includes tolerance but also transcends it.

Guyanese must protect their unique heritage and be on guard to discourage or disallow persons from from spreading religious discord. Over the years, several such attempts have been made, but fortunately, the Guyanese ethos of religious acceptance has disarmed and diffused such efforts.