– President at Eid celebrations
THE obligation of every Muslim to fast during the month of Ramadan allows the devotee to develop a spirit of empathy with the poor and hungry along with its other many spiritual developments.

These were the sentiments expressed by President Bharrat Jagdeo who joined a gathering of Muslims at the Peter’s Hall Masjid for the observance of Eid-ul-fitr or Eid marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

“We live in a society that has made progress but we still have many people who live in poverty and who still struggle to meet a daily existence and we all need to empathise with these people, create the opportunities for them to grow out of poverty and to support them in that journey,” President Jagdeo said.

The Muslim community was, however commended by the Head of State for their role in the fight against poverty, being in the forefront of charitable ventures and several other areas.

He made reference to the recent partnership between Government and the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) to host a telethon for victims of the Pakistan floods and the overwhelming generosity that was shown by Guyanese.

“We have many things in this country that we should be grateful for, the tolerance, charity and happiness we have. We don’t have to be rich to have these values in our hearts,”  President Jagdeo said.

After listening to the sermon of Imam Imtiaz Sahid and delivering his remarks in the mosque, President Jagdeo joined in the distribution of meals to some of the members gathered and interacted with youths from orphanages under the purview of the CIOG.

He extended Eid greetings on behalf of his government urging that followers use the lessons during this period to enrich lives, noting that Guyana is a society full of religious tolerance.
The Head of State was proud of the fact that Guyana was ranked in the top 20 of most charitable following an index study by the Christian Charity in the United States.
“We in Guyana must re-commit ourselves, regardless of who we are and what religion we belong to, to the task of building our country, unity and prosperity,” President Jagdeo said.

Eid celebrated across Guyana and around the world encourages Muslims to forgive and forget any differences or past animosities that may have occurred with others during the year.

The day usually begins with an early morning prayer or Salatul Fajr before attending the special Eid. Muslims visit their relatives, friends and acquaintances and gifts are often given to children and immediate relatives. (GINA)