SOME 1,400 years after Prophet Mohamed passed, his legacy lives on in his teachings and his followers and nowhere was this recognised more than at the Old Mosque located at Alexander Village, last Saturday.

The Muslim Youth League of Guyana was hosting a special Youman Nabi programme, which saw the attendance of Muslim leaders and followers.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of President Donald Ramotar was Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who urged the many youths gathered for the event to remain grounded in the principles of Islam.
“The prophet spoke about brotherhood, about love. He spoke about the highest form of Jihad, which is the conquering of oneself,” he said.

TAINTING ISLAM
According to him, there is a “deliberate and concerted” effort to taint what Islam represents and associate the religion with the type of extremism that translates to the violence and killings, which was seen as recent as last week in the Paris murders.
On that note, he stressed that Muslim leaders have a responsibility, as do all Muslims, to ensure that such associations are condemned in the strongest possible terms.
Nandlall said, “Those types of actions, for example, that which took place in Paris recently…no one has a right to do what was done there and I wish to take this opportunity to condemn what took place in Paris in the strongest possible terms, it has nothing to do with Islam.
“We have to ensure that as practitioners of Islam, we in the conduct of our daily lives, and indeed, as we propagate the ideals of Islam, we ensure that we send the messages of peace, love, brotherhood, unity and charity, important aspects of the Prophets work.”
The Attorney General added too that the virtues of Islam are exemplified in the life of the Prophet.
“The Prophet was an orphan and grew up that way, but became one of greatest human beings on planet earth. If we just look at that aspect of his life, it tells us that Islam embraces the concept that recognises the importance of every single citizen on planet earth, regardless of their station when they enter this world. That is the type of virtue that Islam represents and those are the type of virtues that we speak of when we speak about the glories of the Prophet and indeed, the glories of Islam,” he said.

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
Guyana’s religious diversity was also underscored by Nandlall, who stated that one of the fundamental tenants of the Prophet’s teachings was compassion, love and unity – all of which forms part of the social fabric of Guyana.
“We live in a country where we have diverse religions, we have persons of different ethnic backgrounds and it is important that we practice and perpetuate religious tolerance and respect for all,” he said.
Importantly, Nandlall highlighted that Guyana’s Constitution, the supreme law of the land, has entrenched in it the fundamental right of a person to practice and preach his or her religious belief and pursuits unhindered – the protection of religious diversity.
On that note, he reiterated that virtues of Islam, exemplified in the life of the Prophet, ought to be perpetuated for the good of the Muslim community and, by extension, the good of Guyanese society.
“So many centuries after (the Prophet’s birth), his teachings, his work, his life are still so relevant to today’s society and indeed, in a Guyanese context,” Nandlall concluded.

TALENT DISPLAYED
Additionally, as part of the programme, beautiful renditions of Qaseedas were sung by very talented brothers and sisters from the various Mosques.
Saudia Arabia’s Sheik Hassan also made a rendition from the Hoy Quran and translated its meaning. He spoke to the importance of prayers, Prophet Mohamed, and Islam, which he affirmed is not a religion, but a way of life that teaches one how to live the ideal life.

CIOG PRESIDENT
President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Fazil Ferooz, was another one of the evening’s speakers and addressed the need of every Muslim to emulate the teachings of the Prophet Mohamed.
He highlighted the fact that it is not enough that he is remembered just upon his birth anniversary. “Muslims,” he said, “have to acquaint themselves with Prophet Mohamed’s teachings and in so doing develop that love for him and his message.”
Ferooz spoke also of the atrocities being committed by extremists in the name of Islam and sent out strong condemnations against such acts of terrorism, while disassociating true Islam from it entirely.
Several non-Muslim representatives from the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO), among others, were also among those gathered for last Saturday’s event.