AS a Muslim, I wish to publicly condemn the slaughtering of the 12 journalists in Paris by terrorists who claim to be associated with Islam and the Prophet Mohamed. What these extremist personalities are propagating is in total contravention to Islam and its teachings of peace, compassion, love and the brotherhood of mankind. Islam has nothing to do with violence and murder.

However, what transpired in Paris is a stark reminder that there are extremists who, when provoked, can and may react with the consequences being fatal. It is therefore imperative that those entrusted with the Fourth Estate (the Media) ensure that they discharge their duties responsibly, thereby not exposing themselves and other innocent people to the type of consequences which were meted out to the journalists in Paris. As wrong as it is, the fact and reality is that it did take place. Nothing can change that now.
What transpired in Paris is the very eventuality that the Attorney General (AG) spoke about, which unfortunately, is being misconstrued by a few as a threat. Indeed, what took place in Paris vindicates the dangers to which the AG alluded. It is plain wicked therefore, for anyone, including Mr. Moses Nagamootoo and the Alliance For Change (AFC) to say that the AG threatened anyone and to link the AG’s utterances with what transpired in Paris.
If the Police Commissioner is to say tomorrow that it is dangerous to walk in the city of Georgetown after 12 midnight, is he threatening the citizens of this country? What utter nonsense!
Politicians in Guyana will simply say anything in order to score themselves political points. I did not hear a single utterance from Mr. Nagamootoo, the AFC, nor A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in relation to the role that the AFC Chairman, Mr. Nigel Hughes played in respect of his relationship with the foreman of the Jury which resulted in the accused persons charged with the slaughtering of 13 innocent people at Lusignan to walk free, or the role the AFC played in causing persons to block and burn the road at Agricola in 2012, thereby enabling the environment for 100’s of decent, hardworking Guyanese citizens to be robbed, beaten and females sexually molested.
No one heard a single utterance about the role they played in riling up innocent persons in Linden, causing 4 persons to be shot and several injured. There was also silence when the conversation between Mr. Basil Williams of the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the then Commissioner of Police Mr. Winston Felix (who is now an executive member of that party) was made public and he was heard saying that he diverted the Police away from Agricola where some 9 persons were slaughtered. These lives may have been saved if the Police were not diverted by Mr. Felix.
These actions are very much terroristic in nature, yet Mr. Nagamootoo, the AFC and the APNU were and still are silent. Perhaps their joint position in Parliament on the AML/CFT Bill, alone, should inform us where they stand on terrorism.
The silver lining where Mr. Nagamootoo and his comments are concerned is that he has little credibility in the eyes of the Guyanese public since he has been caught lying to them on so many occasions. Take for example, the claims he made that Dr. Cheddi Jagan anointed him as the next People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential candidate. According to him this disclosure by Dr. Jagan did not take place at the Party’s headquarters at Freedom House or even at Office of the President. According to him this very important disclosure was made to a small group of Amerindians somewhere in the deep recesses of the Rupununi Savanah.
One would also vividly recall that it was the same AG who unmasked Mr. Nagamootoo for lying in Parliament. Mr. Nagamootoo had said that the President’s Pension Bill “rattled his soul” and that he voted against it when he was in the PPP. However, the AG produced the Hansard which established beyond doubt that Mr. Nagamootoo voted in support of the Bill. This man expects the Guyanese public to take him seriously.
The depths to which these men would sink to narcissistically justify their perpetual attempt to grab political power, against the backdrop of impaling, slandering and deceiving the innocent, the professionals, and the hardworking Guyanese can only be described as shameless.

FARUK MOHAMED