PRESIDENT General of the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) Hakeem Khan, has announced that ACIC and its partner the Guyana United Sad’r Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA), will shortly appoint regional officers throughout Guyana, to allow the organisations to be able to better serve the Muslim community of Guyana.This move is expected to decentralise the activities of these organisations, and to ensure that the numerous projects, programmes and activities of these leading Muslim groups are made available to a wider ambit.

ACIC is Guyana’s leading Muslim organisation, and is the centre of cultural Islam. It recently received one of the country’s national awards for its role in the Muslim and wider Guyanese community. It has established relationships with organisations throughout the world over its more than 75 years of existence.

Formed in 1945, the GUSIA is Guyana’s oldest Islamic organisation, and is the only Muslim organisation authorised by an Act of Parliament to represent Muslims in Guyana. It had lost its vibrancy in the last decade because of the imposition of another Islamic group on the Muslim community. It has operated the Shaheed Orphanages for over 50 years.

The organisations will shortly hold a national convention of the leadership of the Guyanese Muslim community, to engage them in the ways of better serving their communities and to establish a list of their needs in order to have them addressed. The reformation of the Jamiatul Miadeen (the Imams Council of Guyana) is high on the agenda of this convention.

Throughout the Muslim world, the fantastic work being done in Guyana by ACIC/Sadr & Shaheed orphanages are recognised. The establishing of these regional councils for the Muslim community is an absolute necessity of these organisations, to take their projects, programmes and activities to the people.

The President General stated that it is time Muslims of Guyana stop being forced into affiliation to a particular group because of being given zakat (charity) or other forms of charity. Masjids have been forced into affiliation to one particular group because of zakat, hampers and monetary stipends provided; and real development of the Muslim community has been severely affected. He sees the development of ACIC as a model for other Muslim communities throughout Guyana, with the bottom line being that, despite challenges, discrimination and stifling of resources, it has shown how to achieve effectiveness and serve the Muslim and wider Guyanese communities.