—CIOG official stresses at general council
THE Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), on Monday (September 28, 2019), held its Annual General Council Meeting at its headquarters, Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, in which representatives from more than 150 masjids across Guyana attended.
Director of Education and Chairman of the CIOG, Shaykh Moeen-ul Hack, said that more than 120 masajid in Guyana were represented. He added that at the Annual General Council Meeting, all the leaders of the 150 masjids were present to discuss their future plans for the coming year and to basically strategize and to provide direction for their people.
“It is the highest forum for decision-making for the entire Muslim community in the country and so all the issues pertaining to Islam and the Muslims in Guyana are discussed here and we provide answers and the way forward for our community,” Hack said.
He related that the highlight of the Annual General Council Meeting is to strive for peace, unity and brotherhood within and outside the community, amongst ourselves and amongst other brothers and sisters of other denominations in the country. “Our religion encourages us to be peaceful and to have co-existence and religious tolerance,” he said.
Hack reported that since education is vital in the religious and secular aspects of the Muslim community, they have educational programmes to enlighten their members. “We cannot move forward with an ignorant community, in society and having said that, we feel that secular knowledge alone is not sufficient and it has to be balanced with knowledge of morality, good conduct and behaviour. So the person will not divorce mortality from their profession when they go out there for example, a doctor, a lawyer and engineer will know that they still have to render kindness and respect the humanity of other persons,” Hack said.
He said CIOG has been involved in charitable work – which is their main focus – and they have had several medical outreaches countrywide, distribution of food stuff, used-clothing drive, religious charity which has to be distributed and stands at $8M on a monthly basis, orphans and vulnerable children, which includes both Muslims and non-Muslims.
President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, Al- Hajj Shahabudeen Ahmad, said they are there to reaffirm their commitment to improving themselves, their communities, and country.
He added that they will continue in their work to help the poor and needy among other things.
In the General Secretary’s report, Shameena Haniff- Najab said about $30M is distributed on an annual basis to 416 orphans and vulnerable children across Guyana.
She stated that the sponsorship programme caters for orphans and vulnerable children of the three major religious denominations in Guyana: Hindus, Christians and Muslims.
Haniff-Najab added that back-to-school packages were distributed to children across the country including footwear, clothing, and medical supplies and back-to-school vouchers.
She related that the Office of the First Lady, Sandra Granger, assisted with the training of teachers in first aid, care for the elderly and early childhood education. Also educators and other professionals avail themselves to conduct workshops, training, and seminars with teachers.
CIOG of Guyana was formed on July 1, 1979 with its primary focus on helping Muslims (spiritually, socially and economically) locally, through an organised body.
Over the years of its existence, the CIOG has grown and expanded that it now assists non-Muslims. The CIOG is governed by a Central Executive Committee which is headed by its President, Al Hajj Shahabuddeen Ahmad, a businessman by profession.
