Dear Editor,

ISLAM and the celebration of Eid and other festivals have been transplanted to New York, primarily among the Asian community, by Indo-Guyanese and other Caribbean Muslims since the late 1960s. Today, there are several Guyanese-oriented masjids in NY in addition to masjids for every Islamic ethnic community. Each ethnic community prefer to patronise a masjid of their own nationality for Rojah (breaking of fast) and celebration of Islamic festivals.

Muslim Guyanese and “Trinis” started making New York their home during the late 1960s, after the 1965 Immigration Act that opened up immigration to non-White countries. Guyanese and “Trinis” initially came as (technical career) students and visitors and decided to settle down after their studies or their visas expired. They concentrated in lower and mid-Manhattan and in Jamaica, Queens where the technical career institutes were located during the 1960s and 1970s.

I have had experience being among friends who observed Rojah (fasting) and Eid among Indo-Caribbean Muslims going back to the late 1970s.  There were no Islamic centres for gathering to pray and break the fast and no public celebration of festivals. Initially, when Guyanese Muslims came to New York, they clustered in small communities at various locations. Hindus and Muslims lived together sharing rooms during the 1960s and 1970s. Most of them lived in Clark Apartments and other low-cost hotels in mid-Manhattan. Strict fasting was not observed by Muslims and even by Hindus during the Navratri period; they fasted some days as it was difficult to go to work, study, and fast daily.

In some hotels, a room was rented by Hindus and Muslims and they took turns observing festivals relating to their faiths. They helped each other to commemorate or observe religious festivals. Prayers during Ramadan and Eid were conducted in the hotel room. Eid was also celebrated at hotel rooms among friends and family members.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, as family members joined them, Guyanese and “Trinis” moved to larger apartments in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Celebrations were held in apartments where families or friends lived. Around the mid and late 1980s, Guyanese and “Trinis” started acquiring homes. Muslims broke the Ramadan fast at their home. During the late 1980s, Eid was celebrated at school auditoriums (when it fell on weekends), or halls, or hotel ballrooms. Meanwhile, students at City College founded an Indian Club in 1977, the initiative of Vassan Ramracha, Baytoram Ramharack, myself and others. I used to organise refreshments for celebration of all festivals – Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. The Muslim members were not particularly keen in observing their festivals. For Eid, I used to reserve a hall that had a kitchen and would prepare Sirni, Sawine or Vermicelli, and gulgula.

As the Guyanese Islamic community steadily grew, the religious groups sought to have their own place of worship. By this time, Arabs had established masjids in Queens, and Black Americans had already established masjids since the late 1960s and 1970s in mid-Manhattan and Brooklyn. Indians and Arabs preferred to worship in their own ethnic communities. Thus, they established their own masjids in Queens and later Brooklyn and Bronx.

Guyanese and “Trini” Indians gravitated towards Richmond Hill and would eventually establish places of worship. Hindus were the first to found temples during the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. They were followed by the founding of masjids by Guyanese and Trini Muslims in late 1980s and early 1990s in Queens, and then churches were established by Christians during the early 1990s.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Caribbean Islamic centres and mosques were established by Guyanese and Trinis in Richmond Hill. These centres were acquired by donations from Muslims. It was also funded by some Hindu businessmen. Ramesh Kalicharran, for example, donated a significant amount of funds to Muslim organisations that acquired properties that were transformed into Islamic centres or masjids. Imams like Haji Zakir of Guyana and Safarally of Trinidad played significant roles in institutionalising Islam in New York. Pandit Oumadatt Maharaj was a friend of both as they lived like brethren in Manhattan. And Clyfee Madhu who hosted a radio programme on Sunday mornings on WLIB assisted in the propagation of both faiths.

Islam became institutionalised through these centres, masjids, and observance of festivals. Safarally used to organise Tadjah celebrations on the West side in mid-Manhattan with support from his Hindu friends; I patronised that festivity for several years. During the late 1980s, Muslims broke their fast at home or at these centres and masjids. Initially, houses and other buildings were transformed into masjids during the early 1990s. Later, new buildings were constructed with domes.

The Indian-Muslim community is very tight-knit, giving solidarity to each other. They co-operate and collaborate during Ramadan or Ramzan (Rojah), Eid, and other Islamic celebrations. The Indo-Islamic culture has been very strong in areas where the community is settled. Adherents of the faith usually come together to observe festivals such as Rojah and Eid. They zealously observed Rojah and celebrated Eid in the greater New York area. They tend to throng mosques across NY and other cities in the US. The celebration among the Caribbean diaspora Islamic communities in NY is almost the exact same as that of Muslims in Guyana or in Trinidad or Suriname.

The observance of Rojah and Eid gave Muslims an opportunity to come together for brotherhood, cooperation, and celebration. For Eid, masjids in NY were/are beautifully decorated with colourful lights, trimmings and crescent moons just like in Guyana or Trinidad or Suriname. At festivals, masjids were packed with worshippers during dusk for the breaking of the fast, as well as for Eid celebration. During normal times, worshippers would overflow from the masjid on Liberty Ave or 95th Ave and 102 Street during festivals and at other masjids. The institutionalisation of Eid festivities was largely the work of Haji Zakir, who organised public celebrations since the 1980s and who invited non-Muslims to join in the celebrations as observers. I was invited at several functions that I attended as a reporter.

In NY, as in Guyana, people dress conservatively for the breaking of the fast. The fast was usually broken after prayers with the consumption of dates. For Eid, people put on their best, fanciful and most colourful traditional clothing – kurthas, Nehru suits, and shalwar kameez — standout clothing.

Eid is among the most important, auspicious days for Muslims, but it is not an official holiday in NY. However, NY City has accorded recognition to the celebration by suspending parking rules and closing schools. Muslim-owned businesses, including medical offices and halal shops, were closed to mark the holiday on Thursday.  Muslims, including doctors, and government workers took the day off (were excused) from work.  Normally, they would hold community lunch and or dinner. This year, because of COVID, there was restrained celebration.

Yours sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram