THE Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan has commenced. President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has used the occasion to urge his fellow Muslims, indeed all Guyanese, to use the occasion to reflect on the less fortunate in our society. Ramadan is regarded as the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and is observed with fasting, prayers and the giving of ‘zakaat’ or charity to the less fortunate.

In his message on the occasion of Ramadan, President Ali noted that Ramadan is a time for us all to reflect on the great gifts the Creator has bestowed on us and urged that such blessings be used for our upliftment and for the common good of all humanity.

According to President Ali, “We are all blessed in some way and we should deploy those blessings for the betterment of ourselves, our families and all of humanity.”

Guyana, the President said, is perched for sustained prosperity. Such material wealth must be matched with an overflowing spirit of generosity. Otherwise, he observed, “We will be rich in possessions but poor in spirit. We must neither be a rich nation with poor people, nor a nation of rich people who are wanting in generosity.”

These are indeed deeply profound words by the President which, to a large extent, define the philosophical outlook of the PPP/C administration, which has always embraced an approach to governance based on ‘development with a human face,’ where the resources of the country are utilised to create a just and equitable society.

President Ali has consistently advocated a pro-poor model of development, one in which the basic needs of the ordinary people are placed at the centre of the administration’s social agenda. This approach finds expression in the social safety net put in place to cushion the effects of the rising cost of living; increases in old age pension, subsidies for water and electricity and removal of the value-added tax on a wide range of consumer items and cash grants, among several other interventions.

Interestingly, the period of fasting coincided with the Christian Lent, which also entailed a period of fasting. Lent is a 40-day period during which Christians remember the events leading up to, and including, the death of Jesus Christ whose life and teachings are the foundations of Christianity. The period is called Lent, during which many people decide to give up something that they love doing, usually food and drink. It is a time of reflection and asking for forgiveness and when Christians prepare to celebrate the resurrection at the feast of Easter, which comes at the very end of Lent.

Hindus also observe around this time, Navratri, during which devotees pray to Goddess Durga in her nine forms. Like Ramadan and Lent, Navatri is also a period of spiritual renewal and fasting.

Apart from its religious significance, fasting also has a number of health benefits including increased weight loss to better brain functions. According to medical research, blood sugar control is especially useful for those at risk of diabetes. Some studies found that incorporating fasting in your daily routine may be especially beneficial when it comes to heart health and reducing the risk of heart disease.

The fact is that despite our religious and cultural diversity, we do much in common. Guyana has a rich cultural heritage. We are becoming an increasingly multi-cultural and tolerant society, which bodes well as we move closer to our ‘One Guyana’ destination.

As President Ali correctly observed, there can be no greater joy than reaching out to those in need and helping to lift others, especially the less fortunate in our society.