PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has issued a call for all religious bodies, indeed all Guyanese, to unite under the banner of ‘One Guyana’ for a National Day of Fasting and Prayers. The event will take place at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday, April 8, 2022.

The day will culminate with a grand inter-faith meeting at the National Park which will take the form of prayers, songs and reflections. Similar such activities are expected to be held in other parts of the country.

This is indeed a commendable initiative by President Ali, especially coming at a time when there is a convergence of the fasting observances by all of the three major religious groups in the country, namely Muslims, Hindus and Christians.

Guyana is a multi-cultural and multi-religious society. The Constitution of Guyana speaks to a secular state which means there is no state-sponsored religion of religious teachings. Religious teachings are primarily a function of the home and the church. The formal education system promotes a scientific and technological outlook grounded on high levels of morality and spirituality.

This, however, does not take away from the fact that Guyanese generally are deeply religious. There is complete freedom to worship and every individual is protected by the Constitution to believe in any religion of his or her choice.

Our common embrace of religion and religious diversity is a good basis for a much higher national imperative, namely the creation of a ‘One Guyana’ vision as articulated by President Ali. According to the Guyanese President, the ‘One Guyana’ vision springs from our rich cultural heritage and the need to ensure that our diversity remains a source of strength and not an instrument of division and disaffection. The initiative is intended to ensure that every citizen is accorded a dignified existence with due respect to his or her fundamental constitutional rights and equality before the law.

The National Day of Prayer and Fasting provides a unique opportunity for all Guyanese regardless of religious, cultural or political orientations to come together under a single roof and in common space to re-assert our oneness and our togetherness.

And in the words of President Ali, “I would like all of us to fast together, pray together, and stay together as ‘One Guyana.” These are indeed noble sentiments on the part on President Ali who has consistently been urging Guyanese to leave past divisions behind them and join hands and hearts to create a new Guyana based on the spirit of oneness and mutual respect.

This call by President Ali could not have come at a better time when the country is making enormous strides in terms of economic growth and development. With Guyana now ranked among the fastest growing economies in the world due in no small way to our newly-found oil and gas riches, there is need to renew and reinforce our sense of humility and spirituality.

There can be no doubt that Guyana is on the road to higher levels of economic prosperity which will undoubtedly impact positively on our material and social well-being. But, as we are so often reminded by our holy books, there is not much to be gained by ‘owning the world but losing our soul’.

Our sense of a strong, united and prosperous society in which there are shared values and commonality of purpose represent the ‘soul’ of Guyana. President Ali’s call for a ‘National Day of Prayer and Fasting’ is a step closer to the realisation of the ‘One Guyana’ Vision and the quest for spiritual renewal.

Prayer and Fasting, it must be said, transcends religions and religious teaching and practices. It is about a disciplined and focused attempt to subordinate individual interests to a higher and greater good, namely the good of Guyana and for that matter, humanity as a whole.