religious leaders say spiritual healing is needed

By Indrawattie Natram
POLICE in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) on Wednesday hosted an interfaith service in memory of victims of the Mahdia tragedy which occurred at the female school dormitory in Region Eight.

The moving ceremony was held in the compound of the Anna Regina police headquarters. The interfaith ceremony was held to mourn the tragic deaths of 18 school girls and a five-year-old boy who were killed when a fire maliciously set by a student ripped through the form of Mahdia Secondary School Sunday night into Monday morning.
The programme featured prayers from the three main religions – Christian, Hindu, and Muslim – and featured songs, scripture reading and messages from Pastor Mohamed Alli, Pandit Chandrasekhar Sharma, and Brother Zamel Mohamed.

Meanwhile, Head of the Fire Department in Region Two, Andrew Holder, in giving brief remarks, said the responsibility of a firefighter is to save lives. Holder said that he is saddened that the firefighters who were supposed to be the heroes of the incident could not be.
“What a gruesome picture; imagine having your child in that burning building and could not help. I bring words of sentiment and condolences to the grieving relatives. I am imploring that fire safety is everyone’s business,” Holder said.

He said that the fire department continues to conduct fire safety throughout the country, and as such, residents need to play their part by ensuring that they perform necessary safety measures in their homes.
“Take a personal responsibility to report any instances of fire safety breaches to the fire department. Do not worry about what people are saying, but you will be aiding towards saving people’s life,” Holder said.

Divisional Police Commander Superintendent Khemraj Shivbaran said the tragedy has thrown the entire country into deep mourning. He said that the entire situation was sad, and the rank of the Guyana Police Force in Region Two extended condolences to the families and friends of the children who lost their lives.
He said that the interfaith service was organised to give comfort to the families and that members of the joint service have a tedious task every day to “step out their houses to protect the nation and maintain peace.”

The Superintendent continued: “It is not easy for the families; it’s a very uncomfortable situation. We are very thankful that those that were injured are okay. It’s really sad for our country; we have an important role, even our religious leaders that when we are serving we are serving with pleasure.”
Religious leaders from the three main religions emphasised the need for spiritual healing for the families who lost their children. They said it’s a time for Guyanese to stand together and support the families in whatever way.