Today all Guyanese join our Muslim brothers and sisters to celebrate Eid-Ul-Adha, the story of Abraham and his son, Isaac. Each Guyanese, religious or not, could identify with this beautiful story of faith, obedience and sacrifice, and the reward that comes from these.
Where Abraham was instructed by Allah to make a sacrifice of his son, driven by faith and obedience, he was only too willing to comply. Allah’s intervention for rewarding this faithful servant was to have him offer up, for sacrifice, a sheep instead of his son.
As Guyanese we too go through similar tests. Daily we strive to prove our faith in God, the Constitution and Laws of Guyana, and/or our fellow man and woman. It is this faith that navigates our interactions with each other, stirs many to believe in self and country, and the power of our conviction to reach the aspirational height of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”
Guyanese, on this day, also acknowledge the right to religious freedom which was placed in statute by the Forbes Burnham government. It was his faith in the people that they would recognize the sacrifice of selflessness that we can all come together and share with respect in each other’s culture. On this day, let us not only celebrate this marked achievement, but also draw faith from the great story of Abraham and Isaac in redoubling our efforts to give our energies in building a better society for all.
As Guyanese continue to face the trials and tribulations of poor governance, so too must we be prepared like Abraham to make personal sacrifices, to do as God expects of us. As we stand against the oppressors of the land we must do so with faith, knowing that the trials and tribulations are but a test of our faith and willingness to make sacrifices to achieve Allah’s favour. Guyana must rise!
Happy Eid-Ul-Adha
