By GHK Lall-Guyanese see everything. They say nothing. Jobs to be done left to others. Who but the few….?
Look around. Put ear to the ground. Scout about cyber territory. There it is. There he is. Ali, Ali, Ali. Ali in the masjid. Ali in the temple. Ali in the Church. There is Dr. Mohamed, Excellency Irfaan, Pres. Ali in the places of the Lord. Ali for Eid. Ali for Navratri. Ali due on Palm Sunday, maybe throughout Holy Week. My fellow Guyanese, it is my blessing to present His Majesty, Ali the Holy. Two divine words fit him perfectly. Ubiquitous and omniscient (all over and all knowing). Whither the men and women of God?
Hear him talk about righteous! Grab hold of his expounding on cleanliness. From pulpits and podiums. Rich and stirring. To those who don’t know, or care to know, better. What happened to the voices of men and women called to spiritual service? Oh, I see. They are busy plotting their angles to get on his right side, whisper petitions in the Master’s ear, and stay silent so that they can collect.
Pres. Ali intrudes in the spiritual realms of Guyana (or what used to be), and the shepherds that running those places make way, find ways to shake him down. A good face. A couple of donations, millions, help. A job for a lackluster son fosters peace in the home. Is that all that the men and women of God in Guyana are all about? When poor Guyanese are in need and not getting anywhere. When Guyanese lose hope, and lose their grip on sanity, serenity, decency. The maulanas and pandits and pastors apparently have turned their backs to God and turned their faces to their new God, Ali the Holy. Ali, the answer to all their prayers.
Pres. Ali, the man Ali, has every right to go wherever he pleases, is welcomed, in Guyana. Hail, Excellency Ali. For his sharpness, his foresight. Don’t take chances, 2030 is nearby. So, how is it that the preachers are nowhere to be heard, never seen, except when their hands are stretched out, when they allow themselves to be used, and their flocks left hanging?
When women are attacked, and children are abused, the wrathful voices of the same people who invite Pres. Ali to share with them and their fellow worshippers, should return the favor. When they find the courage, locate their voices, they are making Pres. Ali’s job easier. When the men and women of God take a stand in public, they force the president’s hand, even if he has to raise it against his own folks who fall by the wayside, do wrong.
Which swami, or imam, or priest doesn’t want to protect the flock, see their leadership and their system of governance walk the straight paths? Pres. Ali has stuck to visiting different religious houses and making speeches about doing good. Miraculous coming from this leader, man. Great for the president; he is a political missionary, busy proselytizing, seeking his own converts. So, why are the men and women of sacred scripture not returning the favor, not appearing in public spaces and saying that this is wrong, and there has to be improvements?
Genuine improvements in personnel behavior, those under his command, and not drooling over his inauguration speeches, which die immediately after. How is it that religious men are silent when so much has gone wrong in Guyana? From clean leadership, to natural resource oversight, to fair wealth distribution. Is it because they are positioning themselves for their own infrastructure-personal, familial, financial-development? Or so as not to upset the president and his people?
From president to ministers have fanned out and are more in the houses of worship than the names of the Savior Jesus, the Prophet Mohamed, and Mother Laxmi. I applaud them. The thinking that drives them. Clearly, religious leaders are only thinking about themselves, and not about the welfare of those who trust them. Politicians are calculating, and Pres. Ali is no exception. It is the time when from maulana to yogi to vicar must be inspiring, fighting for the poor and hungry, standing with the weak and vulnerable. Few have any such interests.
Congratulations to Pres. Ali for getting his own priorities right. Shame and disgrace (dismissal too) to Guyanese ayatollahs, gurus, and padres. Showmanship takes over. Honest shepherding falls away. Oh, blessings of Holy Week to all.
