| Commentary: Eid Reflection: Muslim marginalization in Guyana | ||
| By Shabnam Alli and Ray Chickrie | ||
Published on July 28, 2014 – Caribbean News Now
Islam reached the shores of Guyana during slavery, when Muslim slaves from West Africa were shipped to work on the plantations and, after the abolition of slavery, Islam was reintroduced in Guyana with the arrival of indentured immigrants from British India, when more than 90 Muslims of the immigrants on board the Whitby and Hesperus were of the Islamic faith arrived in Guyana. Despite the many obstacles, these great ancestors forever changed Guyana’s landscape. They are the reason why Islam survives in Guyana today. Much later in the 1940s, that generation of Muslims and led by Muslim leaders of Guyana, including the head of the British Guiana Sadr Anjuman, Rahman Baksh Gajraj and many others ensured the further institutionalization of Islam at all levels in the country. Muslim marginalization in the political dynamics of Guyana needs to be reviewed briefly by accessing Caribbean East Indian Diaspora studies. A review of literature on the East Indian Diaspora written by non-Muslims portrayed East Indians as a homogeneous group. The symbols of one dominant religious group are very visible, while the Muslim presence in Guyana remains largely invisible. Continue reading |
Buxton: Holding fast to its roots and boasting striking historical features
To be honest with you folks, I was heading for a village I was very curious about, but I was doing so with mixed feelings.
You see, the moment I mentioned that this village was next on my Village Focus list of places, some of my colleagues balked with fear, and told unpleasant tales with acute warnings to be extremely careful.
But knowing me, always loving a challenge, I set aside my misgivings and began my short journey to my destination. Readers, let me warn you to never listen to hearsay evidence; you must always ensure that you see something for yourself before you end up spreading wrong news. Continue reading
