The religious community has to refrain from becoming the “dogs and slaves” of politics

Sep 21, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Tuesday 21 September is the United Nations designated International Day of Peace. On Sunday, September 19, ACDA participated in  the Guyana Justice of Peace and Commissioner of Oats to Affidavits Association’s Peace event at the National Park to celebrate this day.
Dancers from ACDA (Nzingha and Crystalite) together with dancers from The Indian Cultural Centre and the Amerindian Dance Group also participated in this event that saw the Prime Minister of Guyana, Mr. Samuel Hinds, Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne and University of Guyana, Professor Scott, as the main speakers. Admirably chaired by Reverend Ronald McGarrell of the Inter Religious Organisation, the event which was put together by Pandit Chrishna Persaud and his team heralded the view that Peace and Youth involvement are critical to development.
Guyana today is not at peace with itself. The scourges of racism, corruption and criminality make Guyana a modern day tragedy. Party paramountcy, clientism, extra-judicial murders and assassinations, victimization, intimidation and overt lawlessness combined with an anti-human rights Westminster system of governance.
At the heart of or tragedy is an underdeveloped economy based on drug smuggling, money laundering, fuel and merchandise smuggling and exclusion of large segments of the population.
These factors doom us to non peace, as human rights and civility are dismantled on a daily basis.
The Christian Church has miserably failed Guyana. It has allowed commercial entrepreneurs to serve three masters…politics, government and commerce. The Leadership of the Hindu community have failed Guyana as they call for “unity” within their flock (a weekly subliminal call for Indians to stick together”).
The Mosques and Muslim leaders have failed Guyana as these Leaders have been conveniently silent on the degeneration of Guyanese society.
Everyone has ring-fenced their followers, claiming superiority of their beliefs and that their God is the best God. Both Religion and Spirituality has lost their meaning to a large number of suffering Guyanese/Peace is necessary in Guyana but can only be obtained when there is justice: economic, social, legal and cultural.
For the religious community to ignore the call for justice and to only promote “peace” is a sad indication of their indifference to God’s words and their accelerating ungodliness.
There is a Golden Rule which can be found in 12 religious beliefs, namely:
1. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfil.” Bahai Faith.
2.  “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Buddhism.
3. ”All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Christianity.
4. “Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.” Confucianism.
5. “This is the sum of all duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.” Hinduism.
6. “No one of you is a believer until you desire for another that which you desire for yourself.” Islam.
7. “In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, regard all creatures as you would regard your own self.” Jainism.
8. ”What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” Judaism.
9. “Respect for all life is the foundation.” Native American.
10. ”Don’t create enmity with anyone as God dwells in every heart.” Sikhism.
11.  “Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain and your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.” Taoist.
12.  “That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself.” Zoroastrianism.
ACDA calls on Guyanese of all races to acknowledge the International Day of Peace as a clarion call for justice as the basis of peace in Guyana.
To the Hindu and Muslim communities, I remind you of Mahatma Gandhi’s words “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
To the Christian community, I remind you of the words of Martin Luther King: “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children”.
The religious community has to play a significant role in racial justice in Guyana. It cannot stand by idly as it currently does. It cannot serve three masters. It must promote the Golden Rule. Anything less is hypocritical.
This means the religious community has to refrain from becoming the “dogs and slaves” of politics.
Pastors, priests and Imams cannot in good conscience support evil whether it benefits them or not in the short term.
The religious community needs to live by the Golden rule and join ACDA in its call for a Government of National Unity so that peace and justice are joined at the hip. So that social cohesion is replaced by social inclusion.
Happy International Day of Peace….and Justice.
Eric Phillips

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