What, exactly is the truth about the Inter-Religious TV Channel?

Feb 25, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I refer to the letter, “The Proposed IRO TV Station will provide a service for all Religions” and would be grateful for the opportunity to respond. Mr. McGarrell’s statements can be countered on several clear grounds!
As reported before, this travesty began in 2007, or even before when one considers an ERC/IRO religious Round-Table on “How to propagate faith without offence” in 2005.
See the short but heady online story of March 10, 2007, “Inter Religious television group elects Edghill Chairman” (http://www.stabroeknews.com/2007/news/stories/03/10/inter-religious-television-group-elects-edghill-chairman/).
The article reads:
“… The Inter Religious Television Channel recently elected persons to serve on its executive at a meeting hosted at the Bahai National Centre. The group, in a press release, said in keeping with President Bharrat Jagdeo’s direction that all religious bodies should participate in the project; invitations and press releases were last month sent out encouraging attendance. Fifteen organisations participated. The results of the elections are as follows Bishop Juan Edghill was elected chairman, Swami Ashkarananda vice-chairman, Jennifer Dewar – secretary, Roshan Khan – treasurer, Manzoor Baksh – assistant treasurer and Ronald McGarrell, monitor….”
President Bharrat Jagdeo’s “direction”? In whose ‘project”? And if as the co-Chairman said there was a “compromise”, why was there no mass consultation in the Christian community? As far as I know, Christians like to be consulted on these issues! … Or don’t they?
Why was there no Presidential “direction” on the removal of TBN from the airwaves, as clearly outlined by Mrs. Patricia Gonsalez (“An Open Letter to President Jagdeo”; KaieteurNews 2/6/2011; https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/02/06/an-open-letter-to-president-jagdeo-2/).
And what exactly, makes Mr. Edghill think that he will always be the chairman of that body? Given what happened to TBN, one can predict with reasonably certainty that shortly after the Inter-Religious TV Channel has been established, he will be replaced! Only Bishop Edghill seems to believe that he is indispensible to the ongoing effort to control the Christian community! In fact, Mr. McGarrell (a member of the Bahai community) now proudly advocates in his letter that he is now “Co-Chairman” (Of what? The ERC, IRO and IRO-TV seem to have many of the same officials)! If he is referring to the IRO or IRO-TV, then what implications, if any, do Bishop Edghill see for this development?
Surely we can infer something from each of the IRO-TV members’ previous pronouncements on issues?
In always having to respond to anti-Christian vitriol in Guyana, we have addressed the proclivity for anti-Christian outreach in August, 2007 in the online article “10 defences for Anil Azeez against Swami Aksharananda’s accusations” (http://www.scribd.com/doc/31033379/10-defences-for-Anil-Azeez-against-Aksharananda-s-accusations).
Earlier, S. Gopaul, in a letter to the press via SN of June 3, 2007 captioned, “The Swami seeks to debunk Christianity, but then urges Christians to practice their faith in a tolerant way” (see SN’s 2007 archives for a copy of the page ). Gopaul sums up Swami Aksharananda’s arguments as “… What patronizing nonsense is this? …” and Christians should thereby be advised about the probable approach Edghill and/or his successor will probably take to Christian programming on the “Inter-Religious’ TV Channel. Mr. Edghill should rebut the letter by S. Gopaul since he has a difficulty with Mrs Patricia Gonzales’s.
In “10 defences for Anil Azeez against Swami Aksharananda’s accusations”, we had also adverted at paragraph 3 to the ERC/IRO meeting at the Pegasus Hotel of June 2005 where “Truth” was eventually adopted as one of the ‘objective criteria” that citizens should use on “How To Propagate Faith Without Offence”. Truth now demands that we ask/require the ERC/IRO to release its minutes of that meeting (an unofficial copy was circulated to the Christian community on June 8, 2005) and also require both Swami Aksharananda and Mr. Ronald McGarrel to advise Guyanese what, exactly, were their contributions to the debate that fateful day!
Especially their contributions to discussions about “censorship”!
And the curtailment of Christian broadcasting and evangelism … as advocated in open forum!
Several members of the Christian community who were copied on this matter were also present at that meeting. They will also thereby be advised on the “Truth” that all parties are in fact bringing to this issue!
Christians should say with a loud voice that they want no part of this travesty … and advocate instead for the return of TBN! … And Independent stations and programming for all religions!
Now independent stations and programming for all religions would be a most wonderful expression of the commitment to freedom of expression and association … both of which, incidentally, were “objective criteria” agreed to in 2005 at the ERC/IRO meeting!
Roger Williams

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