PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is urging Guyanese parents and others to guard their children against negative values which he says seem to flourish on television.

Television is used to create the perception that the people lack faith and that different religions cannot live in peace and harmony, he said Saturday night.

"We must fight this every single day", he urged at a cultural programme to mark the start of the Muslim New Year, 1423, at the Akbar Hussain Lecture Hall, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara.

He returned to the theme later that night at a Ramayna Yajna Hindu religious ceremony at the Ocean View Mandir, Uitvlugt, also on the West Coast Demerara.

There he again pointed to the crudity that comes out of some television programmes, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

According to the agency, Mr. Jagdeo urged parents to encourage their children to look at more informative and educational programmes that offer true knowledge, and are aimed at improving the understanding of the world in which they live.

"If you absorb dirt then you are going to put out dirt", the President said.

At the Ocean View Mandir, the President noted the sustained relevance of the Ramayaan in today's world, although that book was written thousands of years ago.

Pointing to tenets of the Hindu religion, he said that knowledge plays an important role in a Hindu person's life.

He urged that within families, communities and as individuals, Hindus should follow the scriptures and develop positive skills and knowledge.

At the Muslim observance, he stressed that freedom of religion and the right to worship will be maintained as long as he is President.

Sharing New Year greetings with the Muslims, the President called on the religious body to use this time to reflect on the past and plan for the future.

He urged Muslims to look to the beginning of Islam and the road it has transcended and to reflect on the difficulties of the Prophet and the problems the early Muslims faced in spreading the message of Islam.

They should look at Islam not only in the global context, but nationally too and realise that today Islam is flourishing in this country. He promised that it will continue to do so and that Guyanese will always be free to practise the religion of their choice.

Reiterating the need for Muslims to use this time to plan for the future, the President said they should resolve not only to improve on their material well being, but to strengthen natural values such as respect for truth, the fight for justice, care and compassion - all core values of Islam.

The celebration was attended by a contingent of Muslims, including Imams from neighbouring Suriname.

Pointing to similarities in the history of Guyana and Suriname, dating back to the periods of slavery and indentureship, Mr. Jagdeo said the two countries can cooperate at the religious, social and economic levels to develop ties. He hopes that one day physical boundaries between the two countries would become irrelevant, GINA said.

President Jagdeo took the opportunity to again stress his commitment towards promoting good neighbourliness and partnership agreements with Suriname.

Mr. Shamir Hussein, President of the Muslim Youth League, reiterated the President's call for higher moral values. He noted that the September 11 events in the United States and the post-election period here have taken their toll on Guyana.

According to Hussein, it is time to inculcate a culture of caring and compassion that would spread through the Caribbean and the world.

At Uitvlugt, Mr. Jagdeo urged that Hindus seek in their own ways to find means of practising their religion in the prevailing conditions.

Pointing to some of the problems that divide the peoples of the world into the 'haves' and 'have nots', the President said ways must be found to change the way people think.

"It may be harder to change the way people think than to change material conditions", he said.

He noted that solutions may not come for some time, but care, compassion and wanting to see others and the country succeed are the first steps.

The ceremony at the Uitvlugt mandir was conducted by Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

In his explanation of the Ramayaan, he likened centuries of old teaching to today's experiences and pointed to the need for Hindus to be more cognisant of the role they can play in developing better family values and lifting the moral standards of the country.

At both ceremonies, President Jagdeo also discussed the role of the State and elders in promoting moral values and the role of religion in national development, GINA said.