The Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) has joined the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) in its quest to have Mashramani Day activities deferred because of the likely clash with the Muslim religious holiday of Eid-ul-Adha.

But Chairman of the Guyana Council of Churches (GCC) Bishop Juan Edghill is not in support of a suggestion to defer the activities by a day to Sunday, February 24.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Gail Teixeira is to discuss the issue with the Mashramani Management Committee and Cabinet, according to CIOG head Fazeel Ferouz.

In a telephone interview yesterday, GIT Murshid (leader) Haseeb Yusuf told Stabroek News that the organisation was in support of the CIOG's moves to have the celebrations in Georgetown deferred to the following day, February 24 or February 25 and a national holiday declared so that all who would want to take part in the Mashramani festivities in the city could do so.

He upheld the view of CIOG President Ferouz in yesterday's issue of Stabroek News. Ferouz noted that the Mashramani Parade usually passed the Queenstown Jama Masjid and would most likely disrupt religious activities planned for the day. Yusuf said that the observances were diverse. Muslims observed the sacrifice of Abraham in prayers, quietude and reflection, he said, but the activities of the revellers "unfortunately do not really reflect the true meaning of Mashramani and the milestone in the history of the country that should point to greater development in values. It has instead gone into what some consider acts of vulgarity and deviant behaviour."

Yesterday Ferouz told Stabroek News that he had raised the CIOG's concern with Teixeira. The minister is currently at Mabaruma in Region One (Barima/Waini) and could not be contacted by telephone yesterday. However, Ferouz said that she had indicated to him that she would convene a meeting on Monday with the Mashramani Management Committee to look at the possibilities of deferring the date for Mash Day activities in Georgetown or changing the parade route. She also said, he stated, that she would discuss the matter with Cabinet on Tuesday and hoped that it could be resolved to the satisfaction of everyone.

Teixeira indicated to him, he said, that much effort had gone into the planning of the Mashramani activities and the observances of Eid ul Adha might not be affected in the regions.

Ferouz suggested that the Inter-faith group, which met during the post-elections violence to appeal for peace should meet on a regular basis to discuss matters of interest. "Perhaps," he said, "the Inter-faith group would have had something to say on the issues and appeal to celebrants of Phagwah and Good Friday to respect each others' religions as they mark the occasion according to their beliefs." The inter-faith group included representatives of the Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Baha'i communities.

Responding to the suggestion that the Mashramani Day activities be deferred to February 24, Edghill said that Sunday was a day of worship for the majority of Christians in Guyana. He felt there was need for a meeting of the leadership of religious organisations to see what compromises could be reached. Edghill had chaired the Inter-faith group referred to by Ferouz.

Edghill noted that the float parade route included a number of churches such as the Central Assemblies of God, Bedford Methodist, Fatima Roman Catholic Church and several others, which would hold religious services on Sundays.

He said that he had not been in discussions with the Muslim representatives on the deferral of Mash Day activities, but had met head of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud to discuss their concern over Christians and Hindus observing Good Friday and Phagwah on the same day, March 29. They agreed, he said, that the issue was not one only for Guyana as the same would exist in Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and India where there were large Hindu and Christian populations.

He asserted that church leaders should show tolerance. The two observances on the one day, he said should not be seen as a clash. On March 28, the Hindus will be taking part in the burning of the holika signifying the triumph of good over evil and the Christians will be observing Holy Thursday when Jesus Christ had his last supper with his apostles. On the following day, he said, that the Hindus will be going to church during the morning and making merry later in the day while the day for the Christians will be one of prayers. He agrees with Persaud that there should be a strong appeal for respect for each other's religions.

Edghill said he was not sure what the nation in general would want with regard to the shifting of the Mash Day activities to another day, but there would be a need to arrive at a common position on the issue.

But regardless of the outcome, Edghill said, the GCC "wants a country where religions are respected at all times." He said he had always advocated that a government must never suppress the spread of religious practice in a country, nor should any religion seek to suppress the spread of another. In a country like Guyana where "we have multi-religious practices", he said, persons of a particular religious persuasion must not only think of what was good for them but what was good for others. "If we have religious zeal we are going to advocate our own agenda and demonise others. That should be avoided at all costs," he said.

He said different religious observances falling on the same day called for maturity on the part of religious leaders and the need for them to guide their flock in such times, as well as, to give direction to the nation. It was his hope, he said, that "Guyana would come out as an example in which religions worship side by side with respect for each other."