IAC demands end to racist attacks by talk-show hosts
Guyana Chronicle
August 18, 2003
THE Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) has expressed shock, dismay and outrage at what it refers to as “blatant vicious racist attacks “ being continually launched on Indo-Guyanese, especially Hindus, by certain Afro-Guyanese operating from the Channel 9 Television outfit.
The IAC in a statement, recalled issuing releases on May 13 and 16 last, in which it called on a particular television host `Mr. Roger Moore’ to end racist attacks on Indo-Guyanese, especially Hindus, and to apologize to the Indo-Guyanese community.
But according to the IAC, he is yet to do so.
“The most recent episode of this “sordid attack”, according to the IAC, occurred on Monday August 11th 2003, during the airing of the `At Home with Roger’ show and with guests Joseph Bishop, Chairman of the South Sophia Development Association with Colin Bascom, a United Kingdom-based Guyanese.
It said that throughout the episode, Moore and his guests described Hinduism as an “oppressive religion from which emanates the Hindu caste system, a system of social division, based on colour and sex, which is being used by Indo-Guyanese to define Afro-Guyanese as casteless untouchables, and that Hindu nationalism is the ideology currently being used by Indo Guyanese to oppress Afro-Guyanese”.
The IAC condemns such racist statements by Moore, Bishop and Bascom, and calls upon all Guyanese and religious bodies to do likewise, since an attack on Hinduism is also an attack on Christianity, Islam, Bahaiism, etc.
The IACV further calls on advertisers and other patrons of Channel 9, “to impress upon the owner and the management of the TV station - the absolute and immediate need for Roger Moore to stop his hate campaign against that section of the populace.
It also wants the Advisory Committee of Broadcasting to firmly address this continuing and unacceptable state of affairs emanating from Channel 9.
The IAC is therefore calling on the Guyana Police Force to monitor the statements emanating from Mr. Moore’s programme, since they are viewed as blatant attempts to incite Afro-Guyanese to racially hate Indo-Guyanese.
It concluded that “Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma is an all-inclusive philosophy of living which accommodates all religions and teaches the peoples of the world to live in harmony and peace.
