President of the San Juan Muslim Ladies Organisation, Nafeesa Mohammed, says the Muslim community in T&T has had to endure significant acts of injustice and stereotyping.
She has called for people to use Eid-ul-Fitr to engage in meaningful activities to promote peace, love, gratitude, tolerance, unity, compassion, justice, fairness and harmony in the country.
Attorney Mohammed, who was at one point the deputy political leader of the PNM and a senator, made the point in her message extending Eid Mubarak greetings to the national community.
“I give thanks to Almighty God for enabling us to once again observe the fasts during the Holy month of Ramadan and engage in the daily rituals, prayers and other acts of ibadah.
“However, whilst we are celebrating this year all dressed up in our beautiful clothing and eating the finest Eid treats and food in April 2024, we cannot ignore the hunger and starvation being experienced by so many all over the world and moreso, the genocide that is taking place against the people of Palestine by Israel.”
Mohammed said, “Islamaphobia is alive and real. The Muslim community here in Trinidad and Tobago has had to endure significant acts of injustice and stereotyping of persons which has inflicted tremendous pain and damage to numerous individuals and families in this country.
“The detention of several Muslims during the State of Emergency of 2011/2012, the detention of 22 nationals in Venezuela in 2014, the raiding, arresting and detention of more than 15 Muslim families during the 2018 Carnival period which at first, was called a ‘Terror Plot’ and later dubbed a plot to ‘destabilise’ Carnival, the passage of very targeted amendments to the Terrorism Act in 2018 and Government’s failure to repatriate 72 children and 25 women from refugee camps and detention centres in North East Syria and Iraq, are some of the unresolved issues affecting the Muslim community which need to be addressed.”
Mohammed added, “The recent media reports about a possible cult operating within the innermost sanctums of our National Security apparatus with persons being hired to spy and control very sophisticated weapons and even hit squads operating within the State, have now provided a new dimension to the dictatorial and militant approaches in governance that have become so glaring.
“There is a very significant disconnect now between those in governance and the people of this country. We are like a rudderless ship drifting in turbulent waters, heading towards a bridge. Much like the vessel that recently capsized in our seas whilst being towed and to date, we’re not sure who are in the tugboat towing our ‘Ship of State.’”
“The time has come for us as citizens to say enough is enough! Our country was known internationally for being a rainbow society with our very rich cultural and religious diversity in which we found unity in our diversity. We need to strive hard to ensure our diversity is managed properly and to heal our broken nation,” Mohammed said.
She urged, “Throughout the years of our development as a nation, the Muslim community has played a significant role in building communities and contributing to national development. My uncle Kamaluddin Mohammed and my own dad, Shamshuddin Mohammed, served this country with distinction and fostered a unique togetherness and harmony. Let us use this occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr to engage in meaningful activities to promote peace, love, gratitude, tolerance, unity, compassion, justice, fairness and harmony in our country.”