I was totally shocked and disgusted with a news item published on Divali Day (8.11.26) on page 4 of the Sunday Express under the emblazoned heading: ”Islamic institute warns Muslims against ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy Divali’ greetings” written by Khamarie Rodriguez.
The opening paragraph boldly stated: “An Islamic higher learning institute has warned the local Muslim community against using seasonal greetings such as “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Divali” with persons of different faiths.”
The bizarre news item stated that it was also impermissible for Muslim businesses to market or promote products bearing greetings related to such festivals. And the rationale for this religious bigotry, according to the Islamic institute, obliges Muslims to distance themselves completely from all forms of religious practices that originate from other faiths, such as Divali and Christmas.
And it is of great interest to note that this openly religious bigotry was juxtaposed with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s message to the nation for Divali, under the heading ”Divali’s spirit of unity must endure beyond festival.”
The Prime Minister urged citizens to let the Divali spirit of unity, tolerance and mutual respect endure beyond the festival as they work together to build a more prosperous nation. She extended Divali greetings to the Hindu community and everyone sharing in the sacred celebrations across the country. She stated, “Today, as people of every creed embrace Divali’s joy and hope, we honour a heritage that has helped shape our nation’s generosity and resilience…may our care, understanding, respect and tolerance for one another endure beyond Divali, deepening our unity and helping us to overcome difficulties and build a more prosperous nation together. Shubh Divali to all.”
This is a judicious message of Divali’s greetings to all: Muslims, Christians, Hindus – and all other faiths.
And unlike the Islamic institute’s rubbish calling upon Muslims not to extend greetings of “Shubh Divali” to Hindus or “Merry Christmas” to Christians, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar recognises what the preamble of our Constitution states to our people: “Whereas the people of Trinidad and Tobago have affirmed that the nation of Trinidad and Tobago is founded upon the principles that acknowledge the Supremacy of God ...”
Yes, the preamble of our Constitution recognises the Supremacy of God. It did not name the God as “Allah,” “Jehovah,” or “Baghwan. And it must be noted that Section (4) of our Constitution recognised and declared that in Trinidad and Tobago, there have existed and shall continue to exist, without discrimination by reason (inter alia) of religion, the right of the individual to freedom of conscience and religious belief and freedom of thought and expression.
Thus, I call upon the religious leaders of the Muslim community, in this our beloved country, to condemn the Islam institute as false and misleading to urge Muslims not to offer greetings of “Shubh Divali” to their Hindu brothers and sisters or “Merry Christmas” to their Christian brothers and sisters.
And I remind the bigoted so-called Muslim religious scholars that Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-religious nation where you would find mosques, temples and churches side by side with respect for one another’s religions.
Trinidad and Tobago is not an Islamic state: It is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic state. We respect each other’s religion, and if the so-called Islamic scholars do not like it, they can all get the hell out of this country. And by the way, Mr Muslim Scholars, tell us who the paternal father of Islam and Christianity was.
And as I stated in the heading of this commentary, “I, Israel B. Rajah-Khan, a combination of Christianity, Hinduism and Muslim (Islam), condemn, in the strongest manner, the Islamic institute’s call to Muslims in Trinidad and Tobago to practise religious bigotry against Hindus and Christians by not offering greetings of “Shubh Divali” to Hindus or “Merry Christmas” to Christians.
