The Indian Action Committee (IAC) wishes to extend greetings to all Guyanese citizens, especially those who are adherents of Islam, on the sacred occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, a national holiday, in this country which is home to many Muslims.

The IAC recognizes that Eid–ul–Adha is a time for believers to learn the value of self- denial by making a sacrifice of the things they love, to Allah SWT.

The IAC understands that Prophet Ibrahim’s great act of submission, in which he was required to sacrifice his son Ishmael, is thus regarded solely as an example of genuine surrender to the will of his creator.

The IAC feels that today, more than ever, human beings need to incorporate the lesson of this great sacrifice with humility thus underlining the importance of the festival in memory of Prophet Ibrahim’s great act of faith, many millennia ago according to the Ibrahimic (Abrahamic) scriptures.

The IAC exhorts everyone in the spirit of self-sacrifice to remember and acknowledge the poor and needy in our community, by sharing the sacrificial offerings with them, especially in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IAC wishes to remind all the citizens that this religious observance was first brought to these shores by enslaved Africans who were Muslims.

The IAC recognizes also that the festival of Eid-ul-Adha falls on the third day of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which is normally made by millions of Muslims every year. The IAC understands also that due to COVID-19 the Hajj continues to be restricted.

The IAC, in the realization of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, calls on all Muslims who are going to be actively involved in Eid-ul-Adha activities to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of this lethal disease which over the past year has mutated into several more virulent variants.

The IAC calls upon all Guyanese to ensure that this country remains a peaceful one and, in the future, a prosperous nation. Eid Mubarak from the IAC.