-urges them to take example from life of Prophet Muhammad Georgetown, GINA, March 20, 2008

Addressing Muslims during their ceremony in observance of Youman Nabi (the Birth Anniversary of the Holy Prophet Muhammad) at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO), Thomas Lands today, President Bharrat Jagdeo said the one of the defining moments in history was that of the Prophet’s birth.
“The life and the work of the Prophet have been recognised as having a phenomenal impact on mankind’s history. In fact, from that humble beginning, from the birth of the holy Prophet, has emerged some of the most comprehensive teaching, not just in a religious sense, but teaching as to way of life and it has led to the emergence of one of the greatest religions that we experience today; the religion of Islam,” the Head of State said.

Endorsing a speech made by one of the Muslim officials at the ceremony which stated that Muslims need to read and educate themselves more in order to dispel racism and ignorance, the President said that Guyanese not only need to educate themselves more in these two areas, but also to ensure that in the process of doing this, that they put their education to good use.

“You have many educated people, people who have studied hard, who have academic education but who put that education to the use of evil…they are the ones sometimes, some educated people, who try to divide our society,” the President told the Muslims at the event.
He said Guyanese need to educate themselves in order that they may have their own views and know to differentiate between right and wrong and good and evil.
“We’ve heard the context in which the Holy Prophet was born-a divided society, a society that was more tribal than national, where all the ills, any ill that you can find in today’s world existed at that time and the emergence of the Holy Prophet, his birth and his teachings focused on changing that reality,” the President reiterated.

President Jagdeo emphasised that Guyanese today need to do the same as he noted that there need not be a ‘reinvention of the wheel’ since all the lessons of the Prophet are outlined in the Holy Quran.
He said the teachings of Prophet Muhammad also relate to today’s Guyanese society and urged that Guyanese develop the courage and commitment as the Prophet had done  to struggle against the ills of the society today.

The ceremony   at the MYO saw a large number of Muslims attending as they reminisced on the life and work of Prophet Muhammad.
Muslims throughout the country observed the event today and hosted ceremonies   at various locations.