On this very auspicious occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr, that climaxes the annual observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan, I am extremely honoured to extend Eid Mubarak greetings to the Muslim Community, as well as to all other citizens of our beloved nation.Eid ul-Fitr comes with a mixture of joy and sadness.
Sadness because the Holy Month of Ramadan, the gift from Almighty God, has come to an end and joy because, with God’s bountiful mercy, you will be able to reap all the blessings from your increased remembrance of God, fasting, prayer and charity.
The special Eid prayer, colourful family and social gatherings, are expressions of this mixed feeling.
During the Holy month of Ramadhan, you would have read many verses of the Holy Quoran. Please permit me to quote one of them:
“Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and be kind to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, do not rebuke them, but speak to them in terms of honour and kindness. Treat them with humility, and say, ‘My Lord! Have mercy on them, for they did care for me when I was little’.”
The relevance of this quotation comes to the fore, as our nation faces an ever increasing aging population, with attendant, medical, social and financial challenges to our senior citizens.
It is our collective duty to ease the burden of our elderly. We must all cultivate care and respect for them.
In this regard, the People’s Partnership Government’s increase in the Old Age Pension entitlement, the introduction of the Elderly Mobile shuttle service and development of a Policy on Aging are very instructive.
Charity is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. The Islamic emphasis on charity is intensified in the Holy Month of Ramadan. This noble virtue can catalyze the appeal by our Hon. Prime Minister, augmented with tax incentives, for contributions by individuals and Companies to the established Prime Minister’s Children’s Life Fund.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "A man's wealth is never diminished by charity.”
At a period in our national development when our cherished values are under siege from the lawless fringe, the Holy Month would have resulted in an increased awareness of Almighty God by our Islamic brothers and sisters.
This can only serve to have a wider demonstration effect in the national community. It can return us as a God-fearing people to our original spiritual moorings, that hitherto guided development in our multicultural society.
This will indeed make us deserving of God’s blessings, as we remind ourselves of the closing appeal of our revered national Anthem, May God bless our nation.
On behalf of the leadership and membership of the Congress of the People, EID MUBARAK to all!
Winston Dookeran | Political Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment