Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Religious leaders must not create an atmosphere of discomfort by discouraging their followers from showing courtesy and respect to people of other faiths, says Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) president Dr Ellis Harrison Burris.
Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, Burris, who is of the Baha’i Faith, said religious organisations must be mindful of the language they use, particularly in a multi-religious society such as Trinidad and Tobago, where people of different faiths live and work alongside one another.
His comments follow a public controversy sparked by a statement from the Darul Iftaa, the Islamic advisory department of the Jaamia Madinatul Uloom Institute of Higher Islamic and Secondary Education in Marabella, which warned Muslims against exchanging seasonal greetings such as “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Divali” with people of other religious beliefs.
The institute also reportedly cautioned Muslim businesses against marketing or promoting products bearing greetings associated with festivals of other faiths, arguing that Muslims should distance themselves from religious practices originating outside Islam.
The institute has since indicated that it did not mean to be disrespectful to other faiths and that the directive was intended to educate its Muslim students, parents, staff and wider community of their religious obligations.
Burris said while every religion had its own principles and teachings, religious leaders had a responsibility to exercise courtesy and promote peaceful coexistence.
“The IRO is an umbrella body. We don’t get into the religious doctrines of each other. We work together as a team, respecting each other, as religious persons who are working in the name of God for unity, love, and the well-being of all of humanity,” he said.
He said the organisation could not dictate what individual religions should teach their followers, but believed religious leaders should recognise the importance of courtesy.
“The religions themselves have to realise the importance of courtesy. Courtesy is a remit that fits both young and old alike, according to my teachings on the Baha’i faith,” Burris said.
He added that exchanging greetings did not diminish a person’s religious beliefs or prevent someone from enjoying their own celebrations.
“So whether you say Happy or Merry Christmas, that person will still enjoy their Christmas, or they will still enjoy their Divali, or they will still enjoy their Eid,” he said.
Burris cautioned that religious leaders should be careful about how they communicate their beliefs, noting that words could have a wider effect on society.
“I would advise that people make their language or their presentation as mild as milk, that all people can enjoy what they sing,” he said.
He added that religious leaders should avoid encouraging attitudes that could create division or discomfort among followers of different faiths.
“Let’s not get involved as people like to do in things that create a following or create an atmosphere of discomfort. We need not encourage those ways,” he said.
Meanwhile, Criminal Bar Association president Israel Khan, SC, also condemned the institute’s position, describing it as an attempt to promote religious intolerance.
In a strongly worded letter, Khan said he was shocked by the reported warning, particularly as it came on Divali Day. He argued that Trinidad and Tobago’s multi-religious character demanded mutual respect and that citizens should be free to acknowledge and celebrate one another’s religious festivals.
Khan also referred to the Constitution’s recognition of freedom of conscience, religious belief, thought and expression, arguing that these protections applied to people of all faiths.
He pointed to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Divali message, in which she encouraged citizens to allow the festival’s spirit of unity, tolerance and mutual respect to endure beyond the celebrations.
“This is a multi-religious nation where you would find mosques, temples and churches side by side with respect for one another’s religions,” Khan said.
He called on Muslim religious leaders to publicly condemn the institute’s position and reaffirm their commitment to religious harmony.
Guardian Media sought responses from the Trinidad Muslim League (TML) and the Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association (ASJA), but received no response.
Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) general secretary Vijay Maharaj meanwhile declined to comment on the matter.
