ISLAM and MUSLIMS IN GUYANA

General Information

Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Land area                  : 76,004 sq mi (196,850 sq km); total area: 83,000 sq mi (214,970 sq km)

Population (2007 est.) : 769,095

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Georgetown, 227,700

Monetary unit          : Guyanese dollar

Languages               : English (official), Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Ethnicity/race           : East Indian 50%; black 36%; Amerindian 7%; white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

Religions                 : Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Islam 10%, other 5%

Literacy rate            : 99% (2003 est.)

Economic summary : GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $4.057 billion; per capita $5,300. Real growth rate: 4.5%. Inflation: 10.4%.

  Guyana is situated on the northern coast of South America, east of Venezuela, west of Suriname, and north of Brazil. A tropical forest covers more than 80% of the country.

  The Warrou people were the indigenous inhabitants of Guyana. The Dutch, English, and French established colonies in what is now known as Guyana, but by the early 17th century the majority of the settlements were Dutch. During the Napoleonic wars Britain took over the Dutch colonies of Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo, which became British Guiana in 1831.

 Slavery was outlawed in 1834, and the great need for plantation workers led to a large wave of immigration, primarily of East Indians. Today, about half of the population is of East Indian descent and about 36% are of African descent.

 In 1889, Venezuela voiced its claim to a large swath of Guyanese territory, but ten years later an international tribunal ruled the land belonged to British Guiana.

  British Guiana became a Crown colony in 1928, and in 1953 it was granted home rule. In 1950, Cheddi Jagan, who was Indian-Guyanese, and Forbes Burnham, who was Afro-Guyanese, created the colony's first political party, the Progressive People's Party (PPP), which was dedicated to gaining the colony's independence. In the 1953 elections, Cheddi Jagan was elected chief minister. The British, however, alarmed by Jagan's Marxist views, suspended the constitution and government within months and installed an interim government. In 1955, the PPP split, with Burnham breaking off to create the People's National Congress (PNC). The leftist Jagan of the PPP and the more moderate Burnham of the PNC were to dominate Guyanan politics for decades to come. In 1961, Britain granted the colony autonomy, and Jagan became prime minister (1961–1964). Strikes and rioting weakened Jagan's rule, much of it believed to be the result of covert CIA operations. In 1964, Burnham succeeded Jagan as prime minister, a position he retained after the country gained full independence on May 26, 1966. With independence, the country returned to its traditional name, Guyana.

  Guyana is an American Indian word meaning “Land of Many Waters.” The country is characterised by its enormous rain forests and rivers. The table mountains found in the interior regions inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel “The Lost World” which was a type of “Jurassic Park” adventure story from 100 years ago.

   Most of Guyana’s 767,000 people live along the Atlantic coast. South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis and Afghans) make up the majority of Muslims in Guyana (more than 75,000 people). Like the Africans who came as slaves most of Guyana’s ethnic groups were labourers brought into the country to work on sugar and cotton plantations with the exception of the Amerindians. South Asians from largely Hindu and Muslim backgrounds make up 51% of the population. “Whites” and Chinese, make up less than 2% percent of the population. Over 500,000 Guyanese have emigrated to other countries including the United States, Canada, England, Suriname and Trinidad.

Islamic History and Muslims

  The first Muslims to Guyana were probably Fulanis from Africa. While Guyana’s Muslim community is made up primarily of South Asians there is a growing Afro-Guyanese minority. Most are Sunni Muslims attending over 125 mosques. Former president Hamilton Green was reportedly a Muslim convert. Guyana officially joined the Organisation of Islamic Conference (CIO) in 1998 (see its local Guyanese web site at: http://www.ciog.org.gy). The CIOG is involved alms (zakat) distribution and other social welfare programs including help for widows. Guyanese Muslims are split into traditionalist and reformist camps which have been in ideological conflict for decades.

  Guyanese Muslims pay close attention to the issues affecting Muslims abroad such as the conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on. Local organisations often host prominent Muslim scholars from South Asia and the Arab world as a means of encouraging solidarity and identification with the global “ummah” (the worldwide Muslim community).

About 10 percent of Guyana's population is Muslim, representing 76,528 individuals. The Sunnatival Jamaat is the orthodox Sunni Islamic movement. The largest Islamic organization in the country is the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman. Many of these people were immigrants from Africa and the Middle East.

Until the 1970s, Muslim holidays were not officially recognized. A number of non-Christian religious days are now public holidays. Muslim holidays include Id al Fitr, the end of Ramadan, the sacred month of fasting; Id al Adha, the feast of sacrifice; and Mawlid, the birthday of Muhammad. The dates for these holidays vary according to the Islamic calendar.

CIOG Guyana Summer 2006- Adelphi

CIOG Guyana Summer 2006- Adelphi

CIOG Guyana Summer 2006- Adelphi

CIOG SUMMER 2006 - Meten Meer Zorg Camp

CIOG SUMMER 2006 - GEORGETOWN

    Islamic Centers and Organizations

Muslim Owned Business

 References
Guyana - Land of Many Waters ( http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-south/guyana/,  June, 2008).
Islam in Guyana ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Guyana,  June, 2008).
Info please ( http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107608.html,  June, 2008).
World Religions Statistics ( http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_122.html,  June, 2008).
Islam Finder ( http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayerNew.php?country=guyana,  June, 2008).
Islamic Population ( http://www.islamicpopulation.com/america_general.html,  June, 2008).
Anonymous, Documents from Representatives of Islamic Organizations in Guyana, June 2008.