PM blanks ASJA

Several executive members of the Anjuman Sunnat Ul Jamaat Association (ASJA) yesterday expressed disappointment over the failure of Prime Minister Patrick Manning to attend their annual National Festival of Eids Programme held on Sunday at Charlieville.

Public relations officer Nazam Shah said yesterday that members were disappointed that the Prime Minister did not attend the festival. “We know and are aware that the Prime Minister has a very busy schedule, but for a national festival he should have made it his duty to show strong support with his presence for the Muslim community. Shah noted that ASJA has always been supportive of the Prime Minister of the day and he hoped that Mr Manning will make his presence felt at ASJA’s other upcoming events. Muslims make up one third of the population, he noted. The Prime Minister was invited to deliver the feature address at the festival, but his office contacted ASJA and said that the PM could not attend the function.

Minister of Social Development Senator Mustapha Abdul Hamid represented the PM at the function and greetings came from Mayor of Chaguanas Dr Suruj Rambachan, MP for Chaguanas Manohar Ramsaran and president of the Inter Religious Organisation, Reverand Cyril Paul. The feature address was later made by His Excellency President George Maxwell Richards. In his address, His Excellency noted that all around us we see evidence of obeisance to self that makes no room for consideration of others.  “The sad truth is that this attitude has permeated every level of our society and in ways that are hardly noticeable to the majority of people, because they have become a way of life that seems to have gained acquiescence if not acceptance,” he said. He also revealed that many citizens appear to be, by and large, more concerned with personal advantage than with the common good. His Excellency advised that “while Trinidad and Tobago is blessed, we are also blessed with people of many talents and if only we can turn all of this to our advantage, we can be, as it were, a beacon of light to the region and to the world.”