Dear Editor,
The caricature of President Ali masquerading in an immaculate thobe/dishdasha with the full keffiyeh head gear, could easily be mistaken for a Saudi Prince welcoming other Arab dignitaries in Riyadh or Mecca. The missing Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, with its towering minarets in the background, was the only give away that the meeting was taking place elsewhere. Cultural appropriation by the head of state of a host country, adapting the garb of his guests, is quite an odd sight. It begs the question as to whether Mr. Ali’s intention was to express his cultural and religious affinity to Saudi Arabia, or to graciously respond to the 65-member strong Saudi delegation that has signaled its resolve to establish serious trade and investment relations following diplomatic ties between the two countries in February, 2012.
I do remember, with some embarrassment, the affectionate bear hug that Prime Minister Modi extended to Mr. Trump in Texas, and George Bush’s awkward jig, warming up to the tantalizing drumbeat of some West African performers. Prime Minister Trudeau’s splashy fashion statement, donning glittering Indian outfits with his family on a visit to India created quite a stir, particularly in Canada. It should be noted that all the latter optics, whether spontaneous or calculated, were done by visiting heads of state in a host country. Guyana’s overture to the Saudi delegation seems to turn the traditional diplomatic protocol upside down.
One should hardly question the economic benefits that could accrue to Guyana from the relationship, due to the technical knowledge and investment capacity that the Saudi’s bring to the table, considering that Saudi Arabia, the 19th largest economy in the world, is one of the major global producers of oil and gas. Currently, Guyana suffers from a paucity of knowledge and skills in the field of oil production, refining and marketing, and the relevant expertise that the Saudis offer could be a welcome boon to the fledgling oil producer. To the tightly knit Muslim community, primarily Sunnis, which constitutes about 7% of Guyana’s population, the recent visit of a strong delegation from Saudi Arabia will delight Muslim organizations already the recipient of largess from their oil-rich benefactor. The establishment of a Saudi embassy in 2012 strengthened the bonds between Guyanese Muslims and the seat of Islam.
Over the years, the flow of Arab funding to the Muslim community has witnessed the founding of a number of impressive Islamic centers and masjids across Guyana. It all comes at a price of tightening alliance and loyalty to the Wahabi strand of Sunni Islam, away from the more liberal practices of their ancestral roots in the Indian subcontinent. From my own experience in the 1980s, I witnessed a sudden change in a number of female Muslim students in high school insisting on the wearing of the hijab, which coincided with the infusion of Libyan money and influence in the Muslim community. The stark break from subcontinental influence became evident as the return of young missionaries from Saudi Arabia, indoctrinated in the conservative school of Wahabism, discouraged the learning of Urdu, prominently featured in the lyrics of Bollywood music.
The subtle intrusion of Arab influence is observed through the wearing of the burka by some Muslim women, awaking to a new idea of modesty, and more Muslims generally requesting special time for prayers on a daily basis. The practice of prayer-time is not new in Guyana, but the frequency with which it is demanded is a relatively new phenomenon. Any moral and spiritual education combined with economic benefits arising from the Arab connection is welcome, providing that it does not lead to further division in an already fractured country. Speaking about morals, which encompasses human rights, has the Jamal Khashoggi episode featured in any element of bilateral discussions? Optics can be deceiving, and even those regally attired in flowing lilywhite thobe and gold trimmed keffiyeh in the Holy Land, can exhibit a darker side of hate, trickery, and murder.
Sincerely,
Ramdular Singh