Trinidad and Tobago: MP Rambally Stresses Unity at Islamic Function

Trinidad and Tobago: Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, Dinesh Rambally has extended warm greetings to the Muslim community as it gets prepared to usher and observe Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar.

Rambally and his wife Kandice, who are both attorneys-at-law, were special guests of the Felicity Masjid and its leader Imam Rasheed Karim at an auspicious Khatamul Qur’an function on Sunday at the Island Express Conference Centre.

The event, at which all Covid-19 Protocols were observed, officially marked the finalisation of the recitation of the entire Blessed Qur’an presided over by eminent Islamic scholars including Hafiz Yayha of the Darul Uloom Institute, and Hafiz Suffyan of the Felicity Masjid.

Rambally, told the attendees at the function which was well-attended despite the inclement weather, that he comes from an orthodox Hindu background and recognises a common thread among all religions of the world.

The MP said he was struck by the remarkable confluence of the date of the Khatamul Qur’an which coincided with the colourful Hindu spring festival of Holi, and the sombre Christian procession of Palm Sunday.

Rambally said that the strong spiritual nature of the majority of people in Trinidad and Tobago can be traced back to our ancestors and is deeply embedded in the everyday lives of citizens.

“Our recognition of the relationship we all have with the Creator, and the religious texts preserved throughout the ages remind me of the popular saying that ‘God is a Trini,” said Rambally.

He stated that the fact that Trinidad and Tobago has been spared calamities and disasters that have wreaked havoc and destruction in other parts of the world is testimony to the deep faith and spiritual observances that play a major role in our history.

He told the Muslim gathering that the coming Ramadan, called the month of fasting, is another such period for spiritual development, reflection, and charitable acts that strengthen the community.

As a Hindu who also fasts, Rambally said he appreciates the great benefits that the day-light period of abstinence in Ramadan promotes. It is, in fact, one of the pillars of the Islamic faith that further highlights its importance.

Rambally said that the emphasis also moved him Imam Karim placed at the Khatamul Qur’an function on the supplication made both collectively and individually for family (both living and deceased), friends, the sick and infirmed, the community at large currently facing the Covid-19 pandemic and the leaders entrusted to manage the affairs of the nation.

Other notable attendees at the function were members of the Islamic Fada’il Services Trust, officials of Ummah T&T/Muslim Federation, Imam Abzal Abdool of Princes Town, and Imam Morland Lynch of Enterprise.