A Hindu from Guyana against Israeli genocide


Sharad Navratri 2023. 

A prominent young Guyanese Pandit is clear. He asks those protesting Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israeli citizens - "what about the other side, those who were raped, beaten and murderd, no one is talking about them" Never ending problem as terrorists who describe themselves as Muslim or Islamist have attacked others who are not, including Hindus, so people invoke the 'selective outrage'.

Many from Guyana who protested the Israeli response during Sharad Navratra 2023 in Guyana condemned Hamas. 

Some like me stayed far from the janjhat in the Middle East. Out of my sphere of control.

A Guyanese Muslim woman agreed with me.. the Middle East is complex, hundreds of years of living together and living apart, with layers of religion and other divisive structures. And friends turn enemies and then turn friends (Hamas and Israel, against the PLA) again and so on

Not our problem. 

We have other problems

 

Sharad Navratri 2025

  • 19 year old Naderia James does not become another femicide statistic. She is charged for the murder of Kevin Smith who had attacked her with a cutlass in Baramita.  Another girl who had to pick up a knife. 
  • Both Naderia James and Kevin Smith are Indigenous. Baramita has a lot of gold mining.  Another man killed 16 year old Janelly David in January 2025 in a gold mining space.
  • The Balfour Declaration created Israel.  Written between rich white British man and rich Jewish British man. 1917 when indentureship from India ended. The people decided to create a homeland for the Jews they did not want in England and Europe, in land which had Palestinians of all religious backgrounds. The Palestinians were not involved in the Declaration. 
  •  The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown and other Government agencies have not stopped  a private business uses Farnum Playground . Farnum Playground is land donated to the community for recreation purposes.  Land appropriation continues in Guyana, in the legacy of those who made the Balfour Declaration and those who took the lands from the ancestors of Naderia James and Kevin Smith and Janelly David.
  • United Nations Commission of Inquiry led by  another descendant of indentured Indian immigrants from India (to South Africa) - Navanethem  Pillay - finds that Israel is committing genocide. Genocide in response to Hamas Terrorism. 

Many Hindu leaders on my timeline actively support and voted for the PPP/C. The PPP/C has maintained Guyana's recognition of the State of Palestine. (India before Modi also recognised the state of Palestine). 

Many Hindus though see the Israeli genocide as justified response to a history  of  oppression by Muslims of Hindus, other Muslims and others.  

Sanatan Dharma, in a framework of 'ahimsa' (non-violence); kṣamā (forgiveness), discernment, detachment , freedom from anger, .. all seem to me that Israel's genocide of Palestinians , is adharmic.

And while 'satyam' truthfulness means to many some kind of 'facts' from History to find out 'who started this fight' 

.. the important thing for this Hindu in Guyana, is that Israel and the rest of us now, is how to end it.

While knowing that that ending this genocide, though, is connected to stopping some of the other kinds of violence which go on in Guyana and the world.

 

 Feature Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash

 

 

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