In celebrating the United Nations International Year for People of African Descent, the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) has donated 184 copies of the Holy Quran to the Museum of African Heritage, Barima Avenue, Bel Air Park.According to Soleyman Zaphar, Executive Member, CIOG,Authentic NHL Jerseys, there are correlations between Islam and Africans in Guyana; and the Year for People of African Descent and Ramadan.He explained that those who were brought as slaves to Guyana were originally from Africa, the Islamic continent where Arabic is spoken.“The CIOG is well aware that Muslims of African Descent arrived in Guyana, as in other parts of South, Central and North America and the Caribbean,Wholesale NFL Jerseys,??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? before Muslims of Indian Descent,” Zaphar stated.In Guyana there is neither record in history nor document in achieves that attest to the arrival of a single African slave who was Christian,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, he emphasized. However, there is tremendous evidence attesting to the fact that many of the African slaves arrived as Muslims. Zaphar added that yet, at the time of Emancipation and immediately thereafter most of them,Cheap Jerseys, if not all, were Christian.As such, the CIOG has requested for the Ministry of Culture,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, Youth and Sport to commission a study so as to ascertain and place in record what were the factors leading to the conversion of African slaves from Islam (a belief they brought from Africa) to Christianity.“It is clear that the European Slave masters took deliberate action to ensure that the practice of Islam was removed from the African community and Christianity was substituted in its place. The spirits of the ancestors of people of African Descent cry out for the truth to be told about the purpose and strategies employed to bring about this great transformation in the entire belief structure of a people,” he stated.The organization revealed that it is willing to source funding for the execution of this pertinent research. Reference was made to the 1763 Slave Rebellion lead by Cuffy. It was noted that Cuffy wrote a letter in Arabic to the Dutch and this could either mean that he knew Arabic or was surrounded by persons who spoke Arabic.Zaphar emphasized that CIOG recognizes the Islamic Heritage of people of African Descent in Guyana and the need to sensitize and raise awareness of these communities to the richness and heights of their ancestral history and cultural development.He added that August 1, Guyana celebrated Emancipation Day and on August 2,China Jerseys NFL Wholesale, Muslims commenced the observance of Ramadan. This, he said, symbolizes the freedom in Islam that all Africans should celebrate during the year for people of African Descent.It was revealed that Islam opposes slavery and those who believe know that no one is subjected to another man.Meanwhile, Colonel (rtd) Lindon Ross, Assistant Director of the Culture Ministry, assured the organization that 180 copies of the Holy Quran that are in English translation will be distributed to the 55 groups of people of African Descent located in several communities across the country.The remaining four which are in Arabic with English translation will be housed at the Museum for public viewing.