As Guyana marks both Eid-ul-Adha and its 60th Independence Anniversary, President Irfaan Ali is urging citizens to embrace sacrifice, compassion, and service as core values of national identity.
In his Eid-ul-Adha 2026 message on Wednesday, themed “A Covenant with Others,” the Guyanese leader reflected on the story of Prophet Ibrahim while drawing parallels between the principles of faith and the country’s path to independence.
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President Ali said the observance of Eid-ul-Adha extends beyond ritual sacrifice and should instead inspire collective responsibility, mercy, and care for the vulnerable.
“This festival is not a feast behind closed doors,” he said. “It is a covenant with others, ensuring especially that the needy, the orphan, and the forgotten taste the same blessing as the affluent.”
Linking those values to Guyana’s national development, the President stressed that the country’s independence was achieved through generations of sacrifice and perseverance.
“Independence and sacrifice are not separate chapters of our nation’s story — they are the same verse,” Ali stated. “For what is independence, if not the willingness of a people to sacrifice for freedom?”
He paid tribute to Guyana’s foreparents, saying they gave “their sweat, their blood, their tears, their very lives” in pursuit of a nation rooted in dignity, equality, and opportunity.
Ali noted that the principles behind Eid-ul-Adha remain deeply relevant as Guyana celebrates six decades of independence, emphasizing that national progress should not be measured solely by economic growth, but also by justice, unity, and compassion for those most in need.
“Today, we have the right to contribute as equals in building our nation. That right was secured by sacrifice,” he said. “Let us honour it by continuing to sacrifice for each other, not only meat, but mercy; not only charity, but justice; not only prayers, but action.”
The President also referenced verses from the Holy Quran highlighting the importance of caring for others without expectation of reward or recognition.
He concluded the national message by extending Eid Mubarak greetings to Muslims in Guyana and across the diaspora, while offering prayers for continued peace, prosperity, and unity throughout the country.
