“Dr Ameena Gafoor’s sense of identity was her service to her country” – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday last paid tribute to Guyanese literary icon and philanthropist Dr. Ameena Gafoor – wife of the Chairman of Gafoor Group of Company, Sattaur Gafoor.
During his tribute, the Head of State hailed Gafoor as a trailblazer in understanding and teaching the importance of one’s cultural identity while noting that “Her sense of identity was Guyanese to the core. Her sense of identity was her service to her country, her service to her family, and her service to humanity.”
As such the President highlighted the important role in which the work of the personage played, by teaching individuals of different races and backgrounds and more so, the importance of understanding their culture and embracing their origin.
“In the world today, we see persons running away from their identity, hiding from their cultural heritage, because of a lack of understanding.

Because of a misrepresented view about who they are, about a misinterpretation about who they are. Her work was to allow everyone to understand their place, their identity, their cultural heritage, and what made them special Ameena Gafoor’s work went beyond publishing.”
On this point, the head of state explained that the literary icon had a strong belief that the arts were a key pillar upon which our history was built. In this regard, Ali noted that it was her idea that literature could restore a broken post-colonial society.
“The Arts Journal became a front of cultural understanding, a platform where various persons could share their stories, their struggles, their triumphs, and their insights. She believed that literature could heal the fractured consciousness of a post-colonial society. In her own words, literature and the arts were a bedrock upon which our understanding of identity, history, and culture was built.”
“She dwelled on what was needed to repair that fractured consciousness in her understanding and analysis, being true to who you are, being true to your identity, owning who you are, owning your cultural attributes, and celebrating those cultural attributes was a foundational pillar of repairing that consciousness.”

As such, the president explained that for Guyanese to fully enjoy the benefits of economic development we must repair that fractured consciousness.
“And this is a concept that we must carry forward. It was her theoretical view that the fractured consciousness must be repaired before the economic fracture, and the financial fracture are resolved. Because you can get the economic fracture and financial fracture resolved, but if the fractured consciousness is not resolved, we will not be able to enjoy our full identity and who we are.”
In closing, he noted that Dr. Ameena Gafoor was a true guardian of our cultural soul, a custodian of our collective memory, and a champion of our shared humanity, who believed in the power of literature to heal, educate, and bring about change.