Dear Editor,
University of Guyana lecturer, Valarie Goorasammy Smith seems not to understand how to promote unity or fails to understand that along with being a Christian, she is also representing an institution which promotes unity and diversity.
As an English lecturer at the highest institution of learning in the country, she interacts with hundreds of students from all walks of life: culturally and religiously, but instead of being impartial and promote cohesion, she decided to rant about ‘false gods’ and the ‘negativities’ of Christians playing Phagwah last Friday on her Facebook page.
Editor, her page has over 4400 persons, hundreds of them students (both present and past) with many from the said religion she belittled.
On March 10, she wrote: “Why would we want to engage our God’s jealousy by taking part in another god’s celebrations? If you are a believer, then take a stand; if you are a true Christian, then take a stand! Do not say you are a believer who accepted Jesus in your life and then go out to partake in ‘the pagwah’ festival… you will be betraying the very Christ who you should represent! It is not in God’s will for us to have two gods… he said you will love one and hate the other!
She continues: “Steer clear of the water and the colours… it is much more dangerous than you may think!” Take heed lest you fall!”
As a University of Guyana lecturer, it is imperative to separate church from education, even if she harbours such thoughts, then it should be done in her place of worship or among her congregation, not on Facebook where she also shares course information with her students.
UG is not a Christian institution; lecturers are not being paid to teach the students about their beliefs. The university is tolerant to all and opened to all faiths.
Goorasammy’s statement has implications, it can very easily make her Christian students feel privileged in her class and students with other beliefs, especially Hindus, feel marginalised.
What about those students who are staunch Hindus? Why should they be taught by someone so intolerant to their beliefs? Most of the English students are fragile teenagers, just out of high school, how is the university making them stronger members of society by having someone like this teach them?
Yours respectively,
UG student
