House of Israel head office

(Guyana Times) Former The United Force (UF) leader Manzoor Nadir has said that members of the House of Israel, the religious organisation fingered in the 1970s thrashing of political rallies, were on the payroll of many Government agencies and institutions, although they were never present on the job.

Nadir is among a number of others who are accusing the Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham regime of oppression during that “dark” period.  He maintained that the House of Israel group was undoubtedly aided by the PNC.

The politician, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Friday said, said he has lived through a period in Guyana’s history that would cause any sober, right-thinking Guyanese to be fearful. Nadir said while he was aware of many other Government agencies where the House of Israel members received salaries, he is confident of the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC), since he had worked at the establishment as a Supervisor. According to Nadir, these persons never reported for work. In fact, the only time he would see strange persons, was when issues arose with their paycheque. “Those people were the enforcement arm of the People’s National Congress,” Nadir said.

He cited an incident involving a man named Michael Dhorne, who was the brother of one of Rabbi Washington’s women. He said, although he did not work, he was paid for services of a foreman. Nadir recalled an incident a few days before the 1980 General Elections. He said Dhorne was in the habit of gathering up persons to break up Opposition rallies, while setting up campaigns of their own.

“Dhorne would pull the staff that were under him and take them out to hold these campaigns.” He said an incident occurred where a staff member of the GPC was informed by Dhorne that he needed to participate in a political campaign. He said Dhorne’s temper flared when he (Nadir) told the staff that he could not leave to attend the campaign. “So he flew into my office in a rage and hit his hand on the desk and said. Do you know who I am?” Nadir reported. He recalled being severely beaten by House of Israel members on the polling day of 1980, simply because he spoke out against the illegal activities. He said all these infractions took place a few months after Dr Rodney was assassinated.

Beaten

Nadir stressed that injustices were not only limited to the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), but all other political parties that were against the ruling Government. He said too that he eventually lost his job at the GPC, because of his political affiliation. Last week, Rabbi Adom, a leader of the House of Israel in Georgetown, who was 28 years old at the time of Dr Rodney’s death, told this publication in an interview, that he wished not to say anything on the allegation, lest he say the wrong thing. He said, while he was aware of the allegations back then, he could not say much, since he was travelling the country during that time. “I was more or less in districts at that time; I was mostly out of town. This thing about breaking up meetings and all of that, I wouldn’t be able to relate to that,” Rabbi Adom said.

He told this publication that he heard about the alleged involvement of his fellow members, but had never attended any meetings held by Dr Rodney. Asked about the church’s political affiliation during the time, Rabbi Adom said that the church had only offered its assistance to the Government in the canefield when it was burnt in 1977. The church had also donated blood to the Georgetown Public Hospital, and had offered its services to Guyana Stores. The House of Israel and its domineering practices during the 1970s and 1980s formed the thrust of the first session of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) which was opened on Monday, April 28. The Commission was established to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of WPA founder, Dr Walter Anthony Rodney on June 30, 1980.

The second session of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is set to recommence on May 27.