Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar went to the Bible Tuesday to go after Prime Minister Patrick Manning, whom she suggested is a "false prophet" in an address to the country's Baptist community as she celebrate Shouter Baptists Liberation Day.
It was the UNC government of which she was a part that proclaimed the holiday in February 1996, as one of its first acts in government and later legitimised Orisha marriages. The date of the annual holiday coincides with the repeal of the act that discriminated against the Baptist faith and members of the community.
And the leader of the UNC made a point of remembering Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler, a prominent Baptists for his fight that led to the repeal of the act in 1951. She also promised that she would join the Spiritual Shouter Baptists and build their school when she gets into government.
The Spiritual Shouter Baptists were drawn into the centre of the political battle when yesterday two leading figures-Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and former government minister Dr Keith Rowley-attended and delivered addresses at their celebrations in Maloney.
The governing People’s National Movement Government had promised to build the school on lands donated to the community Maloney but so far it has not done anything in that regard.
The governing People’s National Movement Government had promised to build the school on lands donated to the community Maloney but so far it has not done anything in that regard.
Persad-Bissessar's audience included Diego Martin West MP Rowley, former MP for Laventille, Fitzgeral Hinds and ambassador at large, Joan Yuille-Williams. Culture Minister Marlene McDonald sent a representative to the event.
The Spiritual Shouter Baptists sang, danced and rang their bells as Persad-Bissessar and Rowley sat at the head table. When Rowley rose to speak, one woman shouted, "Patrick gone! Rowley come home!"
Persad-Bissessar, dressed in beautiful African attire, was accompanied by UNC senators Wade Mark, Dr Suruj Rambachan and Verna St Rose-Greaves and UNC executive member Dr Daphne Phillips. One of Persad-Bissessar's staunches supporters, social acutest and head of the Women’s NGO, Hazel Brown, was also there.
There was a distinct political atmosphere in the church, with politicians seizing the opportunity to deliver emotional messages to the congregation.
Persad-Bissessar reminded the audience of the UNC's recognition of their faith
and their community.
’"The UNC has supported the Spiritual Baptists in and out of Government and we continue to do so," she said. And she suggested that instead of holding more summits, Prime Minister Patrick Manning should be building schools.
Quoting from the Bible, she said, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. How do we tell who is a false prophet? Jesus tells us to look at the fruit."
Rowley reminded the Shouter Baptists of the importance of their day of celebration and spoke of his childhood experiences, seeing the open discrimination against the Shouter Baptists.
’I bring you greetings from Diego Martin West and the party I represent to let you know that as people, we are one people in this country, one country where every creed and race must find an equal place,’ he said.
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