By Sue-Ann Wayow
MORE than 180 years after slavery was abolished in 1838, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is calling on the British government to pay reparations for what is considered the greatest inhumane act in history.
He made the call on Monday, during a Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day celebration in La Horquetta.
Dr Rowley spoke about the recent royal tour conducted by Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton.
The two royals visited the Caribbean touring Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas during an eight-day period. In Jamaica, protestors outside the British High Commission handed over a letter signed by a group of 100 prominent individuals from Jamaica’s Advocates Network calling for an “apology and recognition of the need for atonement and reparations.”
Prince William has apologised for the acts of his ancestors and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II who still remains as head of state of several Caribbean countries including all those he visited.
Dr Rowley said, “Recently, I was very pleased to hear Prince William say that he acknowledged that slavery was wrong and that the British government, the British people have some responsibility in that piece of unforgettable history. I was pleased to hear a member of the royal household in the United Kingdom say that.”
Addressing the Prince directly, he said, “But tonight, I want to say to Prince William, having said that I believe you but I believe you more if you do what you must now do which is to offer some reparation to the people who were wronged in the way that you have acknowledged. It is not sufficient to say that I acknowledge it but not to seek to help those who are harmed by it.”
His statements were greeted by loud applause.
The sufferings of the Baptist community
The Prime Minister said the Spiritual Baptist community especially suffered since they were prevented by law from worshipping in their manner and being allowed to practice their religion.
The prohibition against the faith was enacted on November 16, 1917, by the colonial government. The prohibition was lifted on March 30, 1951.
Dr Rowley said the members of the Spiritual Baptist faith remained strong.
“You suffered the indignity of the descriptions that were inhumane, that was disrespectful, disorderly and oppressive, you suffered that. But your faith kept you responding to the oppression and in the end as it always happens, as it always happens, good prevails over evil. It might take generations but in the end, we can say hallelujah, great day in the morning, that great day would have come and your day came,” he said.
Dr Rowley said soon the Spiritual Baptist community will have their own cathedral on land provided for by the Government, ten acres for a cathedral and 10 acres for a cemetery.
The Prime Minister also held a moment’s silence for his mentor and friend Dr Stephen Julien, former Ecclesiastical Leader National Congress of Incorporated Spiritual Baptist Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago.
And Dr Rowley encouraged citizens to continue to live in harmony in a country where persons of varying faiths live.
Dr Rowley said, “There are a lot of challenges that we have to face. But we have earned a lot of kudos. Do not sell this country short, as the calypsonian said at Independence, there is a modern nation that last. We still have some building to do. We still have some loving to do. We still have some sharing to do. We still have some caring to do, but we are in the mould of a modern nation. Don’t sell our country short.”
As he ended his speech, the Prime Minister encouraged members of the Spiritual Baptist faith to continue to pray for the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said, “Continue to pray for us, intercede on our behalf and keep the faith that Trinidad and Tobago will one day acknowledge you for who you are, a leading community in our national society.”
