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ST. Joseph RC Church Trinidad (place of worship for Roman Catholics)

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-The Munroe Road Shiv Mandir temple in Trinidad ( place of worship for Hindus)

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- The Warrenville Jama Masjid in Trinidad, (place of worship for Muslims)

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While religious discrimination continues to be an issue in the Caribbean society, progress is slowly being made towards social cohesion. It can be seen in the International Religious Freedom reports that as years pass, there are less complaints from the various religious societies in the Caribbean as they are becoming more accepting of others and mindful of different religions in society. In the Caribbean, different religions celebrate their respective occasions without being disrespected by others. However, there are still many steps that need to be taken before the Caribbean can boast that all religions in the society live in harmony.

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Factors which affect religious discrimination and mistrust

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Factors which affect religious discrimination and mistrust

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Race is considered to have a strong impact on the level of mistrust between the different religions present in the Caribbean. Throughout the region, many religions are associated with its majority of its members being from a particular race. It is important to note that this is not exclusive to these races, but rather, a result of historical background. For example, Hindus are primarily of East Indian decent and Rastafarians are of African descent. Racism is another pertinent issue in the Caribbean and further divides the society. It creates more reason for religious intolerance as persons associate certain religions with specific races. From this, persons often make assumptions about a person and their religious beliefs based on their race. Using the example previously mentioned, East Indians are often assumed to be Hindus and persons with dreadlocks are normally assumed to be Rastafarian.

Media in all its forms heavily impacts our perspective of religions based on how they are portrayed. Social media and the internet are used as an outlet for both expression and broadcasting of information whether it be accurate or not. It allows for false or biased information to be spread. Religions can be misunderstood by biased accounts of their practices or given a negative connotation by acts carried out by a minority of persons in the faith. For example, Muslims are labelled terrorists and are feared due to the actions of a few who are not a representation of the entire religion. In movies, Muslims are also made to be terrorist characters, creating a stigma that they are associated with that kind of violence. Additionally, films also depict Voodoo in the Caribbean as a form of devil worship associated with using spirits to hurt others. It creates a stereotype and increases the discrimination amongst races. Another stereotype heavily portrayed are Jamaican Rastafarians living a life that is spent everyday on the beach listening to reggae and smoking marijuana. It leads people to believe that they live a laid-back life and does not show that they are hardworking people who also hold professional high-level jobs.

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Voodoo is a very misunderstood religion, falling victim to false superstitions and stigmas which have been associated with the religion. Voodoo is a mixture of Catholic, Native American and African traditions. Often times, people associate voodoo with witchcraft, occultists or violence. Haiti is home to the majority of persons practicing this faith in the region. Main stream media has played a vital role in promoting the misconceptions and negative interpretations of voodoo. Mass media often portray voodoo as a dangerous faith and something to be afraid of and associated with violence. Hollywood movies and literature, often depict Voodoo with dolls and evil. Members of the faith often practice in secrecy as they are afraid of the negative reactions their society will have to their religious beliefs. The 2016 International Religious Freedom Report states, “According to the leadership of the National Confederation of Haitian Vaudouisants (KNVA), teachers and administrators in Catholic and Protestant schools, at times, openly rejected and condemned Voodoo culture and customs as contrary to the teachings of the Bible.” In 2016, a voodoo priest was killed and decapitated after reports circulated that he had used spiritual powers to kill a woman and church director. The government of Haiti as of 2016 do not recognize voodoo ceremonies such as marriage and baptism despite being a registered religion since 2003.

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The Islamic community have been in the Caribbean since the indentured laborers were brought. One major issue members of the faith face to this day is discrimination against the headwear of Islamic women (hijab). In the 2018 International Religious Freedom report for Trinidad and Tobago, a Hindu school demanded that a new Muslim teacher remove her hijab or go back home. In Haiti, Muslims are required to obtain civil marriage licenses while other religions do not because the government does not agree with some of their practices such as polygamy. This shows the inequality in treatment of all religions in the society from a political level.

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Hinduism was brought to the Caribbean by the East Indian indentured laborers. It is comprised of multiple deities which members of the faith worship. They have a large presence in the region and have faced discrimination while practicing their beliefs. Within their society, persons who do not belong to the faith often criticize their practices such as making animal sacrifices. In the 2018 International Religious Freedom report for Trinidad and Tobago stated, “members of the governing political party, the People’s National Movement (PNM), performed a skit at a party event during which an actor removed a yellow sari from an actress to reveal a PNM T-shirt underneath. Hindus stated that the skit insulted their religion.” This shows that religious intolerance is present at the political level in society.

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Spiritual Baptist is composed of a syncretic Afro-American religion as well as Christianity and traditional African religions. It was developed in Trinidad and are known to be very vocal in their singing and praising. They are referred to as Shouter Baptist, which was a derogatory term society used to describe them. Public articles continue to use the term Spiritual “Shouter” Baptist despite its negative connotation. Members of society were so intolerant in the Caribbean that in 1917, a legislature, Shouters Prohibition Ordinance was passed and made it illegal for followers of the faith to continue their practice. For thirty-four years, the Spiritual Baptists in Trinidad and Tobago practiced their faith in secret. Even after the law was repealed, they still faced harsh judgement and discrimination. In 2004, members of the faith were put out of Crowne Plaza after being invited to a seminar sponsored by a Solid Waste Management Company because the manager of the hotel questioned their presence in the building. Additionally, many of their rituals which include ringing a bell, talking in tongues or sprinkling water is believed by many to be obeah. In an article by the Guardian newspaper on march 30 2015 quoted an archbishop who has served in the faith for over two decades, saying “You still find that even today, other religions or denominations don’t want to associate wit us because of that negative stigma.” He continued, adding, “Sometimes people are even afraid to say that they are Baptist when they fill out forms for jobs or otherwise, for a fear that they might be viewed negatively or be discriminated against.”

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Rastafarianism is based on Christianity and the King James Bible. This movement began in Jamaica and associates Africa with heaven. The sacrament taken by Rastafarians; part of their belief is the smoking of cannabis. This is illegal in many territories in the Caribbean, hence giving rise to persecution of the Rastafari movement as legislature is impeding their rituals. In the 2016 International Religious Freedom Report for Jamaica, Rastafarians reported being profiled by police and discriminated against. Additionally, it is still compulsory in Jamaica that children must be immunized to attend schools. This prevents children in the Rastafarian faith to register for schools. Another issue raised in the workplace is their wearing of dreadlocks has hindered their ability to gain employment and improve professional status due to discrimination against their hairstyle. Dreadlocks are a part of their religious beliefs.  In schools across the region, dreadlocks are frowned upon as unprofessional and students are often told that this hairstyle is inappropriate for school. In an online article published June 2018 by The Caribbean Camera Inc. “In Barbados in March, unknown individuals spray-painted anti-Semitic epithets on the walls of a synagogue in Bridgetown.”

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         Religious Intolerance And Mistrust in the Caribbean 

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         Religious Intolerance And Mistrust in the Caribbean 

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The Caribbean is often compared to a melting pot. This is due the region’s multitude of ethnic groups which stem from various parts of the world. This wide variety of culture present began with the indigenous people and grew as the Europeans came and brought with them; slaves, workers and immigrants from throughout the globe. In addition, new creolized religious practices have been formed in the Caribbean which has shaped the Caribbean society and identity into what it is today.

The Caribbean, as with any region, is no stranger to segregation and religious discrimination throughout their society. The International Religious Freedom Act was passed in 1998 by the United States as a foreign policy and included the Caribbean. This act was passed to promote religious freedom and protect those who were charged for practicing their beliefs. In the 2016 International Religious Freedom report, the US department of state categorized the Caribbean as one of many parts of the world in which conditions are far from ideal. Though this is a present-day issue, religious intolerance has been a longstanding issue in the Caribbean, dating all the way back to when the Europeans came and brought their religions with them. The Spanish and French were Roman Catholics, while the British were Protestants and the Dutch brought both Catholicism and Dutch Reform beliefs. When the African slaves were brought to the Caribbean, they too had their own variety of religious practices but were condemned for practicing their own faith and often forced into Christianity. Later on, during the period of indentured labor, Chinese, East Indians, Portuguese, Syrians, Africans and Lebanese came to the region and while they were allowed to practice their own faith, it was looked down upon as inferior through the Eurocentric perspective that was being promoted at the time. Missionaries in the region converted many to Christianity and taught only Christianity in schools as it was seen as better than other religions. Another outcome from the vast difference of cultures present in the region, was the emergence of creolized religions such as Spiritual Baptist, Rastafarianism and Voodoo which have faced many forms of discrimination at all levels even to this day.  This assignment aims to shed light on the factors which affect religious intolerance and mistrust in the Caribbean region today while also giving examples of recent events which supports this claim of religious discrimination amongst the more popular religions in the region including, Rastafarianism, Voodoo, Spiritual Baptist, Hinduism and Islam. Some of these incorporate Christian beliefs however, while Christianity is followed by a large percentage of the Caribbean, due to Eurocentris perspectives placed on the society, the challenges they have faced are minimal compared to others and therefore not much focus is placed on this religion.