Caribbean Intolerance and Mistrust by Amara Samraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok “The Caribbean today is characterized by grave intolerance and mistrust at all levels.” en-us 2019-11-29 18:14:49 UTC 2019-11-29 20:58:14 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f30e.png amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824079 The Caribbean is known as an area which has been washed or touched by the Caribbean Sea and the region is subdivided into different geographical provinces. Intolerance and mistrust. Both are currently observed in societies of Caribbean states. Intolerance is where individuals of Caribbean societies reject accepting or lack respect for behaviours, views and beliefs of others which are different from their own (Themes and Intolerance, 2019). And mistrust where individuals of society are skeptical and therefore have doubts about something, someone or some people (Appelbaum, 2019). These aspects of intolerance and mistrust are seen widely throughout Caribbean countries on the topics of racism, religion, gender and sexuality and culture however; is there totally grave intolerance and mistrust or does it step to a certain extent? 

]]> 2019-11-29 18:22:22 UTC https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824079 Race amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824247 Nowadays, there is continuous intolerance and mistrust concerning race and ethnicity which has now resulted in the discrimination of races. Racism originated during the era of colonialism and the plantation system. White Europeans were able to build this stature of characterization in which whites, free coloured and blacks were all segregated and were thus treated either richly or poorly.  Throughout the plantation society, the social structure of Haiti was stratified according to pigment like any other plantation society. The blancs or whites were always at the top, the free coloured and free blacks were placed in the second strata and the majority of the population being the enslaved were at the bottom. Today in society, there are many cases in which white and “free coloured” men and women often feel they are superior to others. Another example of intolerance and mistrust concerning race is in Trinidad, it can be seen through actions and politics that there is no harmony between Indians and blacks. The Opposition leader in the government is an Indian female and the Prime Minister is a black male. When the Opposition leader was in power, while many supported her many of the black community were against her because of her race. Similarly, as the Prime Minister is in power, many of the black community support him while the Indian community is against him. Many reasons for the Prime Minster still being in power is because while he is not doing anything to help the country, because a “black” person is in power, the black community will continue to support him. It was stated that “his government is responsible for the exponential growth in murders, robberies and elderly abuse over the past four years” and that “…desperation to hold on to the reins of power is showing, given the fact that his government has failed to perform in every conceivable sector and the population no longer believes that he can lead this country.” (Looptt.com, 2019) This supports the statement that there really is mistrust between races. There is also mistrust of Muslims that is seen worldwide and not only in the Caribbean. Muslims are always viewed and connected to terrorists. The phenomena with ISIS created not only a lot of confusion; it created more hatred to Muslims or any persons wearing hijabs. Because of this, many people are now wary of this race and it has affected many innocent lives. In the US and other foreign countries the Muslim race is a concern however, there is only a certain level of mistrust for them in the Caribbean. In today’s society, people need to be more accepting instead of being fixated on the colour and race of other persons. 

]]> 2019-11-29 18:23:23 UTC https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824247 Culture amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824510 Additionally, there is intolerance for culture which was also brought upon by the Europeans in which many African slaves were prevented from practicing their culture and traditions and in turn they would be severely punished.  This is supported by the quote“…racism results from the transformation of race prejudice and/or ethnocentrism through the exercise of power against a racial group defined as inferior, by individuals and institutions with the intentional or unintentional support of the entire (race or) culture.” (Bowser, 1995) It was known that the Europeans forced their culture onto the enslaved populations which brought about the mixing and interconnection of culture which is widely seen in the Caribbean. This is the reason for racism being unconsciously connected with the thought of white individuals and white culture. However, certain cultures may be unaccepted by many, other cultures are usually celebrated together in unity. This is seen for Diwali when individuals of other races such as blacks, Asians and the Rastafari community take part in dressing up and contributing in the traditions of lighting deyas.  Another example of societies coming together to celebrate culture is the festival of Carnival. This festival erases any type of discrimination and racism between societies as all races come together from other Caribbean islands to join in the festival. Many foreigners from the Americas would also migrate to the Caribbean island to celebrate this act of union and celebration. Carnival also incorporated the mixture of cultural expressions such as Europeans, Asians, Africans, Indians and other influences. Ironically, this celebration of culture was also a passive form of revolt during the era of the plantation society. The festival of Carnival has brought about other celebrations much like it in other Caribbean countries such as “Crop Over in Barbados, Junkanoo in The Bahamas, Mashramani in Guyana and Owruyari in Suriname.” (Secretariat, 2019) This as well as other festivals such as Phagwa and Eid were and still are important as during these periods controversy between race and colour were pushed aside. “Our culture - our languages religions, festivals, art forms, values, customs, sports and other forms of self-expression - is a dynamic one. Shaped by the historical experience of our people, our faiths and our creativity, it continues to be fashioned by our creative energies and other influences.” (Secretariat, 2019). Intolerance for culture would not have helped develop our culture. Thus, cultural tolerance helped evolve the Caribbean culture which has been able to create festivals and cultures such as Carnival and Diwali. Therefore, there is intolerance for culture in the Caribbean; however it takes place to a certain extent. 

]]> 2019-11-29 18:25:23 UTC https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824510 Gender and Sexuality amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824965 Gender and sexuality has also been intertwined with the aspects of intolerance and mistrust. For example women face a lot of discrimination and are exposed to the glass ceiling effect. Homosexuality is also faces grave intolerance as well. Women are exposed to the glass ceiling effect in where women can see high, top positions however they are unable to reach those positions. Being unable to reach these positions are due to men blocking their chances of reaching them.  This is seen similarly with the bourgeoisie and the proletariats as written by philosopher Carl Marx. In the strata, the bourgeoisie were at the top of the structure while the proletariats were at the bottom. This suggested that the bourgeoisie were responsible for exploiting the proletariats or working class. Also, it can be implied that the proletariats were mentally controlled by the bourgeoisie and kept in a state of false consciousness. Overall, this suggests that the male gender is superior and female are inferior. This leads to the mistrust of the male gender as women are being exploited. Another example of mistrust between genders is discrimination of women in power in Trinidad. Both Trinidad’s President Paula-Mae Weekes and Opposition Leader Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar were disrespected many times by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley (CNC3, 2019). The quote, “…the innuendos once more continues to degrade women and the sexist undertones are undeniable” provides evidence which supports that there is mistrust between genders. There is grave intolerance for homosexuality and gay marriage because of Christianity. Throughout the period of enslavement when Christianity was preached and forced onto the enslaved, the churches enforced the Christian ways onto the slaves. This included the beliefs and traditions of Christians as well as their way of life but forcefully turning them into Christians and into the Christian was of life. Today, gay marriage and homosexuality is seen worldwide and it has become a movement in which there are supporting sides and opposing sides. The churches taught that in the Caribbean heterosexuality and differences in gender were not the norm in the Caribbean which has now leaded to intolerance and discrimination of their movement. All in all, there is grave mistrust for gender and sexuality found in the Caribbean. 

]]> 2019-11-29 18:27:39 UTC https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417824965 Religion amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417825191 Likewise, there is discrimination based on religion due to intolerance. Different ethnic groups have certain beliefs, traditions and religions. It is noticed that colonialism shaped religion in the Caribbean. This is mostly seen through the Africans as African slaves were traumatized the most and were put through a lot more compared to the Amerindians and the Indians. African slaves went through creolization and deculturation which resulted in their religious traditions being mixed with both African and Christian ways. Because of the formation of syncretic religion, many other ethnic groups are marginalized.  Some of these religious groups which face discrimination may include Muslims, the Rastafari community and voodoo. Many individuals do not believe in these movements as it is not similar to their own and will therefore discriminate these acts instead of learning about them. However, movements such as the Rastafari movement were used to inspire black minorities who face black oppression as Marcus Garvey was “convinced that blacks must unify to overcome their oppression.” (King, et al., 2002) There is symbolism for the many customs that is practiced by the Rastafarian communities which has now become a way of life to many all around the world as well as in Caribbean countries. There is also mistrust when associated with religion and this is because of the media. The media plays a major role in society and it can be used for moral and corrupt purposes. To show the level of mistrust that there is for the media, they were banned from attending Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Mr. Satnarayan Maharaj’s funeral. This is because the media can be very and they use their power to portray religious rituals in a certain way. “…a reporter from a media house which was not named disrespected religious proceedings at the wake on Sunday night.” (Ramdass, 2019) This was seen before as history was told from a Eurocentric view in which the Europeans or those who gained power (such as the media nowadays) can dictate how stories are told and how people are seen. Therefore, there is the concept of glorification and corruption. Hence, there is grave intolerance when associated with religion however; religion has played a major role in the evolution of Caribbean identity. 

]]> 2019-11-29 18:28:31 UTC https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417825191 amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417825328 In conclusion, intolerance and mistrust are seen widely throughout Caribbean countries on the topics of racism, gender and sexuality and religion however; is there totally grave intolerance and mistrust or does it step to a certain extent? There are instances in the Caribbean where there is grave intolerance and mistrust and this is seen with race as well as the topic of gender and sexuality. Moreover, there are other instances where there is intolerance and mistrust in the Caribbean; however it takes place to a certain extent and an example of this is seen through culture. 

]]> 2019-11-29 18:29:17 UTC https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417825328 Bibliography amarasamraj https://padlet.com/amarasamraj/zg30g0immvok/wish/417828077 Themes, H. and Intolerance, D. (2019). Discrimination and Intolerance. [online] Council of Europe. Available at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/compass/discrimination-and-intolerance 

Appelbaum, R. (2019). Mistrust Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary. [online] Collins Online Dictionary | Definitions, Thesaurus and Translations. Available at: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ 

Bowser, Benjamin P. "Racism and Anti-Racism in World Perspective." Google Books, SAGE Publication Inc, 1995, books.google.tt/books?hl=en&lr=&id=FzELVygy3BQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=perspective+of+racism+in+the+Caribbean&ots=cbd_rb1ccn&sig=lfFD1jMtsGH_Vu-PDWYOjviNHSg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=perspective%20of%20racism%20in%20the%20Caribbean&f=false               

CNC3. (2019). UNC Women's Arm Slams "disrespectful" PM. [online] Available at: http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/unc-womens-arm-slams-disrespectful-pm [Accessed 13 Oct. 2017]. 

Looptt.com. (2019). Opposition MP: Rowley can't give any country crime-fighting advice. [online] Available at: http://www.looptt.com/content/opposition-mp-rowley-cant-give-any-country-crime-fighting-advice [Accessed 26 Aug. 2019].

Ramdass, A. (2019). Media banned from Sat's funeral. [online] Trinidad Express Newspapers. Available at: https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/media-banned-from-sat-s-funeral/article_8d7ac84a-09ae-11ea-b9cf-2f8c3602dcf9.html [Accessed 17 Nov. 2019].

King, Stephan A., et al. "Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control." Google Books, 2002, books.google.tt/books?hl=en&lr=&id=5W1s56Ds1GIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=why+is+the+rastafari+community+inspiration&ots=mg5RH8fm4u&sig=BV0auXyWDuGxr3WNPJ8p99KViow&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Secretariat, C. (2019). Our Culture — Caribbean Community (CARICOM). [online] Caricom.org. Available at: https://caricom.org/about-caricom/who-we-are/our-culture 

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