Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has extended greetings to the Spiritual Shouter Baptiste community.
In a release, she said:
This is a very important holiday in our national calendar, as it commemorates the community’s historic, inspiring struggle, courage, resilience, strength, faith, and ultimate triumph over decades of ingrained Colonial persecution.
They were denied their fundamental human right of religious freedom, until the repeal of the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance in 1951.
Yet, it would be many decades later that they would officially be granted the significant, symbolic honour of equality of their very own holiday, in 1996.
This occurred under the 1995-2000 Basdeo Panday-led UNC Government and during my tenure as Attorney General.
Thereafter, as Prime Minister (2010-2015), I further opened the long-promised St Barbara’s Spiritual Baptist Shouter Primary School – the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago and the world.
UNC’s trailblazing policies have ensured that the Spiritual/Shouter Baptist community is now widely recognized and celebrated for their immense contributions to our nation’s cultural, social, and religious development.
Yet, today, even as our country faces a destructive, unprecedented crime and violence wave, I urge the Spiritual/Shouter Baptist community to say a special prayer for T&T to overcome this darkness.
May they Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. (Psalm 98:4), and remind us all that Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:6-7)
Happy Spiritual/Shouter Baptist day to all.