MSJ: Racism, discrimination still exist in Trinidad and Tobago

David Abdulah -
David Abdulah -

MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah said "remnants of the colonial culture of racism, colourism and discrimination" still exist in Trinidad and Tobago today. He made the observation in his Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day Message to the nation.

"This is manifest in many aspects of our social existence and includes the reality of class interests driving decisions and the inequality of wealth and income," Abdulah said, "A liberation struggle wins legal rights but the emancipation from mental slavery and backward attitudes, culture and systems must be an ongoing effort."

As the country marked the 70th anniversary of the repeal of the Prohibition Ordinance on Tuesday, Abdulah urged all citizens to "recommit to the ideals of social justice and an end to all forms of discrimination."

He observed the repeal of Prohibition on March 30, 1951 was "the culmination of many years of struggle by the members of the Spiritual Baptist Faith to affirm their identity and to assert their basic human rights of freedom of association; freedom of expression and freedom of worship."

Abdulah said citizens today need to applaud the members of the Spiritual Baptist community for their struggles and the achievement of their liberation. "Nobody could feel completely free to worship and to associate or to express themselves if the Spiritual Baptists did not fight and make the tremendous sacrifices that they made.

"Theirs was a truly liberation struggle, a struggle for human rights. Their freedom has become our freedom."

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"MSJ: Racism, discrimination still exist in Trinidad and Tobago"

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