Our religions, with grace

TODAY, the Muslim faithful celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of a month of fasting and abstention, and Spiritual Baptists mark Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day, a national acknowledgement of their religion's successful persistence in the face of colonial and neo-colonial disparagement.

Both observances acknowledge tests of faith and dedication that are both national and personal, so, it's no surprise to find politicians drawn to the celebrations and events associated with them.

This country has a long history of politicians seeking to align their values and outlook with religions, and where such gestures might be seen as opportunistic in another country, TT has always been accepting and enthusiastic about sharing the nuances of the faiths that define our diverse and multicultural society.

This is a country that enthusiastically consumes sawine, gulab jamun and pastelles as a gastronomic component of exploring the many religions and traditions that are woven into the national tapestry.

That acceptance has also meant that politicians who show up at religious observances are welcomed enthusiastically.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been public about her fealty to the Hindu religion, in which she was raised, and the Shouter Baptist faith, into which she was baptised as a child by an elder mother while visiting Quinam Beach. She would later credit the prayers and blessings of Shouter Baptists for saving her father from serious illness.

Freshly-appointed Prime Minister Stuart Young, who has set as his first major self-assignment the return of the PNM to power, has had a busy fortnight staking his own presence with both communities.

On March 22, he presented the Spiritual Baptist community with a grant of $10 million from the government to be used for the completion of their "sacred cathedral, administrative complex and heritage park." The grant was originally promised to Spiritual Baptists by Dr Keith Rowley in February, support that has also included state land for the project and an earlier grant of $10 million to begin works.

On March 25, Mr Young and Kazim Hosein joined the Muslim faithful to break the day's fast and pray at the Debe Islamic Association's Masjid. There, he told Imam Maulana Masood Mohammed that he was "God's vessel," appointed to do God's will.

In the face of evidently heartfelt sentiments from the PM and Opposition leader, it would be churlish to dismiss such interventions as an attempt to court a voting base.

But any religious group is a tempting demographic for political campaign planners, representing a cross-section of society unified in outlook, beliefs and values.

Voters of faith should be attentive to how well the politicians who court them back up their words with real-world actions that align with their own expectations.