By Clint Chan Tack
June 15, 2016 – newsday.co.tt
THE ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) yesterday demonstrated unwavering support for former government senator Hafeez Ali, who resigned from his post after being blackmailed by a woman from North America who posted nude videos of him on YouTube. Ali is the first Government Senator to resign since the PNM won the September 7, general election.
Continue reading PNM rallies around Ali
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
June 13, 2016
Last Sunday, in this newspaper, Sat Maharaj mentioned casually (or perhaps not so casually) that he couldn’t possibly be a racist since I was his best friend and Desmond Hoyte was a close friend. Most of my friends were aghast that Sat should consider me to be among his best friends and, even if we are, they asked, why should he use our friendship to camouflage his racism?
Continue reading Is Sat Really a Racist?
By Raffique Shah
June 01, 2016
It is amazing, though not surprising, how easily our people can be distracted from the important issues that we face as a nation, currently galloping crime and an economy in crisis.
Last week, everyone, from captain to crook, was consumed in debate over a rather stupid statement that Harrypersad Maharaj, issued on behalf of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), which called on Government to not change existing laws that allow for Muslim and Hindu girls, aged 12 and 14 respectively, to be legally wedded.
Continue reading Sex and the geriatric preachers
By Laurel V Williams
Tuesday, May 31 2016 – newsday.co.tt
“Go to hell!”.
That was the “message” Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Satnarayan ‘Sat’ Maharaj sent publicly for Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris in light of the controversial debate on child marriage and the law.
“Mr Archbishop and all you other people, look at the mote in your own eye before you point out the mote in the eye of the Hindu.
Continue reading Go to hell Mr Archbishop, says Sat
By Ria Rambally and Rosemarie Sant
Monday, May 23, 2016 – guardian.co.tt
As the debate rages on over laws on child marriage, there is scepticism from an elderly woman who was married at the age of nine, before there were even any marriage laws in this country.
Today Dularie Baboonie Kanhai says she had no regrets about her marriage, she and her husband had a good life which produced ten children and a happy home. But she is sceptical whether young people now have the stamina and the mindset to get married at that age.
Continue reading The Child Bride—Dularie’s story
By Raffique Shah
May 10, 2016
Archbishop Joseph Harris’s initiative to petition Government to free from prison petty offenders who have remained on remand for an inordinately long time is laudable and deserving of support.
However, if it’s accepted and implemented in its current form, it would deal an unjust blow to many more accused persons, perhaps several times the number of those who would benefit.
Continue reading Call for reformation
TTUTA president urges reform
By JOEL JULIEN
Monday, April 25, 2016 – guardian.co.tt
The partnership between the church and the state at our schools must be dismantled as it is detrimental to our country, president of the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan has said.
Sinanan said the Constitution defines this country as a “secular state” and therefore questioned “why should the state give monies to certain religious bodies to perpetuate their faith?”
Continue reading Dismantle church, state partnership
By Seeta Persad
November 26, 2015 – newsday.co.tt
HINDUS across the country yesterday observed the religious event of Kartik with many going to the beach or river to hold pujas (prayers) and pray.
All Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) run schools were closed to allow for entire families to pray together. Kartik Snaan is the name given for the months of October/November in the Hindu calendar. During this holy time Nav Ratri, Divali and Ramleela are observed and celebrated.
Continue reading Hindus observe Kartik Snaan
‘I nearly joined Isis’
By Shaliza Hassanali
November 22, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
Thirteen years after Umar Abdullah, leader of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah, also known as The Islamic Front, was sought by US and British Intelligence for supporting al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and jihad (holy war), he has admitted that he almost joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) as a frontline fighter.
Continue reading Islamic Front leader on T&T fighters in Syria
By Raffique Shah
November 09, 2015
I cannot understand the national outrage over the video posted on the Internet that shows several Trinidadian Islamic “jihadists” somewhere in Syria, dressed in combat gear, firing rifles on what appears to be a range, and inviting their Muslim brethren to join them in holy battle in “Hijra”, wherever that paradise or hellhole may be.
I’m serious when I say we should not only be happy that those men (and their many wives and children) are thousands of miles away from our country, but we should encourage others who believe in the nonsense they do to answer their call to arms.
Continue reading Land of freedoms and freeness