Islamism seems to have taken a grip of Trinidad & Tobago, a dual-island Caribbean nation. In fact, the extent of Islamism is such that even Hindu idols in the country are becoming a matter of objection.
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Real Street Jamaat council demands removal of “Hindu murtis and other Hindu items”:
In a shocking development, an organisation called Real Street Jamaat, branch of the Anjuman Sunnatul Jamaat Association (ASJA) of Trinidad and Tobago, wrote a letter dated December 3, 2021, to Price Club Supermarket. The letter has been signed under the name of Haji Kazim Ali, Chairman, ASJA Imam’s Council, Longdenville.
The short letter stated, “It is with deep regret and concern that I bring a matter to you for appropriate action. One of the students of the Haji Ruknudeen Institute of Islamic Studies informed me that she and her husband were shopping at The Price Club Supermarket and to their surprise, they saw Hindu murtis and other Hindu items on sale.”
Yes, the letter actually found the display of Hindu idols to be a matter of “surprise”. And we are not even talking about an Islamic Republic here. We are talking about Trinidad & Tobago, a Christian-majority nation where Hindus are the largest religious minority and constitute 18.2 percent of the country’s total population whereas Muslims constitute only 5 percent of the country’s total population.
The letter added, “I urge you to take action to inform our Second Vice President to remove these items from his business.”
The Price Club Supermarket stands its ground:
Despite receiving a letter that reeked of intolerance, the Price Club Supermarket has stood its ground. In a Facebook post, the popular supermarket based in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago, stated, “The Price Club Supermarket, for its 27 years of existence, provides a family oriented environment for all creeds and races where they can find an equal place to satisfy their household needs in a comfortable and safe environment.”
The Price Club Supermarket further stated, “As is the norm in the supermarket industry, whatever items that are offered for sale on our shelves (via rental of shelf and/or gondola space or by direct ownership) is based on the demand and needs of the consumer. The Price Club Supermarket is a commercial entity with no affiliation to any religious organisation.”
It added, “The Price Club shall not entertain the utterances of any individual who devises to create disharmony and disunity of this cosmopolitan, harmonious rainbow nation that we all call HOME.”
The Facebook post concluded, “We trust that good sense shall prevail in this matter and expect that a public apology shall be forthcoming from Mr. Haji Imtiaz Ali. We stand resolute in our service and support of all communities in our blessed nation as we have done for the past 27 years.”
What is utterly shocking about the present incident is that it took place in a country like Trinidad & Tobago- the place of hip-hop star Nicki Minaj’s birth. Minaj is, of course, known for her outlandish, provocative style and numbers like “Anaconda” in which the hip-hop star rapped about her “big fat” backside.
In fact, Minaj, a Trinidadian, is also alleged to have insulted Islam in the lyrics of two of her songs. So, it is all the more shocking that Islamist elements in Trinidad & Tobago should suddenly turn religious and start having problems with Hindu idols in the country, despite Hindus being the largest religious minority in the Caribbean nation.