Former General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) Sir Roy Trotman has urged trade unions not to be overly perturbed by the “inane babblings of the uninformed and those who would want to be noticed”.

Sir Roy made the stern comments as he hit back at a recent charge levelled by Minister of Industry Donville Inniss that unions were “getting away with too much foolishness for too long” and it was time to stop being afraid of them.

Sir Roy Trotman

“It is not too long ago that I remember that those same mouthings were babblings from animals that babble. I don’t fool myself regarding the need that there will be for those same voices to be turned and perhaps sooner than they will expect.

“So if one chooses to forget where one comes from, only because of one’s anxiety to reach the top of the ladder so as to be able to push it down, then we just say they have our greatest sympathy for they do not know that hell awaits such actions,” he said.

The trade unionist was delivering remarks to members of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) attending the Grace Thompson Memorial Teacher’s Professional Day activity held at the National Union of Public Workers, Dalkeith Road, St Michael headquarters this morning.

He urged the gathering not to become distressed, disturbed or removed from singleness
of purpose that must come from doing good work. He encouraged BSTU’s members to continue to grow strong and to give support to the union’s leadership.

“Outside of myself, I cannot remember in the last 30 years the kind of vicious assaults that have been launched on any trade union leader as have been launched on your president [Mary Redman]. I ask you to hold her hand; to hold her hand as soldiers together in a struggle that will have no end where we have greed, where we have know alls who believe that they hold the future of all of us in their hand because they have been given title or office.

“I urge you to hold her hand and that of her committee members because this battle does not go away in a term. Only those who are prepared to go the distance will be those who will be able to look back and say we have fought a good fight, we have finished our course,” he pleaded.

Meanwhile, Redman remarked that union members must be committed to not letting Government ministers “get away with foolishness for too long”.

She declared that the “arrogance, insensitivity and political short-sightedness” of such a statement, from a minister whose Government formed part of a social partnership and is a signatory to successive protocols which speak to mutual respect, dialogue, consultation and co-operation, spoke volumes.

“When statements are made that reflect such blatant disregard and disrespect for workers and their rights, a group that makes up the vast majority of the population of this country, it should underscore the need for persons to be even more supportive of and committed to their unions. The unions are the entities that will have to protect against autocratic and dictatorial mind sets like those,” Redman stressed.

The BSTU honoured Sir Roy for his leadership and mentorship of its members as it relates to dealing with industrial matters over the years. The union gave Sir Roy an award and a bottle of wine and wished him a happy retirement.

At the height of a bitter impasse with the school’s management, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) today called on the Ministry of Finance to look into the operations at the Barbados Community College (BCC).

NUPW General Secretary Dennis Clarke issued the call during a press conference at the union’s Dalkeith headquarters this morning where he announced that the College’s board of management had called off a scheduled meeting with the union today to continue discussions on retrenchment issues and employment contracts, among others issues.

The General Secretary charged that there were several financial issues at the college that needed to be investigated and suggested the college finds ways to save money in areas such as the alternative management of janitorial and guard services.

NUPW General Secretary Dennis Clarke

“But I believe they don’t want to hear it, so the whole thing is to find some excuse not to meet with the union today. There are other areas that we are questioning because we know there were strategic studies that were done and we have not seen the results.

“There were a number of other studies that were done at the college and we have not seen the results. And that is why I feel the Ministry of Finance should go pass the Ministry of Education and do a full investigation of the operations at the BCC,” he said.

The union boss further explained that on Wednesday, after the NUPW had decided to pull back on its threat of strike action at the BCC, a productive meeting was held with the college’s management at which one retrenchment case was satisfactorily resolved.

He said the meeting was scheduled to continue today. However, “a call from the chairman of the Human Resource Committee of the board questioned the union’s bargaining on behalf of those part-time teachers”.

Clarke said a request was also made to call off the planned meeting to give the board time to meet next week.

“They wanted to know how many persons we had in the bargaining unit. We thought that this was a farce because we have been bargaining for everybody at BCC and at no time during the past couple of years have they questioned that.

“We have gone so far as to set up a works council comprised of workers from different divisions within BCC and they meet with the college and they try to resolve matters.

“To bring this all of a sudden tells me that there is something amiss.”

“It was in our view somewhat unethical to now come at the twelfth hour asking us about the bargaining unit. We thought that at the end of the day this is a delaying tactic,” the outgoing NUPW general secretary said.

“But they [BCC’s board] fail to understand that while I might have my suitcase in my hand, I  ain’t now come to town. I came to town some 40 and a half years ago, so I know the avenues and I know the alleys and this is not going to work,” he said.

The union boss further cautioned that the union would not allow the BCC matter to go before any tribunal, in light of its recent experience with the National Conservation Commission.

“Who is hoping and feel that this is going in the direction of NCC they got to think differently because what we want to do is to work with the college to find an amicable solution to what is happening,” he said.

Clarke further cautioned that any move to change the contracts of part-time staff into those of self-employed persons would be unlawful since the workers would still be fully controlled by the college but would have to meet their own statutory payment requirements.

“I am going to draft a letter to the Director of the National Insurance [Scheme] and bring the circumstances to his attention because we have copies of the contracts.

“I find all of a sudden a streak has developed within BCC and I am making sure I leave my officers with the ammunition to fight with,” he said.

“So if they feel that we are going to attack this thing on one front we are going to attack this whole thing on other fronts and then we are going to talk about some of the things that we see in there that are not good for the institution.”

Today, several BCC workers expressed frustration over the breakdown in industrial relations at the institution, while pointing out that many of them had been asked to work 18 hours a week and to preside over classes with as many as 40 to 46 students per class.                                 

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The president of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) Mary Redman is still awaiting a promised call from the Chief Education Officer Laurie King for them to discuss some urgent outstanding matters.

Redman told a gathering of teachers at the headquarters of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) this morning she had telephoned King at the Ministry of Education on many occasions and left numerous messages, however, she had not received a single response to date.

In the meantime, she said the needs of members were being ignored and discontent was being allowed to fester.

BSTU president Mary Redman

She said among the lingering to be resolved was the “unfair dismissal” of a general worker at one school after six years of service. She explained that the dismissal came after he attempted to regularise his position, noting that his job was subsequently advertised and a totally new person hired.

Additionally, she said some teachers, who should have been appointed since seven years ago under the December 31 2007 Public Service Act, were still in limbo.

She also questioned the status of a member who was moved from a full time position for four years ago to a part-time position with no prior consultation on the matter.

“The Ministry needs to meet, discuss and understand the BSTU’s position in relation to the excess work that Caribbean Examinations Council School Based Assessments place on teachers in the system,” Redman added.

She also raised a similar concern on behalf of those involved in the introduction of the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) to schools.

“Our call for compensation for that SBA work from CXC is a reasonable one, and one that we are acting on from this academic year. The Ministry will not be in a position to claim ignorance of our intention since we made the contents of our resolution on this matter, passed at our annual general meeting, known to them since May,” she stressed.

The teachers’ president also said the union was seeking to ensure that “no school will have a repeat of a situation where after receiving an official letter in January informing the school that a teacher had been granted leave for two years, the chairman [of the school] advertised that individual’s job in April and interviewed persons in July to recommend someone else for the position.

“That affected teacher has not been paid from June to August,” she said.

Redman also highlighted a situation in which “a secretary treasurer allowed interviews to be conducted in the absence of the deputy chairman of the board of management and head of department in the subject area”, she added.

However, she said in the past when the union had been forced to vent its frustration in the media, some members of public were quick to judge, and “an embarrassed ministry” even quicker to excuse and misrepresent.

The president suggested  that when certain matters that reflected “serious industrial relations” were brought to the attention of the Ministry by the union, “a full, respectful and professional response” should be forthcoming.

“That is the type of dialogue and relationship that needs to exist,” she said.

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Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal Sir Hilary Beckles today said the Cave Hill Campus has fallen victim in its jubilee year to an “unprecedented tongue-lashing in the public’s face”.

Delivering remarks during the presentation of a natural gas car to the campus, Sir Hilary did not hide his disappointment, while stating that graduates of the university were the chief offenders.

“I must confess that I was very much concerned that the University of the West Indies in Barbados, while celebrating its 50th year of service to this country and region, received an unprecedented tongue-lashing in the public’s face and that has not been lost on me.

“It did not happen in our 30th year, it did not happen in our 40th year, it happened in our golden year, and that is very significant, and the historians will have a lot to say about that in the years to come,” Sir Hilary said.

“It is a very significant point that you should receive your greatest tongue-lashing on your own jubilee by your own graduates. It’s a sad situation but we are going to soldier on; we are going to keep pressing on,” he stressed.

The principal did not identify anyone by name, but he did make a point of saying that while Government had cut its funding to the institution, the university had prospered over the years, largely from relationships with the private sector.

He stressed that the university would continue to make its contribution to the country and region while referring to a report published by the campus two months ago, which he described as “a brilliant piece of economic analysis that demonstrated the tremendous impact Cave Hill as an enterprise made on the Barbados economy”.

The principal reminded that the analysis showed that the Cave Hill Campus alone generated $200 billion of activity in the economy, and on average in the last ten years, between $70 and $80 billion in foreign exchange.

“You are aware that that report was described by persons who should know better as propaganda and as public relations for an institution that needs public relations,” he said.

“If you are a citizen of society that dismisses facts, dismisses the truth, then you would realize that the quality of conversation within the society has diminished. No society can promote its interest either on an economic front, the social or the cultural front in such an environment,” he warned.

“At the moment, the environment in the society is in need of addressing. The environment is not only natural; the environment is intellectual, it is pedagogical and we need to improve
the quality of development,” he said.

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As the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus gets ready to publicly roll out a science and technology initiative next month, a local private company has donated a natural gas-powered station wagon to the institution that would aid in this venture.

During the hand over ceremony for the silver wagon by Courtesy Garage yesterday, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal Sir Hilary Beckles said the university’s Science and Technology department was preparing to launch a series of activities to educate stakeholders about the importance of science, technology and innovation and how they will be used to push the institution forward.

UWI’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and principal Sir Hilary Beckles (left) unveiling the natural gas-powered station wagon with director of Courtesy Patrick McDonald.

Sir Hilary also praised Courtesy for making the donation.

“The fact that Courtesy has thought of us within the network of their own stakeholders and partners is in itself worthy of celebration. This University has prospered over the years largely as a result of these relationships with the private sector,” he told the gathering which included Dean in the faculty of Science and Technology Dr Colin Depradine.

Courtesy’s director Patrick McDonald said the vehicle would help the campus in the containment of its energy costs and in furthering its research into the various energy options for transportation on the island.

“We therefore expect that this vehicle will fit into that strategy. We expect UWI to continue its work in helping Barbados achieve energy efficiencies and cost reduction through research and development in science and technology. We also hope that public and private sectors will work with UWI in achieving these goals,” he said.

Barbados’ cultural sector is expected to receive a boost from a new winter festival expected to start this December.

The Classical/Pop Festival is being rolled out to lure more tourists to the island and make a major contribution to the island’s cultural landscape.

Michael Aikin, managing director of Spring – a US company which produces concerts and tours around the world – said the festival would run from December 11 to 14 and would headline the world renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra, opera singers and soloists.

Cultural ambassador Adisa Aja Andwele (left) making a point during the press conference as Michael Aikin, managing director of Spring, looks on.

He told a press conference at Courtyard by Marriott in Hastings, Christ Church yesterday that the event is being held in partnership with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc and the management of Apes Hill, St James which is currently being enhanced to meet international standards for the experience.

A different side of soca queen Alison Hinds will be showcased when she joins the line-up on stage.

“I don’t think that this side of her vocal talent has ever been seen outside of Barbados because she has committed herself to soca,” Aikin said.

He stressed that the festival should not be viewed as a Spring festival, but rather a Barbados festival.

“Our ambition is to make this a cultural centre of the world, year after year . . . And obviously our mandate is to support tourism, support hotel properties and of course support your airlines,” he said.

Cultural Ambassador Adisa Aja Andwele who will be working with the festival’s production team welcomed Spring to Barbados.

He agreed that the company was about to make a major contribution to the cultural landscape of Barbados.

“The workshops that we are in the process of planning will not only be from an artistic point of view but will also involve technical aspects. Bear in mind that this is the second time an orchestra of this type will be in Barbados; the first time was in 1997.

“So one of the things we would like to do is a workshop. Spring does not just want to come in here and do the event but wants to contribute to the development of culture in Barbados, both artistically and technically,” Andwele said.

Today marked four years since former Prime Minister David Thompson lost his battle with cancer while still in office.

For many residents of St John where he served as parliamentary representative for over 20 years, October 23, 2010 will forever be etched in their minds as the day when their friend, and an individual who they felt always had their best interests at heart, was snatched from them.

Barbados TODAY visited the rural parish today where many residents quietly observed the anniversary.

Many spoke of the relationship they had with their late representative who was always around and told of how much they sincerely missed him.

One woman even spoke of her visits to his gravesite.

Shopkeeper Ena Sealy said Thompson was a good Prime Minister and generally a “jolly good fella”. While she has accepted that he has gone home to be with the Lord and she has to do without him, Sealy told Barbados TODAY she will cherish the precious memories she shared with him, including the long conversations they had at her church.

Ena Sealy showing off her picture of David Thompson.

The elderly resident indicated that a piece of Thompson remained with her, as she disclosed that his widow Mara and three daughters often visited to make sure she and her family were progressing well.

“When he passed that was so sad,” Sealy said.

“Although you know you have to die, you don’t know how you are going to die. It was a shock although we knew he was sick. We miss him, but he gone to be with the Master and as the years come and go we will always [observe] the anniversary,” she added.

From early this morning, Suzette Clarke posted a message on her Facebook page acknowledging the anniversary of Thompson’s death. She remembered him as a good representative who was always there for the people he represented.

“I made the post to show people that he will always be remembered by the people of St John, and that he’s gone but certainly not forgotten.

“I can’t speak for the rest of Barbados, but certainly that is the case in St John. You used to find him hanging out under the pavilion watching cricket. He was always there if you needed a favour. After four years, I am still missing him, particularly on this day.”

Meanwhile, Stanton Small said he believed that if Thompson was alive, the country would have been a better place. The gravedigger described his former representative as a good man.

Stanton Small reflecting on his former Parliamentary Representative David Thompson.

“He used to come and enjoy himself with us like [former Prime Minister and representative for that parish] Errol Barrow. He use to come and suck cane. Thompson was such a nice person,” said Small.

Irvine Cooke described the deceased leader as a positive individual who executed his job as a representative very well. He said what he appreciated most about Thompson was the fact that he was always there when needed.

“He was a person you could afford to ask him anything. You could attack him anytime. And when Thompson tell you ‘yes’ it was yes. He would never tell you he would do something and not do it.”

Next door at the Estwick residence, a framed picture of Thompson stood next to the television. The residents of that home declared “he belongs to here”.

Izola Estwick looking at a picture of her friend David Thompson.

As Aileen Estwick put it, “the whole house is a Thompson fan”.

“He belonged to us and he wasn’t just here at election time. Even his barber lives here.”

Odessa Waithe, an elderly resident, said she frequently went to Thompson’s resting place at the St John Parish Church where she sat at his grave and talked to him.

She dismissed any suggestions that she may be “crazy” and stressed that she never looked for a response.

“I know he can’t come out and talk back to me but I does still go,” Waithe said.

She said she fell in love with Thompson from the first time she set eyes on him.

“I [am] one that helped bring he up here. When Mr Barrow bring he up here I did down there by a woman sitting down and he asked, ‘who wunna want up here?’ I say, ‘I want Thompson up here’ and it did happen,” she recalled.

When our team visited the gravesite early this afternoon, a few visitors were gathered around reading the tombstone and conversing about Thompson’s legacy.

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Police were reporting progress in their investigations into recent aggravated burglaries.

They said three persons were assisting in their probe, which had also recovered a firearm and a quantity of ammunition.

In a statement today, Police Public Relations Officer Inspector David Welch also said investigations were continuing into other street crimes, as members of the Royal Barbados Police Force remained “relentless” in their efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.

Police Public Relations Officer Inspector David Welch.

“We remain committed in our fight against crime and look forward to working closer with the law-abiding citizens of Barbados. We endeavour to ensure that all persons feel secure when they move around, especially as the Yuletide season approaches,” Inspector Welch added.

Despite concerns expressed by nearby residents and the outrage by parents of students attending the nearby St Ursuline School, Government is moving full steam ahead with its plans for the establishment of an isolation unit at Enmore to treat Ebola and other infectious diseases.

The announcement by Minister of Health John Boyce, who said in a statement last evening said that the unit was close to completion, and would be opened by Saturday, November 1.

The proposed location of the unit, next to the Ursuline Convent School, has been a source of public consternation, especially among parents and guardians of students attending the private school, who have raised concern that the children are being placed at serious risk.

In a statement last weekend, The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners had also expressed concern about the siting of the centre close to the school on Collymore Rock. President Dr Carlos Chase had also suggested the former St Joseph Hospital in St Peter, or a hospital ship as the other alternatives.

Also weighing in on the recent debate was the leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley who had said that the former temporary prison at Harrison Point in St Lucy, would offer a safer and much more secluded location.

However, while the parents have been busy gathering signatures for a petition to be presented to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart in their quest to halt the current plan, Boyce said Government had been focused on getting the entire country prepared for any possible outbreak of deadly Ebola.

Minister of Health John Boyce

“The availability of a facility where an Ebola patient can receive care is one of the critical aspects of our preparedness plan. An isolation centre is a place where people who are ill with an infectious disease are separated from patients who are not ill.

“As such, a decision was taken to establish such a facility at Enmore, near to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The facility has been designed in strict compliance with international standards for infection control, waste management and air quality.

“The centre is nearing completion and is on stream to be ready and outfitted by November 1, 2014,” he said.

The Minister also assured, based on current information that the disease was only transmitted by close contact with a patient or their bodily fluids, and that the proposed centre did not pose any risk to persons in the vicinity.

The deadly disease, which has been reported in at least five countries, including the United States, has already claimed over 4,500 lives worldwide.

Boyce said the authorities were taking the necessary precautions to ensure that the island remains Ebola free.

In fact, he said Barbados’ Ebola preparedness was being closely monitored by the National Security Council, which is chaired by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.

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Government’s Student Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF) has approved approximately $20 million in new loan applications up to September this year.

In a statement this week, the SRLF of the Ministry of Education also reported moderate progress in collecting outstanding loans.

With the recent change in the Government’s policy on funding tertiary education at the University of the West Indies, the SRLF said it had taken the lead in providing student loans to cover tuition costs for the academic year beginning 2014/15.

“The SRLF will continue to be proactive in funding tertiary education for Barbadians locally, regionally and internationally in harmony with Government stated policies. It will also continue to improve its operational efficiencies to ensure its sustainability and viability,” the statement said.

“The SRLF will also wish to remind all Barbadians that in the SRLF they have a sound financial institution that is willing to partner with them if they desire to make an investment in their education,” the statement added.

It also highlighted early challenges encountered by the SRLF in collecting outstanding loan payments.

However, the statement said that by 2007 the SRLF had put in place several operational and structural measures in place that have resulted in improvements in this area. These included quarterly loan statements, an automated loan software management system, procedural manuals, the establishment of a collections unit and the contracting of attorneys-at-law to assist with the collection of payments.

The measures have resulted in the SRLF collecting more funds in repayments on an annual basis than it currently lends.

At the end of the 2013 financial year, the SRLF had also built up a healthy investment portfolio in excess of $30 million.

“It was from this investment portfolio that the SRLF was able to finance the recently imposed tuition expense for UWI students and to repay all Inter American Development Bank [IDB] loans in full in 2008,” the statement said, further noting that since 2010 the SRLF has been fully self-financing, covering all its operational and lending costs.

Amendments have also been made to the SRLF Act to accommodate a 100 per cent increase in the maximum loan to $100,000, longer pay backs, lending for part-time and distance studies, the taking of collateral security and a reduction in interest rate to a variable four per cent and in some special cases to 3.25 per cent.

As a result of these changes, the SRLF said the demand for its loans have increased.

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They have been a part of our landscape for more than a century; yet the Muslim community remain largely an unknown element in Barbados.

This week, members of that community share their history, experiences and aspirations with Barbados TODAY, giving some insight into their Islamic religion and their love for the island.

Their religious beliefs and practices apart, Muslims in Barbados say they are as Bajan as any other Barbadian.

And, they want to be treated no other way.

Actually, if you ask the secretary of the Barbados Muslim Association, Suleiman Bulbulia, he would tell you that over the years Muslims have lived on the island freely and fellow Barbadians have been very accommodating to them –– as to those of other faiths.

If this has been the case, is it the recent dreadful international reports of Muslim extremists across the world that may now have driven fear into some non-Muslim Barbadians, triggering recent public and vocal attack on the notion of a special housing project under the leadership and management of the local Muslim community?

“We are not asking for anything outrageous. There is no ill motive on the Muslims’ part which I can speak about –– anything that would bring any bad reputation to the country,” Bulbulia sought to assure Barbadians in an interview with Barbados TODAY, in which he and seasoned Muslim Sabir Nakhuda spoke about the integration into local society of the group, specifically those members of Indian descent.

“And we have continued to show by our commitment, and our hard work and our sacrifice, that we are there for the development of Barbados,” association secretary Bulbulia added.

A history lesson from Nakhuda, author of Bengal To Barbados; A 100-Year History Of East Indians In Barbados, showed that before the abolishment of slavery on the island there were Muslims among the slaves; but they were never allowed to practise the faith.

Sabir Nakhuda speaking about his book Bengal To Barbados in which he tells of East Indians’ journey from India to the island.

Subsequently, the writer said, the integration of East Indian Muslims in Barbados began in 1910 with the arrival of Bashart Ali from West Bengal, who became the first Muslim Indian to marry an Afro-Barbadian woman. Following in Ali’s footsteps, most of the Bengali men married Barbadian women, retaining their Islamic faith but being also tolerant
and respectful of their wives’ and children’s wishes to continue practising Christianity.

“The husband who was a Muslim never prevented his wife from practising her faith. So, right there it shows that they integrated socially,” Bulbulia said.

In the home, the Muslim husband, in keeping with his religious rules, did not eat pork, among other meats, or consume alcohol; and these foods were not prepared in his home. His wife would eat such at her family’s house.

“But we still eat cou-cou and flying fish, and we would still have fish cakes. We blend our cuisine along with the Barbadian cuisine. We probably would use Indian spices when we are doing a particular rice and stew.

“Samosas are a dish you probably need to have when you are having a party, and that is a culinary contribution from Indians to the Barbadian culture,” Nakhuda explained.

Lunch being served at the Muslim celebration.

Today, in keeping with a tradition started when Ali first arrived in Barbados, many poor Barbadians depend on Muslim salesmen, also referred to as “coolie men”, who supply them with household items on credit.

According to the author, this could be described as a form of commercial integration.

“Ali went in the countryside where black Barbadians could not even afford to leave the plantation; and, even if they could afford to leave, then they had to come into Bridgetown and pay cash for items. But Bashart Ali would leave Bridgetown and go in the countryside, to the plantation yard, and so on, and credit the Barbadians without any down payment. And then on a weekly basis he would go and collect money, whether it was ten cents or 25 cents . . . ,” author Nakhuda recalled, as he enthusiastically shared his knowledge.

During those early years of their settlement, East Indian Muslims did not live in the “heights or terraces”; they dwelt in suburban areas like Carrington’s Village, Kensington New Road, Mason Hall Street and Chapman Street –– among ordinary black Barbadians, while the upper class Bajan Whites resided in Belleville, Strathclyde andother “proclaimed posh areas”.

By 1929, Muslims from Gujarat in India started to arrive in the island, and the integration practice continued.

“If you talk about cricket, you would find the East Indian kids playing cricket together; and you would see even in the 1980s the East Indians and the Barbadians would have played together and went to tours to Trinidad and other countries,” said Nakuhda, who has worked in sales, public relations, counselling and teaching.

Can you picture a full integration between the Muslim community and the main population?

You definitely would not see a Muslim wukking up on Spring Garden Highway, because, according to Nakhuda, that is a no-no for members of his religion and those of other faiths “who believed that morality is important to their chosen way of life”.

“We will never have a total integration, because there are things that would hamper us from integrating,” Nakhuda admitted. “Religion is a very important thing for us, and there are a lot of dos and don’ts that we would not want to disobey.

“We would mix to a certain extent; and I think Barbadians need to understand too that we have our way of life. The way that the early East Indians respected the beliefs of their [Bajan] wives, I think that we would ask nothing but Barbadians understand our culture and our beliefs,” said the writer who has for many years been actively involved in various social, cultural and religious activities on the island.

Bulbulia acknowledged that Muslims participated in national events such as the National Independence Festival Of Creative Arts and multifaith events that would benefit the country but, most importantly, would not directly conflict with their teachings or their religion.

So to what extent can this group be integrated into general Barbadian society?

“In the Muslim faith, mingling between the sexes is not something that is highly recommended. So you will find that at a function, a wedding or a dinner, the women would be in one area and the men in another –– because there is no mingling –– whereas, the norm in Barbados is that if you go to a party everybody is together,” Bulbulia explained.

The Barbados Muslim Association secretary continued: “You would find Muslims don’t participate in cultural events in Barbados because of those factors such as the mingling; and in Islam we don’t have music, and we don’t have dancing and those kinds of things that happen at Crop Over. That doesn’t only apply to Muslims, because I know Seventh-Day Adventists who may not go to an event because there will be alcohol. So it is not a racial ethnic thing; it is a religious thing really.”

Some non-Muslims have also publicly commented through various media –– as well as spoken behind closed doors –– on the rate at which members of the Muslim community have acquired properties in specific areas across the island.

To this, Bulbulia said Muslims believed they, like other Barbadians, should enjoy the freedom to invest in the country, and that included ownership of properties.

“Why certain areas you might find Muslims going is because of the whole issue of being together in the vicinity of a mosque. For example, in Kensington New Road you would find a lot of Muslims because there is a mosque there. In Belleville there is a mosque, and you would find Muslims there.

“Similarly, with Cave Hill; we have had Muslims there for a number of years, and more are hoping to go there because a mosque is going to be there. Our place of worship is a focal point, and we go there five times a day if we can.

“We see ourselves as Barbadians; and, if we have the funds, we invest. Generally, we don’t waste our money on useless things, and we see investment as important.

“The other thing that is important to note is we can’t put our money in a bank to get interest. Togive or to take interest is forbidden in Islam. So, generally, when it comes to making money, we have to look for ways to make our money work for us in a manner that is allowed for us to make the money,” Bulbulia explained.

There is much more to be told about this “integration” that continues to develop and strengthen every day, but in the meantime, as that process takes place, 67-year-old Nakhuda is asking members of the main Barbadian population to understand that Muslims in Barbados are no longer outsiders and are not expected to be seen as people who came “from over and away”.

Eid ul-Fitr (Festival Of Fast Breaking) celebrations at Sabir Nakhuda’s home, attended by a cross section of Muslims and persons of other faiths.

“I came here when I was ten years old. So I am more Bajan than some Bajans. Look at us as Barbadians, irrespective of our religious beliefs and how we are attired,” Nakhuda urged.

“We have the same goals as any decent citizen of this country to make sure that Barbadians are well off; so that we can go forward together. Put that thing about us and them to rest forever. Amen.”

Tomorrow: The Clermont, St James housing project.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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Although there has been a reduction in the spread of infections at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), the Hospital Control Unit (HCU) is working hard to ensure there is even further decline.

That was the word from infection control nurse Alvin Hart as he spoke to Barbados TODAY this afternoon during an effort by the HCU to sensitize visitors about the importance of practising good hand hygiene.

Infection control nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital handing out hand sanitizers to patients.

He said although he had no figures at hand, measures instituted by the department so far for the year had shown that the rate of the spread of infections at the health care facility was much lower than it was around this same time last year.

“But we have to keep on it because diseases are evolving, and old diseases are coming back. We cannot sit down and say we have achieved or we have arrived; we have to keep working on it,” he said.

Hart emphasized that infection control at the island’s only tertiary health care facility was always taken very seriously.

“We don’t rest on our laurels. Even when our data says that there is a reduction of infection, we keep doing what we are doing. We keep reinstituting new control measures, reviewing our policies; and we keep training and educating our staff on good infection control practices; and this is a very important component of what we do,” he said.

The infection control nurse explained that today’s activity, which coincided with QEH’s Hospital Control Week, was relevant as hand hygiene was one of the most basic methods used to control the spread of infections within the hospital, homes, schools, churches and the wider community.

“So today we are spending some time speaking about hand hygiene, telling the visitors about using hand sanitizers before they go into the wards, and when they exit. You don’t want to take anything in, and you don’t want bring anything out.

“So you are actually preventing yourself from getting infections and you are also preventing your relatives or loved ones on the wards from getting anything that might be out there in the community,” Hart said.

As Barbados TODAY continues its series on the Muslims in Barbados, the head of the An-Noor Muslim Association talks about its planned housing project and seeks to allay any fears about Muslims living together in Clermont, St James. 

There is really no secret behind the Clermont, St James housing project being spearheaded by Muslims. In fact, the concept behind the project is as open as the five acres of land consisting of 37 lots, situated opposite Queen’s College. The development will include an already designed mosque catering to approximately 250 people, which is the main reason behind the community being established. A public community centre, recreational area and, hopefully, a free medical clinic catering to the wider community are also in the pipeline for the non-profit venture.

Chairman of the An-Noor Muslim Association, Abdulsamad Pandor.

“So the debate which has deteriorated into an anti-Muslim debate, even carrying racial overtones, following the announcement in the Press about the coming development are unfortunate and unnecessary,” the chairman of the An-Noor Muslim Association, Abdulsamad Pandor, expressed to Barbados TODAY as he told the story behind the project and sought to clear up numerous misconceptions.

“There is nothing secretive about it or nothing exclusive about it,” he stressed during an interview at his Oxnards, St James home.

An-Noor was formed three years ago to look after the welfare of the 50 Muslim homes in the general Wanstead, Cave Hill, Husbands, Prior Park, Crystal Heights and Upper Black Rock areas. And though those Muslims, like the billions across the world who follow the Islamic faith, are requiredto pray five times a day, they have no specific place to worship.

“We have been looking for a place in this general area to say our prayers as a group for several years. We have identified one or two spots but each time we approached authorities about the spots we were told you are not going to get permission to put a mosque there because it is a residential area, which is strange because there are churches in residential areas,” he said.

After knocking at those closed doors, Pandor said his group was advised that perhaps the best way to get permission to build a mosque was to acquire land where Muslims would live.

“So we drove around and we found this piece of land opposite Queen’s College and we approached the owners of the land and they agreed that they would sell it . . . . We said, ‘Look, we are going to buy it if we can get permission to put up a place of worship because that is our ultimate aim’.

“The people that were selling it to us were very good to us and drew up a plan, divided it into lots and put a spot where the mosque should be and they submitted it to the Town and Planning Department and it was approved. Town and Planning said, ‘Fine this is good, you have a community here and you have a mosque’,” Pandor said.

He further explained: “But . . . we figured if we can sell the lots at X dollars per square foot we would raise enough money to buy all of the land, including the land for the mosque. So members of the community thought it was a great idea and straight off, without advertising or even knowing what they were buying, we sold 30 lots and raised enough money to buy the land. Then we proceeded to cut the road and show the brothers and sisters where their lots were.”

Why were the lots never advertised to be purchased by the general public? This is a question that the chairman said he was sure many non-Muslim Barbadians may want answered.

“What’s the point in putting up for sale when the moment we announced more than 33 lots were sold like that? So there was no need to go to a real estate agent or there was no need to put up For Sale,” he pointed out.

A For Sale sign erected on one of the lots.

The chairman disclosed that one lot owner has decided that he does not want to build on the spot and has erected a For Sale sign on his piece of land. According to Pandor, the owner could not be stopped from carrying out his desired move and emphasized that the covenants for the lots do not mandate sales to Muslims only.

“It could be sold to anybody. And even if a Muslim builds an apartment, he can rent it out to whoever he wants and that could be anybody because the developers of the land cannot tell him who to rent to. It may very much end up that many non-Muslims end up living in the area even if they do not own the spots because they could be renters,” he suggested.

Getting back to the reason behind the project, Pandor explained that as was the case all over the world, Muslims preferred to live close to a mosque. It was sometimes difficult for Muslims living in surrounding St James districts to get to a mosque when prayers were called.

“If I have to go to Kensington five times a day to pray, I have to get into my car, drive down there, the prayer takes five to ten minutes and then I have to get back in my car and come home and two of the prayers are during peak travelling time. Whereas there at Clermont, the people who live in the vicinity can roll off their bed and go to the mosque because the houses will all be built three or four yards maximum away from the mosque.”

In response to concerns from residents living close to the proposed development about noise coming from the mosque when the prayers were taking place, Pandor assured that would not be a problem.

“We have agreed that we would not use speakers in this mosque so you wouldn’t even hear the call to prayer. These days with modern technology you can put a receiver in your house and wirelessly connect to the mosque so we could call the prayer in the mosque and people in their homes can hear it.

“The most you are going to see is people driving in and you are not going to hear a ping because prayers are conducted very softly . . . ,” he assured.

Dismissing speculation about the exclusiveness of the community, the chairman noted that this would not be the first time or place in Barbados that Muslims would be living among each other.

“If you go into Kensington New Road, there are at least 12 Muslim homes and they were there from the time I was a boy. Muslims have been living in Barbados since 1910 and that’s 104 years. My grandfather himself came here in 1933 and my father came in the early 1940s.

“People of my generation who are not young people were born here and grew up here. I went to school here, I have worked in Government, I have worked in the private sector all my life. We see ourselves as Barbadians. When West Indies play cricket we support the West Indies team even when they are playing against India,” said a passionate Pandor.

Muslim Nabeel Ali, who expects to be living in the community with his immediate family after they relocate from Canada, said he chose the area primarily because of its closeness to family and the mosque. The businessman said that he had attended meetings related to the project and it was never raised directly or even suggested that this would be “an exclusive community”. However, he said he believed the misconceptions from the non-Muslim community came from tainted pictures being painted about Muslims
in the international media.

Nabeel Ali is one of the plot owners in the Clermont, St James project.

“Although there may be a minority of people doing something, there is the idea that people of the same class or the same race or religion have the same inclination. So I understand why people would feel apprehensive but, again, I don’t think it’s a logical [response],” Ali quipped.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

Barbados TODAY continues its series on the Muslim community with their call for Barbadians not to fear them. 

As militant attacks by the ISIS terrorist group continues to make headlines across the world, the Muslim community in Barbados is focused on spreading mercy, tolerance, love and brotherhood – all principles of the Islamic faith. That is why there is no need for non-Muslims in Barbados to fear members of the community rising up against the general population.

This is the message echoed by Imam Aakil Bhula, as he shared his opinions with Barbados TODAY about the terrorist group, showing how its negative activities differed from the true teachings of Islam, which Muslims here adhered to.

“I guess I have as much information of who ISIS is as you do – and as everyone else does. Basically, what we know is from the media, that ISIS is a breakaway faction of Al-Qaeda, who are even more radical than Al-Qaeda.

“There are many people in the name of religion or religious zeal who misinterpret things to suit [themselves],” said Bhula. “There are people who will do things in the name of Christianity; and there are Muslims, in the name of Islam, who will do what they want to do.

“It is like a person in an organization doing something the organization does not approve of, and then the organization comes out in the paper and says so; and so doesn’t have any links to [such person]. The same thing has happened here. Here is a group of people, and they are doing certain things that go against all that Islam explains.

“That is why I always say to check back to the source. Check back and see what Islam is, and if they are doing something that is contrary to Islam. Then you know that they are not representing Islam at all,” the imam affirmed.

Bhula is of the view that checking back with the sources means looking at the Islamic faith, its principles and teachings. What is Islam? Islam, with its word meaning being surrender or submission, is one of the world’s major religions with approximately 1.2 billion adherents, right behind Christianity that has 1.9 billion, and surpasses Judaism with its 14 million.

Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam teaches monotheism, which is the doctrine that there is only one God in all existence. The religion also teaches that Allah (God) is supreme, all-knowing, ever-present, different from all creations, is in complete control of all things, having created the universe, which continues to exist by His permission and will.

The Koran is the sacred book of Muslims and is broken up into 114 chapters called suras that cover a wide range of subjects, including ethics, history, law, theology and science. Muslims consider Muhammad to be the final prophet of God to the world.

“When I study The Koran, Islam actually means peace,” said Imam Bhula. “One of the names of God is Peace. And over and over again in The Koran it teaches the better person is the one who forgives. The Koran has been interpreted by the prophet, peace be upon him, practically, and his companions who would have continued and carried on the message.

“And when we look at their behaviour and how they conducted themselves –– whether they were with Muslims or those who are not Muslims –– there is this general pattern of love and peace and mercy,” the imam explained.

He continued: “In The Koran we are commanded that the prophet is the perfect example for you. Study the life of the prophet and you will see what true Islam is. And throughout his life you would see that no matter whom he was with, it could have been an old lady stopping him and wanting to speak to him, he stopped spoke to her, fulfilled her request and carried on.”

Bhula stressed that the objective of Muslims in Barbados was to live in peace and harmony, as they had done since coming to the island 104 years ago.

“It is not that a Muslim would want to take over Barbados. There is no need to fear that one day people are going to get up and say we want to take over or do something radical,” he said. “We go to school here; I went to public schools. We grew up with Muslim friends and non-Muslim friends, and we do the same things that everyone else does. It is not that we are here to do something else, or we are here to do something different,” he said.

What is different about Muslims would perhaps be their wear, because they dress as Muslims. You would see them going to the mosque, because that is their sacred place of worship where they pray five times a day. You would not see them in the rum shops drinking alcohol, or in a casino gambling, because those are forbidden actions in their religion.

“We adhere to our faith, and that’s it. The root of Islam is that you be kind to your neighbours; not only left hand and right hand. Extend it it to 40 doors down. Be kind to your family. When you live in a society you have to be kind, you have to be nice, you have to be gentle.

“In Islamic land, both Muslims and non-Muslims are given rights; but we are here in this society where there are people of all different religions and we have to uphold that respect and that honour and love for each and every person. You are told be charitable to Muslims, non-Muslims, and even animals. It is significant in our religion that even animals have rights,” Imam Bhula said.

There are about 3,000 Muslims living in Barbados, and five mosques.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

Tensions ran high and police had to be called in as the bitter impasse between management of the Barbados Community College (BCC) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) escalated this morning.

Just after 11 a.m, a visibly upset NUPW general secretary Dennis Clarke exchanged sharp words with management of the Howell’s Cross Road, St Michael institution after he turned up for a scheduled meeting with union members and was initially denied entry to the compound by guards.

Clarke then parked his Audi vehicle on the outside and walked into a meeting which principal Gladstone Best was holding with staff in the Liberal Arts Auditorium to reportedly discuss industrial matters, health and safety issues, and general concerns.

“The workers since yesterday agreed that I should come and see them today,” Clarke told the media outside the gate.

“This is a public place. Yesterday, I avoided any confrontation with him [the principal] and therefore I went up, parked my car and I came back down here and I spoke to the workers. I am not doing that today when he is wrong,” Clarke said, while stressing that “the NUPW is a bonefide trade union and the fact of the matter is that we want to meet with our members to discuss a matter that the board is completely ignoring”.

In the meantime, a very composed-looking Best sat quietly with a microphone nestled in his hand, listening to an angry Clarke who informed the principal that he had a right to meet with his members at the college since it was a public space. Clarke also said he had informed the principal of the union’s meeting.

After listening for sometime, Best told the members of staff, who were assembled in the hall, that they were dismissed. With that, some got up and went back to their classrooms, while others converged outside the auditorium where they were addressed by Clarke, NUPW president Walter Maloney and deputy chairperson of the NUPW/BCC Shop Stewards Council, Margo Bannister.

Here, a visibly upset NUPW boss Dennis Clarke (centre) makes a point to principal Gladstone Best (seated left), as NUPW president Walter Maloney looks on.

The NUPW general secretary said he intended to write the principal later in the day indicating he would be coming back tomorrow.

“I am coming when the sun is a little cooler. I am coming at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. We going meet every day until we get somebody to the table to sit down and discuss these matters,” Clarke warned.

Meanwhile, Bannister stated it was time Best stood in solidarity with workers.

“If management could bar them [NUPW officials] from coming in here, by extension they are telling us that we don’t have a right by association to join any union to come and represent our interests. So if staff want to live under apartheid, communism or whatever system, I will not be a part of that.

“And I think that it is time, that we either call for Dr Best to come and stay with us, stand for something, or go with the board,” Bannister shouted.

Maloney noted that last night the NUPW had held a council meeting and it was decided that Clarke, who is due to proceed on pre-retirement leave tomorrow, would remain with the BCC matter until it was resolved.     

However, the BCC principal is contending that the college’s management is still waiting on the NUPW to respond to its request to negotiate.

In a paid release published in this evening’s Barbados TODAY, Best said the BCC had written to the NUPW requesting a meeting to discuss a number of outstanding matters, including cost-cutting measures.

“BCC was requested by the Ministry of the Civil Service to reduce the number of posts at the college by 75. To date, BCC has not received a response from the NUPW and awaits its response to meet with the management of BCC to resolve these matters within the established framework set out for collective bargaining in this country.”

Dr Best also responded to the NUPW’s claims that union officials were prevented from meeting in the BCC auditorium yesterday, describing them as “false”.

“On Tuesday, 28 October, 2014, BCC received a letter from the NUPW requesting permission to meet with staff in the auditorium on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. Since the college was closed on Monday, 27 October, 2014, due to bad weather being experienced in Barbados, the college informed the NUPW that it was in the best interest of the students not to disrupt the college for a 9:30 am meeting, but gave the NUPW permission to hold the meeting at 3:30 p.m. on the same day,” he explained.

“This was communicated to the NUPW by the principal. Mr Clarke’s statement that they were locked out of the auditorium is therefore false.”

The BCC head also questioned the union’s claim that it represented part-time staff at the college.

“The NUPW . . . has not provided BCC with any certification to validate its claim,” pointed out the college principal.             

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

Barbados TODAY continues its series on the local Muslim community.

For over 100 years, East Indian salesmen have silently moved from door to door crediting household items to Barbadians. The only sound they make is the beep of a horn, signalling to their customers that they are outside to collect money owed them, or have new items for sale.

But there is much more to the story of these businessmen who are usually of the Muslim faith.

And veteran salesman Ashraf Kazi, who has been in the business since since 1979 after taking over from his father, and Anwar Nana, who joined 25 years ago, were there to tell it.

Ashraf Kazi says Indian salesmen develop friendships with their clients.

Do not refer to any of them as the “coolie man”, because that is a derogatory, says Kazi.

When the new type of business was introduced to society around 1910, instead of driving, salesmen had no choice but to walk from door to door. Then, there was just a few of them. Now, there are approximately 200 salesmen covering the length and breadth of Barbados.

Both men indicated that while times had changed, business had also been transformed.

Nana said he believed traditional salesmen had made a phenomenal contribution to the country’s landscape, having started offering the credit system to the poor who could not afford to purchase items at cash prices.

“People knew our surnames by car numbers. I would find people would come and tell me, ‘You are 1810 Nana. Your father helped me to go to school; your father sent my brothers and sisters to school’. So that is the contribution that we made,” Nana said.

Anwar Nana cherishes his relationships with his customers.

The biggest advantage these salesmen offered was that they credited items without carrying out any background checks on their clients, as was mandatory by other businesses.

“And we don’t charge interest; so there is no interest. It is against our religion to charge interest. We give you a credit price and if you take a month to pay or ten years to pay, that price remains the same. We try to be reasonable and hope people pay us back in a reasonable time,” Nana stressed.

Kazi remarked that things had changed in the industry where salesmen had moved from primarily selling clothing and basic household items and necessities to adding major appliances, lumber, and even cars, to the availability list.

“But it depends on the relationship with your client; and it has to be someone that you have been dealing with over the years,” Nana noted.

The meaning of persistence is the existence of something continued or prolonged. To these salesmen, over the years, this word has become their best friend, and a strategic measure used whenever dealing with a difficult customer.

“For us, it is strictly persistence and relying on the honesty of the public to pay,” Nana said.

Meanwhile, Kazi, who said he only took new customers by reference suggested: “We don’t really take any harsh measurements. If it is a lot of money somebody owes us, then we might have to get a bailiff or something. But we hardly do that; we try to reason with the people to try to get at least some of the money.

“We are not tough like stores in town where you have to pay in a short term. I have been in this business for 40 years and I have never quarrelled with a customer or carried on in a rough way.”

Nana, the younger of the two men, said a growing trend was emerging in the industry. More people wanted loans.

“Because of what is happening economically, we find a lot of customers asking us for loans. Customers whose light bill needs to be paid would call and say, ‘Could I have something until the end of the month?’; and that is a lot more prevalent now for the last five or six years,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Crime is also another issue that these salesmen have fought in recent years, because they faced the reality that “salesmen are ready targets” for being robbed or killed –– as had happened in 2010.

To deal with this growing matter which has caused concern among those involved in the business, Kazi said they stayed away from high-risk areas at particular times and tried to go off the road early.

“We go around, and any new faces we spot in a village we have to be wary of who they are. We have problems with guys looking to stick you up because they think that the Indian salesman has money because he is out from morning doing business –– even though we take our safety measures and do things to alleviate these threats . . . ,” explained Nana.

Muslims in general are thrifty people, and if they collect a sum of money, they will save some for a rainy day.

Their disciplined method of saving has caused them to step up economically in society and to live a better life.

As he commented on the topic of salesmen’s saving abilities, Kazi said: “We save and we try to get a better house and we try to educate our children to give them a better opportunity.”

He continued: “Some salesmen were not educated. For me, I had a choice because I went to Presentation College. I also went to Barbados Community College. My brother is an ophthalmologist.

“I had a whole lot of opportunities, but I took over my father’s business. My father was getting old and my brother went to university and I took over his role. We have now evolved and our children are going to university, taking good jobs. Some have become doctors and engineers.”

Both Kazi and Nana believe that door-to-door salesmen would be seen around for many more years because of the nature and benefits of this trade.

“It’s a self-employed business where what you put in you will get back. If you work 40 hours at a shop, you will not earn [what] you work 40 hours here for. You will earn more in this business. And you are not depending on anyone. You can go to work when you like. If you don’t feel like going to work, you don’t have to go to work.

“If you want to make money, you have to work. It will take a good time before it will drift away. It will take another 40 or 50 years before its drifts away,” Kazi said.

According to Nana, it was not all business being exchanged between him and his customers. Most of them have become good friends he has cherished, and they can call on him at any time if they need to.

“I would help them because it is a relationship. In this business you get to meet people. People would come and tell us their problems; so you go out and sort out marital problems, and girlfriend and boyfriend problems. My customers and I go and sit in their house. And I have cases where customers would say, ‘The television is there; you can watch whatever you want to watch’. They have problems, we have problems; and we will talk to one another,” Nana explained.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

The Barbadians who became lost at sea for three days after encountering difficulties as a result of stormy weather are thanking God they are alive today and are extending gratitude to those who came to their rescue.

It was around 8:30 a.m. last Saturday when captain Arthur Alleyne, 63, also known as Captain Sam, and his 59-year-old wife Sharon Went-Alleyne began sailing from St Lucia and were expected to arrive in Barbados around 2:30 a.m the next day to deliver a 47-foot vessel named the Serenity.

This was a mission Captain Arthur told Barbados TODAY this afternoon during a telephone interview from his St Lucia home, he had undertaken countless times as he delivered boats across the world annually.

However, this time around, they experienced bad weather 20 miles north west of Barbados, as they headed towards Port St Charles, St Peter.

It was at that point that the vessel developed engine trouble and ran adrift.

THANKFUL
A Barbadian couple living in St Lucia are counting their lucky stars today after spending three days at sea and battling bad weather for hours.  Earlier this week rescue teams went out searching for Captain Arthur Alleyne and his wife Sharon Went-Alleyne who encountered difficulty as they sailed from St Lucia to Barbados. Eventually, they found their way back to St Lucia on Wednesday morning.  Here, Captain Arthur (left) and his wife Sharon pose for a picture three hours after they arrived home.

“We got demolished by this storm so we had to drift back down and steer the boat down between the channels of St Lucia and St Vincent whereby saving our lives, but nobody knew we were there,” Alleyne explained.

“The batteries in the boat went flat, the towers would not pick us up.

“When we broke down off Barbados. I tried my LIME phone and the reception is apparently 18 miles out, but we were 20 miles out. It was unreal because we saw no boats, no fish, no birds, nothing for three days. It was unbelievably dull and the sky was grey all the time,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Usually between St Lucia and St Vincent there is heavy yacht traffic and fishing boats, but Alleyne said “we saw nothing, not even a cruise ship”.

He said while he was accustomed to battling stormy conditions, the three day ordeal required that he remained focused, while calling on basic survival skills and depending primarily on drinking water until they arrived in Soufriere, St Lucia.

“We really have to thank God that we got back in because if we had gone three or four more days, we would have been too weak to do anything. And, they probably would have found us dead on the boat drifting somewhere, maybe towards Venezuela or something like that,” Alleyne suggested.

While describing the public support they got as “amazing”, he said this week’s ordeal was certainly one he would never want to experience again.

“My wife and I are overwhelmed by the amount of support, not only from Barbados, but from St Lucia and all over the world. We have to thank God and we have to thank our family, friends, extended friends and people who do not even know us from all over the world. We have to thank everyone who went out of their way to assist,” Captain Arthur said.

“There were people who took their own personal money putting fuel on their boats and planes and flying looking for us. We did not see one plane until the day we were going into Soufriere on Wednesday morning and that was Mr C.O. Williams’ plane.

“I want to thank him personally for that. But what happened is that we were on the west coast of the islands and the rescue teams followed the storm and that was going north. So everybody was concentrating on the east side of the island chain, while we were on they west side,” the captain recalled.

“It was horrendous,” his wife remarked in the background.

Alleyne, who has over 40 years’ experience, is the former captain of celebrity ship Brigg Unicorn, which was used in the filming of all three Pirates Of The Caribbean movies, as well as in the television series Roots.

He said the ordeal was just an example of what seamen faced everyday as they worked on the ocean.

“People don’t realize the dangers that we are in everyday out there. We look for support services from our telecommunication services and coast guard systems. We depend heavily on these people because you can’t get a roadside mechanic if you break down, you are literally on your own,” he said.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbados TODAY’S Muslim series comes to an end today with 30-year-old Heather Rahman, who converted to the faith 12 years ago, speaking about her beliefs and experiences.

Her name is Heather Rahman, and she chooses to be nothing else in life but a proud Muslim woman.

“I love Islam, and I love being a strong Muslim woman,” the 30-year-old declared to Barbados TODAY as she opened the doors to her life as a Muslim, speaking about her strong belief in the faith and how she has accepted and copes with being her husband’s second wife.

However, Rahman was not born into Islam.

Heather Rahman speaking on her life as a Muslim woman.

She joined the religion at 18 after meeting a young male Muslim, her first love, who nurtured her appreciation for and devotion to the faith.

“My dad was peeved. He kicked me out. A Muslim sister let me live with her, but I needed to work to support myself. Then his [the young male’s] parents decided they didn’t want him marrying me, and they took him up the States.

“When he left, I removed my head cover, because I said, ‘I am going to interviews and I am not getting through. It has to be my head cover’. My first interview without my hijab, I got the job. I borrowed my friend’s little skirt and jacket and did my hair and make-up, and the interview was less than five minutes; and I got it,” she recalled.

After her first love left, Rahman started dating an older British Pakistani whom she married and moved to England with. She described that first marriage as a major mistake –– in which   she not only suffered abuse, but attempts at diversions from her Islamic teachings and the sacred word of The Koran.

“I was 21, and he wanted the Heather that he had met –– in skinny jeans and make-up and heels –– to parade for his family, so that they could say he was married to a pretty black girl. I didn’t want to be that; I wanted to be the practising Muslim. So that marriage lasted like nine months. He went to breakfast, and I went to the airport and I came back home.”

Rahman said what bothered her most about that failed marriage was the fact the dress code of her religion was clashing with the wants of her husband. In her eyes, any woman who professed to be “a true Muslim would not sacrifice her modest way of dressing for anybody”.

“I love my wear and how I am supposed to dress as a Muslim woman. When I joined, I felt free that I did not have to be sexy all the time. I dress pretty nicely in my house, and when my husband comes by me, I’ve got on pumpum shorts.

“I don’t have to dress up for the rest of the world. Sometimes I do dress up. If you go inside and look on my dressing table, you would see I have lots of make-up because I love make-up.

“I love my hair which is red, and now I think I am looking to change it to blonde. I love dressing up but I don’t have to do it for everybody to see, which to me is a vanity. Something is wrong with that mentality,” she said.

Pointing to the beauty of her black flowing hijab (a veil worn particularly by a Muslim woman beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of the immediate family, and which symbolizes modesty, privacy and morality), Rahman continued: “I use to model, and I use to do commercials and stuff; and I didn’t like the way I saw society. I used to always go out with men with influence and who have money because I don’t see what is the point with your going and sleeping with a man and it is pointless.

“I didn’t like that I could go out for him, have children for him, and five years still be unmarried. He could leave me. There is nothing that says he has to look after me.

“But in Islam, if you want to see my beauty, which would be my hair or the shape of my body, you have to marry me, or you have to be a part of my immediate family; and I love that. In order for you to see me –– all of me –– you got to pay a price.”

The twin says she is now happily remarried to a man of her own faith, though she and the four children she has got with him share his love with another woman and another child.

Eight years ago, Rahman met her present husband through the Internet, where most of their dating also took place. Three months later they had an Islamic marriage on the phone.

In September of that same year she moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to begin her life with her husband who is involved in the banking industry.

“I loved my husband from the first moment I saw him. Of course, over eight years we have had our highs and lows; but we trotted through it, and we are still together.

Another thing an outspoken Rahman loves about Islam is that it practises polygamy, which is not such a popular thing among those of the faith here in Barbados.

“A lot of women don’t like it. Most men can handle more than one wife and they do it whether we like to accept it or not. I am my husband’s second wife; we have been married for eight years and it has worked out very fine. When I wasn’t Muslim, quite a few times I was the outside woman, and that was nice because I didn’t have to deal with him 24/7 and I still                   got the money.

“But again, I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t have to look after me. Polygamy speaks to the nature of human beings. Most men can love and do want more than one woman; they can handle it easily, that’s their nature. Some woman may marry to her husband and he would have an outside woman for 20 years and she is living happily in ignorance; and he is happy and everybody is happy. But if you want to admit it or not, you are still in a polygamous situation; you are sharing your husband,” she stated frankly.

How exactly does a woman live a polygamous life? What does the process entail?

The wife’s first response was that there were Islamic rules which must be followed in order to carry out a polygamous relationship.

The first, was that for a man to go into polygamy he must to be able to afford it.

“If he is dead broke and could barely put clothes on the children’s backs he has with one wife, he should not get another one. In Islam he would be questioned on the Day of Judgment for that choice,” she said.

“When I married him as his second wife, I spoke to his first wife. We got to know each other, and we used to go on the same vacations together. But if he wanted to put me in the same house with her, it ain’t going happen because I ain’t living in the same house with no woman.

“I was in one house and she was in one house. He would be the wanderer between the two houses. And even if he wanted to to live there, he would have to ask her permission because the house is hers. You pay the bills, but the house is hers.

“When I was there, what happened was he would do every two nights with us. Some men   do every other night. He has to give us equal time. If he goes on vacation to America with her for a week he has to give me back a week, because he took time from me.

“In money, he has to give us fairly; and it doesn’t have to be down the middle, because I have four kids and she has one. Of course, he can’t divide his heart equally. But I really don’t care which one of us he likes more. He pays my bills, I love him, he takes care of the children. What more can I ask for?” she added.

While living in Riyadh and meeting her husband and children needs, Rahman also taught English through which she learned more about the people and culture of the country. She came to know, for example and to her disappointment, that she could not drive as a woman. And she came to the the enlightening reality that weddings were most extravagant and elaborate.

A picture provided by Heather Rahman showing a picture of a mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she lived for eight years.

She also operated a kindergarden at her villa after closing her recruitment company. But after living there illegally for sometime and “working too hard”, leaving nannies to raise her children –– ranging in ages from seven to one –– who could not attend school because they were not Saudi Arabians though they were born there, Rahman decided to return home early this year after taking advantage of an amnesty period in Riyadh last year.

“I missed home and I wanted my children to go to school and live a normal life. I may go back; but for now I am enjoying it here. The children are at an Islamic school and I enjoy taking care of them.

“My husband is supposed to be coming to see us soon; but we talk to him on Skype every day,” said the mother who explained her children were American nationals.

Islam has done so much to contribute to her development as a woman, she would admit to you. And while some may question her way of life, Rahman says “sincerely, because of my Islamic beliefs I cannot complain”.

“And I have great friends from Islam, and they are like that because of our teaching in Islam. There are five pillars of Islam, and to be a Muslim you have to practise these things. One of them is giving to charity; and the smallest is smiling, which is what I try to do.

“If you are having a bad day and you see me, and I smile and I give you a joke or something, your whole day is uplifted,” she explained.

If you see her at the mall or the beach, you need not be hesitant in asking her any questions on being a Muslim woman.

“When I go out, I smile and I interact with people, because I want them to know if you have something to ask, ask me. Most of the time I get asked, ‘Are you a part of ISIS?’.

“I engage them because I want them to know that they can speak to me. I will always be Muslim because everything else just does not make sense to me from the standpoint of knowing what Islam is. I can’t be anything else besides Muslim . . . ,” the woman who prays to Allah [God] five times a day reemphasized.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

The manufacturing sector is very much alive and still presents real opportunities for graduates entering the workforce.

As he addressed the 2014 graduation ceremony of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic over the weekend, Manager of Meridian Caribbean Ziad Khan told the graduating class that Barbados needed fresh talent to get ahead and he suggested they pursue careers in manufacturing.

General Manager of the Meridian Caribbean Inc Ziad Kazan.

“Barbados needs the talent that we have in house. We want you to chose local careers. We do not want to be importing labourers and engineers and consultants from overseas. We have them right here. There is no need to shy away thinking the manufacturing sector is dead.

“The manufacturing sector has real opportunities if you are looking at a meaningful career. The key to life is having an opened mind . . . We believe that the manufacturing sector is one that has been under represented over the years and hence why it is important for us to ensure that our young people can see the full potential of opportunities that we can offer in the manufacturing sector,” said the member of the Barbados Manufacturers Association.

Khan reminded the graduates that attitude was the one thing that had the greatest potential to shape their futures. He also told them that while it was inevitable that they would always face new challenges in life, it was their reaction to those issues which defined them.

“Attitude my friends is a great empowerer. Keep it in check. In life some people only see the challenges while others see opportunities. The difference between the two is there are positive attitudes. A negative thinker sees difficulty in every opportunity, but a positive thinker sees opportunity in every difficulty,” the speaker advised.

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) is preparing to put a proposal to the relevant authorities for an Ebola screening unit to be set up in Barbados.

BAMP President Dr Carlos Chase made this disclosure to Barbados TODAY last evening during an Ebola Preparedness Education and Simulation Session for doctors at the Errol Walrond Clinical Skills Building at the University of the West Indies.

BAMP President Dr Carlos Chase

During the question and answer section of the session, some doctors voiced concern that neither they nor their offices were fully prepared to deal with any suspected Ebola cases.

A few of these practitioners suggested to Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John, who was present at the session organized by BAMP in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, that a screening facility, equipped with specially trained doctors and assistant staff, be included in the island’s Ebola response plans.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John

“Instead of everybody coming to the doctor or the polyclinic, it might be better to get a screening centre or a screening unit better suited for that purpose.

“They [doctors] don’t have the actual equipment in their offices now,” pointed out Dr Chase.

“As we saw in the demonstration, we need three people to put on the equipment, a separate room for dressing, a separate room for undressing. So that is why some doctors are concerned,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Dr St John informed the practitioners that the Ministry was not expecting doctors’ offices to be turned into screening facilities. However, she said they must be prepared in case “someone self selects and goes to one of your facilities because that is what they are accustomed doing”.

“They are accustomed to coming to you for everything, so they may not be thinking, ‘it is Ebola’.

“We are trying to prepare you, not to be the screening facilities, but in case someone slips through, we are trying our best that everyone is on the same page,” she said.

The educational session highlighted the identification, notification and isolation of suspected Ebola cases, key aspects of personal protection, demonstration of personal protective equipment use and decontamination of an area with a suspected case.

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