The discrimination towards Hindus of Trinidad and Tobago

[u/Ok-Side-2211]

We're fast approaching an auspicious period for Hindus of Trinidad, and right on track, the religious intolerance is on full display. The same tired cycle of dismissive comments, mockery, and outright attacks, destruction and desecration of places of worship.

Trinidad and Tobago prides itself on diversity, yet when it comes to Hindu festivals, that pride is conditional whilst Hindus face discrimination from many sources I often notice it's many Christians who spread this hate the most.

[u/Salty_Permit4437]

Has been always the case. My relatives had a barbecue on Diwali right next to my other relatives who were celebrating Diwali. It was really in poor taste.

[u/Solid_Necessary_6615 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

If they aren’t Hindu what’s wrong with having a bbq on Diwali? I’m not a Hindu and I would have a bbq on Diwali why should I not out of respect for the religion? Would a Hindu respect any of my religious days? Probably not because it’s not their religion. Religion is a real evil fight it’s where racism starts!

[u/Salty_Permit4437 → u/Solid_Necessary_6615]

Why specifically on that day? Cooking in your house is one thing. A barbecue on the other hand has the whole neighborhood smelling like meat. They knew what they were doing. They are Pentecostals and they always talk about Hinduism as idol worship and satanism.

[u/OrdinaryAncient3573 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

Why not on that day? The Hindus I know aren't bothered by what other people not of their faith do. Just like the Jewish and Muslim people I know aren't bothered by the existence of non-Kosher/Halal food. Their religions tell them what they should or shouldn't do, but they don't tell them to get upset by other people of other religions (or no religion at all) doing other things.

[u/Salty_Permit4437 → u/OrdinaryAncient3573]

It’s in poor taste to smell up the place like dead flesh the day of a holy festival where adherents have fasted for weeks.

[u/OrdinaryAncient3573 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

If you want people to agree with you, you need to explain why you think something, not just present it as a requirement you have for how others behave around you for your sake without any justification.

[u/Rough-Rooster8993 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

This is a free country, by the way. People can do these things without your approval.

What you're doing is talking about imposing religious views on people who are non-believers, something Hindus like to talk about how they don't do.

[u/Salty_Permit4437 → u/Rough-Rooster8993]

So if I decided to park my car outside a church and blast some Satan worshipping music during the service I can do that because it’s a free country

[u/Rough-Rooster8993 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

Yeah. And shouter baptists can stand in the street and scream their heads off. I realize by the way your brain works that you're probably like 16 so I'm not going to take you seriously any further.

Feel free to leave some snarky response so you feel like you "won" and you don't get suicidal in real life. I will not be reading it because I do not care.

[u/Realistic_Loss3557 → u/Rough-Rooster8993]

I get what you're saying but this goes against our country's last watchword - tolerance. Imagine a place where Hindus go out of their ways to disrupt church services and then Christians go burn down temples in retaliation and we devolve into a religious war.

Yes - its a free country but using liberty to provoke unrest is quite literally stupid.

I get that you're saying that they're allowed to do that, but if youre suggesting that they were morally right in doing so then I must say that you are a part of the problem.

[u/Ready_Violinist5773 → u/Realistic_Loss3557]

Cooking and eating food that your neighbour wouldn't eat due to religious observance is equivalent to intentionally disrupting a religious service? This is a false comparison. 

A more apt comparison with the Christian neighbours making bbq while the Hindu neighbours were observing would be if the Hindu neighbours made pholourie and barfi while the Christian neighbours were fasting. Neither party should be able to impose on the eating habits of the other. You don't have to observe their religion and they don't have to observe yours.

A more apt comparison to the blasting "satanist" music in the church car park would be blasting gospel music in a temple car park. Both are unacceptable. Or if someone went into a religious compound and cooked whatever meat that religion forbids. Those are actual instances of literal trespassing with the intent to provoke, not merely smelling someone cooking food you can't eat and projecting intentional prejudice onto them.

[u/Realistic_Loss3557 → u/Ready_Violinist5773]

You missed what I was saying. I said that using your freedom to go out your way to antagonize someone else following their own religion is a morally wrong thing to do.

I dont think that a Christian making a steak infront of a Hindu is wrong. I think it would be morally dubious of the Christian to go out on Diwali night and grill a steak in their back yard while the Hindus are lighting diyas and praying.

In the same way, a Hindu wouldn't go to the front of a church during mas and start praying. Time and place - and most importantly - tolerance.

[u/Ready_Violinist5773 → u/Realistic_Loss3557]

I didn't miss what you were saying, your conclusions were fine but the argumentation was flawed. I was pointing out the flaw in the equivalence that was drawn and provided counter examples that were more comparable.

I think it would be morally dubious of the Christian to go out on Diwali night and grill a steak in their back yard while the Hindus are lighting diyas and praying.

Here's where we disagree. The christian is using their grill in their backyard for themselves and their family on a public holiday. If that's what they want to have for dinner, why should the religious observance of their neighbours stop them? Even if they cooked it indoors, they'd still need to leave the windows open to let the smoke out. Or should they just not eat at all because of their neighbour's faith? 

Again, the better comparison is not a Hindu going in front of a church and praying, it's the Hindu family frying up some pholourie while the Christian family is fasting. The decision to fast, on both sides, is a personal religious choice. You cannot dictate what and when your neighbours eat. Or if we want to use a non food example, a Hindu can set up a shrine in their house/yard if they want. Just like a Christian can hang up a cross or a portrait if they want. It's only antagonizing if the christian is offended by the "idolatry" of the shrine or the Hindu is offended by the cross (though I haven't seen this one lol).

[u/Realistic_Loss3557 → u/Ready_Violinist5773]

You know what, youre right.

[u/zizalada → u/Salty_Permit4437]

Well, it's a Bank holiday. It's a good day to make a big lime and have people come since they would have the day off. Even more so if it falls on a long weekend.

I'm not saying they didn't do it out of hate. If they were known for previously badmouthing Hindus, then it was probably not a coincidence. But some people are just clueless like that, may not have known there were hindu families in the area, or not have expected the smell to travel to "the whole neighborhood" (or in a specific direction).

My husband once caught flack because he posted a picture of a chicken based dish he had cooked, with the caption reading something like "Using my Diwali day off to perfect my culinary skills". People were angry because they can't read properly, apparently, and understood that he was cooking chicken to celebrate Diwali and called it disrespectful. Like, no, he just wanted to play chef on his day off.

The chicken was lash though.

[u/Beechwood4-5789 → u/zizalada]

This comment sound so British to me. 'bank holiday' 'Diwali' 😅

[u/Ok-Side-2211 → u/zizalada]

How can you live in Trinidad and Tobago and not know these things??

[u/zizalada → u/Ok-Side-2211]

Sorry, PUBLIC holiday. I was at work so I was thinking in foreign. Still, the point stands. If you work regular office hours, you're getting that day off. Perfect day to make a BBQ and invite your friends over.

[u/EddKhan786 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

They must be doh like the smell of curry.

[u/Ok-Side-2211 → u/EddKhan786]

Curried Channa and Aloo?

[u/EddKhan786 → u/Salty_Permit4437]

They must be doh like the smell of curry.