In a statement to the House of Representatives at the Red House, Port of Spain, Manning defended his right to practise his religion, to seek spiritual advice from whomever he pleases and to worship wherever he wanted as guaranteed under the Constitution.
Citing figures, Manning said millions have been given by the State to the various denominations over the years, particularly the Roman Catholics, Hindus and Muslims among others, but said nobody questions this. In fact, people are reluctant to make negative comments about this, he said, adding that the decision to grant land to a church associated with the Full Gospel Movement – a religion which has received not even a minuscule fraction of what some of the other religions have obtained in State assistance – was being subjected to who, what and why questions. Manning stated further it was not only the Full Gospel Movement but also the prime minister who was being subjected to this discrimination, bias and unfair treatment.
“Mr Speaker, the Constitution guarantees you freedom of association…freedom of religious beliefs, and everybody is free to pursue their beliefs…everybody is free to be advised as he or she sees fit spiritually, by whom he or she wishes,” he said to desk-thumping.
“In the Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholics consult with their priests for spiritual guidance constantly. Nothing is wrong with that. When the member for Siparia, or the member of Fyzabad, or the member for Oropouche East, for that matter, consulted with their pundit or their guru for spiritual advice, nobody says anything wrong with that. When the leader of the opposition, emeritus, the member for Couva North, goes to India and consults with His Holiness, Sai Baba, for spiritual guidance…nothing is wrong with that,” Manning said to more desk-thumping.
“But when the prime minister decides that he would seek spiritual advice from whoever he wishes, the first thing they say is obeah, seerwoman, prophetess. And prophetess is meant to be a disparaging statement. Mr Speaker, that is tantamount to religious persecution of the prime minister!”
More desk-thumping followed. Said Manning: “The prime minister is consulting somebody who is an ordained pastor in the Full Gospel Movement and who is a born-again Christian. It is time the Full Gospel Movement in this country, time that born-again Christians in this country, stop accepting the denigration of their faith!
And particularly, by people who know none of the beliefs or have no idea of the premises of which those beliefs were arrived at in the first place.”
There was more supportive table-thumping.
“You get up and say something about the Hindus and you will find out. You make that mistake. You get up and say something about the Muslims.”
Manning recalled that Salman Rushdie wrote the book Satanic Verses and the Muslims “put a price on his head.” “Rushdie has not resurfaced since then. I am not advocating that in Trinidad and Tobago. I am not advocating that at all, but this persecution of the Full Gospel Movement has to come to an end.” To this, Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said derisively, “Amen, amen and amen,” causing laughter.
“The second crusade has begun,” Basdeo Panday chimed in.
Manning then said the media, in trying to get to the bottom of this, went “all over the place.”
“Listen carefully to what I am about to say. Two days ago, two journalists from a media house in this country went up to Guanapo Heights and interviewed a lady whom they met there, who heads an arm of the church that at one time was with the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church, but there was a split in the church. And after the interview, they had a spiritual experience the likes of which they never had before.”
Subhas Panday shouted: “Spirit lash!”
Said Manning: “I will say it again, the likes of which they never had before. The media will be the first to tell you that the public has a right to know.
And I agree with that. I am calling on those two journalists, who I will not name at this time…to report totally, completely, accurately and faithfully, exactly what happened in that experience. I will let them know, I know all about it. I know all about it, so I am in a position to audit what they say.”
He added, “Mr Speaker, I am giving them one week in which to do it.”
This caused Maharaj to rejoin: “Or yuh hitting them another spirit lash.”
Said Manning: “Mr Speaker, I will tell you this much about it. It put the fear of God in their hearts. I am sure that they are now rethinking their position on all of this. I am sure they are now rethinking it, but I would leave that.”
Basdeo Panday quipped: “The same thing does happen to people who criticise me.”
Manning said he grew up in a Christian home and does not drink or smoke. Stating there was a greater level of “political nastiness” since the UNC internal election, Manning said: “I am a man of strong spiritual beliefs. I will attend any church of my choice. That is my right. I would pursue the faith of my choice. That is my right as it is the right of anybody else.
“I will consult whom I wish for spiritual advice… And I will not be deterred by the slings and arrows of the members opposite… I will stay strong in my faith, and I will bring to the conduct of the Government of this country exactly the principles on which the Constitution is founded, the moral and spiritual values that guarantee the freedom of Trinidad and Tobago.”
