(Trinidad Express) Multiculturalism Minister Dr Lincoln Douglas has called on radio station hosts to stop talking about race and ethinicity on the airwaves.
In his contribution to the budget debate on Friday, Douglas said this kind of talk could lead to serious unrest in society.
“The world is in a lot of turmoil and distress, millions of people remain refugees, hundreds of thousands have been killed in conflict and every one of these wars of religion or tribal conflict they have one thing in common and that is ethnic conflict exacerbated, manipulated and made deadly by people who believe they can mobilise around tribal manipulations,” said Douglas.
He said the People’s Partnership Government continues to promote love and tolerance and the very formation of a ministry that deals specifically with arts and culture was a prime example.
He noted that there was a “well balanced” mix of Christians, Muslims and Hindus in the Government as he pointed out that in other parts of the world people were suffering.
“Sadness and despair and unimaginable suffering is the lot of many people, if you take Ukraine right now fighting between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Sudan North and South especially there are new ethnic conflict with the Inca and the new ethnic people who have killed scores and thousands of people,” he said.
“NATO led by the United States right now is preparing to deal with ISIS with an ethnic war in Iraq and Syria,” he added.
“I am emphasising these things because there are people right now on the radio who continue to mobilise and continue to talk about race and about ethnicity ad infinitum as if they do not understand the serious consequences of their actions, their behaviours and their thoughts,” said Douglas.
