Source: Hinduism Today, Anil Mahabir, Trinidad Correspondent
TRINIDAD, January 17, 2002: The non-Christian community in Trinidad, including the nation’s Hindus and Muslims, have come out strongly against the appointment of a “Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs” by the predominantly Afro-Christian government of new Prime Minister, Patrick Manning. But Manning, a publicly declared “born-again Christian,” who was hugged and rated highly by the controversial American evangelist Benny Hinn during his visit to the island in 2000, has defended the appointment and criticized those who have seen it as exclusively Christian in orientation. The appointment has become a contentious issue over the word “ecclesiastical” with almost all the Hindu groups issuing strongly worded press releases and letters to the newspapers which have been critical of the new ministry. The word “ecclesiastical,” they say, has total and exclusive Christian connotations. In fact, the dictionary actually defines the word “ecclesiastical” as “of the Christian church.” The Hindu groups are contending that the ministry headed by a Christian is an insult to Hindus and other non-Christians and asked, “How would Christians feel if the former prime minister, a Hindu, had appointed a minister of “Dharmic” Affairs?” They contend that the prime minister would have been better advised to to appoint a minister whose name had universal connotations such as a “Minister of Religious Affairs.” Hindus constitute the second largest group in the country after the various Christian groups, accounting for over 300,000 of the population.