Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is presented with a copy of the publication Muslims of CARICOM by author Sabir Nakhuda yesterday. (C.Pitt/BGIS)

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has reiterated that the Caribbean has a story to tell and an experience to share, which the world needs to hear.

And, Ms. Mottley is firmly of the view that the sharing of this story is now more relevant, especially in light of the recent global circumstances.

Ms. Mottley made the comments on Wednesday night as she delivered the feature address at the launch of the book Muslims of CARICOM, which was written by Sabir Nakhuda.

The Prime Minister told her audience: “We have a duty to tell those stories.  First, to our own and secondly, to the rest of the world as an inspiration that, in spite of where we have come from, we have known what it is to rise above our circumstances and to celebrate life and to respect the dignity of each other.”

She noted that the capacity to carry bitterness in your heart was there, especially if the person’s history was unpleasant. However, she pointed out that “rather than opt for bitterness, this Caribbean region has shown that it is possible” to create a space where respect for the dignity of each human being was the platform from which societies were built.

Ms. Mottley said our stability as a region could be threatened by global events. “At the heart of those global events is the inability of persons of different faiths and different civilizations to be able to live together and to respect one another, on land masses far larger than anything we have access to,” she told the gathering.

However, she stressed that this region values respect and tolerance.  “A society is as great as it is prepared to accept all among the society, and to ensure that there is not only an absence of discrimination, but a celebration of the diversity of the society,” she emphasized. 

Prime Minister Mottley congratulated Mr. Nakhuda and thanked him for the discipline he showcased in researching and writing the book.  She said he was again leading the way in the regional integration movement.

Muslims of CARICOM shares the history and in-depth contribution Muslims have made to the development of Islamic communities in CARICOM member states. The research chronicles the presence of Islam and Muslims over several centuries in the region.

Mr. Nakhuda’s first book Bengal to Barbados was written in 2013.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

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