Spain's Ambassador to Trinidad & Tobago, Joaquín de Arístegui Laborde

1. Santa Cruz
2. Santa Clara
3. La Castilla
4. La Gorda
5. La Rábida
6. Santa María de Guía. (Not the Santa Maria that was used in his voyage of 1492. That vessel sank off the shore of Haiti in December of 1492. Columbus returned to Spain with only two vessels, the Niña and the Pinta). 
7. La Gaza
8. La Vaqueña. (It’s possible that this was the ship from which the Admiral first saw Trinidad)

An understanding informed by their religious beliefs and practices

Story by Suleiman Bulbulia: At the recent Religious Summit organized by the Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth in Barbados,  Monsignor Vincent Blackett of the Roman Catholic Church and Chairman of the Barbados Christian Council, speaking on the topic of “Religion and Superstition” disclosed the fact that the coming of the slaves to Barbados meant the coming of Islam to its shores.

Monsignor Blackett stated: “With the advent of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Barbados would see the arrival of several expressions of African religious beliefs and practices including Islam.”

The Monsignor emphasized the importance of understanding the religious practices of the early inhabitants of Barbados, including the Amerindians. Setting aside the topic of Superstition, the Catholic priest focused primarily on the religious practices of the African slaves and dismissed the claims taught by several European historians that “that all the religious symbols that crossed the Atlantic with the arrival of African slaves are evil or of the devil”. Monsignor Blackett argued that Africans did have a worldview and an understanding informed by their religious beliefs and practices.  The Europeans who said otherwise were wrong. “This year marks the 520th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus into this part of the world. This event would change the course of history and perhaps the area that was most affective as a result of Columbus' excursion into this area was Religion... The earlier settlers who came from Britain brought with them the Christian Religion as expressed in Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism and various shades of Puritanism, the Quaker's expression being very strong in the early days.”

Monsignor Blackett went on to make the point that European historians were at a lost to African beliefs: “What the Africans were doing in their back yards was not considered Religion it was devil worship or Magic. No serious attempt was made to understand the way Africans understood the world. Even when the Christians thought it was alright to introduce Christianity to the Africans, they did so with the belief that they were entering virgin religious soils no consideration was given to the world view that guided the Africans”.

On the point of Islam among the slaves he reasoned that: “With the advent of people from the Subcontinent of Asia we have seen the arrival of Hinduism and Islam. We know very little about our brothers and sisters from Asia or the religions that accompanied them. Islam except that most of us associate Islam with what we are getting as a result of the Middle Eastern crisis and many of us believe that Islam came to Barbados with the Asians but this noble religion was here from very early on coming from Africa. Islam might have a far greater effect on the lives of some of the slaves than we may care to admit…”

Monsignor Blackett pointed out that Richard Dunn in his Sugar and Slavery tells us that - "The English disliked the racket they made with trumpets and African hollow-log drums and banned the drums for another reason, because they could be used to signal island-wide revolts. So the slaves made music with calabash gourds fitted out with twine or horse hair strings. The dancers tied rattles to their legs and wrists and cow tails to their rumps, while the on lookers clapped hands and chanted 'Alla, Alla.'"

The Religious Summit, the first of its kind in Barbados, was organized by the Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth under the theme: “THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF RELIGION IN BARBADOS; AN EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES CONFRONTING US AS A NATION”

April 14th 2012, Bridgetown, Barbados: A delegation of seven Muslims joined leaders and representatives of the various religious groups and other social agencies of Barbados at a one-day Religious Summit last Friday.  The Religious Summit, the first of its kind in Barbados, was organized by the Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth under the theme: “THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF RELIGION IN BARBADOS; AN EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES CONFRONTING US AS A NATION”

Representing the Muslim community were President, Secretary and other members of the Barbados Muslim Association, as well representatives of the Barbados Association of Muslim Youth and the Barbados Association of Muslim Ladies.

In his opening address to the Summit, which was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, who also holds the portfolio Ecclesiastical Affairs, stated: “We are not here to debate doctrinal matters or to engage in discourse as to the correctness of one’s belief over the other. There are too many issues facing our nation for us to become engrossed in tribalism. The choice of religious belief is a personal matter. I believe that what unites us in religion is far more important than what divides us in speaking up for a just and decent society.”  The Minister also commended religious groups for their contribution to Barbados, he said “It is a well-known fact that religious groups in Barbados have played a significant role in adding to the social character of our society…I am well aware that all your faith-based groups continue to provide significantly to the nation building and I thank you for this ongoing contribution”.

The Summit explored several issues and six main topics were presented in the pre-lunch session. These topics included Family Life and Religion, The Role of Faith in the Development of Society, Religion and Superstition, Human Sexuality, Crime and its Impact on Society and Solutions to Challenges Facing Marginalized People.

Secretary of the Barbados Muslim Association, Suleiman Bulbulia, spoke on The Role of Faith in the Development of Society.  He pointed out “that one of greatest challenges faced by representatives and practitioners of faiths, is the growing tendency by many of the educated and so-called experts in our modern world to dismiss the role of faith and faith-based solutions to the myriad of problems confronting our society.”

“The view is being espoused that religion is outdated, its concepts archaic and not relevant to today’s modern and advanced society. Even the concept of a Supreme Being, a Creator, God Almighty, is challenged and persons who express their belief in such are considered backward.”

He suggested “that we work towards drawing upon all the faiths in our society to help in the task of building up our society.  Each of our faiths has something to bring to the table.  In our own private domains, be it the church, synagogue, mosque, or temple there are success stories of communities bonding together and achieving for the benefit of all. What we must do now is come out of our comfortable settings and go forth into the wider society and seek to apply those principles and practices that we have all tried and proven successful for ourselves”.

In the post lunch session workshops delving further into each of the six topics were undertaken. All participants divided themselves into the respective groups for discussions. At the end a final session was held to discuss the findings of each group and their recommendations on the way forward.

In the wrap up Government promised to look closely at all recommendations made and to take to the Cabinet the setting up of a Religious Advisory Board.

April 17th 2012: Sergeant Wazir Ali, a veteran detective at the homicide bureau, died on Sunday night at the San Fernando General Hospital after he was taken to the medical facility.  Ali was at his Barrackpore, home when he complained of chest pain and feeling unwell. He was taken to hospital where he later died.  Police said Ali, 45, suffered a heart attack.

Ali, who joined the police service in 1992, was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Department three years later before being placed in the homicide bureau.  During his tenure at the homicide bureau, Ali received 14 commendations for outstanding work and devotion to duty and was labeled one of the best detectives within the bureau. Officers assigned to the Region II Homicide Bureau of Investigations in Arouca were yesterday plunged into mourning following the sudden death of one of their colleagues.

In the 1920s and 1930s, an interest in slave narratives was rekindled, and as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Work Progress Administration, more than 2,000 first-person accounts of slavery were collected, as well as 500 black and white photographs. 

The collection was compiled in 17 states between 1936 and 1938. Many of the former slaves interviewed were well into their 80s and 90s – some were even past 100. 

One former slave, Sarah Gudger, claimed she was 121. She told the federal writer: ‘Yo’ know de sta’s don’ shine as bgright as dey did back den. I wonah wy dey don’. Dey jes’ don’ shine as bright.’ Many of the collected accounts are written phonetically, giving further insight to their linguistics, mannerisms, and characters.