National Garifuna Council wants apology from loose-speaking pastor

By on March 23, 2016
National Garifuna Council Letter

National Garifuna Council Letter

Belmopan, BELIZE. Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The National Garifuna Council, NGC, is demanding a public apology from Roaring Creek-based pastor Scott Strim following the revelation of a video in which he made disparaging remarks about the Garifuna Culture.

In 6 minutes long video, Strim refers to Garifuna cultural practices as witchcraft and calls the Garifuna Priest as a witch.

The NCG has drafted a strongly-worded letter to Stirm expressing “deep disgust” at the utterances of the preacher and demands an apology for the disparaging remarks he made in the video.

Scott Stirm

Scott Stirm

The NGC described what Stirm said in the video as nothing short of “discriminatory and defamatory of Garifuna ancestral practices” and points out that Garifuna rituals “have nothing to do with witchcraft.”

The NGC chastises Stirm who it says, as a man of God, ought not to spread lies and should have done a proper research to get the facts about the Garifuna before making his remarks.

The letter reads in part: “although we are not pastors, we are learned enough to recognize blatant disrespect and disregard for our people and our culture, significant element s of which were, in May 2001, declared by UNESCO to be Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible heritage of Humanity.”

The NGC gives Stirm ten days in which to respond to their demand for an apology.

The letter ends by also chiding Stirm for making comments that are “indicative of an unwarranted hostility to and disregard of our people and our duly elected government.”

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