Former Director General of Culture Dr Nicolette Bethel.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE rationale behind proposed reforms to nationality and immigration laws is a reflection of xenophobic policies sweeping the world, according to former Director General of Culture Dr Nicolette Bethel, who yesterday predicted a cataclysmic, violent uprising.
Dr Bethel, a cultural anthropologist and assistant professor at the University of the Bahamas, was responding to a presentation by former Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen on the draft Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, 2018.
Dame Allen, who chairs the Law Reform and Revision Commission that prepared the bill, characterised the legislation as “an effort to better protect our borders, to be tougher on violators, and to maintain this country’s nationhood.”
In the context of illegal immigration, Dame Anita further stated it was not unreasonable to suggest the country was in danger of losing its national identity.
Yesterday, Dr Bethel called this argument a “smokescreen” because successive administrations have not invested any resources to creative culture arts that would lend to the pursuit of a national identity.
She remarked $1m in a public/private fund was not the kind of investment that created such an identity.
“It’s appealing to people’s worst nature, it’s scapegoating,” Dr Bethel said.
“I don’t think that’s the reason why the law is being passed. There is a zeitgeist or sign of the times going around the world that is exclusionary, nationalist, and vaguely fascist, and we are probably riding that wave.”
She continued: “But none of the things going on around the world, none of them make sense. They resonate emotionally but don’t make sense anywhere in the world. They are going to lead to a cataclysmic uprising, bloodshed, everything, it will happen.”
Arguably, one of the most controversial features of the new bill is the provisions concerning the status of people whose acquisition of citizenship has been deferred under articles 7 and 9 of the constitution.
People in this category are those born in the Bahamas to foreign parents, and those born overseas to married Bahamian women with foreign husbands, and the bill provides them a “right to abode” via a resident belonger permit, allowing them to reside and work until they can apply and while their citizenship application is being considered.
Those who miss the constitutionally mandated time to apply for citizenship, by age 19 or 21, or have not applied for a resident belonger permit in the interim - will be up for deportation; those who have already missed the deadline will have six months to apply for status once the bill is passed before their residency in the country is considered unlawful.
Yesterday, Dr Bethel said: “What I’m saying is that by creating legislation, that has resonances of the kind of legislation that was created in Europe particularly Germany in the 1930s opens the door to uprisings and public violence.
“In two directions,” she continued, “it’s a violent act against the natural born child of a migrant. We are initiating the act of violence and we are giving permission to nationalists to feel justified in violence against the ‘other’. And so violence against us will result.”
In her presentation, Dame Allen explained the existing state of the law “hampers the exercise of immigration control” over people born in the country to foreign parents, whom she said have no reason to leave the country after their birth.
Responding generally, Dr Bethel challenged the characterisation of people born in the country as immigrants.
“The people they are talking about are not immigrants,” Dr Bethel continued, “they are people who are born in this country. So I don’t see how this is a threat to jobs? These are people we have already paid for their healthcare and education, and to lock them out of the job market is to lock the country out from recouping on that investment.”
Dr Bethel continued: “If people are born in this country, and they have already by default identified as Bahamian, we should make it easy for them to be Bahamian, and to know what Bahamian is.
“We have absolutely no requirement for anyone to do anything that resembles true education about Bahamian history in the schools. People come into the University of the Bahamas with no knowledge whatsoever.
Dr Bethel said: “We have no national library, we have something called a National Library System but we have nothing beyond the archives that is tasked with collecting, and opening to the public, and promoting and publicising Bahamian works of any kind.”
Dr Bethel noted the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas was the only “touchstone”, with the absence of a national school of the arts and no public education curriculum on drama.
“Junkanoo is not enough and the way we have dealt with it has changed,” she added, underscoring there was more financial investment pumped into the creation of the Carnival parade than allotted for past Junkanoo parades.
As for the country’s national identity, Dr Bethel said: “We have not invested in it in any way, shape, or form. The way it’s created is through national monuments, investment in artists, things that people can touch and identity with.
“The only thing we have really invested in is drawing boundaries and exclusion,” she said.
Comments
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
She continued: “But none of the things going on around the world, none of them make sense. They resonate emotionally but don’t make sense anywhere in the world. They are going to lead to a cataclysmic uprising, bloodshed, everything, it will happen.”
Jesus! Dr. Bethel foresees the end of days. Maybe a little too hysterical???
BahamaPundit 5 years, 7 months ago
Another one for open borders.So easy to call people racist who are just doing their job to secure the borders. Police are racist. Countries are racist. Wealth is racist. What isn't racist? Poverty and Crime. Everyone gets a Venezuela. You get a Venezuela and you get a Venezuela. I guess we shouldn't have laws, because we're afraid of a violent uprising?
birdiestrachan 5 years, 7 months ago
I trust that she will not be a part of a violent uprising. like burning tires in the street, her response to the situation is a poor one as there is all ready to much violence in a once peaceful Bahamas.
zephyr 5 years, 7 months ago
It is public knowledge and fact that Dr. Nicolette Bethel is an unapologetic and unshameful supporter of the free movement of people in the region, and perhaps the whole wide world.
She believes strongheartedly in open borders; and there is no such thing as illegal immigration in her mind.
Dr. Bethel is also known as Dr. Spoilt Ballot.
geostorm 5 years, 7 months ago
Geez, she does not mske sense. Tell her try moving somewhere else in the world and try to live there illegally. Lets see what happens.
John 5 years, 7 months ago
Is this a round-about-way to get Bahamians to agree to amendments to the constitution regarding citizenship?
K4C 5 years, 7 months ago
What a bunch of word salad
BahamasForBahamians 5 years, 7 months ago
Dr. Nicolette is entitled to her own opinion.
We are also entitled to ignore it.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 7 months ago
That is what happens when these "smart" people kids use Bahamas Government scholarship money and go to uppity First World universities ........ they come back (home) to the Third World talking ass
Schemer18 5 years, 7 months ago
Sheeprunner12 What do you call it? BRAINWASHED UNCLE TOMS.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 7 months ago
Yep ............ Like Fweddy
BahamaPundit 5 years, 7 months ago
If you're looking for violent uprisings Doc, look no further than Haiti. They get violent if the price of gas rises. Hmm... You said it will happen here? You saying Haitians run this country and we should shut up and sit small?
SP 5 years, 7 months ago
Talking shyt is a very serious ting! And Nicolette Bethel has a "Masters" in talking total bullshyt!
If we do not protect our borders and heritage, "other people" will claim them as their own. Where and what will descendants of Bahamians go and do when "others" take over our country while THEIR constitution does not allow anyone without bloodline heritage to obtain citizenship regardless of circumstances and or investments?
Nicolette Bethel nor anyone else EVER calls or describes the Haitian constitution as Xenophobic, but they are quick to jump on Bahamians who are similarly protecting our rights as a people!
Let the violent uprising begin, as I and everyone I know are ready to fight and die for our childrens' BAHAMALAND!!!
sheeprunner12 5 years, 7 months ago
Yep ........ tell her go read Haiti's Constitution ....... those 80,000 Haitians living here who are trying to claim Bahamian citizenship are born Haitian (based on theirs).
rawbahamian 5 years, 7 months ago
If the illegal foreign infiltrators do not like what we are enacting to protect Bahamians, then they can exercise their ONLY rights as illegals and that is their right to carry their collective asses back to where they came from !!!
Marco 5 years, 7 months ago
Lol all I can do is laugh at the comments it's a lot of uneducated people who yet did pay attention in school or yet paid attention sad but Tru no one saying not to protect the border and here's a reality check for you uneducated people the land you people never went to war for is already been sold if you look around Chinese are buy your corner and your block every time you turn around in look you people are so blinded that they want you to focus on things that not a real issue but yet if a person is already blind then there's no way you can make that person see untell it happens you see what they doing in Freeport yet y'all sit here and argue about the most unnecessary foolishness I give Nassau another 5 years for it full with Chinese and whites vat is going up again and again and yall focus is on the wrong things I can only laugh at the sad uneducated people who are quickly fool by the wrong things yet I haven't seen no one will to fight again the Bahamian government because you and I know they don't care about you never did and never will
sheeprunner12 5 years, 7 months ago
Who is the you and the y'all?????? ......... You sound like a true true bar room drunk, for sure.
stillwaters 5 years, 7 months ago
Marco. You're educated, then? Calling others uneducated? With not one period in a whole paragraph?
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
Lol! Not even a period at the end!
His poor grammar detracts his whole argument!
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 7 months ago
Be careful fellow Bahamians. This unconstitutional new immigration bill would give Bethel and her ilk 75% of what they have all along wanted. These proponents of open borders are not satisfied with that though. They want by hideous way of further amendments to this unlawful bill 100% of what we (the Bahamian people) voted against when we last voted on the citizenship amendments to our Constitution. Don't be fooled by these blithering imbeciles.
Economist 5 years, 7 months ago
We must learn to take responsibility for our actions or failure to act.
This has nothing to do with open boarders. If the Bahamas Defence Force (Bahamian manned) had done there job we would not have all this foolishness in the first place.
Interesting how quick some people are to blame the foreigner and conveniently let the biggest offenders (Bahamians) off the hook.
bogart 5 years, 7 months ago
WELL DA BIG TIME DECISIONS.... ...COMPLIMENTS BY EDUCATED....SALARIED...PEOPLE....POLICY MAKERS...COLLEAGUES..GUBBERMINT COLLEAGUES...OFFICIALS....ADVISORS...ACADEMICS..ELITES...ECHELONS..MUK A MUKS..ADVANCED COMPUTERS...ADVANCED HIGHER TERTIARY EDUCATION GET HIGHER DAN BEFORE....=...SUM TOTAL......RUN DA SHIP RIGHT UP ON REEF....!!!!!!!..inherited ny now gubbermint
....BIGGEST food charity soup lines ..BIGGEST AMOUNT OF BEGGARS ON STREETS.BIGGEST RECORDED national debt in history....DISPARIT Bahamas economic social..Yrich gettin richer an pore porer 2nd lateset economic latin america caribbean report2019 after Suriname....BIGGEST.largest groups of shantytowns illegally constrictly in history plain sight to EDUCATED BIG TIMERS ..BIGGESTtaxpayers money wastages none wrong...contracts faulted none wrong...BIGGEST largesr incompetance..ineptness...noone charged...BIGGESTshantytowns crunstructed none wrong...BIGGEST amounts of illegal migrants dere rich wid money to employ housekeepers.gardiners......illegal migrants caught by thoisands how many employers ever caught wronged....SOLUTIONS NEEDED...we needs more educated decisions from top elites echelons.cohorts...!!!!!!!!
hrysippus 5 years, 7 months ago
Thank you, Dr. Bethel for your courage to express your considered opinions. You must have anticipated the reaction from many of our fellow citizens for whom nationalism is a wonderfully positive attribute intricately tied with the policies of the early plp which supposedly led the "true" Bahamians to the land of milk and honey. Political and religious beliefs are notoriously blind to the appeal of reason. The Wehrmacht Republic was made up of millions of citizens convinced that nationalism was the answer to their nations problems. A belief that persisted right up to the outskirts of Stalingrad where the magnitude of the lass of human lives could no longer be ignored. Obviously our country operates on a vastly different scale but your warning is both timely and pertinent.
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
'Reason' you say? Lol!
licks2 5 years, 7 months ago
You realy need to go and re-read the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" . . .the "Wehmacht Republic" was build on the pre-Hitler Germany where the four contending political parties wrangled for government. . .the Wehmacht supported the Chancellor and whatever party he supported. Fritz Van Papen was not Nationalist. . . controlled the Wehmarcht right up to 1937. . .when the Nationalist Adolph Hitler became Chancellor. . .raised his own army. . .the SS and Storm Troopers . . .the millions of rough necks who were stronger than Van Papen's Wehmarcht. . .thus swallowing up the Wehmarcht . . .hence the rise of one German Army under the new Chancellor. . .the SS, Storm Troopers and the Wehmarcht. . . it remained like that until the Berlin defeat in 1945.
As for blind to the appeal of reason. . .just the opposite. . .the elite and educated were the ones blind to the appeal of reason. The poor and Jews and the Church were the ones who were "sketchy" about Hitler. . .he out maneuvered the "educated" elite in the Bundestag and ride to power among them. . . then improved the economics of post-Versailles and Locorno Germany. . .Hitler had very little support from the Wehmarcht and the poor Germans since his rise to power as leader of the Nazi Party!!
sealice 5 years, 7 months ago
I really hope she's right = basically the only thing that can save the bahamas as a country is a massive change in government. The best way to get the change historically usually involves some form of Anarchy. Yea Lady what the Bahamas needs is that pure state of state of disorder and absence of government before we can completely rebuild our governement and we can ever truly be free Bahamian Citizens. It's too bad Bahamian Politicians will still have to be involved because they can screw up anything and everything.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 7 months ago
What is a "massive change" of government? ......... Like 1967????
Do you think that will ever happen again?? ....... Except you mean the Haitian uprising
licks2 5 years, 7 months ago
I think yall forgot one thing. . . something the rest of the world has not forgotten since 2 April, 1982. . .Argentina invaded a small group of islands named the Falklands Islands.
The conflagration was know as the "Falklands War". . .the sleepy British Empire raised up its aged head and inflicted an ancient sting on the behind of Argentina for "tiefin" its land. Haiti will never try taking over this place. Britain will teach her a lesson that no CARICOM nation will ever forget. . . THE BAHAMAS WAS GRANTED INTERNAL GOVERNMENT. . .BUT THE QUEEN REMAINS HER SOVEREIGN HEAD!!
They also remember the Parsley River Massacre in October 1937 when over 10, 000 Haitians were butchered when they made the mistake and tried to enforce their will on a fellow nation. . .
bahamian242 5 years, 7 months ago
This whole Bill needs to be re-though. It contdicts the Contitution, and makes us going backwards into a Fascist Government!
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