The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Organisers of the forthcoming Bahamas Carnival series of events have received the green light from the Ministry of Health and Wellness to go ahead with their plans for 2022 Survival Weekend on May 20-22. The main concern of the Progressive Liberal Party administration is the safety of participants, as COVID-19 remains a threat. But I believe that the PLP should also look at the moral aspects of Bahamas Carnival, as organisers have enlisted the services of Trinidadian soca artists Destra Garcia and Allison Hinds and Bajan artist Patrice Roberts.

Destra goes by the nickname ‘Queen of Bacchanal.’ I wrote in the past that Bacchanal is derived from an ancient Roman festival called Bacchanalia, which was held in honour of Bacchus, the god of wine. It was an event where pagan worshipers of Bacchus would cast off all moral restraints, as they drank excessively and engaged in promiscuous sex. Based on her lewd stage acts, Destra is well aware of the historical significance of her pseudonym. For unmarried individuals who struggle with strong sexual urges, the best coping mechanism during Bahamas Carnival is to simply not watch it. Frankly, no one should. It is indeed troubling that the state would facilitate such an event that dishonours God.

In 2020, Destra released a video titled “Me Gusta,” which featured American professional cricketer Muhammad Ahsan Ali Khan. In the video, released in December 2019, the then 42-year-old scantily clad Destra is seen gyrating or “bussing ah wine” on Khan. Khan was born in Pakistan, and I am assuming that he hails from a devout Muslim family, judging from reports that the video deeply offended his father. It is indeed ironic that Pakistani Muslims seem to have higher moral standards and a greater sense of decorum than Bahamians, many of whom claim to be devout Christians. Another concern of mine is that Bahamas Carnival is a state-sanctioned exploitation of scantily clad female revelers, some of whom are prominent professionals who otherwise would never be seen in such a vulgar manner. For Bahamian predators, Bahamas Carnival is a feast for the eyes. In recent years Trinidad and Tobago passed a new legislation that requires consent to gyrate with fellow revelers. This law is aimed at combating sexual harassment against women during carnival in that Caribbean country. Sexual harassment, rape and other forms of gender based violence were common occurrences at carnival events in Trinidad and Tobago. In fact, a Japanese steel pan player and carnival participant named Asami Nagakiya was raped and strangled to death by convicted felon David Allen in February 2016. Her remains were discovered at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain.

Bahamians who have visited Trinidad and Tobago to attend carnival would be familiar with this location. Allen was gunned down by Trinidadian police in December 2016. I read that the murdered Japanese was clad in a bikini, which led the late Port of Spain Mayor Raymond Tim Kee to victim-blame Nagakiya for her demise. Thankfully, Kee would subsequently tender his resignation. But my purpose in referencing this troubling incident is to show the inherent dangers female revelers are exposed to at carnival, as the event attracts many sexual predators who are hoping for an opportunity to prey on scantily clad female participants. In 2017, it was reported by Brazilian law enforcement officials that they received a staggering 2,154 calls relating to violence against women at carnival. It is not uncommon for Brazilian men to ejaculate on women during carnival, as they gyrate during the parade.

Ironically, The Bahamas, like Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago, has high rates of sexual assaults against women. In Brazil, for example, women were raped every 10 minutes in 2021. There were 56,098 sexual assault cases reported in that South American country last year. In Trinidad and Tobago, reports of incest, rape and other sexual offences had increased in 2021 to 1,104 -- 443 more than in 2020, which represents a 67 percent increase. With carnival being such a massive event in these two countries, it comes as no surprise that rape and other forms of sexual assault figures are inordinately high. Yet here is The Bahamas attempting to mimic these countries in order to add to its tourism product. The PLP government, and by extension the people of The Bahamas, must make up their minds if they’re serious about combating gender based violence. I am beginning to think that all the talk about protecting women was nothing more than meaningless chatter. In my layman’s opinion, Bahamas Carnival should be permanently scrapped by the Bahamian government. We must not be in the business of exploiting our women.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama.

May 3, 2022.