Document #1136306
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
Specific information on the treatment of
Muslims and Rastafarians could not be found among the sources
consulted by the Research Directorate. A Malaysian National News
Agency (BERNAMA) article states that "the Muslim minorities in nine
Caribbean island states are in dire need for Muslim preachers,
teachers, copies of the holy Quran, translations of the Quran,
books on Fiqh, Tafsir and the prophet's biography" (28 Oct. 1997).
The article also mentions that "in St Lucia there are 5 dakwa
workers. In addition, there are 28 Muslim medical students in the
Spartan Medical School. The school authorities allowed them the use
of a room as a prayer area" (ibid.).
In a 17 February 1998 telephone interview
with the Research Directorate, a library assistant at McGill
University's Institute of Islamic Studies in Montreal, stated that
the term "dakwa" is used in south east Islam and refers to a
missionary religious activity or propaganda within the Islamic
community. The library assistant also mentioned that the term has
no pejorative meaning.
The 1997 edition of the World Directory
of Minorities states that "approximately 90 per cent of [St
Lucia's] population is estimated to be of African descent, the rest
of mixed African-European parentage. No minority rights issues have
been identified" (1997, 113).
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1997, consulted on Sharenet, states in the
chapter on St Lucia that "the Constitution provides for freedom of
religion, and the Government respects this right in practice"
(1997, 24).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of sources consulted in researching this Information
Request.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1997. 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
State.
The Malaysian National News (BERNAMA).
28 October 1997. "Caribbean Muslim Needs Assistance." (NEXIS)
McGill University, Institute of Islamic
Studies, Montreal. 17 February 1998. Telephone interview with a
library assistant.
The World Directory of
Minorities. 1997. Minority Rights Group International.
Additional Sources Consulted
L'état des religions.
1987. Paris: La découverte.
Encyclopedia of Islam. 1990.
Leiden: Brill.
The Encyclopedia of Religion.
1987. Vol. 7. Edited by Mircea Eliade. New York: MacMillan.
Le grand atlas universalis des
religions. 1988. Paris: Universalis.
Les grandes dates de l'Islam.
1990. Paris: Larousse.
Human Rights and the World's
Religions. 1988. Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press.
Islam and Islamic Groups: A
Worldwide Reference Guide. 1992. Edited by Farzana Shaikh.
London: Longman Group UK.
Minority Rights Group International. No.
64. "The Rastafarians". London: Minority Rights Group
International.
Religion in Politics. 1989.
London: St. James Press.