The devil is in his lair

Jul 16, 2020 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Following the 1997 elections, there were political protests for months in the streets of Georgetown. The protests descended in character assassination.
The PNCR protestors targeted the then President Janet Jagan. She was the victim of some of the most vile and vicious protests. Mrs. Jagan was unfairly and insensitively demonized by supporters of the PNC. And the race became a factor in the protests.
Janet Jagan was made into a scapegoat for the PNCR’s inability to accept its defeat at the elections. The party’s supporters went as far as saying that she had no right to be President of Guyana.
The protestors, on more than one occasion, would take out a white doll (an effigy for Mrs. Jagan). They would hold it up for all the protestors to see, throw it to the ground and beat and stomp upon it while chanting, “We gun wuk pun she”. The “wuk” they were referring to, was the casting of an omen on her.
There was an interesting but tragic end to this matter. One of the women who used to be beating and stomping on the doll ended up in an abusive relationship. Almost every day, so the story goes, she ended up being beaten and stomped upon by her partner. That is what can happen when you try to dabble with the occult.
People have a right to protest but they do not have a right to demonize persons in a manner which could invite hatred. Guyanese protests have always been colourful but sadly also many of them have been coarse and churlish. Ideally protests should be about principles and not personalities. But some people find it hard to separate the two and to pursue a cause without attacking others.
On Tuesday last, there was a nasty protest directed against the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh. She was being targeted by supporters of the APNU+AFC.
The protest descended into foulness. A mock funeral was held, using a doll as an effigy of the Chairperson of GECOM. It was paraded through some city streets in a symbol funeral. It was a most tasteless display.
Protests against the police are taking place in many states across the world. Effigies are being burnt, symbolically. This is all part of the drama of protests. But no one has gone to the extent to which the APNU+AFC supporters have in actually staging a mock funeral.
Protestors should not dabble in the superstitious. When protests enter this realm, uncertainty can be the outcome.
Dealing with omen and evil spirits is not something for play-acting. The devil finds work for idle hands and will find ways also to use these things to his advantage.
Those who are dabbling with omens are courting danger. The devil is in his lair. He is paying keen attention. He is waiting for his chance to wield his mischief. He will use the slightest opportunity made available to weave his evil.
He will use those, who are dabbling with things which they do not fully understand, to pursue his evil ends.
The Good Book says: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
More importantly persons should not venture into the supernatural realms.
One of the problems with political protests in this country is that it more often than not descends into character assassination and sometimes into senseless violence. It provides a stage for persons to poke fun at others. This time, however, the protestors took their parody a bit too far.
No one is above criticism, but criticism should not be taken beyond the pale. To go to the extent of staging a mock funeral with persons doing all manner of strange things to the effigy while others are moaning and groaning is something which should be of concern to all God-fearing persons.
If your cause is righteous, you do not need to mix matters with Satan. Once you invite Satan in, you are inviting evil and danger. There is no place for experimenting with the occult, the supernatural and the superstitions.
The mock funeral may have created enough drama to draw attention to the protests. But it could also be an opening for the devil to enter into the fray. Protests should stay clear of the afterlife. This is an invitation for evil.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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