Church leaders stage march against obeah ahead of constitutional court challenge

Some church leaders on Wednesday staged a march in Spanish Town, St Catherine calling for Jamaica to uphold the law against obeah, saying the practise is wrong and goes against Jamaica’s Christian principles.

It came a day before a constitutional challenge filed is expected to be heard in the Supreme Court.

The application is arguing, among other things, that sections of the 19th-century Obeah Act violate some rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, including freedom of religion, privacy, conscience, and expression.

Bishop Rowan Edwards, head of the 10,000 men and family March, argued at the gathering that the practise of obeah is sinful and should not be legalised in Jamaica.

He asserted that Jamaica could face becoming destroyed like countries such as Haiti that accept and practice voodoo or obeah.

"Whatever name it is called, we cannot allow for the demonic practise to be here, so we are praying and protesting that the Government upholds the law in the continued role that obeah is simply wrong," said Edwards.

Expressing similar sentiments, President of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance, Dr Alvin Bailey, argued that while obeah has gained some level of tolerance in the society, as it benefits some, the practice is destructive to Jamaica’s moral fibre and should be shunned instead of given legal acceptance.

"The deviant, devilish practise of obeah in Jamaica must not become lawful, the church is against it. It is simply unacceptable."

"We are not going to have obeah being legalised, it is ungodly. It is a case now where criminals are given guard rings to reign terror against the State, which is a Christian nation," said Pastor Dalbert Simmonds, President of the Spanish Town Ministers Fraternal.

Meanwhile, attorney-at-law Bert Samuel, who is representing the applicant in the court case, which is set to be heard in the Constitutional Court on Thursday, dismissed the concerns of the church leaders.

He called their criticisms an emotional response, arguing that all religious practitioners and religious groups should be treated equally by the law.

- Rasbert Turner

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