At home, the sense of trauma is tangible and the horror will take some time to fade. Abroad, our image as a civilized, peace-loving and tolerant nation has been severely harmed. And to compound the irony of the horror, this occurred in the International Year of the Culture of Peace that we had so vigorously promoted at home. The implications for St. Lucia cannot be understated. Not only has the psyche of the country been damaged, but also we have joined the unenviable list of countries that could be cited for occurrences of religious intolerance.
Religion is supposed to be the most elevated expression of the human spirit and condition.
It is supposed to represent inspite of the diversity of belief the real aspiration towards the Universal and the desire of humanity for peace, self-actualization and communion with all life. We cannot and must not allow the forces of evil to subvert this sacred gift. They must not succeed and the sword of justice must therefore be swift and uncompromising. Additionally, when there are persons or individuals who issue threats against other individuals or institutions, we should consider it an obligation to report such threats to the Police and the Police in turn must act on these reports. Our society demands that justice prevail in accordance with our laws and those entrusted with responsibility for the administration of justice must exercise that responsibility with firmness.