The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Christian Council vice-president Mario Moxey has urged people to follow the law to prevent tragedies like Sunday’s human smuggling incident from occurring.

He said people must understand that “they cannot take the lives of others lightly”.

Pastor Moxey spoke on the matter in the absence of BCC president Bishop Delton Fernander who is out of the country and described the tragedy as being heart-wrenching, especially while thinking of the victims and the families that were affected.

“We’re saddened about the tragedy, which has taken place and a loss of life causes us great grief,” he said in an interview yesterday. “Our hearts go out to the family of those victims.”

He noted the importance of people making a conscious effort to make lawful decisions.

“One of the things we have to be mindful of is we want to abide by the law of our land and not violate those laws. Unfortunately, some people seek to violate the law. And in doing so they endanger the lives of others. It is our hope and prayer that we would all be law-abiding citizens. That way that minimises some of these things.”

Pastor Moxey stressed that the council prays that citizens will desist from criminal activity and illegal acts.

The vice president highlighted how vessels used for smuggling operations are not being inspected or going through the necessary procedures to determine if there is illegal activity.

“The reality of it is, obviously there is no safety regulation checks on vehicles and vessels they use for the transshipment of people, because it’s done illegally. And in our society, you know, our planes and motor vessels that are legally registered, carrying out legitimate business, they go through very rigid processes to ensure that their vehicles and vessels are up to the best standard for the transportation of people.

“Anytime there’s an illegal activity, a lot of these regulations are bypassed,” Pastor Moxey said.

The history of ill-fated trips at sea by Haitian migrants who seek to have a better future away from their country has become an unfortunate occurrence in The Bahamas.

“We want to make sure that as a Christian society, we understand the plight of our brothers and sisters, particularly in the regions close to us. One of the Christian responsibilities is to be hospitable and extend love to everyone. And it is our hope as citizens that we would do that not necessarily to harbour criminality, but to show love and kindness to those around us.”

According to the vice president the Bahamas Christian Council has not had any direct communication with the police at this time.

However, their prayers are with the family members who lost loved ones and were affected by the ordeal.