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REF: The Miami
Herald article: U.S. subsidizing witchcraft,
Helms complains, by Don Bohning on Monday,
March 15, 1999.
March 15, 1999.
Honorable
Senator Jesse Helms
403 Senate Dirksen Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510-3301
http://www.senate.gov/~helms/
Senator
Jesse Helms:
As a Hougan (Vodoun
Priest) from Haiti, I am very concerned by your statement which infers that
Vodoun "amounts to witchcraft.” In reality, Vodoun is a Religion brought
to the New World from Africa by our Ancestors.
Furthermore, I happen
to have worked quite extensively with Profamil and the USAID program to bring
forth the knowledge of AIDS and sexually transmissible diseases to the largest
amount of Haitians through their Vodoun Temples.
To reduce that work
and to believe that it consisted in some performances of "short
song-prayers about STDS and the benefits of family planning during voodoo
ceremonies" is quite erroneous since there have never been any "voodoo
ceremonies" in the program.
To believe that USAID
has funded programs "that endorse or legitimize what amounts to
witchcraft" is quite distressing since in reality it was the first time
USAID has ever acknowledged that the Haitian people had their own religion and
culture. It was, in my humble opinion, quite promising in the modern times that
we are living.
I will be happy to
answer any questions that you might have concerning this very important subject
and sincerely hope that you will give such a question another consideration.
Very respectfully
yours.
Max
G. Beauvoir
March
26, 1999
Honorable
Senator Jesse Helms
403 Senate Dirksen Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C.
20510-3301
Senator
Jesse Helms:
I thank you for the e-mail you sent
me dated March 23, 1999.
Since I hadn’t given
you my regular mail address, I am sending you a copy of the original e-mail sent
on March 15, 1999.
My address and
telephone numbers are the same as those of the Temple I have established here in
the District of Columbia.
More information about
my activities with Profamil in Haïti can be found at my web site:
http://www,vodou.org.
I am very much looking
forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Max
G. Beauvoir
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