Tempest in a Teapot - Haitian President René Préval and Houngan Max Beauvoir
Recently Houngan Max Beauvoir, famous or infamous depending on one's point of view, again declared himself the "supreme spiritual leader" of the Vodou religion. In a declaration accessible online, he rants at and threatens Haitian President René Préval at the same time as he attempts to grant himself hegemony over all Vodouisants.
It's sad! This has nothing to do with the Vodou religion - we don't even have a "head" unless it's God, and after God the lwa Papa Loko. Max Beauvoir did not initiate all Vodouisants or even one percent of all Vodouisants, that he should be regarded as their "spiritual leader". He's a Houngan like any other. What this is about is the fact that Max Beauvoir or perhaps Reginald Bailly the head of Zantray, another organization claiming to represent "all Vodouisants", wanted a seat on the electoral council. Usually the Catholic church is represented, the business sector is represented, and notable Vodouisants have been on the council before. It's not a question of religious discrimination, it's just a disgruntled man with delusions of grandeur who didn't get what he wanted and is now being petty about it.
Max Beauvoir further trivializes himself by accusing President René Préval, a peaceful and progressive man, of initiating an anti-Vodou "rejector" campaign. This is inflammatory, since the real "rejector" campaigns of times gone by resulted in death and injury for Houngans and Mambos, and the destruction of priceless artifacts. President René Préval hasn't done, or even advocated, anything of the sort! He's not at all anti-Vodou, he has included notable Vodouisants in his Cabinet, he's never attempted to denigrate Vodou in any way. He simply did not give Max Beauvoir a seat on the Electoral Council this time, that's all.
What plan of action does Max Beauvoir advise? Evil magic against President René Préval. How idiotic! Now he's made that threat, and started the "curse countdown", and lo and behold, not one thing has happened to President René Préval.
If Max Beauvoir had been smart, instead of treating his international adherents like targets, he would have given them good ceremonies and made them strong, and then he would at least have had a computer-savvy international support system. Reginald Bailly is much the same - a crashing disappointment. Many progressive Vodouisants had thought after the death of Herard Simon, the organization Zantray would have a leader who was more progressive in outlook. But all they got was the same program of self-aggrandizement, sexism and pomposity.
If either Beauvoir or Bailly had genuinely made life better for all Vodouisants, wouldn't all of us Vodouisants know about it? If Beauvoir had a genuine base of support he wouldn't have to announce himself to be a "spiritual leaders", his status would be self-evident. Max Beavoir should remember that René Préval, and not Max Beauvoir, was elected by the Haitian people! Sitting around drinking whiskey with Reginald Bailly and concocting arm-twisting schemes does nothing to advance either Vodou or the Republic of Haiti.
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