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November 10, 2005
Trinidad: Muslim Leader Charged For Incitement and Sedition
We have described earlier some of the antics of the Trinidadian leader of the group Jamaat-al-Muslimeen when he was arrested on October 17, on suspicion of involvement with a bombing at a nightclub at St James, near Port of Spain, the capital. Yasin Abu Bakr was released without charge.
Bakr was leader of Jamaat-al-Muhajideen when it staged a coup in 1990 against the government of the then Prime MInister, Arthur N.R. Robinson. According to Black Britain:
During the coup, over a hundred members bombed a police headquarters and stormed the parliament building taking control of radio and TV broadcasters and holding members of parliament hostage.Now Bakr has been in trouble again, and has been charged on Thursday at Port of Spain Magistrates Court with incitement, sedition and extortion.Twenty-four people were killed during the failed coup, which lasted a week. Bakr and 114 Muslimeen members were charged with murder, treason and other offences although they were never tried as they received a Presidential pardon.
The affair stems from a speech he made during his Friday sermons, in which he threatened "war" and "bloodshed" if any members did not give him zakat, or alms next year. The sermon was held at his Mucurapo Road Mosque to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. According to Trinidad Express, Bakr faces serious charges. For the sedition charge alone, he could face a $25,000 fine and five years' jail. For two charges of inciting to demand property the maximum penalty is five years' each, and for inciting the breach of the peace he could receive a two year jail sentence.
64-year old Bakr is assumed to be applying to the High Court for bail on Friday. He has already been refused bail, and has been kept in Trinidad's Frederick Street Prison in Port of Spain.
According to hardbeat news the Trinidad and Tobago government had retained the services of an independent senator and lecturer, Dana Seetahal, to research the law to find out how they could prosecute the preacher. According to Caribbean News the statement made by the Imam, that if his followers did not pay two and a half per cent of their earnings to him that there would be bloodshed, was interpreted by security forces as a threat to national security.
The Trinidad Express today (Friday) announces that the army has now broken a wall at the compound of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, and has "taken over". Soldiers entered on Thursday to secure the compound.
There have been four serious bombings in Trinidad this year since the summer, the most recent being the explosion at St James on October 15, for which Bakr was arrested, along with other followers of Jamaat-al-Muslimeen.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 10, 2005 10:48 PM
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