Jamaat al Muslimeen
Encyclopedia
The Jamaat al Muslimeen (from Arabic جماعة المسلمين) is a Muslim
organisation within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
with a membership of predominantly Afro-Trinidadians.
It was the organisation's leader, Imam Yasin Abu Bakr
, who led members of the Jamaat in an attempted coup d'état
against the elected Government of Trinidad and Tobago in July 1990, during which the group occupied the television station and parliament. Over a six-day period members of the government including then-Prime Minister
A.N.R. Robinson
were held hostage at gun point while chaos and looting broke out in the streets of the capital Port of Spain
.
A court ruling upheld an amnesty agreement obtained during the incarceration of parliament by the group. This led to the non-prosecution of its members for this crime despite the contention that the fact that guns and force were used to obtain said amnesty constituted duress. Subsequent to the attempted coup, it aligned itself publicly first with the United National Congress
(in the run-up to the 1995 General Elections) and later with the People's National Movement
(PNM), the party which formed the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago until May 2010.
Before and since those elections, however, present and past members have been connected or prosecuted for serious violent crimes. These crimes include drug and gang related killings, rape and a current spree of kidnappings for ransom of members of the local upper and middle class. The organisation's leader is currently being prosecuted with conspiracy to murder
several of the group's former members who had spoken out publicly against the Jamaat al Muslimeen and its practices, and who were suspected of becoming witnesses in legal proceedings against its members.
As of March 2007, three members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen have confessed to their role in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of an Indo-Trinidadian businesswoman, Vindra Naipaul-Coolman .
Currently they are under surveillance by the local National Security Agency
as well as the United States Central Intelligence Agency
for suspected terrorist relations with the Middle East
, as are two other Muslim factions..
4:5, March 9, 2006.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
organisation within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
with a membership of predominantly Afro-Trinidadians.
It was the organisation's leader, Imam Yasin Abu Bakr
Yasin Abu Bakr
Yasin Abu Bakr, born Lennox Philip is the leader of the Jamaat al Muslimeen a Muslim group in Trinidad and Tobago. The group has long-standing links with Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. Under the leadership of Abu Bakr and Bilaal Abdullah, the group staged an attempted coup d’état in 1990.Abu...
, who led members of the Jamaat in an attempted coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the elected Government of Trinidad and Tobago in July 1990, during which the group occupied the television station and parliament. Over a six-day period members of the government including then-Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
A.N.R. Robinson
A. N. R. Robinson
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, OCC, TC was the third President of Trinidad and Tobago, serving from 19 March 1997 to 17 March 2003. He was also Trinidad and Tobago's third Prime Minister, serving in that capacity from 18 December 1986 to 17 December 1991...
were held hostage at gun point while chaos and looting broke out in the streets of the capital Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
.
A court ruling upheld an amnesty agreement obtained during the incarceration of parliament by the group. This led to the non-prosecution of its members for this crime despite the contention that the fact that guns and force were used to obtain said amnesty constituted duress. Subsequent to the attempted coup, it aligned itself publicly first with the United National Congress
United National Congress
The United National Congress is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the parties in the current ruling coalition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling...
(in the run-up to the 1995 General Elections) and later with the People's National Movement
People's National Movement
The People's National Movement is the present-day opposition political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party...
(PNM), the party which formed the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago until May 2010.
Before and since those elections, however, present and past members have been connected or prosecuted for serious violent crimes. These crimes include drug and gang related killings, rape and a current spree of kidnappings for ransom of members of the local upper and middle class. The organisation's leader is currently being prosecuted with conspiracy to murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
several of the group's former members who had spoken out publicly against the Jamaat al Muslimeen and its practices, and who were suspected of becoming witnesses in legal proceedings against its members.
As of March 2007, three members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen have confessed to their role in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of an Indo-Trinidadian businesswoman, Vindra Naipaul-Coolman .
Currently they are under surveillance by the local National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
as well as the United States Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
for suspected terrorist relations with the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, as are two other Muslim factions..
External links
- Angela Potter, "Trinidad Muslims Being Closely Monitored," Associate Press, November 1, 2001.
- Robin Walker, "Profile: Jamaat al Muslimeen," BBC News, June 3, 2007.
- Chris Zambelis, "Spotlight on Trinidad and Tobago's Jamaat al-Muslimeen," Jamestown Foundation, Volume 5, Issue 12, June 21, 2007.
- Chris Zambelis, "Jamaat al-Muslimeen on Trial in Trinidad and Tobago," Jamestown Foundation,
4:5, March 9, 2006.
- Chris Zambelis, "Al-Qaeda's Inroads into the Caribbean," Jamestown Foundation, 3:20, October 21, 2005.
- Almuslimeen Website