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| Jamaat al Muslimeen | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jamaat al Muslimeen |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founders | Yasin Abu Bakr |
| Headquarters | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Active | 1982–present |
| Area | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Ideology | Islamist activism |
| Leaders | Yasin Abu Bakr (founder) |
Jamaat al Muslimeen is an Islamist organization founded in 1982 in Port of Spain by former British Army soldier Yasin Abu Bakr. The group has been a prominent actor in Trinidad and Tobago politics and security debates since its armed insurrection in 1990, engaging with institutions such as the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago. Its activities have generated ongoing controversy involving figures like Prime Minister A. N. R. Robinson, Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, and regional bodies including the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
The organization emerged in the early 1980s against the backdrop of postcolonial developments in Trinidad and Tobago, regional shifts following the Grenada Revolution and the United States invasion of Grenada (1983), and global currents shaped by actors such as Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and transnational networks. Founding leader Yasin Abu Bakr, formerly known as Lennox Philip, drew on experiences linked to the British Army and local Islamic communities in neighborhoods like Laventille and St. James, Trinidad and Tobago. Early interactions included local institutions such as the University of the West Indies and religious groups including contacts with mosques influenced by movements tied to Wahhabism and Sunni Islam. The group's base developed community projects that intersected with entities like the Housing Development Corporation (Trinidad and Tobago) and civil society organizations such as the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Leadership centered on Yasin Abu Bakr, whose public addresses invoked references to classical texts and contemporary figures within Islamic revivalism and Caribbean political thought. The movement's public rhetoric engaged with personalities like Malcolm X, Ahmed Deedat, and regional clerics while interacting with local political actors including members of the People's National Movement and the United National Congress. Internal leadership included imams and community organizers who liaised with institutions such as the Ministry of National Security (Trinidad and Tobago) and charitable groups. The ideological profile combined calls for Islamic practice with critiques of institutions represented by leaders like Eric Williams and constitutional arrangements under the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.
On 27 July 1990 an armed group under the organization's command staged an insurgency targeting symbolic sites including the Red House (Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago), the Prime Minister's official residence, and the International Airport, Piarco. The insurrection led to the hostage-taking of members of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and government officials including Prime Minister A. N. R. Robinson and Speaker Wesley Alfred. Security responses involved the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, and coordination with foreign missions such as the United States Embassy in Port of Spain and the British High Commission. The ensuing siege culminated in negotiations brokered by intermediaries including religious leaders and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago, with broader diplomatic interest from the Caribbean Community and governments like those of Canada and the United Kingdom.
Following the 1990 events, members engaged in electoral politics, contesting seats in the General election campaigns and local elections while interacting with parties such as the People's National Movement, the United National Congress, and the National Alliance for Reconstruction. The group's political activism included participation in municipal forums, appeals to institutions like the Elections and Boundaries Commission (Trinidad and Tobago), and public interventions during campaigns involving leaders such as Basdeo Panday and Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Electoral strategies featured outreach to constituencies in urban districts and coordination with community groups including trade unions like the National Union of Government and Federated Workers.
Relations oscillated between confrontation and negotiation: confrontations included armed clashes with units of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and standoffs involving the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, while negotiated episodes involved mediations with officials from the Ministry of National Security (Trinidad and Tobago) and legal actors such as the Office of the Attorney General (Trinidad and Tobago). International defense and security actors, including liaison with the United States Southern Command and regional security mechanisms like the Regional Security System (RSS), monitored the group's trajectory. Post-1990 security policies adopted measures affecting intelligence coordination among the Caribbean Community and bilateral exchanges with police services from countries such as Jamaica and Barbados.
Legal aftermath produced high-profile litigation in the High Court of Justice (Trinidad and Tobago) and appeals to the Privy Council, involving claims by leaders and defendants concerning charges such as treason and illegal possession of arms. A controversial amnesty granted after the surrender sparked challenges addressing the role of the President of Trinidad and Tobago and interpretations of statutes within the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago. Prominent legal figures including Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and judges presiding in appellate courts adjudicated related habeas corpus and constitutional claims, while civil society actors like the Trinidad and Tobago Law Association and media outlets such as the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian debated the implications for rule of law and transitional justice.
Beyond confrontation, members ran social programs in neighborhoods such as Beetham Gardens and participated in initiatives involving health clinics, religious education, and charity drives interfacing with organisations like the Ministry of Health (Trinidad and Tobago), the National Library and Information System Authority, and international NGOs. The group's mosques and community centers engaged with educational institutions including the University of Trinidad and Tobago and local schools, and interacted with media entities such as Radio Trinidad and religious broadcasters. Engagements drew responses from interfaith groups like the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Religious Organisation and humanitarian agencies including the Pan American Health Organization.
Category:Organizations based in Trinidad and Tobago Category:Islam in Trinidad and Tobago