Yasin Abu Bakr
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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-Qaddafi. Under the leadership of Abu Bakr and Bilaal Abdullah, the group staged an attempted coup d'état in 1990.
Abu Bakr, a former policeman, converted to Islam while a student in Canada. He later returned to Trinidad and founded the Jamaat al Muslimeen (commonly referred to simply as the Jamaat).
He is currently on trial for conspiracy in the June 2004 murder of Jillia Bowen and the attempted murder of two expelled Jamaat al Muslimeen members, Salim Rasheed and Adel Ghany.
In his Eid ul-Fitr message delivered on November 3, 2005 he threatened "war" against Muslims who did not pay zakaat next year. The statement was generally interpreted as a demand that the tax be paid to the Jamaat al Muslimeen. On November 8 Abu Bakr was arrested and charged with three counts of inciting extortion and one for sedition. The Jamaat al Muslimeen headquarters were occupied by the Army on November 10 and Abu Bakr's office was demolished in a search for weapons and ammunition after metal detectors discovered objects below the building. A high-powered rifle, a hand grenade, walkie talkies and 700 rounds of ammunition were seized.
As of March 2006, he is currently in prison, for inciting religious violence amongst the Islamic groups of Trinidad.
On November 2, 2006 was the beginning of the jurors to be chosen for his case.
[edit] External links
- Chris Zambelis, "Jamaat al-Muslimeen on Trial in Trinidad and Tobago," Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, Volume 4, Issue 5, March 9, 2006.
- Chris Zambelis, "Al-Qaeda's Inroads into the Caribbean," Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, Volume 3, Issue 20, October 21, 2005.
- Chris Zambelis, "Radical Islam in Latin America," Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, Volume 3, Issue 23, December 2, 2005.
- Army takes over Jamaat - Hayden Mills Trinidad Express
- No bail for Bakr - Hayden Mills Trinidad Express
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