Yasin Abu Bakr, formerly Lennox Phillip, leader of the Jamaat-al Muslimeen has died at 80 years old. Abu Bakr who recently celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this week with friends and family passed away on Thursday 21st October 2021.

According to police reports, Bakr who was diabetic collapsed at his home at Long Circular Road, St James on Thursday night and was then taken to the St James Health Facility, where he was pronounced dead.

The Jamaat Al Muslimeen leader, who was popularly known for the only Islamist attempted coup to have taken place in the Western hemisphere which took place on July 27, 1990, against the government of the then Prime Minister Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson.

In 1990, Bakr and 114 Jamaat followers attacked the Red House during a parliament sitting, stormed the state-owned TTT, and bombed the police headquarters in Port of Spain. During the assault, the Prime Minister, the late ANR Robinson, was shot and wounded. MP Leo des Vignes was also shot and later died of his injuries. There were also casualties in the Red House, Police headquarters, and many businesses were looted and buildings destroyed in the aftermath.

Bakr and the insurgents later surrendered after six days but were released under an amnesty. In subsequent years, Bakr was charged for sedition for threatening remarks he made during an Eid sermon in 2005. In 2012, the matter ended in a hung jury. He has been facing retrial since 2015.

Following the renovation and re-opening of the Red House in September 2020, a marble cenotaph, the Eternal Flame, was installed along the Knox Street pedestrian walkway and pays tribute to those who died in the attempted coup.

Abu Bakr also made headlines last month, after he appeared in a 75 minute broadcast from his mosque on September 10, where it was alleged that he made threats against the Government, stating the following:

“I warn you today. I warn you three times. You have no warning after this. I am warning the Government of TT, I am warning the police, the army, Coast Guard. I am warning everybody who involved in repression, oppression of the African people, this is the last-day warning. If you do not change, if you do not adjust the society, it coming on you,

God is going to destroy you. You have no weapons to defend yourself. It proven already because right now we have COVID and you can do nothing.”

However, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob recently said Bakr was not being investigated over his statements. Jacob has said Special Branch officers reviewed Bakr’s statements and found they did not warrant any further action.

Since the news of Bakr’s death, the outpouring on social media has been met with mixed emotions.

Sources include https://newsday.co.tt, https://tt.loopnews.com

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