National awardee threatened for condemning 1990 attempted coup

NATIONAL Awardee Mahmud Sultan Dean Aziz said his life was threatened for condemning the July 1990 attempted coup.

The former consul general of TT to Ottawa was speaking with the media Monday after receiving the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) from President Paula-Mae Weekes after a brief ceremony at The Cottage, Office of the President, St Ann's. Aziz was absent when the national awards were distributed in September.

"First all I want to be thankful to Almighty God Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala (the most high) who has guided me and protected me and allowed me to be able to serve my country for 40 years and has permitted me to stay on longer in order to receive today, 26 years after being in retirement, a medal of honour. And to validate the fact that my service to this country has been meritorious."

Aziz said in 1990 during the attempted coup (by members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen) he was the consular general of TT in Toronto. He said his life was being threatened and he had to seek assistance from the Canadian authorities to protect his children and his family.

"We were threatened because I took the opportunity to condemn (the attempted coup) because the Muslim leadership in this country had failed to speak out against this criminal act – an assault, an insurrection I would call it – which was treasonable with much respect. And in those circumstances I in my personal capacity – not as consul general – I wrote an article which says that Islam enjoins the democratic process to vindicate the Muslims of this country who were indicted by the fact that this was done in the name of Islam."

Aziz also launched an emergency task force to raise funds for victims of the coup and shipped to this country about $2 million worth of supplies for trauma victims and people deprived of material goods.