Committee: Trinis in Syria will be brought home but no room for radicalism in Trinidad and Tobago

FAMILIES of Muslim nationals detained in Syria against their will, have been assured that every one of them will be brought back home.

Giving the commitment was member of the three-man Repatriation Committee, career diplomat Patrick Edwards at the opening of the committee’s head office at Court Street, San Fernando, on Thursday evening.

Edwards was responding to a question from a relative of the detained nationals who enquired whether the repatriation would be done in phases, or all will be brought back at the same time.

Edwards, who sits on the committee with Kewsi Atiba and former House Speaker Nizam Mohammed, who is also the chair, said as they negotiate with other governments, phased or full reparation would be determined.

“What is important is that, at the end of the day, every one of our citizens in incarceration will be coming back home.”

As he gave the assurance, Mohammed asserted that by the same token they want to repatriate and rescue nationals, who would have initially left to join the radical group Isis, he said the TT Constitution mandates the Government to take care of all of its people.

In this vein, he denounced any form of radicalism and violence.

Alluding to the 1990 coup attempt by Imam Abu Bakr and the Jamaat Al Muslimeen without naming them, Mohammed said, “there is no room in TT for radicalism.

“All of that is behind our backs because we have learnt our lessons. TT is a forgiving place if we are sincere in seeking forgiveness and making amends.

“We have to denounce radicalism. We have to denounce violence. We have to denounce hate. We have to denounce divisions. We have had enough bloodshed.”

Arguing that some of the incarcerated are innocent, while others may have been a bit “careless,” Mohammed called for national support and support from the Muslim community to rescue those who required its help to do so.

He expressed hurt that one Muslim organisation had distanced itself from the reparation exercise because it was "not of that ilk." Mohammed called on all Muslims to close ranks and come together.

“Let us have peace in our hearts and let us make peace between ourselves and our Lord and our brethren. Stretch your hand out and tell TT to help us bring our people back and we will continue to build and change this society and remove all the violence and crime we are experiencing.”

In a very emotional speech, Mohammed who has given his time and the building the committee now occupies without charge, said, “I am doing this for Allah, not for any self gain.”

Denying any political involvement in the process, Mohammed slammed Opposition MP Dinesh Rambally, without identifying him by name for his stated intention to go to Syria to do what Rambally claimed would be an assessment of the 90 nationals, including 56 children and 21 women who are being held in camps that have become their prison.

“This has no politics in it. Sometimes I feel so saddened that,, out of desperation some brothers and sisters, when we could do things in a constructive, orderly way, they are being misled, and those who are misleading them.”

He said those who wanted to go in the middle of nowhere where the refugee camps were located, were unaware of the political dynamics as Turks were in control of Syrian territory.

“Why do some professional people mislead desperate relatives?”

He told the audience of grieving Muslim families not to be misled.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds who attended the opening ceremony, said repatriation was a must. He said the initiative began as far back as 2017 and the committee had advanced the work in order to do what was in the best interest of all citizens; whether by birth or descent.

When asked whether Government was entertaining an offer by General Mc Kenzie to repatrite all citizens free of charge, Hinds said "I can categorically say that the only impetus, the only energy, the only driver and shaper that has influenced Government policy and what we do, is internal to the GOTT ad not influenced by any exteral person."