Media Release:
Re: The Killing of Businessmen Haniff Mohammed
Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) mourns the death of our brother Haniff Mohammed, who was murdered in cold blood, at the Junon Street, Masjid in Couva. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un... "Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return". May he rest in peace! May Allah bless and comfort his family and relatives during this time of grief. In this holy month of Ramadhan in which the gates of Paradise are opened, may he enter it with ease, and may he be forbidden to enter the gates of Hell which are closed in this month. May Allah give him eternal rest and his love-ones the strength to bear the great pain. May the care and love of those around them provide comfort and peace to get them through the days ahead. Aameen.
As much as we are disgusted and are not going to tolerate nor accept this dastardly act perpetrated within the sanctity of our holy places. We recall within the last four years other killings of similar nature and circumstances; all within the holy month of Ramadhan.
Daniel Bostic, 35, of Drayton Street, San Fernando, was murdered on the compound of the Jama Masjid, Mucarapo Street, San Fernando on Wed 1st July 2015.
Cornelius “Tractor” Peters, 34, of Maturita Village, Arima, was murdered on the compound of Masjid al Falah, Arima on Sat 9th June 2018.
All these murders bore some resemblance which alludes to the character and lifestyle of some of these individuals; both the victims and the perpetrators of these crimes.
Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) calls on Muslims to return to their religion and to adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and the practices of our beloved prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The same goes for all persons; return to your religion! How can we expect for others to respect our spaces of worship when we ourselves are disrespectful in them? We violate the teaching of the scriptures, calling the displeasure and wrath of the Almighty God and present ourselves within our places of worship and use it as a cover for our indifferent ways. Our religious leaders who are aware of these individuals should be held accountable for their actions. In most cases, they turn a blind eye to what's happening under their watch. They refuse to call out the wrongs of these individuals because they perhaps benefit from them. Imagine Hours after businessman Haniff Mohammed was gunned down after offering midday prayers at the Junon Street, Masjid in Couva on Friday, four Muslim men between the ages of 18 and 35, were held for an alleged kidnapping at a Masjid in Longdenville Chaguanas.
The comparison made by Concerned Muslims of TT PRO Imtiaz Mohammed said the murder of Mohammed has made him reflect on the mass killings in New Zealand.
After the New Zealand massacre, the media asked him, if he felt the same thing can happen here, he said, "don't rule it out". "And today we have the brutal and violent murder in the Junon Street Masjid,” he said. This is exactly the type of rhetoric used by some of our leaders as a cover for what's, in fact, an indictment against us. It is this shallow thinking of our leaders without in debt thought and analysis that gives rise to rancor within our communities.
Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) contends that these brazen acts of violence are in ways linked to the support and involvement of corrupt police officers and corrupt politicians. Returning to our religion is in no way turning the other cheek its, in fact, the direct opposite. By so doing we'll push back the criminals in a place unfamiliar to them thereby forcing them to change their ways. This will certainly help stamp out the corruption both within the police and amongst the politicians.
Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) states with conviction, we have no one else to blame but ourselves. We hold the keys to bridge those gaps and reconnect with the society, but because of our lack of leadership and lack of vision we have once again found ourselves at the mercy of evil.
For Immediate Release:
Date: May 13th, 2019
Umar Abdullah
Head of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front)
Tel: +18683656253 or +18687870765
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