Media Release: In Response to the Miscellaneous Provisions (Law Enforcement Officers) Bill 2019

Media Release: 

Re: In Response to the Miscellaneous Provisions (Law Enforcement Officers) Bill 2019

The United Prison Movement and Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) is signaling the creation of a Police State by introducing such Bills as the Bail Amendment and more recently the Miscellaneous Provisions (Law Enforcement Officers) Bill 2019. In our view what these Bills seeks to do is give unilateral powers to the police and to usurp the power of the Judiciary. Its interfering with attorney–client privilege and confidentiality. Its a violation of the fundamental rights of our citizens. 

A citizen's rights of choice as it pertains to his/her safety and well being is now being stripped away. We are now being asked to compromise and give up our constitutional rights because the leadership of the police is incapable of protecting the citizenry.

These laws are not just unconstitutional but are barbaric and draconian in nature. The state in its vicious nature and its desire to satisfy their financiers instead of addressing prison reform and the long delays of matters before the courts continues to suppress and abuse the fundamental rights of prisoners and the poor class in this country. 

In our opinion we see this government using Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith as a distraction, while they unleash these violations of constitutional rights upon the unsuspecting public. Defence attorneys are painted as being in support of criminals or criminals themselves by the head of the police service and the political leadership remains silent on this. Has the principles of natural justice been struck down in favor of  allowing a commissioner to prevent accused citizens from defending themselves in the courts?

The United Prison Movement and Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) supports the lawful persecution of all criminals but this persecution must be just and fair. We must not allow the urgency of nation's social ills to force us into accepting governance and police tactics that belong to a military state or dictatorship rule. We must demand competence from those who seek the job of political and national office or we just demand a swift end to their careers.

The United Prison Movement and Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) is asking, has the last four years of our lives been made any safer or easier by those who feed and revel under the banner of government? Every sphere of our existence as citizens of this great nation has been made to be a source of income for the political ambitions of this government. The food we have to buy, the water we need to use,  the power for our homes, the education system we need for our children, the energy resources we need to make our lives easier, the companies we have worked so hard to build.

We are fed lies and innuendos each passing day by those who have failed us. Our great city is being used as payment for international political support. Our lower class business citizenry displaced from their livelihood within the city in favor of a foreign land. Whilst we starve we are given "free" bulbs that we pay for with higher taxes. The proceeds of which; "The LED Bulb Supplier, HADCO", used to acquire the Barbados headquartered Caribbean LED Lighting.

The United Prison Movement and Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) is therefore, summoning the opposition and rest of civil society to come forward and strike down the efforts of this administration to violate and oppress its citizens into sheep like behaviour. 

In the words of Thomas Jefferson In the Declaration of Independence: When faced with a “long train of abuses” with the goal of pursuing despotism, it is the duty of the people to “throw off such government.” Implicit here is when injustice becomes law resistance becomes duty.

For Immediate Release:

Date: November 14th, 2019

Umar Abdullah

Head of the United Prison Movement and Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front)

Tel: +18683656253 or +18687870765