IMAM Yasin Abu Bakr's former right-hand man and bodyguard Lorris Ballack said his late leader was a gift to the country.
Ballack paid tribute to him on Friday during the Janazaah, the Muslim funeral.
“I want you to know who it is you are burying here today – it is a gift to TT. And we loved him just so,” Ballack said adding that the Imam taught him, in his death, to prepare for death himself.
Abu Bakr, a diabetic, collapsed at his home at Long Circular Road, St James, on Thursday night and was taken to the St James Health Facility where he was declared dead. He died four days after his 80th birthday.
Last year, one of Abu Bakr’s four wives, economist Anissa Abu Bakr, died.
“What we lost here today is a true son of the soil. This is not a politician, not the Parliament yesterday. This is the leader of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen. I have been around the Imam for 38 years and today I see and understand what is life. Today he has made it easy for me to die. And if his death doesn’t make it easy for us to be prepared to die, then he did nothing.”
Abu Bakr, formerly Lennox Phillip, the leader of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, tried to overthrow the NAR government on July 27, 1990. He 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, then prime minister ANR Robinson was shot and MP Leo des Vignes died after he too was shot. There were also casualties in the Red House and police headquarters.
In a sworn affidavit last year, Abu Bakr apologised for the pain he caused for the attempted coup.
“For all the pain I caused the nation I am sorry. Now it is time for closure.”
[caption id="attachment_920456" align="alignnone" width="1024"] TO ALLAH WE SHALL RETURN: Fuad Abu Bakr, son of the late leader of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen Yasin Abu Bakr, says a prayer at his father’s funeral at the muslimeen’s mosque on Mucurapo Road, Port of Spain, on Friday. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
The Mucurapo Road mosque was filled with both Muslims and non-Muslims coming to pay respect to Abu Bakr. Among them were former gender youth and child development minister Verna St Rose-Greaves and founder of the Black Agenda Project David Muhammad.
Apart from the police officers on the fringes of the compound, a few, in plain clothes, tried to mix in with the crowd. Some mourners were heard complaining about a lack of physical distancing while others had to be reminded to wear their masks.
Abu Bakr’s sons Ayinde and Fuad both spoke of the legacy their father left, not just on them as his children but the country. The brothers called for unity among the Muslim brothers.
Fuad said: “Fight yourself! Stop fighting one another. Love Allah. Love your Muslim brothers. Love your non-Muslim brothers. Love everyone. Challenge yourselves. Remember the lessons the Imam has taught us. We each may have a different lesson but try to remember all. Let
