Let public discuss terrorism law

Mohammed said members of the newly- formed group, Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago (MOTT), were yet to see the proposals to the amendments to the legislation in its entirety.

The amendments are expected to be laid tomorrow in the House of Representatives.

“The only plan that we really have is to ask for it (proposals) to go out for public consultation and for us to have a meeting with the Attorney General (Faris Al-Rawi) as well,” Mohammed said.

He said the MOTT will write to the AG this week requesting a meeting with him.

“If we had the draft we could have given a more detailed position on the issue or suggestions as to what we are okay with in the legislation and what we are not okay with,” Mohammed added.

He agreed with head of the Islamic Front Umar Abdullah, that several of the proposals contained in the anti-terrorism legislation infringed on the movement of Muslims.

“You can’t assume that you are going to commit a terrorist act and then charge you,” he said in relation to one of the bill’s proposals.

“When you judge people, you have to have evidence,” he said.

“There are a lot of scenarios where people may want to go to Syria and to go to other countries that might be restricted.” At present, Mohammed said there were several humanitarian groups doing relief work at hospitals and shelters in Syria during its ongoing civil war.

“If people in Trinidad want to go there to be involved in this type of work, then you cannot tell them not to go because if Trinidad was to have a disaster tomorrow, you would be depending on foreign people to come in and help us as well, just as in Haiti.” Mohammed added: “While we have Trinidad people who are going out and joining ISIS, at the same time you cannot judge all of them in the same way.

America has people who joined ISIS, England, France, all over have people who have joined ISIS but at the same time they did not tell their citizens that they cannot go to this country and that country.”