“The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.”
—William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act III, scene 2)
Last Monday (October 18th), Colin Powell, American statesman, diplomat and four-star general, passed away. He was the paradigm of the American Dream. The son of immigrant parents from the Caribbean, he dedicated his life to national service, becoming the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American Secretary of State. But the twilight of his career was marred by controversy. He became one of the advocates of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, making the case before the United Nations Security Council that the regime of Saddam Hussein was in possession of (biological) weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were ever uncovered, and it was later revealed that the claim was based on faulty intelligence.
It’s unfortunate how a lifetime of service can be negated by one mistake. But not so in Trinidad and Tobago; a place where even persons of infamy are hailed as heroes.
Last Thursday, Yasin Abu Bakr (born Lennox Philip), leader of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, died. He is known prominently as the individual who led a failed coup d’état on July 27th, 1990. But despite this act of treason, there are members of the national community who remember him in a positive light.
Local businessman Inshan Ishmael, in a post on his Facebook page regarding the passing of Abu Bakr, stated that he chose, “…to remember the thousands he assisted with food, clothing and shelter. Today, I choose to remember the school that was built wherein teachers worked for free sometimes due to no funding, thousands were educated.” He made no mention of July 27th, nor the accusations of the Jamaat’s connection to organised crime. Mr Ishmael isn’t alone in choosing what and how to remember Abu Bakr. Fuad Abu Bakr, at the memorial service for his father held on Friday (October 22nd), preached to the congregation to “remember the good.” He too made no mention of his father’s treason. But while admitting that “nobody’s perfect,” he lauded his father as a teacher and religious figure whose example should be emulated.
Now, Mr Ishmael and the younger Bakr can say whatever and remember Abu Bakr however they please. But there are two things that are demonstrably and disgustingly wrong with their accolades. Not only are they wilfully ignoring the negative aspects of Abu Bakr’s life and actions, but they are also implying that his “contributions,” both in words and deeds, somehow atone for them. And it’s easy to see why they think they can do so.
In the years since the attempted coup, Abu Bakr and his followers have pushed the narrative that the events of July 27th were not an insurrection… but a resistance against tyranny. The now-deceased Jamaat leader also worked to cultivate the image that he stood up for the socioeconomic and racial inequities plaguing the urban Afro-Trinidadian communities. And there are citizens who believe these fallacies. But here’s the truth about the attempted coup that’s undeniable…People lost their lives, public and private property was destroyed, and citizens who experienced the tragedy were left traumatised. Let me be clear—I am not suggesting that Abu Bakr’s entire life should be defined by that one event. But he has never apologised to the country for it either, especially to the families who lost loved ones as a direct result of his attempt to overthrow the government.
Worse yet, he took advantage of his notoriety and the influence he held over certain segments of the population. Every year, on the anniversary of the coup, he would thrust himself into the national spotlight. It was a perverse way of reminding the country that—yes —“I did what I did and got away with it.”
He was also known for making provocative statements on national issues that came very close to inciting violent civil unrest. This is not a person who tried to make up for his past mistakes—he revelled in what he did. And let’s not forget the numerous allegations of his organisation’s unlawful enterprises. Now, one could make the argument that neither he nor any of its members have ever been convicted of a serious crime. Well, neither was notorious American gangster Alphonse “Scarface” Capone; he was eventually arrested for tax evasion. In fact, wouldn’t it be ironic if those humanitarian efforts that Mr Ishmael praised Abu Bakr for were funded by the proceeds of his supposed extra-legal activities? The comparison is quite appropriate…Just as Al Capone’s life and exploits are romanticised, so too are Abu Bakr’s. One person’s villain is another’s folk hero.
As a result of the disaster that the Iraq War turned into, Colin Powell publicly accepted the role he played in it. That confirms everything about his life and career—that he was and remained a person of integrity.
For Abu Bakr, no amount of propaganda will erase from history the evil he visited on our country. Some will undoubtedly choose to remember him as a pious man and a humanitarian. But here are some other things he will be remembered for as well—an insurrectionist and a terrorist with blood on his hands.