Jagdeo says “no apology” for Nation of Islam Cleric

Jul 09, 2011 News

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President Bharrat Jagdeo says that his government will not offer any apology to Nation of Islam Advisor, Akbar Muhammad, who was detained last month on suspicion of being involved in drugs and terrorism.
The president made this disclosure yesterday at a press briefing at the Office of the President.
According to Jagdeo, from the report he saw, law enforcement agencies had intelligence and information that something was being developed in Guyana.
He said some turned out to be true. Three persons were charged with treason, he added.
The president explained that the security forces have their work to check out everything when it deals with national security.
“They arrested him; no one, excluding the President, is immune from being arrested,” Jagdeo told reporters.
He said that Muhammad was taken into custody and questioned. The president said that he received a telephone call from Minister Louis Farrakhan and he reassured him that his government does not “lock up innocent people”.
Those detained have to go through a thorough process and the security force has to be satisfied, President Jagdeo added. It was noted that the police are still investigating the matter.
Jagdeo said that if he were to request the number of people who are wrongfully detained in the US, the list would be never ending.
According to the president, Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali, is always hassled whenever he travels to the US because he has a Muslim name.
Jagdeo stated that Ali recently missed a flight and spent hours in Germany because Homeland Security was checking out his name.
The president said they have written to the US about the problem but it persists.
Just two weeks ago Muhammad, in an interview with this newspaper stated that he was yet to receive any form of apology from the Government of Guyana.
Muhammad, Guyana-born Canadian citizen, Phillip Simon; and Tyrone Seymour were all arrested last month on suspicion that they were linked to terrorists acts and drug trafficking. The trio was released without charge one day after their detention.
Speaking with Kaieteur News via telephone Muhammad said that not a single person from the Guyana Government has contacted him to even start explaining why he was detained.
“This is a character assignation on my behalf and no one has issued an International apology so everyone can see” Muhammad told Kaieteur News.
Muhammad added that the entire incident has tremendously affected him.
“I’m Muslin and presently there is a phobia around the world against muslims and anyone who saw the articles emanating and don’t know me personally would automatically believe that I’m involved in these things,” Muhammad lamented.
He further insisted that his main reason for travelling to Guyana was to motivate young people to want more out of life.
“I was here (in Guyana) to motivate young people to speak about the unemployment situation,” Muhammad said.
Minister Muhammad was arrested at the Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara while Simon was arrested a short distance from the Criminal Investigations Department, Eve Leary.
East Coast Demerara resident, Tyrone Seymour, was arrested as he was about to carry something for Simon and Muhammad to eat.
Recounting his arrest at the Princess Hotel, Mohammad during a press briefing said that he was in his hotel room when someone began banging on the door.
Muhammad said that he refused to open the door because he didn’t know who the visitors were.
“Finally I pushed my identification card under the door, and then they asked for Simon because the room is in his name,” the Minister explained.
According to the US citizen, the officers threatened to break the door down, and he asked them to allow him to get dressed.
When he opened the door Muhammad said that the police ranks alleged that they were in receipt of information from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that he was in Guyana to plan a terrorist act and to organize people for it. At no point during his arrest Muhammad said did the police ever mention the drug trafficking allegation.
According to Muhammad, two Caucasians were present during his arrest at the hotel. He told reporters that he asked the men if they were from the CIA, but they did not respond to his query.
According to Muhammad, the two men stayed behind, and this caused him to become skeptical because he was afraid something might be planted in his room.
He was then taken into custody.
Minister Akbar Muhammad is an International Representative for the Nation of Islam. He has offices and residences in Accra, Ghana, and the United States.
He has travelled extensively around the world, mainly in North, West and South Africa.
He lectures to civic organizations, students and business leaders about the advantages of doing business and travelling in Africa and the Caribbean.

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