Insane. This is how author/freelance journalist Raoul Pantin views Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of the 1990 attempted overthrow of the government. Pantin, a victim of the July 27, 1990 insurrection by Bakr and his band of Jamaat al Muslimeen followers, disclosed this yesterday as he gave evidence before the commission of enquiry into the event. Pantin was a journalist at Trinidad & Tobago Television (TTT) which the Muslimeen seized. He and other workers were held hostage for six days. "There is an element of fantasy about the guy's psychology. I believe he sees himself as becoming some kind of ayatollah." Pantin added, "There's an element of masquerade, the long gown. There's a bit of the Carnivalesque, burlesque (a comical imitation of something) aspect to his personality."
Pantin said he didn't hear Bakr or Jamaat leaders talking about making T&T an Islamic state after they had overthrown the government but young Muslimeen insurgents spoke about it. "They said they wanted to introduce Sharia law. They didn't come up with that on their own. I believe they would have heard it in discussions at the Jamaat prior to the coup." Pantin told the commission he believed it was a form of insanity on the part of Bakr when he invited the hostages to dinner at the Jamaat's mosque after they were released. "When the army released us Bakr invited us to dinner at the mosque. After taking us hostage, to invite us to dinner. The man had a form of insanity, as far as I'm concerned." Pantin said his experience being held hostage left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder 22 years after the attempted coup. He said he drank before but became an alcoholic after the coup d'etat and had to seek help for his condition.
"I used to drink but I became a heavy drinker after. I became an alcoholic. I used alcohol as a sort of suppressant." He said he became angry very easily and was not aware he had a problem. It was his sister who perceived it and insisted he get treatment. Pantin informed the commission that he has stopped drinking. He has not fully recovered, though. Pantin said he does not know how he will react when he sees Bakr, whom he has not met since the uprising. He said he cringes when he sees Muslimeen members giving evidence at the enquiry. He does not go out often and is expecting anything to happen anytime. He said he could not work as a reporter at the Express and works as a freelance journalist to this day. He cannot understand how the local judiciary could uphold the amnesty granting the Muslimeen pardon and is aghast that Bakr was awarded $3.4 million by the courts for damages to his property during the coup d'etat.
Pantin said he began writing his book, Days of Wrath, while he was held hostage as a form of therapy and to leave a record in case he did not live. A Muslimeen rebel told him he would make a lot of money from the book and handed him a wish list he had in his pocket in which was written, "video, television set, fridge." Pantin said it was strange that the Muslimeen was concerned about his wife's appliances while being a part of the uprising. Apparently, the appliances were to be acquired from looting. He said after he was released, a woman called him and asked if he had them for her.
