Leader of The Islamic Front Umar Abdullah intends to discuss with National Security Minister Edmund Dillon two issues when they meet on Tuesday.
The first being the migration of close to 100 T&T men who left our shores to become fighters for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and whether the Government would prosecute these fighters if they returned home.
On Thursday Abdullah was scheduled to have a face-to-face discussion with Dillon about T&T’s nationals joining Isis, but due to the minister’s pressing engagements, the meeting was postponed to Tuesday.
In a telephone interview on Friday, Abdullah said he and the Muslim community were about creating solutions and not problems.
He said he would like the wives and children of the deceased fighters to return home safely.
Abdullah estimated between seven and eight of the men who joined ISIS have died in battle, leaving their families in turmoil.
“Although I have spoken to a few of their wives none of them has indicated to me that they wanted to return home because of the intricacies of the whole issue.”
Abdullah said no government should prevent its citizens from returning to T&T.
He said citizens who committed crimes outside of T&T and served jail sentences were deported back to T&T, yet no one complained.
“What the Government has to do is properly screen, monitor and offer rehabilitative programmes to these families and fighters so they can be reintegrated back into society. We should not shut the doors on them. These people need counselling.They should not be locked out because we would create a bigger problem.”
Abdullah said he hoped the meeting would have a positive outcome.