Hassan Atwell and Scanny Martin they set the stage for young Trinidad men to, accept “shuhada” (martyrdom).

Trinidad is now infamous as the place in the western hemisphere from whence, the most jihadist’s per capita has immigrated (hijrah) to Iraq and Syria. Shane Crawford (deceased) is the most known jihadist, from Trinidad to date. I have written many posts on my Blog about Crawford and jihadism, in a Caribbean context. In any movement whether, fundamentalist or otherwise there must always be forbearers, those who shouldered the burden of responsibility to propagate in behalf of a given message, in the case of a jihadist, such propagation must entail that a jihadist must be prepared to sacrifice his or her life in the furtherance of their goals. One such propagator was Hassan Atwell along with his accomplice (brother in jihad), Scanny Martin. The two men set the stage and tone for all others who desired martyrdom (shuhada), to follow in their footsteps. Bear witness then to their reality in the suicide operation that inspired a generation.   

                                                   

Atwell was an educated individual and tech savvy enough that his use of Facebook, up till his death was so ubiquitous, that he became known as the Facebook felon.  Atwell and Martin’s story is a cautionary tale to the region's governments and specifically that of Trinidad and Tobago, in that many young men regionally, who have been imprisoned are in contact with Muslims who adhere to the type of value system that Atwell adhered to.

After his death, Atwell’s mother posted a message on FB ostensibly to clear up the public’s perception of her son. In it, she stated that he was imprisoned for six years, without ever going to trial and that he was not convicted of any crime. From his FB post’s it is clear that he considered himself to have been “oppressed”.

The photo above is of Omar al-Mukhtar Muslim resistance fighter who fought against the Italian colonization of Libya. Atwell posted the following post alongside the photo of al-Mukthar: “The true spirit of a true Muslim. O Allah give us the faith and spirit of our forefathers (Salaf) whose feet was firm on the battlefield and whose hearts were strong and full of love for Islam and feared none but you O ALLAH AMEEN!

                      

Atwell began to proclaim his jihad in his FB messaging clearly showing his state of mind and his commitment to jihad. The authorities in Trinidad missed the messaging totally.  

The shirt that Atwell is wearing in this FB photo speaks volumes. Jahiliyah is misspelt with two yy’s instead of one, what is remarkable is the fact that he used the term referencing the jahiliya, a term referencing a period of pre-Islamic ignorance. Atwell’s interpretation can be read thus: “the sinful world broke my heart”. It should be said here that Atwell and many like him, are mainly people that grew up in marginally “Christianity”, influenced homes often being raised by their mother’s living in extremely poor conditions, he is the rule and not the exception. His and many others’ embrace of “Islam”, was and still is a many-sided cube worthy of serious study, by the regions so-called authorities otherwise their “counter-terrorism” efforts are doomed to failure.

What follows are photos and excerpts from the premiere news outlets on Trinidad in establishing the events that led up to the escape of Atwell, Maartin and Selby from prison.

 Hassan Atwell was linked to the Jamaat al-Muslimeen Yasin Abu Bakr the leader of the Jamaat officiated at Atwell’s funeral calling him a ‘hero’.

The following is quoted from Trinidad Express: “Just days away from the 25th anniversary of the July 27, 1990, attempted coup, the capital city was thrown into panic and fear yesterday following a jailbreak and the deaths of a policeman and a prisoner.

A prison officer was also injured in the melee that followed the breakout from the Frederick Street prison and two armed and dangerous prisoners are on the loose”.

Hassan Atwell and Christopher Selby along with Scanny Martin, were the three who escaped the prison break for details see the video link on Youtube here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsTF8nDq7B8

Hassan Atwell moved from silly pranksterism like this photo of him dancing in prison, shot on a cell phone camera, to what was in his mind a jihad, to “come out from under oppression”. Given realities in the Caribbean on the ground, the fundamentalist Islam favoured by many Afro-Trinidadians has blown across the entire region and even on Sint Maarten local women are wearing the hijab and the burqa. Signs of Islamic fundamentalism to the point of adopting full face veils and the like in every society with Muslim populations in the west preceded more fundamentalist manifestations of Islamic practice, such as jihadism and its various permutations. 

A still shot of the video featuring Atwell. Ian Allen of Crime Watch fame is the reporter interviewing the woman in the Youtube video forewarning of the prison break.

Scanny Martin. The hulking Martin  was one of the men charged in the kidnapping and murder of business woman Vindra Naipaul.  Click the link for more info http://nazaritze-lionzman.blogspot.com/2015/09/imam-yasin-abu-bakr-spiritual-head-of.html

The Jamaat al-Muslimeen the organization that Atwell was linked to is a criminal organization, with a pseudo-Islamic façade. The top tier is overseen by clerics, while the rank and file consist of criminal elements, that picture though in recent years has undergone drastic changes. Hassan Atwell the Jamaat member, whose funeral was officiated by the head of the JAM, is an example of the contemporary youthful JAM street linked membership. Atwell was called a hero by JAM leader Yasin abu-Bakr.

The western secularist mind sees death as a final end. The praxis out of which Martin, Atwell and countless others before and after them view death, is out of the Islamic praxis of shuhada i.e. martyrdom. The pictures in and of themselves were a coup, since they showed individuals who knowingly marched forth to meet death (inghimasi). Atwell and Martin particularly are viewed as martyrs in their various Muslim communities. This link is of video footage of Martin’s funeral   http://www.tv6tnt.com/sevenpm-news/--Gun-Tribute-At-SkannyS-Funeral-319123031.html

The video is graphic salient proof of the truth of what is written here, Martin a convicted murderer and rapist, was still honored by his peers and cohorts within his “Muslim” community. This spirit has rapidly spread throughout the Caribbean and it’s most powerful manifestation on Sint Maarten is within the prison system. It will only be a matter of time before this type of activity begins to manifest itself here when that time arrives the “government”, will be woefully unprepared for the fallout.