Abdullah el-Faisal

This article is about the Jamaican Muslim cleric convicted of soliciting murder and inciting hatred. For the Saudi Arabian prince, see Abdullah al Faisal.

Abdullah el-Faisal
Born
Trevor William Forrest

(1963-09-10) 10 September 1963 (age 61)[2]
Saint James Parish, Jamaica
Other namesAbdullah al-Faisal, Sheikh Faisal, Sheik Faisal
OccupationCleric
Criminal statusFirst release (25 May 2007); deported Incarcerated (March 2023-Present);
Spouse(s)Two currently; one of whom is Zubeida Khan
Children3
Parent(s)Merlyn Forrest (mother); Lorenzo Forrest (father)
Conviction(s)24 February 2003[1] 26 January 2023[1]
Criminal chargeUnder the Offences against the Person Act 1861 with soliciting the murder of Jews, Americans, Christians, and Hindus, and using threatening words to stir up racial hatred in English- and Arabic-language tapes of speeches to his followers[1]
PenaltyNine years in prison Incarcerated; 18 years in prison (March 2023)

Abdullah el-Faisal (born Trevor William Forrest, also known as Abdullah al-Faisal, Sheikh Faisal, Sheik Faisal, and Imam Al-Jamaikee, born 10 September 1963[2]) is a Jamaican Muslim cleric who preached in the United Kingdom until he was convicted of stirring up racial hatred and urging his followers to murder Jews, Hindus, Christians, Americans and other "unbelievers".[1][3][4][5]

El-Faisal was sentenced to nine years in prison, of which he served four years before being deported to Jamaica in 2007.[4][6] He subsequently traveled to Africa, but was deported from Botswana in 2009 and from Kenya back to Jamaica in January 2010.

In 2020, El-Faisal was extradited to New York City after being arrested in Jamaica in 2017. He was subsequently convicted in January 2023 in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan on counts including soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b c d "Judgment in Appeal of Crown v. El-Faisal, Supreme Court of Judicature, Court of Appeal" (PDF). 4 March 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Williams, Paul H. (11 June 2007). "A biography of international intrigue". The Gleaner. Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ^ Jenkins, Philip (2007). God's continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's religious crisis. Oxford University Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-0-19-531395-6. Retrieved 7 February 2010. Abdullah el-Faisal.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BBC03 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Gendar, Alison (22 November 2010). "Jamaican Imam Abdullah el-Faisal wants to be next terror big, U.S. fears". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  6. ^ Giuseppe Caforio; Gerhard Kümmel; Bandara Purkayastha, eds. (2008). Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution: Sociological Perspectives, Volume 7 of Contributions to conflict management, peace economics and development. Emerald Group Publishing. pp. 129–30. ISBN 978-1-84855-122-0. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Jamaican cleric sentenced to 18 years in NY terrorism case". AP News. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  8. ^ Moynihan, Colin (26 January 2023). "Cleric Is Convicted in New York of Supporting ISIS While in Jamaica". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 August 2024.