Kingston, Jamaica - A Jamaica-born Muslim cleric who has called for killing Americans, Hindus and Jews has not committed any crimes in his native country and the Caribbean island will take him in, the foreign affairs minister said Thursday.
It is unclear when Sheik Abdullah el-Faisal might arrive in Jamaica, where he lived before departing for Africa in early 2009 on a Jamaican passport, Minister Kenneth Baugh told Nationwide News Network radio. He did not know what route el-Faisal would take to Jamaica.
"As far as monitoring him, that will be left to the Ministry of National Security who have their program in place to maintain surveillance," said Baugh, without revealing specifics.
Kenya deported El-Faisal to Gambia on Thursday after several countries, including the United States, denied him a transit visa. Kenya's immigration minister said Gambian authorities have agreed to help el-Faisal find his way home.
Security agents will monitor el-Faisal's activities in Jamaica because of his history of calling for violence in other nations, according to Glenmore Hinds, Jamaica's assistant police chief. He would not disclose details, citing security protocols.
"We are working closely with our international partners on this subject," Hinds said during the same radio program.
The permanent secretary of Jamaica's Security Ministry, Richard Reese, referred security questions to police.
Gilbert Scott, former permanent secretary of the security ministry, said agents closely monitored el-Faisal during his time on the Caribbean island in 2007.
El-Faisal was born Trevor William Forrest in rural St. James parish and immigrated to Britain in the early 1980s. He was deported to Jamaica in May 2007 after serving time in a British prison for urging the killing of several religious groups.
El-Faisal once led a London mosque attended by convicted terrorists, and Britain has said that his teachings heavily influenced one of the bombers in the 2005 transport network attacks in London that killed 52 people.
Mustafa Muhammad, the head of Jamaica's Muslim community, has said he is extremely concerned about el-Faisal's return and plans to meet with community leaders.
He said Jamaica's poverty and lack of security might make it easy for people to infiltrate their community.