News:

The Guardian Newspaper dated 8th October 2013 reported that Police in Mtwara, South of Tanzania are holding 11 people for allegedly being involved in illegal military training in Makolionga Forest, Nanyumbu District.

The suspects were found with various military tools along with 25 Compact Discs (CD) containing training information that is said to be used by terrorist groups Al-Qaeda and Al-Shaabab. Other military tools included a military kit bag bearing an anchor logo that Police are investigating as to its country of origin. Also recovered were two bush knives, a solar panel, torches, one motor bicycle battery, three bicycles, five mobile phones and variety of canned foods.

Mtwara Region Police Commander Zelothe Stephen said the youth were found in areas that cannot be reached by ordinary people from the thick forest and difficult mountain terrain and required police special techniques to reach and arrest them. After interrogation, police have concluded that the youth are undergoing dangerous training related to Al-Qaeda and Al-Shaabab groups.

Comment:

Since America forced countries including Tanzania to enact laws against Islam under the name of Terrorism laws, Muslims in these countries live in constant fear, anxiety, extra-judicial killings, torture and dirty propaganda. The incident which is called military training has surprised all keen observers. Surely is military training done with machetes? As for military training CD's, they are all over in the states including those of Rambo and his likes which are sold like any other product. Police claiming that they easily arrested the youths in the forest without them escaping through using skilled means without elaboration is a matter indicating being evasive with the truth.

Such events which are followed by jabbering from some politicians and media with hatred against Islam and Muslims are a dangerous matter that aggravates relationships among the public in Tanzania and other places. When such events occur against Muslims, they are immediately blown up by the media and associated with terrorism even before being pronounced by a court.  However, when the same are done by non-Muslims - they occur daily - they are never linked to terrorism. It is usually termed as robbery, thuggery, etc.

The objective of this wide campaign being built especially after the recent events in neighbouring Kenya is to propagate the American worldwide campaign of war against Islam and Muslims. What is happening is to promote the concept of ‘war on terror' to the general public in these countries and the whole world with the main objective being to instill fear in people against Islam and Muslims. This is done by our countries to please America which is the main sponsor and flag bearer of this campaign in its agenda to bring the whole world on its side to co-operate in its war against Islam and Muslims. America is in a dilemma and in great fear of the return of Islam on the international scene through the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" state. This is a matter that is certainly going to occur based on various evidences.

On the part of Tanzania, it has closely taken over the event and others for political objectives. First is to divert public opinion on the divisive constitution making process whereby opposition parties are opposed to the whole process. Also mainly to save face through the event for the atrocities committed in the Southern Province by neglecting the area in development since independence yet the area has many natural resources. Second is to cunningly hide the atrocities recently committed and are still continuing against the public by the police through threats, theft, killings, rape, harassment, and torture etc. This is because of an uprising by the residents of the province to oppose the move by the government to transfer natural gas from the province to Dar-es-Salaam which means the residents won't benefit from the resource.

Written for the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Masoud Msellem

Deputy Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir / East Africa