On the 26 March 2015 CE Russia 1 TV channel ran within its regular program "Extracts against Terrorism", an episode titled "Sacred Torture". A new slur directed against the Islamic party, Hizb ut Tahrir, it stated that members of our party took part in the burning of churches in the missile attack on a petrochemical plant in the city of Nizhnekamsk in the year 2013.
News:
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Washington asked to postpone military training for Syrian opposition. Çavuşoğlu stated that the train-equip program was delayed therefore. On a live interview on NTV Çavuşoğlu noting that the train-and-equip program to train Syrian opposition forces signed with the USA will soon be initialized made the following statements: "There is no delay from our side. We take decisions jointly. We establish the equipments jointly and decide jointly whom to train and will decide on everything jointly. Because of U.S. (geographic) distance, there has been a minor delay but everything is fine both politically and technically. The works are continuing." Source:Dunya Bulteni.
Comment:
The train-and-equip project which is being discussed by Turkey and the USA for a long time but still not put in action with a concrete decision signed by John Bass, Ambassador of the United States to Turkey and Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Undersecretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, on 20th February 2015. Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu who made an announcement after the signing of the memorandum of understanding stated that "the trained Syrian opposition members are expected to fight against ISIL and other terrorist groups in the region." High-ranking diplomats of Turkey gave the information that opposition groups to be trained had been chosen by a joint-selection-committee. On top of the factors which were sought to be agreed on was whom the trained opposition forces would target at.
And in January Turkish Foreign Ministry sources announced not to give details about whom these trained elements mentioned in the memorandum would fight, thus stating to enabling the opposition to fight against Assad if needed and if needed against ISIL.
Meanwhile it is well known that the USA has no solution to the Syria issue without Assad. Throughout the last 3 years in which the USA which tried to create an opposition force as an alternative to the Baath regime and in which it became highly disappointed, is not thinking in the least of a solution without Assad anymore. And Turkey professing to counter this decision of the USA says that Assad has to leave. In fact Turkey follows the USA's Syria policy exactly step by step. Therefore Turkey's statements of opposition soldiers trained under the train-and-equip project fighting against Assad are nothing more than empty words. Because everyone knows very well the train-and-equip is solely aiming at generating soldiers to fight against the sincere mujahideen groups in Syria.
Also it has become clearly visible to everybody during this Syrian Uprising that the Syrian people and the fighters refused to cooperate with cowards and traitors every time. The sincere mujahideen served as an example to those groups who thought about cooperating with the West and dissuaded them from their decisions. Even those Muslims who fight in the FSA have understood that the USA and Turkey are not trustworthy. And this is why they joined the sincere mujahideen and conquered the city of IDLIB which was under the control of the Baath regime. These are the groups who joined this Army of Conquerors: Ahrar al-Sham, al-Nusra Front, Jund al-Aqsa, Jaish Ansar al-Sunna, Faylaq Al-Sham and Liwa-ul-Haq. There are also soldiers of the FSA in these groups. This means that the soldiers whom the USA and Turkey planned to train-and-equip against ISIL and the sincere mujahidoon groups whom they regard as terrorist, joined the sincere mujahidoon and inflicted a heavy blow on Assad's army. Straight afterwards there arrived the news from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu that the train-and-equip project had been postponed.
I ask the leaders of Turkey, if the soldiers to be trained under the train-and-equip project are to fight against the Assad regime - here there are the mujahideen who fight like lions - so why do we need to delay this project?
Because you are lying. Because you cannot find any soldiers to train under this project. Because the USA is very angry that the mujahideen conquered IDLIB. Because even the FSA soldiers you wanted to train with the USA, have linked arms with the sincere ones (Muhlisoon) and are running from victory to victory in IDLIB. Also, you wanted to set up a temporal government in IDLIB via the NCSROF (Syrian National Coalition). Now, however the muhlisoon have told the NCSROF never to enter IDLIB. They refused the temporal government. And this angered the USA even more. And then the postponement of the train-and-equip project was announced. And now, you as the Turkish Republic get up and speak with the mouth of USA and invent unashamedly a lie that the train-and-equip project was delayed due to some technical problems. Whereas this project was delayed due to the IDLIB victory. Because those soldiers whom you regarded as moderate fought on the side of the sincere mujahideen. You live with and are grieved upon the fear of losing the FSA soldiers after training them to the ranks of the sincere mujahideen.
It is a shame that the Turkish Republic did not become wiser during the Syrian Uprising. It has set on the tail of the USA and the West. It expected action by the NCSROF who virtually waited like vultures on the field of Syria. Cluelessly twisting in the wind; the USA seeks a remedy in Turkey, while Turkey seeks a remedy in the sold commanders of the NCSROF and FSA. The USA has no trust in NCSROF. Because the NCSROF has no total control over any of the groups in Syria.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Mahmut KAR
News:
Dunia Albert, a member of Egypt's anti-harassment movement, has said this week that the Egyptian law is not the reason behind the increase of sexual harassment in the street but rather it is the silence of girls and women who suffer from the harassment.
Albert explained that a survey of 2,334 girls in 2013 found that 99.3 per cent of women in Egypt have been subjected to verbal or physical harassment and 61.3 per cent of the harassers were school or university students. Albert said that 91 per cent of women in the study said they did not feel safe in the street.
Comment:
One argument cited by the West is that sexual harassment in Egypt occurs due to the increasingly Islamic view of women, that Islamic men believe that women were ‘asking for it' due to the way the dressed and behaved. The BBC quotes one young Egyptian teenager, "If the girls were dressed respectably, no-one would touch them," one of them said. "It's the way girls dress that makes guys come on to them. The girls came wanting it - even women in niqab."
This view is similar to sexual harassers all over the world, who act purely on their desires, whether it be a disgusting comment, grope or rape. Rather than being spurred on by a religious belief, sexual harassment is an issue that knows no race or creed, as in the UK 45% of women have experienced some form of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. It is clear that the common thread of thought amongst men and women who abuse is the view that they can act as they wish, according to any impulse or feeling as they are free to act as they wish.
Therefore the secular mentality out of which is born the freedom to do what one pleases, is at the root of this drive and this view is free to fester in Egypt due to lack of enforcement on the government level, against harassment. Furthermore, in a society where most men are young, poor, jobless and largely powerless, it is common to find a rise in many types of antisocial behaviour. With a largely young population dealing with a current 12.4% unemployment who are consequently unable to marry, leads to a frustrated male population. Such discontentment leads to a fractured dysfunctional society.
Islam does not condone sexual harassment in any way, rather creates a society that encourages the opposite. The problem of sexual harassment is down to a number of factors which Islam would solve from root to tip. Firstly the fundamental view of the woman in an Islamic society is based around hadiths such as: «الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ، وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِ الدُّنْيَا: الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ» ‘The world and all things in it are precious, but the most precious thing is a virtuous woman.' (Muslim)
Such evidences, shape the view that men, society and all of its components must have towards women; that they must be valued for their character, elevated for their righteousness. This not only does away with any view that the woman is a cheap object to treat as one pleases, but instills respect and honor in the view that society has towards her. This view is then maintained through a multitude of rules and laws, which ensure the honor, and respect of women is never eroded.
The social system has a zero tolerance approach against the mistreatment and violence against women. It does not even allow anyone to exploit her, whether it's sexualizing her on a billboard or throwing lewd jokes at her in the workplace. There is a harsh punishment for anyone who even accuses a woman falsely of a sexual act, let alone lay the blame upon women in general that they were ‘asking for it'. The organization of men and women in an Islamic society additionally ensures that the sexual instinct is taken out of the public sphere to avoid any such problems through the rules of segregation, hijab and lowering the gaze.
The woman's right to vote and be active in politics, is never shunned and she is never intimidated from carrying this out. Rather the Islamic society would encourage her to be politically active, as this is an obligation upon her set by Islam.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
by Aisha Hasan
News:
A tenth of 12 to 13-year-olds fear they are "addicted" to pornography, an NSPCC ChildLine survey has concluded.
One in five of nearly 700 youngsters surveyed said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked or upset them, researchers found. The charity also says that 12% of those surveyed said they had taken part in, or had made, a sexually explicit video. They tell ChildLine that watching porn is making them feel depressed, giving them body image issues, and making them feel pressured to engage in sexual acts.
Dame Esther Rantzen, ChildLine's founder said it was shocking that children as young as 11 are approaching the helpline with concerns about pornography. "Young people are turning to the internet to learn about sex and relationships," she said. "We know they are frequently stumbling across porn, often unintentionally, and they are telling us very clearly that this is having a damaging and upsetting effect on them. "Girls in particular have said they feel like they have to look and behave like porn stars to be liked by boys."
Comment:
Western society has defined pornography as empowering and a true marker of female expression and liberation, hence its rabid spread and ease of access. The reality is that it's an abomination, posturing to serve male lust, the ultimate in a perverse objectification.
The fact that children as young as 11 years old are addicted to it, proves not only the evil nature of pornography and its ability to corrupt even a pure soul; but also how freely available it has become, via smartphones in particular, making it almost impossible to regulate by parents. The devaluing and near dehumanizing of women is inciting all manner of violence against women, in the home, workplace and even rapes at school by children as young as 9!
The billion-dollar entertainment and advertising industries, as well as the massive beauty and fashion industries have objectified the woman to a completely unrealistic, narrow, superficial image; one of a sexual commodity who's worth is economically quantifiable. Such exploitation is inevitable under the Capitalist ideology, which by default will always prioritize profit making regardless of the consequences.
Liberalism and the free market have enabled the view and worth of women to become a deformed concept, where soaring rape statistics bare witness to a near post apocalyptic nightmare. Feminist Robin Morgan said, "Pornography is the theory, rape is the practice". In the US a woman is raped every minute and the Times of India reported NCRB records of ninety-three rapes every day, and an increase of nine thousand rapes between 2013 and 2014. Considering unreported incidents, the actual numbers are estimated to be at least double.
It is a fact that true empowerment of women can only be guaranteed through the holistic implementation of Islam via the Khilafah "Caliphate" system where the predominant view will be the societal view of women; one enshrined and shaped only by the Ahkaam Sharia, which fully supports and encourages the need and role of women in education, business and work, as well as homemakers, who literally stabilize the community from inside out, via their roles as mothers, teachers, and through support networks they can influence. The value of women will be based upon her intellect and character, as oppose to her physical appearance. Our beloved Rasool Allah saws said,
«الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ، وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِ الدُّنْيَا: الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ»
"The world and all things in it are precious, and the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman." (Muslim).
This high status is further ensured by removing the sexual element from society and restricting it to the personal and private life via the ahkaam of hijab, segregation of the sexes and the prohibition of taking work or any role which sexually exploits the woman such as advertising and pornography.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Maleeha Hasan
News:
A Saudi-led coalition of 10 countries has launched air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. On March 26, embattled President Mansour Hadi left the country's southern city of Aden, to visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt in a bid to consolidate support for the ongoing Saudi-led military offensive against Houthi rebels.
Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, in a televised speech, responded to the Saudi-led operation "What do they expect us to do, surrender, announce our defeat and act like cowards? Absolutely not. This is not how the honorable Yemeni people think. We will fight back. All 24 million Yemenis will stand united and face that despicable aggression," al-Houthi said. (Aljazeera, 27 March 2015)
Comment:
This war means more bloodshed and destruction to Yemen and its people, meanwhile the rulers of the Gulf countries, like the other rulers of the Muslims, do not hesitate in quickly protecting the interests of their masters of the Kufr West. Persistence to mislead Muslims are mobilizing popular support for this process is swiftly underway. On Arab satellite media, it portrayed the general public to appear supportive of the operation and proud and happy to be united against the Houthi Islamic party with the 10 other Arab majority countries. One Egyptian journalist expressed his support for Sisi's decision in its willingness to strike Yemen and proud to be Egyptian and Arab. Some of even tossing around the propaganda that this is Jihad against the coalition involved and against the Houthis, all depending on who is talking.
Many are questioning the role of the United States in all of this, analysts agree that Obama is taking the lead from behind the scenes and not in the form of ground troops yet through logistical support in order to protect the Houthi so-called government from toppling. Since the Arab coalition will leave Yemen even more debilitated than before.
While there is difference in the Islamic schools of thought, it is never a justification for the massive bloodshed among Muslims on their land. However, these Rubaidiyat who only care to preserve the interests of their masters in Muslim lands, see no problem in the bloodshed of our sacred Ummah, as long the end justifies the means. Inciting and fanning the flames of sectarianism has always been a key feature of countries who cause the most mischief, whether these countries are actually involved in the war or affect them from behind the scenes.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Manal Bader
