Hizb ut Tahrir/Tunisia organized a press conference regarding its position on the political track and elections in Tunisia.

Friday, 17 Dhu al Qi'dah 1435 AH- 12 September 2014 CE

News:

Last week, The Guardian, New York Times, and other media outlets reported that Chinese authorities in the Muslim-dominated Xinjiang Province will be offering cash incentives to promote inter-ethnic and inter-religious marriages. The cash reward will be offered to married couples in which one member is an ethnic minority and the other Han Chinese, and has been described by many as a further drive to assimilate Uighur Muslims into the dominant Chinese culture and away from their Islamic beliefs. The "big celebratory gift package" as it has been termed by Chinese officials includes annual cash payments of 10,000 Yuan (£980) for these inter-ethnic couples during the first 5 years of their marriage as well as privileged access to housing, healthcare, and education for their children. At a high-level forum on Xinjiang in May this year, China's President, Xi Jinping called for new policies to better assimilate Uighur Muslims into mainstream Chinese society and culture. Chinese policy makers have even coined new terminology in relation to this strategy - "ethnic blending" or "fusion". This process of social engineering through marriage is one offshoot of this scheme.

Comment:

This latest policy of the repressive Chinese regime to socially engineer the demographic make-up of the Xinjiang population, is just the latest arm of its long-standing goal to make Uighur Muslims a minority in their own homeland and erase the Islamic culture and identity of the region. When Communist troops took control of Xinjiang in 1949, the Han Chinese population made up less than 7% of the population. Now they make up around 40%, with Uighur Muslims constituting around 45%. This has been the result of a Chinese strategy to settle millions of Han Chinese in the province over the years inorder to impose Chinese culture onto its Muslim population. This has been accompanied by decades of discriminatory policies against the Uighur minority, giving preference to the Han Chinese in employment, schooling, and other fields. There are even reports that the regime has been aiding Han immigrants with generous government subsidies such as providing grants for seeds and fertilisers and free farming equipment for Han farmers to aid them financially, giving them the competitive edge over Uighur farmers.

Additionally, the Chinese regime has implemented the most repressive policies upon the Uighur Muslims aimed at severely restricting Islamic practices and taking them away from their Islamic beliefs and heritage - all in an attempt to prevent the resurgence of Islam in the region. This includes placing bans on government employees and students fasting during Ramadan; prohibiting children and youth under the age of 18 from entering mosques or being taught the Qur'an in religious institutions; banning prayers at non-state sanctioned mosques and allowing the use of only state-approved translations of the Qur'an; forcing Uighur Muslim women to undergo abortions even when 9 months pregnant; and offering cash rewards to those reporting on people exhibiting certain religious behaviour including those wearing Islamic dress, men growing beards, and those getting married through Nikah. Additionally, in August this year, it was reported that Karamay, a city in the Xinjiang province, banned Muslim women who wear the khimar or niqab, as well as Muslim men with long beards from riding its local buses. The Chinese regime also controls the ‘Islamic Association of China' that trains imams and religious teachers in the country. The organisation states openly as one of its duties and missions, to "cherish the motherland" and "unify Muslims in participating in the socialist construction of the motherland."

Alongside all this, under the deceptive label of its ‘anti-terrorism' crackdown, the Chinese government has been using surveillance drones to spy on the Uighur population and has arrested between 800 and 1000 Uighurs since this May alone. In addition, Chinese state media reported that around 100 Uighur Muslims were killed by state security forces on the 28^th July in Yarkand in Chinese, Shache county, Xinjiang. Others however place the death toll of Muslims killed in this massacre into the hundreds.

In contrast to this oppressive reality facing the Uighurs today, the Muslims of China enjoyed a glorious history during the time of the Khilafah "Caliphate". It was the third Khalifah, Uthman bin Affan (ra) who sent the first delegation to China in 29 AH (651 CE), led by the great companion of the Prophet (saw) Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas (ra) to invite the Chinese emperor to Islam. Following this, through trading and engagement, many Muslims came to settle in China. During the rule of the Chinese dynasties, there were times when some of these Muslim settlers were oppressed by their Chinese rulers. However, due to the presence of the Khilafah "Caliphate", this mistreatment was met with a fierce response by the Khalifahs. One of the first wars of the Khilafah "Caliphate" against the Chinese state was waged at the Chinese border in 133 AH. The Muslims were far less in number to their enemy but they delivered a great defeat on the Chinese. These early victories under the rule of the Khilafah "Caliphate" enabled the Muslims to enter and spread Islam further into China, establishing many mosques and schools in the region and making some of the cities in which they settled internationally re-known centres of learning for the Deen. This included East Turkistan's capital Kashgar as well as the city of Bukhara which was part of China at the time and that became known as "The Pillar of Islam". It is re-establishing the Rule of Allah under the Khilafah "Caliphate" once again that will ensure the Muslims of China enjoy protected lives under the shade of a system that will enable them to practice their Deen under the full security of the law. It is this State alone that will provide them with a future that was as glorious as their past.

Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz

Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir

To the respected and beloved scholars:

Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatu Allah wa Barakatuh,

The Almighty says, ((إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ)) "It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah" [Fatir: 28]. Also, the Prophet (saw) said, «العلماء ورثة الأنبياء» "The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets". (Extracted by Abu Daoud and Tirmidhi on the authority of Abi Dardaa (may Allah be please with him).  For this high rank blessed by Allah (swt) to the pious and pure scholars, we have decided to address you, hoping that we will all be of those who strive for truth and who do not fear any reprimand, fearing only Allah (swt).

Brothers, virtuous scholars:

The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets in their knowledge, faith, deeds, and stances. However, where are the scholars of this age? Where are the inheritors of the Prophets? The Prophets did not inherit a single Dirham or a single Dinar, but they have inherited the knowledge of Shariah, their deeds, and their solid stances. The great Muslim scholars of the past did not become famous nor were known until this day for their abundant knowledge and their rich understanding, since there were many scholars and jurists. What made the great Muslim scholars of the past famous and known until today was by their stances and their challenging of the crucial issues that were faced by them in their time.

As Abdullah bin Abbas has stood against the Khawarij, Saeed bin Jubair stood against Hajjaj, and Sufyan Al Thawri never touched the book of Haroun Al Rachid with his hand because it came from an oppressor. Not only that, he ordered one of his friends to flip the book and write on its back: "To Haroun" - and not "Ameer Al Moumineen" - here's a summary of what he said: "You decided by yourself to deal with the money of the Muslims as you wished, so you are an oppressor, and I shall testify against you." In addition, Abu Hanifah was not satisfied with the politics of Al Mansour in general. His mother told him one day when he was in prison, "O Numan, this knowledge that did not benefit you expect in getting beaten and imprisoned is enough to abandon it." So he answered her, "O mother, if I desired the world I would have achieved that, but I wanted Allah (swt) to know that I safeguarded the knowledge and did not submit myself with it to doom." Also, Ahmad bin Hanbal stood against the issue of the creation of the Quran, Al Izz bin Abdul Salam sold the Mamaleek, and Ibn Taymiyyah fought the Tattar...

These are some of the stances from the great Muslim scholars of the past, so where are the great Muslims scholars of today? What are your stances on the Ummah's current issues? Where do you stand according to the saying of Al Ghazali, "The corruption of the people is due to the corruption of the kings, and the corruption of the kings is due to the corruption of the scholars"? Where do you stand according to what Allah (swt) says, ((لتبينُنّه للناس ولا تكتمونَه)) "[...] to make it (the news of the coming of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the religious knowledge) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it" [TMQ 3:187]. Why do you settle for being the rides, assistants, and tools for the rulers and traitors? What is the use of your presence and what is the use of your knowledge if you do not stand by Haqq (truth), abstain the Batil (falsehood), enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and hold the rulers accountable?

O virtuous scholars, our brothers:

Working for the implementation of the Shariah rules and establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate" on earth are the greatest religious obligations, and it is known in Deen of their necessity, without any disagreements among the majority of scholars. As such, Al Ghazali said, "The king and religion are twins, as the religion is the source and the Sultan is the guard. So, if he doesn't have a source, then he is destroyed, and if it didn't have a guard, then it is lost." Therefore, working for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" is not an obligation for Hizb ut Tahrir alone; instead it is an obligation for all of the Muslims, including their scholars. Every person who neglects this obligation and dismisses it is a sinner.

The Khilafah "Caliphate", O virtuous scholars, is an obligation, is your Lord's promise and the glad tidings of your Prophet (saw) as the Almighty says:

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

"Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)." [TMQ 24:55] In addition, the Prophet (saw) said:

تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا عَاضًّا، فَيَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً، فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ. ثُمَّ سَكَتَ

"There will be Prophethood for as long as Allah wills it to be, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will Khilafah "Caliphate" on the Prophetic method and it will be for as long as Allah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be biting Kingship for as long as Allah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be oppressive kingship for as long as Allah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, and then there will be Khilafah "Caliphate" upon the Prophetic method," and then he remained silent." (Narrated by Ahmad on the authority of Hudhaifiya).

In conclusion, O virtuous scholars:

We did not send you this letter except to achieve the following three goals:

Firstly: To be as eye-openers and advisers, so that you make them see the danger of their silence before a corrupt and corrupting system, that is the secular Capitalistic system, so that no more people would fall into the grave anger of Allah.

Secondly: To be as eye-openers and advisers, so that you make them see the system bestowed from The Lord of all the worlds (swt), and that is the Khilafah "Caliphate" Al-Rashida on the method of the Prophet (saw), as it is the only effective solution that is correct for our countries.

Thirdly: Bukhari narrated from the Prophet (saw): «لا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لأخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُ لِنَفْسِهِ» "None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." Since we love goodness for you, we would love from you to participate with us in this great merit of working towards establishing the state of Khilafah "Caliphate", because this distressing reality is only the result of its absence, so who's the first from the scholars who will perform this great obligation? The pious and pure scholar and his family are more deserving of this obligation, and his place should be in the first lines among all the good places. For that we say to you to work for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" each from his place, and participate with us in this general good, as we are reassured that victory of Allah (swt) and the rising dawn of Khilafah "Caliphate" once again.

Wassalamu alaikum wa Rahmatu Allah wa Barakatuh

The head of the economic sector of the ruling National Congress Party in Khartoum state affirmed the absence of any intention to cancel the duties on consumer goods due to rising prices, describing it as impossible, and economically unsound. While he considered the absolute pricing of goods is not permissible by Shariah, and it involves injustice to the seller if the price is less than its cost or to the buyer if the price was too high.