Mainstream media and politicians have gone into overdrive with sensationalist Islamophobic commentary and fear mongering following recent events in Iraq. This time the ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Sham' (ISIS) is the primary object through which Muslims, Islam and Islamic ideals such as Jihad and the Caliphate are being demonised and attacked.

In this regard, Hizb ut Tahrir Australia emphasises the following points:

1. This episode is little more than the usual neo-colonial tactic of forming a basis on which to justify continued intervention in Muslim lands. An uprising against the systematically oppressive, US-installed and backed Maliki regime is being painted as a takeover by ‘terrorists' in order to justify political and, if needed, military, intervention whereby the interests of western powers will be protected and furthered.

2. ISIS is being portrayed, in fantastical Hollywood style, as evil incarnate on Earth, having seemingly taken over from al-Qaeda who previously fulfilled this bogeyman role. In this narrative, the same al-Qaeda who before had no ounce of humanity or morality has now apparently found a moral compass whereby they deem another group too extreme!

3. Even though ISIS is one player in a coalition of groups that have risen up against the Iraqi regime, it is disingenuously being portrayed as the dominant if not sole player in order to push the idea of a ‘terrorist takeover'. At the same time, sectarian and ethnic divisions are being emphasised and fuelled. Western leaders are absolving their foreign policies of the problems facing Iraq, instead pushing the Orientalist fantasy of irreconcilable sectarian tensions within Islam. Apparently, Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds would be forever at each other's throats unless forcibly tamed by tyrants or intervention by the civilised west.

4. The politicised nature of ‘terrorism' is apparent as ever here. If ‘terrorism' is the use of violence for ideological or political ends, the world has seen no greater terrorists than western states who have laid entire nations to waste through decade-long invasions and war. Yet they are presented as the philanthropic saviors of humanity whilst the actions of relatively powerless groups reacting to oppressive conditions are blown out of all proportion. At the same time, Muslims in the west who make the sacrifice of going abroad to fight tyranny and assist the oppressed are characteristed as ‘extremists' and ‘terrorists'. It is a case of even the good of a Muslim is bad and even the oppressive of the western state is just!

5. Part of the sensationalism is achieved through the method of reporting alleged attacks by groups like ISIS. Every little descriptive detail is mentioned. In contrast, when the US extra-judicially bombs its own citizens like Sh. Anwar al-Awlaki and his 16-year old son in Yemen to smithereens, or bombs little children as they sleep or play in Pakistan with drones, we not given any like descriptive detail. These people are just ‘collateral', just de-humanised statistics. Nor did we see any like uproar at the years of Maliki's systematic rape, torture and killings of Sunni's in Iraq. All of this shows that the issue for the west is not violence but ‘western interests' - euphemistic code for economic and political benefits acquired through exploitation of weaker nations.

6. We advise the Muslim community and the wider society not to get caught up in the hysteria and lies. A lie is a lie, no matter how many times it is repeated. We have seen this all before in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We should respond to these lies with the truth: the truth that the real problem, the root problem, is western violence, which eclipses the violence of any individual or group many times over and is in fact the cause of the oppression to which people are forced to react.

7. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been leading the way in demonising Islam and Muslims. Yesterday he was attacking and threatening Muslims who go to fight abroad whilst at the same time congratulating the secular dictatorial regime of al-Sisi. We remind the Prime Minister, who is eager to once more sacrifice Australian soldiers at the altar of US foreign policy, that Australia has no business interfering in the Muslim world. We remind him that Australia made the mistake of going into Iraq aforetime, and that if he does so again, his government and those who support such a move alone will be responsible for the repercussions that ensue.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Australia

Sunday, 24 Shab’an 1435 AH, corresponding to 06/22/2014 CE

Opening

The Absence of the Khilafah "Caliphate" is Humanity's Dilemma Today

by Brother Mohamed Nasser Shuweikheh

Defeat of Capitalism's Economy in the face of Khilafah "Caliphate"

Al-Assad Bin Ramadan

Hizb ut Tahrir:

A practical model for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" and the uprooting of colonialism

Brother Redha Belhajj

The establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" and the uprooting of colonialism:

The Issue of the Palestine Model

Engineer Ismail al-Wahwah

The Establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" amid the Weakness of Colonialism and the Support of the Armies

Dr. Mohammad Malkawi

The Ummah's Expository Revolution Reveals the Weakness of Colonialism

Brother Ahmad Bin Hussein

Closing Statement

Brother Abdel Raouf al-Ammari

News

The mayor of Surabaya Tri Rismaharini has finally closed down ‘Dolly Lane' Surabayas largest and most famous brothel complex in 18th of June 2014 as published in Jakarta Post (19/6). This red-light district is officially closed after a long run process since November 2010 to that Surabaya municipality took steps and persuaded the occupants and sex workers to change their professions.

But those who live and work in the area are resisting the move, and showing their rejection to the closure with various ways. They blocked access to the red-light area. They almost clashed with hundreds of police officers who tried to open the blockades, but calmed down as the police backed off.

In Jakarta, National Police Chief General Sutarman said on Wednesday that the force would fully back the Surabaya administration's endeavors to close Dolly amid resistance from the local residents, sex workers and pimps.

Comment

It is not a simple and easy task by a ruler in this secular-democracy country to implement a right rule. Prostitution as an immoral act is widely known, and its danger toward future generations is something nobody argues it. But to eradicate activities related to sex business is not a choice. That is why it is a hard decision for a ruler to set regulations to make a red-light district clean, safe and free from prostitution.

Since Mayor Tri Rismaharini declared her intention to close the brothel, she faced much rejection from stakeholders. Though her area is a majority Muslim regent. When she officially closed down the ‘Dolly lane', she should overcome the resistance from many parties. Not only the prostitutes and pimps, but also from non-governmental organization (NGO). NGO activist claims the mayor amputates financial rights of the residents in the brothel. Even National Commission on Human Rights urges the Surabaya administration not to forcibly close down ‘Dolly'. The commissioner says the local administration needs to protect its residents whatever their profession, adding that the closure had the potential to cause financial losses. Moreover the local and international- liberal medias exposed it in a negative way as if the local policy is ruthlessness and oppression to sex workers and their economic rights. In fact, the closure of the brothel is supported even wanted by majority of Surabaya residents and insisted by the clerics since years ago.

This is actually another evidence showing hypocrisy of democracy. Where does vox populi vox dei go, when the voice from majority people to end criminality is ignored by reason of human rights or financial income or domestic revenue? This condition must wake people up to realize that under this democratic system, immoral things should be facilitated and right rule will face difficulties to implement.

Instead of holding this secular broken system, people may hope and will get real solutions to overcome problems related to prostitution from Islam.

Islam sets up five paths that we should walk through to solve the existence of prostitution, namely:

a. The establishment of strict rule / punishment to all prostitutes. It is not only the brothel keepers, the prostitutes and the users who are the subjects in the prostitution circle are supposed to be punished. The punishment here for the doers is by rajam (thrown by rocks) if s/he has ever married or whipped a hundred times if s/he has not married yet then isolated for a year. If in this dunya s/he has no chance to get the punishment, then s/he will get it in hell in the hereafter. For female adulterer, she will be hung by her breasts in hell.

b. Providing a work field. Poverty factor that is often determined as the main reason for prostitutes to be trapped in their world is not supposed to happen if the state assures to fulfill the daily needs of the society members including to provide a work field - especially for men. Women are not supposed to be backbone for their families.

c. Proper education. A qualified and free of charge education will give intelligence and skills for everyone who is able to work well and halal. Education also develops basic value about what is right or wrong and also life standard that can be taken or not. The reason why prostitutes are back to the prostitution after they receive training skills is because they think it is a lot harder to earn money from sewing service than to do prostitution. It will not happen if there is a good education according to the right or wrong standard.

d. Social. Mentoring to have harmonious family is a solution from social side that has also been concerned by the government. The other thing is social formation that is not permissive to disobedience towards Allah's rules so the prostitutes will have social control from the society.

e. Political will. The solution for prostitution requires the application of policy based on Shariah Islam. It needs to set up a strict law to regulate any kind of business which is haram related to prostitution. It is not enough by only closing all of the localization, but it also needs to stop every product that can stimulate free sex like pornography through media.

It needs political will in the state level to close thoroughly every door of prostitution. Policy in government level or regent will not be able to realize it. Because of that, the society needs a state that applies Shariah Islam comprehensively and a state able to apply Shariah Islam in the form of Khilafah "Caliphate" Islamiyah.

((أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ))

"Do they desire to be judged by the laws of ignorance? Yet there is no better judge than Allah for those who believe in Him" [al-Maaidah: 50]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Iffah Ainur Rochmah
Spokeswoman of Muslimah Hizb ut Tahrir in Indonesia

Headlines:

• Iraq Crisis: The Country is Facing Imminent Break Up, Say Western Diplomats
• Will Obama Repeat His Iraq Mistakes in Afghanistan?
• Should China Fear Islamic Insurgency?

Details:

Iraq Crisis: The Country is Facing Imminent Break Up, Say Western Diplomats

Western officials fear Iraq is facing imminent break-up, as the jihadist takeover of the north seeks to carve the country into different religious fiefdoms.  Using their strongest language to date, diplomats warned that the "sheer scale" of the crisis could defeat belated efforts by the country's fractious politicians to resolve it.  "We have used the word crisis about Iraq before, but this is the real thing," a Western diplomat told the Telegraph. "There is no doubt about the scale of the threat that it poses to Iraq's continued existence as a state, and it is also a threat to the wider region too."  The diplomat also voiced doubts about the ability of Iraq's politicians, including Nouri al-Maliki, the country's Shia prime minister, to bury their sectarian differences.  While John Kerry, the US secretary of state, warned on Monday that greater unity was the only way to stabilise the country, the diplomat said the politicians were "trapped in a pattern that was hard to break out of."  "Iraq's political leaders now mostly realise the problems," the diplomat said. "But has it translated into action yet? It has not."  In a further sign of the West's lack of confidence in Mr Maliki's government, the diplomat disclosed that routine help for Iraq's counter terrorism units was being limited because of "significant human rights concerns."  He added that heavy-handed policing by Iraq's Shia-dominated security forces had led to "systematic alienation" of the Sunni minority. As a result, some Sunnis had actively helped the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams (Isis) to take over the cities of Mosul and Tikrit. "Isis could not have done this on their own," he said. [Source: The Daily Telegraph]

For several decades now, America's plan has been to divide Iraq into three entities: A Kurdish North, Sunni centre and a Shia South. The divisions are based on the distribution of oil away from Sunni control and this gives rise to the notion of the US supporting a Shia crescent stretching from Lebanon to Yemen.  The division of Muslim lands will never end unless Muslims return to Islam through the re-establishment of the rightly guided Caliphate.

Will Obama Repeat His Iraq Mistakes in Afghanistan?

If you like the unfolding disaster in Obama-abandoned Iraq, you are going to love Obama-abandoned Afghanistan. Just two weeks before Iraq descended into chaos, President Obama stepped into the Rose Garden to announce his plan to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2016. "It's time to turn the page on more than a decade in which so much of our foreign policy was focused on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq," Obama declared. "Americans have learned that it's harder to end wars than begin them - but this is how wars end in the 21st century." If Iraq is how wars end in the 21st century, we're in big trouble. Afghanistan will be no different if Obama goes through with his withdrawal plans. The Taliban is nowhere near as defeated today as ISIS was when Obama withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq. Just last week, the Taliban launched a major attack on NATO in eastern Afghanistan. Not only is the Taliban not militarily defeated, but it is winning the ideological struggle as well. Obama's release of five senior Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was a shot in the arm for the Taliban - celebrated as a "great victory" by their leader, Mullah Omar. The eventual return of the Taliban Five to Afghanistan will energize and embolden Taliban forces. If Obama withdraws, the Taliban will retake cities and territory it lost during Obama's 2009 surge. At a bare minimum, it will restore control over large swaths of the country, and in a worst-case scenario it could take back Kabul and control the entire country. In either case, al-Qaeda will return to Afghanistan, reclaiming the safe haven it lost after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Moreover, with U.S. forces completely withdrawn, al-Qaeda will have greater freedom of movement across the border in Pakistan, because the United States cannot carry out drone strikes in Pakistan without bases in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, unless Obama acts, ISIS will consolidate its control over large swaths of Iraq and Syria - and could even take control of Baghdad. This will leave us with a situation far worse than the status quo before Sept. 11. Before Sept. 11, our enemies controlled one nation. Now they will control two - one Islamic caliphate in Iraq controlled by ISIS, and another in Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban and core al-Qaeda.  These two caliphates will then compete for followers among the jihadi faithful by using their new safe havens to see which one can carry out the most successful attacks against the United States and her allies. The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, issued a warning to Americans in January, declaring, "Soon we'll be in direct confrontation. So watch out for us, for we are with you, watching." [Source: Washington Post]

It is interesting to note that West is increasingly worried by the imminent return of the Caliphate, whereas some in the Muslim ummah still view the Caliphate's return many years away. It is unfortunate to see the West who has its finger on the pulse of the Muslim ummah fretting about the Caliphate's return, while some Muslims continue to proclaim that the Caliphate is a fantasy and their preferred ruling system is democracy.

Should China Fear Islamic Insurgency?

The presence of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region can be traced back to the eighth century. Like many peoples of Central Asia, their experience was shaped by war and conquest. Now, more than half a century after Xinjiang officially became a part of greater China, the Uyghur, who account for slightly fewer than 50 percent of Xinjiang's overall population, are still treated like strangers. They remain oppressed. China maintains strict religious policies across the country, and Islam is not exempt. For example, children under the age of 18 are forbidden from practicing religion. According to Greg Fay, Project Manager at the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), these laws are more lax in other regions, but are enforced with an iron fist against the Uyghur in Xinjiang.  Though Islam in China has enjoyed a robust revival in recent years, the Uyghur are facing growing oppression. More people are being arrested for online religious activities, such as watching religious classes online or searching for religious texts, in Xinjiang than ever before. "The policy in Xinjiang has become more and more rigid," Fay reflected.  Uyghurs complain of religious, cultural and economic persecution by China's Han-dominated government in Beijing and, much as Tibetans do, struggle to preserve their culture. Ostensibly to prevent the spread of Islamic extremism, China restricts the ability of Uyghurs to travel.  The government's efforts to crack down on Islamic violence began in 1998 with the "strike hard" campaign. Although this campaign was national in scale, in Xinjiang, it was solely focused on the Uyghur population. These security measures still result in hundreds of Uyghur arrests annually. Later, in the post 9/11 era, Beijing took advantage of the global culture of fear surrounding Muslims, and branded the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a Uyghur terrorist group that some experts doubt even exists, as a terrorist organization. In August 2002, during a period of increased U.S.-Chinese cooperation, the U.S. State Department added the virtually unknown ETIM group to its list of terrorist groups. It was removed soon thereafter, presumably because of a lack of evidence. [Source: The Diplomat]

No matter how hard the Chinese government tries to suppress the Muslims of Xingjian, they will not be able to extinguish the light of Islam. Allah says:

((يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِؤُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ))

"They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it." [TMQ: Saf: 61]