The mainstream media has gone into overdrive, in the wake of the murder in Woolwich, in demonising Islam and Muslims with its usual characterisation of Islam as backward and violent. All sorts of spurious arguments have been made and links drawn to assert that the roots of Muslim violence are in Islam and the Qur'an, that Muslim leaders now need to go beyond just condemning and take responsibility for the problem and that Muslims the need to face the history of Islam and get rid of its problematic parts.

On its part, the tabloid trash went further in propagating purposefully alarmist messages about "generation jihad" being homegrown, suburbs in Western Sydney being hotbeds of "extremism" and pushing for "extremist" groups in the Muslim community to be exposed and disbanded.

Our response to this disgraceful barrage of irresponsible commentary is to emphasise that:

1.  The real problem facing the world is western violence: violence perpetrated by states using full military force. Violence that destroys entire nations and ruins the lives of entire peoples. Violence, in comparison to which, any violence committed by individuals, Muslim or otherwise, is like a drop in the ocean. This is where our focus should be if we are indeed sincere about dealing with the problem of violence. To scapegoat disempowered individuals whilst ignoring the far worse violence of powerful institutions is disingenuous and hypocritical.

2.  Given the ubiquitous reality of western violence and its magnitude the "sacred" texts and ideals of secular liberalism, not of Islam, should be placed under examination to ascertain what makes the west so violent. What pushes states to such depravity that they kill half a million children in Iraq through sanctions and deem it a worthy price? Or kill hundreds of innocent children in Yemen and Pakistan with the guiltless surgery of drone strikes? Or support dictators who make life hell on earth for millions in return for personal material gain? The US constitution, the UDHR and the like should be put under the telescope of inquiry, not the Qur'an.

3.  The mainstream media but feigns concern about violence and extremism as a cover to propel its ingrained hatred of Islam and Muslims. This is clear from the fact that it ignores, indeed justifies, the far worse violence of western states whilst creating alarmist suspicion and distrust about Muslims and presenting Muslim violence as an existential threat.

4.  Just as the demonisation continues, so too does the imposition of values, intimidation and exceptional treatment of Muslims. The recent case of Mohammed Issaka shows that whilst on the one hand we are told that Australia is a tolerant secular society where people are allowed to practice their religious beliefs and values so long as they do not entail violence, on the other when someone goes against a customary tradition in practicing his beliefs he is shunned and demanded to step in line. The more recent case of Milad al-Ahmedzai shows the continuation of the application of a different set of laws for Muslims as mere (alleged) threats to officials have been prosecuted as "terrorism-related" offences.

5.  We advise the Muslim community not to fall for the media's and politicians' cheap tactic of playing good Muslim v bad Muslim as a means of dividing the community into "extremists" and "moderates". Rather, the community must reject the discourse on terrorism outright, expose its fallacies and continue to account the state's oppressive foreign and domestic policies, which are the root of the problem. We should also be clear that if an attack occurs on Australian soil the media and politicians will be squarely responsible and should not in that instance come to the Muslim community for condemnations, apologies or demands to take responsibility. It is their policies that create the original grievances, and it is their subsequent policies that further alienate the youth.

Note: For a more detailed response to the arguments made by the likes of Paul Sheehan, Alan How and Clive Kesslar see the following opinion piece by Uthman Badar:

The elephant in the room: western violence

The Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Australia

Contact: Uthman Badar, Media Representative, on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0438 000 465.

On the ninety-second anniversary of the fall of the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate", Hizb ut Tahrir/ Palestine organizes a series of events.

March in Ramallah - on Tuesday, 04/06/2013 starts immediately after the Asr prayer from Masjid al-Beirah al-Kabeer heading towards the roundabout.

March in Gaza - on Wednesday, 05/06/2013 after noon prayers immediately from the Omari Mosque to the Saraya field.

Conference in Hebron - on Saturday, 08/06/2013 at 5:30 in the evening - Ain Sarah filed across from Masjid al-Abrar

March in Tulkarem - on Saturday, 08/06/2013 immediately after the noon prayers, from Othman bin Affan Mosque (new) towards Gamal Abdel Nasser Square.

Conference in Jenin - on Saturday, 15/06/2013 five o'clock in the evening, from the Iman School playground next to Nour Mosque.

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Video Message of Muktamar Khilafah "Caliphate" 2013

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Interview on Muktamar Khilafah "Caliphate" 2013

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26/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Jatim

26/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Medan

26/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Nusa Tenggara

26/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Pekanbaru

19/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Makasar

19/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Tanjung Pinang

12/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Batam

12/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in the City of Jayapura

12/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Palembang

12/05/2013: News from Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference 2013

09/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Jambi

09/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Banjarmasin

05/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Kendari

05/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Semarang

05/05/2013: Khilafah "Caliphate" Conference in Yogyakarta

Headlines:

• Guantanamo Guard Converts to Islam, Demands Release of Detainees
• Regional Powers Struggle for Influence in Syria
• Jordan to Host Major 18-Nation Military Drill
• China is Winning the Cyber War Because They Hacked U.S. Plans for Real War
  
  

Details:

Guantanamo Guard Converts to Islam, Demands Release of Detainees:

Terry Holdbrooks was deployed to the Guantanamo Bay detention center to guard detainees. The Phoenix, Ariz., resident has become a devout Muslim and an unlikely advocate for the prisoners' rights. The ex-U.S. Army employee converted to Islam in 2003, inspired by the faith of the Guantanamo detainees he was charged with watching. Since then, he says he has lost his friends, received violent threats, and been labeled a "race traitor" online. But he hasn't gone quietly. The 29-year-old has done his fair share of media and has even signed on for a job as a speaker for the Muslim Legal Fund of America. Now the devout Muslim is racking up frequent flyer miles and touring the country with what he calls the "truth about Gitmo." "Gitmo was supposed to be a cushy deployment since we were just going to babysit detainees," Holdbrooks said. "But it changed me." The Phoenix, Ariz., resident spent the year between 2003 and 2004 guarding U.S. military prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was often given the job of escorting detainees to interrogation rooms. He says he witnessed atrocities committed by his fellow American soldiers that he never thought were possible. Speaking on the phone to the Daily News, Holdbrooks rattled off the grim list. "I saw people put in stress positions for eight hours until they defecated themselves," he said. "Then the guards would come in and emasculate them." He said he saw prisoners shackled to the ground with the air conditioner set high, then doused with cold water. He said that menstrual blood was smeared on their faces and that they were forced to hear the same music on repeat for hours. "Gitmo is 100 percent antithetical to the basis of our legal system," he said. "That's not the America I signed up to defend." While preparing for deployment, Holdbrooks said the Army trained him to think of the prisoners as the "worst of the worst" and "lower than humans."

Regional Powers Struggle for Influence in Syria:

At the moment, several conflicts are being fought simultaneously in Syria. The civil war began more than two years ago as a power struggle between the government and opposition forces. But it didn't take long for other states to get into the mix, turning the internal fight into a regional and international struggle for influence. In addition to Western countries as well as Russia and Turkey, neighbouring countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have become involved. The three countries are fighting a proxy war for regional dominance. The religious division between Sunnis, Shias and Alawites only plays a minor role. Syria is a strategically important country for Iran. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad is Tehran's only ally in the Arab world. In addition, Syria is an important link to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, said Stephan Rosiny, a Middle East expert at the Hamburg-based GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies. Speaking to DW, he added that Tehran, Damascus and Hezbollah see themselves as the resistance front against Israeli and Western interests in the region. On the opposite side of the Gulf, countries have apparently not paid much mind to the arms embargo. According to Western media reports, Qatar is said to have paid hundreds of millions of US dollars to some elements of the Syrian opposition. Moreover, at least a dozen planes loaded with weapons and ammunition are said to have been delivered to ‘selective' rebels via Turkey. According to US media reports, Saudi Arabia financed the purchase of, among other things, Croatian weapons which were then sent to Syria via Jordan. Earlier this year, former intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal said: "I suppose we'll send weapons. If not, that would be a terrible mistake for us." The Gulf states have yet to deliver heavy weapons or high-tech equipment such as anti-aircraft missiles to the fractious opposition. The power struggle between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar runs along religious fault lines. On one side are the conservative Sunni monarchies that have backed the predominantly Sunni opponents of the Assad regime. On the other, the Shia Republic of Iran has supported the Syrian government in Damascus, along with the Alawites.

Jordan to Host Major 18-Nation Military Drill:

Jordan plans to host a major military drill with the participation of more than 15,000 soldiers from 18 different countries, including the United States, a Jordanian military official says. Citing an official speaking on condition of anonymity, Jordan's Petra news agency reported on Saturday that troops from countries including the US, Britain, Bahrain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen will take part in the military exercise, dubbed "Eager Lion 2013."  The official added that troops from "friendly countries" will come to Jordan in the coming weeks to participate in the war games.  He noted that the manoeuvre, which will last for two weeks, would follow a "successful" similar drill in 2012.  On May 14, Jordan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lieutenant General Mishal Mohammed Zabin met with the army chiefs of the US, France and Turkey as well as the deputy secretary-general of the NATO, Alexander Vershbow, to discuss "preparations underway for the Eager Lion exercise."  Jordan has received bulky aid from the US in recent years. Washington has granted USD $2.4 billion in aid to Amman in the past five years, according to official figures.

China Is Winning the Cyber War Because They Hacked U.S. Plans for Real War:

Ballistic-missile defences, joint-strike fighters, Black Hawks, and more - Chinese hackers have their hands on plans for these and more of the Pentagon's most sophisticated weapons systems, just the latest sign that the culture of hacking in China continues to put America on the defensive ahead of a tense meeting between President Obama and Xi Jinping, a summit bound to be tense with cyber warfare diplomacy. The Washington Post's Ellen Nakashima reports in Tuesday's paper that Chinese cyber thieves have "compromised" mockups that form the "backbone" of some of the U.S. military's most important and high-tech defence technology, and that it could signal a copycat advancement of China's arms, while aiming to "weaken the U.S. military advantage" down the road. The Chinese government, as usual with these attacks - even when they seem connected directly to the People's Liberation Army - are distancing themselves from the pervasive, and this time very internationally unsound, hacking. "The Defence Science Board, a senior advisory group made up of government and civilian experts, did not accuse the Chinese of stealing the designs. But senior military and industry officials with knowledge of the breaches said the vast majority were part of a widening Chinese campaign of espionage against U.S. defence contractors and government agencies," the Post reports.

Abu Hashim