On 12 February 2013, during the State of the Union Address, U.S. President Barack Obama announced, "Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will return home from Afghanistan. This withdrawal will continue. And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over." Just before this announcement, Pakistan had already started the release of Afghan Talban which has increased its pace further. Before this announcement, on 03 February 2013, the spokesman of Tehrike Talban Pakistan (TTP) Ehsan Ullah Ehsan suddenly, through a video, offered peace negotiation with Government of Pakistan which was welcomed by traitors within the political and military leadership. They organized an all-parties conference and issued declarations supporting the negotiations. The hypocrisy is apparent.  Previously, when most of the people of Pakistan were demanding the end to military operation in tribal region and advised the government to start negotiations with the people of tribal regions, the traitors in the military and political leadership whole-heartedly supported military operations and strongly opposed any negotiation, rather they claim that this war is our war and we must win it at any cost.

At the same time the traitor rulers are trying to secure the attendance of most prominent religious scholars of Pakistan at the Afghan Ullema Conference which is scheduled for the first or second week of March in Kabul. At the start of the Afghan occupation, traitors amongst the political and military leadership supported America-politically, militarily, and provided logistic and intelligence support. Similarly America is trying to gain the support of Pakistan again through the traitors in the political and military leadership in order to force Afghan Talban and the Muslims of Afghanistan to surrender to the American "solution" for Afghanistan, which is a partial troop withdrawal and full control of the country through a puppet government. For this purpose, America is trying to create a positive political environment and public opinion with the release of Afghan Talban in Pakistan and organizing the Ullema Conference in Kabul.

This entire situation is highly regrettable because when America wanted to invade, occupy and strengthen its position in Afghanistan, it secured the support of Pakistan's General Musharraf and currently America seeks to exit the Afghan quagmire in good shape; it once again finds support from Musharraf's former right-hand man, General Kayani. America could neither have invaded nor occupied Afghanistan without the help of Pakistan, or leave Afghanistan respectfully without their help. This shows that the seat of power in this region is Pakistan and without its help, America can not do much in this region. On 14 February 2013, former American ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter said, "The fact that we were unable to say that we were sorry until July, cost our country literally billions of dollars." He was pointing to the costly shift of sending supplies for Afghanistan via Central Asia, instead of via Pakistan. This statement is an admission of Pakistan's strength and its capability.

By becoming a part of this American war, achieved nothing but losses. Contrary to Musharraf's promises, neither the Kashmir dispute has been settled, nor has Pakistan's economic situation improved, nor has its international stature improved and nor has it increased the security of its nuclear assets. Instead the Kashmir issue has been buried and Pakistan incurred losses of more then seventy billion dollars to its economy and the lost forty thousand military and civilian lives. Pakistan is seen internationally as America's donkey, which beats it constantly, demanding more. The increased American presence within Pakistan certainly does not add to the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.  And is if all this were not enough, America is to establish a permanent presence on our doorstep, under the disguise of "withdrawal."

The Muslims must decisively mobilize to end this unfolding treachery. Initially, Musharraf and his cronies committed treason on the grounds that if we support America in its endeavor in Afghanistan, America will help Pakistan for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and to strengthen its economy. Now the traitors within military and political leadership, headed by General Kayani and Zardari, are committing treachery again by forwarding this argument that we should help America in its withdrawal, to exit this war. But sixty-six years of Pakistan's history proves that as long as the traitors in the political and military leadership continue to secure the seat of power, they will sacrifice Pakistan, its people and its resources to fulfill American objectives. The time for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" is needed to end American presence in the region and to rid traitors within the political and military leadership. A powerful Khilafah "Caliphate" state will unify Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Central Asian Muslim countries and secure this region from the hostile American, British and Russian states. There is no solution other than the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State. This is the obligation of our Deen, Islam, and a lesson in Muslim history as well.

Shahzad Shaikh

Deputy to the Official Spokesman of Hizb utTahrir in Wilayah of Pakistan

On 05 February 2013, the House of Commons voted - by 400 votes to 175 - to legalise Gay Marriage in Britain. "Muslim MPs" - such as Sadiq Khan, Rushanara Ali, Sajid Javid, Shabana Mahmood and Anas Sarwar - as well as other politicians who make a play for the support of the Muslim community - voted FOR ‘Gay Marriage'.

Some of these politicians visit the Muslim community and give Islamic greetings, or parade their Muslim names and heritage. Yet when they are in the company of their fellow politicians and the media, they compete with each other to prove who is the most Westernised! Some people hold up these MPs as examples for young Muslims to follow. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

The Problem Lies in the System:

Britain, like other countries in the West, is a country whose laws and morals are based upon secular liberal values. Their system is one where it is the will of men, not the will of God, which decides what is right and wrong. Their democratic system means the People - through their elected members of Parliament - chose what is good or bad, moral or immoral - based on a majority vote. There are no principles or criteria to decide what is right and wrong - it depends upon the mood within society at any particular time. A few decades ago homosexuality was illegal in Britain. Now, not only is this legal, but it is also legal for homosexuals to marry in full ceremony like any heterosexual couple!

This is because this is a political system where man makes the law. It is a system that Allah and His Messenger warned us about when He (swt) said:

((اتخذوا أحبارهم ورهبانهم أرباباً من دون الله))

"They took their rabbis and priests to be their lords besides Allah" [Al-Tawbah: 31]

Once, whilst Allah's Messenger (saw) was reciting this ayah, ‘Adi bin Hatim remarked

"يا رسول الله! إنهم لم يعبدوا أحبارهم ورهبانهم. قال أما إنهم لم يكونوا يعبدونهم، ولكنهم كانوا إذا أحلّوا لهم شيئاً استحلّوه وإذا حرّموا عليهم شيئاً حرّموه"

"O Allah's Messenger! They do not worship their rabbis and the priests." The Messenger of Allah (saw) replied - "They certainly do. They [the rabbis and priests] make the halal things as haram, and haram things as halal - and they followed them, and so by doing so they really worshipped them." [Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi]

In any democratic country, it is the parliament that has taken this role to make halal things as haram, and haram things as halal - hence it is these MP's who are legislators as opposed to Allah (swt) being the Supreme Legislator.

Misguided: Using a Tainted System to Uphold Islam:

Some in the Muslim community, quite remarkably, promote the idea that Muslims need to use this system - which has made all manner of haram things halal - to try to defend or uphold Islamic values or the interests of the Muslim community.

It is truly amazing they can be convinced of this when one sees the example of these so-called ‘Muslim politicians'. Some of them claimed while campaigning for Muslim votes that they had entered the system to promote Islam and the interests of Muslims. But (if that was truly the case) it is now glaringly obvious how their values have changed while in the system, to the extent they now endorse homosexual relationships, which Allah made from amongst the gravest of sins, and for which He (swt) destroyed the Qawm of Lut (as). We, in Hizb ut Tahrir, have always maintained that a Muslim MP has to revoke his Islam if he/she is to stay in this system and hence it can never be a path for the Muslim community to engage in.

The Serious Challenge for Muslims in the UK:

Dear Brothers and Sisters - We must realise that this political system based on secularism and democracy can never defend Islam or bring any goodness for Islam or the Muslim community. This latest example has clearly exposed this.

The challenge for us is how to secure our Islamic values in our families, our children and our community whilst living in this society. This clearly cannot happen by voting in Muslim MPs who by entering the system are bound by the values of this system and loyalties to their secular Kufr parties.

Instead the Muslim community needs to undertake several clear steps:

1.       To know clearly that in Islam it is Allah (swt) who is Sovereign and decides what is halal and haram.

This is our Aqeedah. No matter what laws are passed, this cannot change for a Muslim; and the Muslim community must adhere to the halal and haram as the criteria for right and wrong. Our Deen is not like Christianity, which has changed beyond recognition with the times. What Allah has decreed are halal and haram will remain so till the Day of Judgement.

((اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام ديناً))

"Today I have completed your Deen for you, encompassed My blessings upon you and have accepted Islam to you as a Deen" [Al-Maidah: 3]

2.       To secure these Islamic values in our mosques, madrasahs and Muslim schools.

We would be naive to believe the promises of politicians to protect mosques and churches from having to conduct ‘gay weddings'. Catholic adoption agencies have had to close because they refused to endorse adoption to homosexual parents based on equalities laws. The most recent laws being passed in parliament will no doubt come to affect our institutions.

The Muslim community needs to be educated about such laws and the effect of the Kufr society around us so that all parents, community leaders, Imams and mosque committees can ensure that no such un-Islamic practices are allowed to be normalised in our institutions and communities. Burying one's head in the sand will do more than allow the normalisation of such un-Islamic practices, Allah (swt) forbid.

3.         Not only do we ensure our communities are protected from such un-Islamic thoughts, values and practices but we must also carry the Dawah of Islam to the wider non-Muslim society around us. Muslims should have the confidence to explain Islam to non-Muslims and invite them to Islam. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, this society itself is crying for a solution to its ever-growing problems. Family breakdown, divorce, domestic and sexual abuse, depression, ‘pornification' of society are all the fruits of a way of life that is based upon ‘freedom' to do whatever one wants and the desire for unlimited fun and material pleasure. The material progress the West has made shouldn't make one blind to the social disorder that is endemic in society. Islam has answers to this social meltdown in society and we as a community are obliged to carry this Dawah of Islam, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (saw).

Secondly, doing nothing means allowing our community to be changed by the values of the society around us. There is no security in isolating ourselves. The only protection is in interacting with this society on a basis of Islam. If we fail to do this, our community will be affected ever more with the values of Western society. What starts with gay marriage, zina, alcohol and drugs will end with abandoning our parents and leaving the Deen of Islam as the vast majority of Christians have done with Christianity.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

"لتنقضن عرى الإسلام عروة عروة، فكلما انتقضت عروة تشبث الناس بالتي تليها، وأولهن نقضاً الحكم وآخرهن الصلاة "

"The knots of Islam will be undone one by one, each time a knot is undone the next one will be grasped, the first to be undone will be the Ruling and the last will be Prayer." [Hakim/Ahmed]

The knot of ruling by Islam has now been undone for decades - now the struggle to undo the knot of the basics of the Deen is taking place. Muslims across the world are trying to reestablish the knot of ruling by Islam - the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate". It is time for us living in the West to realize the struggle that is taking place here to change Islam and take an active part to prevent this. This can only be done, brothers and sisters, by building a strong conviction that Islam is a complete Deen that can address all our affairs in the 21^st century and, moreover, it is Islam that has the solutions to the problems facing the whole of humanity today.

Thus we call on our community to abandon the wasted efforts of sending Muslims to parliament and engage in the much-needed effort to build the fortress of Islamic thoughts and values in our communities.

((قد تبين الرشد من الغيّ، فمن يكفر بالطاغوت ويؤمن بالله فقد استمسك بالعروة الوثقى، لا انفصام لها. والله سميع عليم))

"...True Guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever reject Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the firmest handhold - one that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing" [al-Baqarah: 256]

www.hizb.org.uk

Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Pakistan has issued the following Publicized Policy Position (PPP) which clearly demonstrates how Islam's revenue and expenditure policies can lead to economic strength and prosperity by adopting Hizb ut Tahrir's Introduction to the Constitution for the Khilafah "Caliphate".

A. PREAMBLE: Economic Strength is not possible either through Democracy or Dictatorship. Both forms of ruling are corrupt as they allow revenues and spending to favor the Kafir colonial powers and their agents who come to rule within Pakistan.

Sunday 10 February 2013, CNN and other news agencies reported that Saudi authorities arrested tens of women and five children after a protest occurred in Riyadh and Buraida. The women were demanding the release of relatives held as political prisoners for years without access to lawyers or trial, their charges were criticizing or opposing the Saudi regime.