Yesterday (Friday, 01-04-2011), the ministry for religious affairs distributed a leaflet, spending the people's money, lying about the Hasina government's women policy and anti-Islamic activities. Hizb ut-Tahrir condemns the government's act of lying to the 160 million Muslims of the country. The government has repeatedly been lying to the people that ‘The National Women Policy 2011' does not contain anything contradicting the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Yesterday's leaflet again repeated that the clauses 23.5 and 25.5 of the policy do not contradict Islam. The same leaflet however justified the women policy stating that its basis is the constitution, which it said is the supreme law of the country! What can be more contradicting of the Qur'an and the Sunnah than this statement of the government that the supreme law of the country is the constitution copied from the disbelieving imperialist states, US-Britain-India, and not the Noble Qur'an? Allah (swt) said,

فَلاَ وَرَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىَ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَجِدُواْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيمًا

"But no, by your Lord, they will have no iman until they make you judge in all their disputes and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest submission." [Surah An-Nisa: 65]

   The government further stated in the leaflet that it has not and will not in the future adopt any law which go against the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Indeed, such lying through the teeth by the rulers is only possible in the secular democratic ruling system. On behalf of the 160 million Muslims of the country, Hizb ut-Tahrir questions the government: under which rule of the Qur'an or the Sunnah did Sheikh Hasina, a women, get legitimacy to take charge of a ruling position? Which rule of the Qur'an and the Sunnah gives the government the authority to implement the riba based, exploitative capitalist economic system? Where in the Qur'an and the Sunnah does the government find permission for implementing the court verdict forbidding the hijab? Which ayah and hadith dictated to the government to take as its awliya the disbelieving and polytheist states, US-Britain-India? What laws in the Qur'an and the Sunnah sanction the government's imprisoning and torturing the Carriers of the Islamic Call; and proscribing the political work of establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate" according to the methodology of the Messenger (saw)? Sheikh Hasina knows very well that all rules, laws and actions of the government are enacted and executed consciously with a view to pleasing her masters in Washington, London and Delhi; not for pleasing the Creator, the Owner and the Sustainer of the worlds, Allah (swt). Verily Sheikh Hasina will stand in the same row with Obama, Cameron and Manmohan in front of Allah (swt) on the Day of Reckoning, answering for her crimes.

    Hizb ut-Tahrir calls upon the Muslims to reject ‘The National Women Policy 2011' adopted by Sheikh Hasina, the patron of Jasim Uddin Manik, the Awami League member who celebrated his 100^th rape in Jahangirnagar University campus; the patron of according legal recognition to prostitution as a profession, and the patron of displaying women's nudity in national stadiums through arranging concerts for licentious characters from Bollywood. Hizb ut-Tahrir calls upon the Muslims to remove the lying deceptive rulers like Sheikh Hasina and their ruling system; and establish the ruling system of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, the Khilafah "Caliphate" state. Only through establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate" it will be possible to not only ensure the political, economic and social welfare of women but all people regardless of religion or ethnicity. And through establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate" it will be possible to ensure that the lying, deceptive, corrupt, oppressive, and agent rulers like Hasina-Khaleda who are now showing the audacity to enact and implement laws contradicting the Qur'an and the Sunnah are punished in a befitting and exemplary manner. 

More than 500 members of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia held rally at Indonesia Hotel roundabout in Jakarta, Monday 28^th. HTI supports Moslem in Libya to overthrow Qaddafi the Heinous dictator.

       As many experience high petrol prices, higher living costs and job loss, demand for iPads and Nintendos remains very high

As over 250,000 demonstrated in London over the weekend against the government's program of cuts, there was an equally impressive demonstration and passion for another cause as many people formed long queues along Oxford Street (one of the major shopping streets in London) and simultaneously in many shopping streets around the UK. They queued for the Apple iPad 2, which sold over a million on its first weekend. Many more thousands lined up overnight outside hundreds of shops from Slough to Sheffield trying to get their hands on the latest Nintendo 3DS (games console), with Street Fighter 4 and Nintendogs + Cats leading the games rush.

This is in the same Britain where hundreds of thousands are loosing their jobs in the coming years including teachers, doctors and many other public and private sector workers due to government cuts aimed at trimming the state and reducing the deficit. The same Britain where the price of petrol and the general cost of living has risen in the last few months. The same Britain where many are angry, gloomy and demonstrating due to the economic squeeze.

Are there two Britain's? That of cuts and that of huge spending on designer goods, and games consoles -  amongst all levels of society? The iPad 2 costs between £399 and £659, depending on the fancy features you need (and apparently 25% of those buying it also bought the iPad 1 only a few months ago). The Nintendo 3DS retails for around £229.99 (minus street fighting or other games).

Are the tens of thousands rushing to buy these gadgets all bankers and highly paid Premier League football stars? No. In the queues, you will find students and all other sorts of people. Some - especially those buying the Nintendo gaming console - were ordinary mums and dads squeezing out a few hundred pounds to make sure their kids had something to boast about at primary school as they compare gadgets with other kids.

So while the West recently endured a recession, and while there continues to be a squeeze on most people's personal finances, the population finds money for Ipads and games consoles. The now ancient precursor to the latest Nintendo 3DS sold a global 145million over the years and the Nintendo 3DS is set to do even better. Research says it's what all kids "must have". So it's what all parents have to buy - along with a smartphone, a Wii, and an iPad 2 (before the latest gadget arrives and knocks it off the list). This isn't some entirely voluntary option, it is now regarded as a test of a parents "love". It is a necessity. A necessity which leads some to incur debt in order to keep up.

It's about status, children, love and the consumer industries ability to manufacture new must haves. It is about a constant redefinition of wants which parents, workers and all have to keep up with no matter the strained economic circumstances. It is about something deeply rooted in the secular capitalist culture and its values of constant gratification through consumption. Sadly, this culture has been exported to the world and the same demands can be seen from Dubai to Durban.

As the world talks about issues as diverse as global pollution or the huge personal debt incurred by individuals trying to acquire these new ‘wants', the world would do well to question this western export. As Muslims struggle to establish a society built on Islamic values, the Khilafah "Caliphate", many in the world will welcome an alternative set of values where consumption takes place but is not the be all and end all or a main means to status or a child's love.

Taji Mustafa

Media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain

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