Press Release
Refuting Tulsi Gabbard’s Misrepresentation of Islam

The American administration and its global apparatus continue to rely on misrepresentation and distortion to advance a persistent policy under President Donald Trump. This policy frames Islam not as a Deen and a civilization, but as a threat - despite Islam’s long-standing role as a comprehensive moral, social, and political system that historically served as a civilizational alternative to exploitative economic models.

The capitalist system, championed by Western powers, has concentrated wealth in the hands of a mere one percent of the population while impoverishing much of humanity, including a significant portion of the American population. This outcome persists despite the abundance of natural resources and the global availability of skilled labor granted by Allah (swt). Within this broader policy framework, recent remarks by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, contained serious mischaracterizations of Islam aimed at misleading the American public and therefore warrant clarification and response. Accordingly, the following points address and refute the central claims made in her speech.

First: On the Alleged “Threat” of Islam

Ms. Gabbard stated that “Islamist ideology” represents one of the greatest short- and long-term threats to freedom and security. This assertion fundamentally misrepresents Islam. Islam is an Aqeedah (creed) and a comprehensive way of life revealed by the Creator of the universe, humanity, and existence itself. It is a message rooted in justice, mercy, and human dignity.

Historically, Islam governed societies for over thirteen centuries under the Islamic state, during which it demonstrably upheld justice, protected minorities, and fostered intellectual, economic, and social development. Islam liberated humanity from the subjugation of man-made systems, whether capitalist or socialist, and established equality among people regardless of race or color or ethnicity.

As for the fallacy that Islamic ideology is hostile to the emancipation of people, Islam was the first system to systematically dismantle slavery as practiced at the time. Bilal al-Habashi, an African, stood as the equal of Abu Bakr al-Quraishi, while Salman al-Farsi, a Persian, was honored by the Prophet Muhammad (saw), who said: “Salman is one of us, Ahl al-Bayt.” (al-Jaami’ al-Saghir, Imam al-Suyuti)

Likewise, the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), famously declared: “When did you enslave people when their mothers bore them free?”

These are foundational principles of Islamic civilization. Yet, Ms. Gabbard’s remarks overlook the historical and ongoing realities of racial hierarchy and discrimination embedded in Western societies, particularly the United States, where such realities are politically exploited by the President today.

Second: On Freedom and Shariah

Ms. Gabbard further claimed that those who advocate the implementation of Shariah law oppose freedom and contradict the foundations of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, which she described as divinely endowed “inalienable rights, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

This claim reflects a conceptual contradiction. Western constitutions are human-authored documents, not divine revelation. Nowhere do they derive directly from a revealed text of the Creator. Conversely, the permissive moral framework promoted in the West, particularly regarding gender and social norms, has no basis in any divinely revealed scripture recognized through sound reason.

Moreover, the West’s professed commitment to freedom often stands in sharp contrast to its actions. The wars waged in the name of exporting freedom to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine, including Gaza are in fact acts of colonialism that have resulted in occupation, mass casualties, economic devastation, and the destruction of the social fabric. These realities expose the claim of freedom as a political slogan rather than a lived principle.

Third: On Terrorist Organizations

Ms. Gabbard asserted that Islam “fuels” groups such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Hamas, and Boko Haram, and that these groups must be militarily defeated. This sweeping claim ignores well-documented evidence, including testimony by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before Congress, acknowledging that U.S. intelligence agencies created, funded, or facilitated some of these groups in Afghanistan and Iraq for strategic purposes. Attributing their actions to Islam broadly is both inaccurate and deceptive.

Fourth: On the Khilafah (Caliphate)

Ms. Gabbard described the concept of Caliphate as “a direct threat to our freedom because at its core it is a political ideology that seeks to create a global caliphate that governs us here in America, threatening Western civilization, governance by Sharia law, governance by what they are calling their Islamic principles. And if you fail to comply, if you fail to adhere to this ideology, if you dare to exercise your God given right to free speech, censorship is not what we face. They will use violence or any means they deem as necessary to silence us.”

While it is true that Islam is a comprehensive system of life implemented through governance embodied in the Khilafah, Islam explicitly forbids compulsion in religion. Allah (swt) states:

[لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ]

“There is no compulsion in religion.” [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 256].

Furthermore, movements that call for the re-establishment of the Khilafah in the Muslim world - most notably Hizb ut Tahrir - explicitly reject violence as a method of change and do not seek to establish the Khilafah in Western countries, including the United States, by either force or intellectual campaigning.

Conclusion

As Director of National Intelligence, Ms. Gabbard is undoubtedly aware of the profound economic, political, and social crises facing the United States and the broader Western world. These crises are structural and rooted in secular capitalist principles that have proven incapable of delivering justice, stability, or widespread prosperity.

Rather than addressing these realities honestly, her statements mislead the public and deflect attention from a genuine civilizational alternative - Islam - that offers coherent solutions grounded in justice, accountability, and moral governance. In doing so, she aligns not with the interests of ordinary citizens, but with a narrow elite whose policies have produced widespread hardship and insecurity.

Islam, implemented under the Khilafah, represents a comprehensive alternative to the corruption and inequality fostered by capitalism. Therefore, we call upon thoughtful and discerning individuals in America and across the West to objectively examine Islam - not as it is deceptively portrayed, but as it truly is - as a civilizational alternative capable of securing justice, dignity, and salvation for present and future generations. Allah (swt) states:

[قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ]

“Say, “O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah.” But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims, submitting to Him.” [TMQ Surah Aali Imran: 64].

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in America