Press Release
In Response to the Article "Dark, Shackling and Atonement Visions in the Thought of Hizb ut Tahrir"
(Translated)

Respected Editor of "Al-Arab" website,
Kind regards,

You have posted on your website, on Monday, 20/10/2014 an article by the writer Saif Ad-Din Al-A'amiri under the title: "Dark, Shackling and Atonement Visions in the Thought of Hizb ut Tahrir ", it appears from the article, starting from the title and what followed in its content that the writer is spiteful against Hizb ut Tahrir in a way that prevented him to serve justice to the party, but his hatred compelled him to slander the party.

While we deplore the publication of the article referred above for the lies and fallacies, and altering of facts, we also express our surprise that you posted an article the least that can be said about it is that it lacks integrity and is far from a serious attempt to reach for the truth, and therefore we wish that you post our response below in response to the content of the article of this writer. Thank you.

First, a quick introduction is needed to explain the reality of Hizb ut Tahrir:

Hizb ut Tahrir is a political party whose ideology is Islam, it is working within and with the Ummah to have it take the issue of Islam as its issue, and to lead it to bring back the rule by what Allah has revealed to the reality of life. The work of the party is to carry the Islamic Dawah politically, it does not carry out material work following the example of the Prophet peace be upon him, in his (saw) work for the establishment of the Islamic State... And the fact that Islam is the ideology of the party, it means that the Islamic creed and what it brought from the Shariah texts alone is the basis for the adoption of thoughts and rules... all in compliance with the words of Allah (swt) in His Noble Book:

(وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ)

"And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful" [Al-i-Imran: 104]

And now to the article: it is a series of slanders against the party, there is no space here to respond to all of them, so our response will be limited to some of the issues to show the malice and lies of the writer against the party and the lack of integrity in dealing with the party and its thoughts:

First, the writer has placed the title: "Dark, Shackling and Atonement Visions in the Thought of Hizb ut Tahrir" The writer called and described the views of the party as, "Dark Visions", doesn't the writer know that the party's views and thoughts are nothing but Islamic? How can he describe it as "dark visions"?? !! As for the shackling, the writer did not show what he implied by shackling... As for addressing the issue of atonement the writer lied when he said that the party describe other Islamic movements as disbelievers!! Regarding this the writer also says, "and rarely survived an organization, association, or an Islamic movement or Islamic Party from the atonement by the Tahriris," but the truth is not so, and we challenge the writer to bring a text of the party from its books, leaflets, or websites on the Internet that mentions any word about the atonement of Islamic movements; since there is no such texts, we are certain that the writer accuses haphazardly without any evidence, we remind him that for this accusation against the Hizb, he will be accountable by Allah (swt) for what he has fabricated on the Day of Resurrection... the fact is that Hizb ut Tahrir's relationship with these movements stems of its eagerness to carry the call and advise them and warns them of violating the rules of Islam, it does so in its capacity as an ideological party that carries the Islamic Dawah. Since the party does not atone Islamic movements, as well as these movements do not support the words of the author, so where did the writer bring this lie from??

As of Hizb ut Tahrir's statements that democracy is Kufr, it is the opinion of Islam and not the fancies of the party. Democracy is not as the writer and others try to sell as a mere choice of the people of their rulers, but it basically means that the sovereignty is for the people, that is the people who initiate through their representatives the systems that they want to live by, and it is from the fundamentals of Islam, that the writer ignores, that the sovereignty is for the Shari', which means that the Shari' is the source of laws and systems, and the people must only implement the commands of Allah (swt), by the implementation of those laws and systems. The idea of democracy is Kufr because the sovereignty in it is for the people and not for the Shari', Allah Ta'ala says:

(إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ)

"Legislation is not but for Allah. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know" [Yusuf: 40]

(وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ)

"And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty" [Al-Hashr: 7]

Second: the author describes the Party's "statements" as: "Completely contradictory to the logic of freedom and human systems devised by human beings to live in accordance with the common human formulas"

The writer forgot or pretended to forget that he is talking about a political party whose ideology is Islam. Everything that the party adopts of rules, and thoughts it is based on, are all based on the Islamic creed. Who wants to put the party on trial, must base it on Islam, how can the author tries the party and its thoughts on the basis of human systems devised by humans as he described it?? !! And how can the writer forgets that he is a Muslim and that he must take Islam as his basis in thinking and behavior, how can he make human legislation and not the legislation of the Lord of humans as the criteria for his judgment on thoughts, and he even attacks the Islamic ideas upon which the party is based on and described them as " Dark Visions"?!!

Third, the writer says about the party: "Basically it does not admit that the Muslims man has the ability to be free and choose their rulers and to participate in opposition and protests."

What is this exposed slander?? !! Hizb ut Tahrir from the first day it was founded has invited people to the liberation from Western colonialism in all its forms, and to work to overthrow the tools of colonialism and work to resume the Islamic way of life... Furthermore the party leaflets, which are numerous in this aspect, asks the Muslims to account the rulers and to stand in the face of oppression and change and sacrifice for the sake of it, as well as called on Muslims to do so in various ways, including marches, major conferences, intellectual and political seminars, and delegations of the Ummah shouting the word of truth in the face of falsehood and its people... etc, and because the rulers were aware of the seriousness of the party and the seriousness of its views in inciting people against them and their oppression, they have fought it and pursued it with arrests, oppressive sentences and prosecution until martyrdom (death) in some cases, so how can the writer deny the conclusive facts of the Party's work, and even maligned it?!!

Fourth, the writer says, "The secular parties called national or patriotic are beyond the thinking circle of Tahriris, in the sense that they possess "individualistic Kafir policies" that do not recognize the divine Sharia and therefore there is no discussion in the fighting them.

The writer says that the party sees that the secular parties do not recognize the divine Shariah, and they are of individualistic Kafir policies... Here we ask the writer: Do you know what it means for a party, any party, to be secular? That means that it is a party that is based on the doctrine of separation of religion from life, and calls for the application of systems developed by man and not the Lord of mankind, but it fights the return of Islam to life... so how can a secular party be Islamic?? !! Moreover, the description of one who belongs to a secular party as a Muslim or not, is not due to being a member of a secular party, but it is due to what creed he has embraced. If he believed in the doctrine of separation of religion from life and the state, and he is totally aware of its reality, he will be a Kafir, but if he did not believe in it and he believes in the Islamic creed, and he is in a secular party as a result of ignorance, misguidance, self-interest, or the like, he would be a Muslim who is a sinner (A'asi).

Then the writer refers to the party calling for the fight against those parties... and leaves the reader wondering in his mind of the meaning of the word "fight", to conclude that the party calls for parties to meet with weapons!! The position of the party is clear on secular parties: It shows that what the basis of those parties are Kufr ideas, as their basis is the separation of religion from life, not Islam, and calls on members of these parties to the leave them, and calls on Muslims to renounce and not to proceed with them, and it shows that these parties are secretions of Western colonizing countries of Muslim lands, due to the fact that all secular parties in all their forms are based on ideas taken from the kafir civilization of the colonialists.

Fifth: the writer speaks of Hizb ut Tahrir's relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood in a vague manner, and even contradictory, then concludes this point by saying: "the matter of Hizb ut-Tahrir is based on" jihad "in different ways to get to the rule and this is clear for Hizb ut Tahrir, unlike the Brotherhood who rely on "twisted" methods with a lot of maneuvering between politics and violence.""

The writer repeated the phrase "Hizb ut-Tahrir relies on jihad in different ways to get to power" more than once and referred in other places to the party undertakes armed actions... Although we explained above that Hizb ut Tahrir is a political party that carries the Islamic Dawah through the political method, in addition we say: that the party's way to reach power are explained in its books and leaflets which is clear for everyone who seeks the truth, it is clear to everyone... the method of the party is to find the Islamic public opinion for Islam that emanates from awareness, and seeking the support of the people of the power to implement Islam in the reality of life, it does not carry weapons to realize its goal. It is known that the burden of producing a proof is on the accuser, we ask the writer the fabricator, where is the evidence for his claim??

This is following the example of the Messenger of Allah (saw). The enemies before friends know well that the party undertakes the intellectual and political struggle in its method for change.

Sixth: The writer speaks of the existence of a contradiction in the party: on one hand, the party says, "that the democratic system is a Kufr system and on the other hand: "Some of its branches participate in the elections and recognize the legal licenses by the authorities for activity and recruitment and this contradiction is the essence of this breed of Islamists."

If the writer understood as noted above the reality of Democracy, which the party described as a system of Kuffr, he would not have found any contradiction... The party rejects the democratic system because it contrasts with Islam as explained above... As for the elections, the party will participate if it is merely a representation from people to express an opinion, because it is permissible by Shariah, provided it complies with the rules of Islam in expressing an opinion, the party did not accept for a day to participate in the elections on the basis of western legislation.

Seventh: The writer says: "... there is no alternative in their view to the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate", which is unclear in their publications and none of them were able to explain how will the transition to the world of the mysterious Khilafah "Caliphate" will be."

This writer is quite peculiar!! How can he say that the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" is unclear in the publications of the party, and describes a world of Khilafah "Caliphate" as mysterious?? Did he not read the details and clarity of the Khilafah "Caliphate" in the party books such as the book: Ruling System in Islam and the book Institutions of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State in Ruling and Administration? Then he accuses the party of "not explaining how the transition will be to the world of the mysterious Khilafah "Caliphate""!! Even though, the party has given a lengthy explanation on how to get to power in many of its books and leaflets, but the writer, due to a certain hidden intention, did not bother to read or research the party books!!

Eighth: The writer says, "the researcher stressed, (meaning Saeed Mawadda), that in addressing the Palestinian issue the party did not exceed the theoretical address in books, articles and theories and attracting of bases, without any participation mentioned in the Popular Resistance Movement, or national liberation movements, and it did not establish any armed wing, but worse than that the party atoned those who resist the occupation of their land, while some members of this party, take up arms against the Muslims themselves elsewhere in the Arab world."

Strange is the state of someone who describes the radical solution explained by Hizb ut Tahrir for the question of Palestine as theoretical. The basis of the matter is that Palestine was occupied, and the occupiers have established in it an entity, Jihad is obligatory in Islam to liberate it... which actually achieves liberation is the mobilization of armies and not groups and movements that derives its support from the states that protect the Jewish entity as the surrounding states and others... A quick look at the reality of the Palestinian issue after the passage of decades without mobilizing the Muslim armies to liberate it, shows that many of those who claimed the liberation of Palestine should be from the river to the sea have already accepted to the legitimacy of the occupation of most of Palestine and some of them is ready for it after reaching a dead end due to the abandoning of the countries supporting the resistance movements. Who should be praised and should be taken as a guide to implement the right solution: Hizb ut Tahrir, which did not fool the people but have explained to them the path of liberation, which is the mobilization of the Muslim armies to eliminate completely the Jewish entity and that the Ummah must stand in the face of rulers who prevent the movement of the armies, or the other movements that allied themselves to subordinate states and agent rulers who traded by them, Palestine and the people of Palestine, and raised slogans of Liberation, and now they take back what they promised the people under the pretext of "Nothing more can be done"!

Even worse is the statement of the writer: "Worse still is that the part atones all who resist the occupation of their land"!! Where did the writer come up with such a statement?? Does Hizb ut Tahrir atone members of Hamas or the Jihad or Hezbollah or Fateh Movement?? The party has described the actions of the resistance in the July War in South Lebanon and in Gaza and in Iraq against the American occupiers and also Afghanistan, as heroic actions, those who undertook those actions will receive the reward by the permission of Allah (swt). The party was not sufficed by praising them only but it explained to the Muslims the obligation of supporting them and moving their armies to liberate the land and the people. The writer continues his fabrications and accuses members of the party of taking up arms against Muslims! I will only say regarding this exposed fabrication: Fear Allah, O writer!

Ninth: The writer says: "Salih Zahr Ad-Din returns after quoting Saeed Mahmoud to assert that the jihad for Tahriris is to reach power at any price and not achieving the goals of liberation, progress and prosperity."

Strange is this author, he quotes a spiteful writer to Hizb ut Tahrir, and even more than that, if the author of the article have thought of the words of Salih Zahr Ad-Din he would have realized that it is in contradiction to the reality of the party and the history of its inception until now. How is Hizb ut Tahrir trying to gain power at any cost, when it is a party that did not astray from its thought and method by an inch in spite of the fierce fight that it has endured from the countries that it operates in??!! Didn't the writer see the movement which was their biggest concern was to access power and how they bargained and compromised their ideas??

Based on the above, it is clear that the writer did not mention any issue with established evidence or proof, but he narrated a bunch of listed lies and fabrications we nearly decided not to respond to, due to the ridiculousness of his statements, but we wonder if the management of the site accepts to make the site a mouthpiece for any one and risk losing all its credibility? Isn't there a minimum degree of professional and ethical objectivity that the management of the site is committed to before they give way to the fallen statements, especially since the media offices of the party and its men are spread all over the globe within the Ummah and it is not difficult to communicate with them?!

Central Media Office
of Hizb ut Tahrir