Press Release

Ref: News broadcast and article published in IBN KHABAR Website on the 21^st and 22^nd of February, entitled “Bangladesh-based Hizb ut Tahrir planning suicide attacks in India”

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to a news broadcast and two articles that were published in your channel and newspaper IBN KHABAR, that alleged that Hizb ut Tahrir is a terrorist group and that it is planning suicide attacks in India.

The news broadcast and article contained a number of inaccuracies and misleading statements which we wish to clarify.

On 22 January 2016, we had issued a press release exposing the lies and false fabrications “…These statements by the media agencies are the pure outcome of hallucination of a sick mind, or a criminal mind…” ( Source)

As well I issued a direct tweet to Reuters India rejecting their false claims.

  Osman Bakhach‏@OsmanBakhach

Some Indian Media outlets published lies and fabrications alleging Hizb ut Tahrir plotting terror attacks. pure lies. HT never uses violence.

20 Jan 2016

As a reminder:

Hizb ut Tahrir is a global Islamic political party that seeks to re-establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashidah (caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood in the Muslim world through non-violent intellectual and political discourse and now works in over 40 countries in the West, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Despite provocation, censorship, extra judicial arrests and torture of the party’s members, it is well documented that there has not been a single incident where the Group has wavered from its political path.

With regard to the alleged link between Hizb ut Tahrir and the Indian Mujahideen, Lashkar e Toiba and Jaish E Mohammad, we categorically deny that there has ever been any association between these organisations, either within India or any other country. This is something we have refuted previously several times.

The Indian Intelligence agency should not imitate the intelligence agencies of some dictatorial regimes that have been known to create false alarms against Muslims and Muslim groups in an attempt to criminalize Islam and Muslims.

IBN Khabar should not resort to creating false stories so as to disturb the harmony of society in an attempt to increase the channels TRP’s.

We hope that the editorial team at CNN IBN, Ibnlive, Ibn7 and Ibn Khabar are aware of their responsibility of maintaining independent objective reporting. We are confident that the newspapers and its news channel places the utmost importance on the accuracy and integrity of its reporting and will carefully consider these points mentioned above so as to obviate the need on our part to resort to legal proceedings in the future.

We request that you publish this letter.

Thank you.

Osman Bakhach

Director of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir