Press Release
Hizb ut Tahrir / East Africa Condemns Suspension of Radio Imani

Hizb ut Tahrir / East Africa strongly condemns the action of Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) to suspend Radio Imani of Morogoro for a period of six months. This is on the pretext that it influenced Muslims not to participate in the population and housing census conducted last year. This action of the Communications Authority openly puts to shame the lies of the deceptive principles of ‘freedom of expression', ‘freedom of the media' and ‘the right to information' guaranteed under the Bill of Rights anchored in democratic system constitutions.

This action is a continuous strategy which recently has been empowered to oppress Muslims such that in the last few months, Muslims have been hustled into jails without bail. This unending fracas continues under the pretext of disturbing the peace and associating Islam with the brutality of terrorism even before the investigations into the killing of Roman Catholic priest in Zanzibar are concluded.

Hizb ut Tahrir is surprised at the harsh punishment specified on Radio Imani compared to the light punishment given to Radio Clouds FM which campaigned for the evil action of homosexuality. Also the punishment given to the Christian station of Kwa Neema FM which incited Christians on the issue of butcheries that led to violence and killings in Geita, Mwanza province. This is an indicator that the action of TCRA was not intended for Clouds FM or Kwa Neema FM but the target was Radio Imani. These two stations were punished as a scapegoat.

Either, this action of punishing Radio Imani is intended to instill fear in the radio station and other (media) institutions that have Islamic identity so that they obey orders contrary to Islam. Even though in reality, all the (media) institutions regarded as Islamic are not fully compliant with Islamic principles in their actions.

In conclusion, Hizb ut Tahrir invites any keen intellectual to see for himself the hypocrisy and bankruptcy of the democratic system and understand the obligation of working for an alternative. We also call on Muslims in general and media institutions from the Islamic identities that even with such tribulations, they should not be ready to sell their religious stand. This is because Islam spread and ruled nearly all the known world through natural ways of Dawah. During that period, Muslims were few in number and used uncomplicated communication tools than today. However, Islam ruled the world and remained at the summit until non-Muslims, for their hatred against Islam destroyed the Islamic State in 1924.

Masoud Msellem
Deputy Media Representative
Hizb ut Tahrir / East Africa