Press Release
FALSE AND MISLEADING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIZB UT-TAHRIR

DIRECTOR
RADIO IMAN FM
MOROGORO
TANZANIA

Please refer to above subject.

Some Radio Iman presenters have been for a long time pursuing a harsh, dirty, false and deliberate smear campaign against Hizb ut-Tahrir. Their aim is to mislead and discredit Hizb ut-Tahrir's good name and its positive image before the Ummah. They undertake this negative campaign against Hizb ut-Tahrir completely contrary to media ethics and devoid of any fairness by refusing to listen to our side, and above all they bear a heavy burden of sin before Allah Ta'ala.

Some clear examples of this dirty campaign can be traced to the programme named ‘Islamic Groups in the 14th Century' which was aired on Monday 25/10/2010 by presenter Mubarak Wazir wherein he fabricated a clear lie in claiming that Hizb ut-Tahrir was founded in England. The same falsehood was repeated on 1/12/2011 and 2/12/2011 in Radio Iman's morning programme named ‘Kidokezi' (Just get an Idea'). On both days, as a result of hot discussion between your presenters and our member Maalim Chande, after your presenters failed to rebut Maalim Chande's strong arguments they shamelessly resorted to making a direct personal attack with disgusting un-Islamic statements against Maalim Chande together with forging more lies against Hizb ut-Tahrir. On 21/12/2011 your presenters fabricated more lies when they claimed they had made inquiries and confirmed that Hizb ut-Tahrir does not even exist in Palestine. Furthermore, without the good sense of repenting to Allah Ta'ala, your presenter without shame continued with insults in the question and answer programme called ‘Adhauq wa Shauq' aired on 23/12/2010. In this programme your presenter made absurd false claims (buhtaan ‘adheem) that Hizb ut-Tahrir is a group formed by trial and error, a Shi'a group, a failed group and ever worse that it is that failed in its course and, worst of all, that it is a group of ‘misguidance'. When a listener (erroneously) responded to one of the presenter's questions by answering that Hizb was founded in Saudi Arabia, the presenters rebutted the listener's statement by saying Saudi Arabia is a ‘holy' place that cannot be associated with Hizb ut-Tahrir thereby implying that we are an evil group. And yet more similar lies not to mention your presenters including their arrogance in looking down upon the Islamic solution of Khilafah "Caliphate", hatred laced with deameaning personal comments against the listeners who supported our views together with the disrespect shown in cutting off audience phone calls that carried comments pointing their errors.

Unfortunately, your presenters undertook this smear campaign without getting any official statement or clarification from the the official media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Interestingly, sometimes your presenters alleged that what they are saying has been stated following discussions with relevant persons; who are these persons among us whom they have discussed with? Yet when your presenter address the issue of ‘moonsighting' for Ramadhan or confirming the day of ‘Arafat', they act in a very serious manner and invest huge efforts in phoning and obtaining clarification from parties holding a contrary opinion. Why then, in all issues concerning Hizb ut-Tahrir do they not seek any clarification from us and instead they pretend as if they are themselves the media representatives of Hizb ut-Tahrir? This is a clear indication that your presenters are unjust and lack sincerity, despite the fact that your radio station brands as an ‘Islamic' Radio station, and at the same time you persist in the exercise of fundraising to establish a would-be ‘Islamic TV' channel.

With regard to this issue wherein our written response against these false allegations will soon reach you, we hereby demand that Radio Iman immediately undertakes the following measures:

1. To immediately stop its presenters from making false allegations against Hizb ut-Tahrir, and these presenters should immediately repent to Allah Ta'ala and retract their fabrications. This should be done on your programme of Thursday 30/12/2010 which is a continuation of the last ‘Adhawq wa Shawk' programme that aired fabricated allegations. We emphasize this allegations must be rebutted on air because your audience heard this falsehood on air. However, should your presenters be unable to do so, then let them give us an opportunity to speak on air so as to rebut, clarify, correct and answer each and every question made by the audience relating to Hizb ut-Tahrir

2. If your presenters are certain that their false allegations are the truth and have evidence at their disposal, then still for the sake of fairness they must to stop their smear campaign immediately because they did not give the other party an opportunity to be heard as required by Islam. In this case we demand that they arrange an open debate within a week from the date of this letter. They can seek assistance for their views from anyone they wish, whether within or outside the country, but we insist that the debate must be held at an open venue readily accessible by the general public and also that the debate must be publicized in advance and aired live by Radio Iman. On our part, we are ready and and available for this debate at any time.

3. Should Radio Iman fail to take any of the above-mentioned measures (No. 1 & No. 2), and yet your presenters fail to stop their false allegations against Hizb ut-Tahrir, at this point it would have become clear to us the extreme level of evil of Radio Iman, and our relationship with Radio Imaan will thereafter be based upon this basis. In this case we openly state that you will neither be able to harm our Islamic call nor Hizb ut-Tahrir itself. Rather you will harm only yourselves since evil deeds encompass none but the evil-doers.

[وَلاَ يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلاَّ بِأَهْلِهِ]

"Evil plots encompass only the one who makes them" [TMQ Al-Fatir:43]

Masoud Msellem
Deputy Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir East Africa

CC:

1. Director, Islamic Foundation
2. Media Institutions
3. Muslim groups
4. All Muslims