Press Release
The Johor Islamic Religious Department Raided Event of Hizb ut Tahrir, Three Arrested

On April 6th, 2019, the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) raided the office of Hizb ut Tahrir / Malaysia (HTM) in Johor Bahru at a time when a seminar was running. The seminar entitled "The Fall and Rise of the Khilafah Against the Liberal Threats" had run for over an hour before the said Johor religious authority barged in. Three members of Hizb ut Tahrir were arrested under the offence of ‘teaching Islam without credentials’. They are Dr. Salehuddin Bin Ibrahim, 51, Dr. Norazlan Shah Bin Osman Basah, 35 and Sallahuddin Bin Mashkuri, 39, who are respectively the panellists and moderator of the seminar. Immediately after the arrest, the three were taken to the JAINJ headquarters where they were locked up overnight, before being brought and remanded by the Shariah High Court of Johor Bahru for another three days. The three-day remand detention at Ulu Choh prison, Pontian, also shocked the prison authorities who admitted they had never experienced such a case before. All three will be charged at the Johor Bahru Shariah Court on July 2, 2019.

Hizb ut Tahrir / Malaysia strongly condemn the arrest as it is not merely a reflection of tyranny, but also a shameful act of the religious authority. In a time of ever-growing disobedience in society, it is the Da’wah carriers who were arrested! It is also shameful on the part of JAINJ when our members were arrested while explaining to the participants the facts on the fall and rise of the Khilafah, the great political institution of the Ummah which has shed the world with prosperity for more than 13 centuries. The Khilafah belongs to the Muslims and it is indeed the duty of every Muslim, including the religious authorities to re-establish it. It is shameful that while HTM was explaining the dangers of Western liberalism that has threatened this country, our program was disrupted and three of our members were arrested!

This arrest is the first of its kind to HTM in Johor since we began our activities in the southern state of the country back in early 2000. HTM has had organized many public events in Johor openly without any problems. In addition, HTM has ever since, also been openly giving calls after Friday prayers in many mosques in Johor whenever important issues affecting the Muslims, both inside and outside the country, arise. All these had run without any problem as the authorities in particular and the Muslims in general, know that Hizb ut Tahrir is an Islamic political party that carrying out Da’wah in a political and intellectual manner, in order to revive this Ummah and unite them under the Khilafah state.

O JAINJ! Can we at all, not talk about the history of Islam except with your permission? Can we at all, not talk about Khilafah except with your permission? Can we at all, not talk about the threat of liberalism that is increasingly misguiding the Muslims in this country except with your permission? Does all individual Muslim in Johor who wishes to speak about Islam can never be able to do so except with your permission? Do you not know that Da'wah is an obligation that comes from Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw)? Do you not hear the words of Rasulullah (saw), «بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوْ آيَةً» “Convey from me even a verse” [Narrated by Bukhari]? Do you not read the words of Allah (swt),

[وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلاً مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ]

“And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah, and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims?'' [Fussilat: 33]? Do you want to deny the rights and obligations that Allah (swt) has placed over every Muslim to carry the Da’wah of Islam? How brave you are O JAINJ!

O religious authorities! The impediments that you put against our Da'wah efforts will never harm us, in fact, the harm will go back to you. Indeed, the arrest of our members will never undermine us, but in turn reinforce our determination and our efforts. With the love we have for you as a fellow Muslim, we hereby remind you to exercise your power towards assisting the efforts of upholding the religion of Allah (swt), rather than exercising it towards blocking the Da'wah. Use the power that you have in accordance with what Allah (swt) wills, not in accordance with your whims, out of human wills, so that in the hereafter you may free yourselves when we decry to Allah (swt) of your tyranny over us!

 Abdul Hakim Othman
Spokesperson of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Malaysia