Hizb ut-Tahrir writes to UK Mosques following government’s attempt to pressurise Imams
Dr Abdul Wahid, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, will be writing to Imams and mosques across the UK this week. This follows the intimidatory letter issued by Eric Pickles on behalf of the government, in which he attempted to place responsibility – for acts of violence like those committed in Paris – on Islam and the entire Muslim community.
In the letter, Dr Abdul Wahid asks Imams to resist the pressure to create a “British” or reformed Islam that is pleasing to the government, but which compromises the tenets of Islam itself. He asks Imams to play a crucial role in guiding the community and not succumb to the fear of being labelled “extremists” asking, “if those who have this sacred knowledge do not teach people, then who will?”
He further states: “Muslims living in Britain have a choice similar to that Quraysh offered to Rasool Allah (salallahu alaihi wasallam). Either to adopt Cameron and Pickles’ values and stay silent at the munkar around us and they will be pleased and perhaps offer some token rewards, or to speak out clearly for the truth and values of Islam.”
The letter is being sent to Imams across the UK ahead of this week’s Friday Jumuah prayers.
22nd January 2015
PDF of Letter in [English] | [Arabic] | [Urdu]
In the name of Allah Ar Rahman Ar Raheem
To Our Respected Brothers: Imams, Khateebs, Teachers and Members of Masjid Committees
Assaalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
Allah (SWT) says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ
وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ َقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
Believers! Fear Allah And speak words straight to the point. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly achieved a great achievement [Al Ahzab: 33: 70-71]
Eric Pickles MP recently wrote to mosques and community leaders to tell you about what he called ‘British Islam.’ He said “There is a need to lay out more clearly than ever before what being a British Muslim means today: proud of your faith and proud of your country.” He even claimed “British values are Muslim values.”
As soon as people started to criticise the letter, Prime Minister David Cameron tried to silence them saying “anyone who has a problem with it, really has a problem.”
We have all seen wars where Britain and its allies have killed thousands of Muslims. And we have seen laws they say are to counter ‘terrorism’ yet have been used to lock people up for writing poems or browsing websites.
When these politicians tell Muslims that we must adopt British values in order to be ‘British Muslims’, it means that whenever Islam contradicts Cameron’s policies, Muslims in the UK will be expected to put aside the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) and instead submit to the will of these politicians.
So, instead of complaining and campaigning in a legitimate way about British foreign and domestic policies which harm Muslims or oppose Islam, Muslims would be expected to support any wars or laws that harm people from theUmmah of Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wa sallam).
In his letter, he said Muslims should choose ‘free speech’ as a fundamental value. This does not mean the speech to account a political ruler, which the Shari’ah established for us 1400 years ago. Rather, it means speech that allows writers and cartoonists to insult Allah (SWT) and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wa sallam).
This is their ‘free speech’ – to insult that which is sacred – but to silence Muslims from talking about Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and laws within the UK that target Muslims.
Respected Brothers!
I am aware that when Muslims teach people honestly about certain important matters in Islam – such as Shari’ah,Khilafah, Jihad or the relationships between men and women – people fear they might be called an ‘extremist’ under the government’s Prevent policy.
But if those who have this sacred knowledge do not teach people, then who will?
If they teach it as the government would like, they will misguide people, and will lie about the ahkam of Allah and theSunnah of His Messenger (salallahu alaihi wa sallam).
If you do not talk about these issues, Muslims (especially the young) will get no information and can be misguided by the internet or will simply think Islam does not have anything significant to say on these issues.
The policies from this and the previous government, like Prevent, are silencing Muslims in our community from speaking about matters that the whole world is talking about. So for our respected Imams and teachers to be silent on this is dangerous, both in this world and the Akhira.
Muslims living in Britain have a choice similar to what Quraysh offered to Rasool Allah (salallahu alaihi wassallam). We are told either to adopt Cameron and Pickles’ values and stay silent at the munkar around us and they will be pleased and perhaps offer some token rewards, or to speak out clearly for the truth and justice. Quraysh approached Abu Talib saying “we won’t go on tolerating this insulting of our gods and forefathers. Don’t let this fitnah stay between us. Silence your nephew!”
As we all know the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) replied “O my uncle! By Allah if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that I abandon this course, until Allah has made me victorious, or I perish therein, I would not abandon it.”
This example of the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is absolutely necessary for us today – not abandoning this Deen nor allowing it to be twisted and changed into something that he (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) will not recognise on the Day that is certainly coming.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ
وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ إِنْ يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَى بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَى أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا
وَإِنْ تَلْوُوا أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
“Believers! Stand out firmly for justice, witnesses for Allah alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do.” [An-Nisaa: 135]
Your brother
Abdul Wahid
Chairman, UK Executive Committee
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Britain
29 Rabi’ al Awwal 1436/20 January 2015
Web: www.hizb.org.uk
Twitter: @AbdulwahidHT