State Institutions in Tanzania Have Unjustly Detained Three Members Of Hizb Ut Tahrir Without Any Cause!
Hizb ut Tahrir / Tanzania strongly condemns the unjust actions of the state authorities who arrested three of its members and detained them incommunicado without explanation or legal representation for more than a month against the law then manufactured false and outrageous charges against them of ‘conspiracy to commit terrorism’ and ‘committing terrorism’. These charges are frankly outrageous, false and without any basis!
The first member arrested was Waziri Suleiman Mkaliaganda (31 years), a secondary school teacher who was grabbed on 21/10/017 outside the mosque near his house, Mtwara town in south Tanzania, The other two were arrested in Dar city namely Omar Salum Bumbo (49 years), a stone mason grabbed by unknown violent persons who later turned out to be security officers on 27/10/2017 then Ramadhan Athuman/Ustadh Moshi (39 years), an Islamic teacher and businessman who was grabbed on 30/10/2017 from his house.
Omar Salum Bumbo was grabbed by security officers after one of them invited him to a venue to employ him as a stone mason. Upon reaching the agreed venue, he was forcibly abducted, bundled into a motor vehicle which sped off with him after they warned his motorcycle driver to immediately leave.
Ustadh Ramadhan Moshi was arrested in front of his family in the presence of the chairman of his neighbourhood namely Magomeni Makuti ‘A’ and the security officers promised that his arrest details would thereafter be available at his local police station. Unfortunately this proved to be false! Both Omar Salum and Ustadh Ramadhan Moshi ‘disappeared’ for many weeks without any news of their whereabouts despite their worried family and relatives visiting many police stations to inquire about them. During this entire time, all three members were denied their basic rights such as legal representation.
In reply, Hizb ut Tahrir / Tanzania begins by asking: Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know that since Hizb ut Tahrir was founded it has held firm to the clear method of changing society followed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that requires restricting itself to intellectual and political activity without using force or violence at any time? This is an unchanging method that all members of Hizb ut Tahrir worldwide are required to uphold and believe in, a method that it has clearly explained in various books and publications which we request the public to read for themselves from our numerous and prominent social media sites worldwide.
Then we ask: Did the state authorities that arrested our brothers during their investigations never read the press release clarifying our objective, method and style of work of Hizb ut Tahrir in Tanzania and globally that we published immediately after our huge international conference held on 19th July, 2007 at Kichangani Mosque, Dar es Salaam since we have worked openly in society for many years without hiding? Again we ask the public to read this press release here:
PRESS STATEMENT MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HIZB UT TAHRIR BEING ‘A POLITICAL PARTY’
http://www.hizb-ut-tahrir.info/en/index.php/press-releases/kenyaa/392.html
Again we ask: Are the state authorities not aware that Hizb ut Tahrir works publicly in calling to Islam intellectually in the whole world including operating openly in the most prominent countries leading the so-called ‘War on Terror’ namely the United States, Britain etc without these countries ever claiming that Hizb ut Tahrir has ever undertaken any terrorist activity? Does Tanzania have stronger and better funded security and intelligence agencies than those countries so as to barefacedly lie and claim that these three members of Hizb ut Tahrir have colluded in terrorist activity?
If these so-called investigations have ignored these basic issues then is it not clear that they are nothing but injustice and oppression without any basis against Islam, Muslims and these three members who were prominent in society for avoiding any violence, evil and terrorist actions?
Hizb ut Tahrir / Tanzania has repeatedly and publicly declared, and we shall continue to do so fearlessly, that the Anti-Terror Act is a biased law that was imposed by powerful countries and is used to oppress, terrorise, torture, vanish and kill the Muslim community including denying them their basic right to openly practice and call to Islam. Arresting these members who have never practiced or advocated terrorism in calling to Islam is one of many unfortunate examples of the injustice striking Muslims due to these unjust laws.
In conclusion, Hizb ut Tahrir / Tanzania demands the immediate withdrawal of charges and unconditional release of its members since they have committed no crime. Further we request all leaders in society, intellectuals, journalists and the public at large to help us in publicizing this incident and in seeking the release of our brothers from this tyranny and oppression since every intelligent person knows that the continued abuse of these laws to oppress Muslims innocent of blame is nothing but an ugly reminder of the tyrannical colonial era and a dangerous trend, not only for Muslims but for justice in society at large.
Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Tanzania
REF: 01/ 1439 AH
Thursday, 26th Rabii’ I 1439 AH
14/12/2017 CE