Press Release
What Should be Done? Change Leaders or the System?

Nearly 14.3 million Kenyans are expected to vote in the general elections on Monday, 4 March 2013. This election is the fifth to be held under the system of multi-party politics. There are critical issues that we in Hizb ut Tahrir / East Africa feel the need to elaborate:

First: This election will not bring any change to the ordinary citizens as it is not the first to be held in Kenya. Four elections have been held since the western colonialists introduced democratic multi-party politics in the early 1990's. To date even after changing the leadership's face in three phases, life for the downtrodden is in an appalling state. Starting from poverty, poor health services, instability, poor education, corruption and the unending land problem, these are among the many problems remain unsolved for the past fifty years. Instead, politicians use these problems as stories to be repeated during every election as a bait to lure voters!

Second: Democratic elections are intended to hijack the public so that they remain captives of politicians which oppress them after being elected. It is not true that elections in a democratic system are a decision by the electorate to remove corrupt leadership by electing a good one. The truth is that elections are to legitimize oppression by leaders against the public. An avoided basic question still to be answered is: What needs to be changed: our leaders or the system? Certainly, the problems facing Kenya and the whole world are not bad leaders but the evil Capitalist ideology and its evil political system that gives rise to corrupt leaders who use politics as a project to enrich themselves! This is because voting in an evil system is the same as trying to mop dirty water while the tap releasing dirty water has not been closed!

Third: Democratic politics are based on the Kufr Aqeedah of secularism i.e. separating religion from life by giving human beings the sovereignty to legitimize and prohibit. This is against Islamic Aqeedah which is based on belief that Allah (swt) is the only sovereign. Allah says there is no hukm except from Allah alone. Therefore democratic elections are not only related to electing leaders but giving human beings authority to legislate. Already numerous corrupt legislations that legalize adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness and all other evils have been passed under democracy. Therefore, Muslims are responsible to negate the system and avoid its elections as it goes against Islam.

In conclusion, we remind the Kenyan public especially the Muslim community that they should not be deceived by democratic politicians who hire sheikhs. As usual, they distort ayahs and hadiths on the Minbars of the beloved Prophet (saw) as they try to sanitize democracy. Do not plunge into democratic Kufr but instead work with sincere dawah carriers to restore the Islamic state which will liberate you from slavery to human legislation and guide you towards obedience of the Shariah of Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) says:

[وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءتْ مَصِيرًا]

"And whoever opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown to him and follows other than the believers way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in hell - what an evil destination." [TMQ 4:115]

Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative
Hizb ut Tahrir / East Africa