Press Release
India’s Rulers Use the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 to Wage War Against Islam and Muslims, including Shabab of Hizb ut Tahrir
(Translated)

In its ongoing campaign against Hizb ut Tahrir, India’s National Investigation Agency arrested Bava Bahrudeenand Kabeer Ahmed Aliyar on February 3, 2025, after months of harassment. Indian media reported that they "conspired with others to propagate the ideology of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Tamil Nadu, which is a banned organization." Authorities then linked their case to the ongoing case of Dr. Hameed Hussain under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of 1967.

Regarding Dr. Hameed Hussain, he holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and is a respected member of society. He was arrested in May 2024 for expressing his views on Islam’s rejection of democracy, the ideal governance of the Khilafah (Caliphate) in caring for its citizens regardless of race or religion, and the Islamic solution to the repression faced by minorities and the lowest Dalit caste. Despite his positive and constructive views, he is the prime suspect in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967!

This law is an unjust tool used by India’s rulers to prevent accountability. It is a repressive law where the process of detention and trial itself serves as punishment. This fact is evident from its shockingly low conviction rate of just 2%. Between 2016 and 2020, 5,027 cases were registered under this law against 24,134 individuals. Out of them, only 212 were convicted, while 386 were acquitted. This means that from 2016 to 2020, 97.5% of those arrested under this law remained in jail awaiting trial! Is this record not enough to demand the abolition of this oppressive law?

Despite its horrifying track record, in July 2019, India’s rulers introduced an amendment to the UAPA, making matters even worse. The amended law allows authorities to classify individuals as "terrorists" without due legal process. This designation leads to social ostracization and job loss. Neither the amendment nor the original law provides a concrete definition of terrorism. Thus, the amended law is an open license for the government to suppress and terrorize people under the pretext of maintaining public order. It is an injustice that rivals the repressive laws imposed by British colonizers during their tyrannical rule over India.

India’s sectarian rulers have used the 2019 UAPA Amendment to spread fear among hundreds of millions of Muslims in India. When Muslims raised their voices against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, the government retaliated by detaining Muslim students and activists, including a pregnant woman, under UAPA. Many Muslims remain in custody without trial. Then, in October 2024, the Government of India issued a communique in the official gazette banning Hizb ut Tahrir, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.

To the People of India in general, and to your Brothers from the Legal Experts and Human Rights Organizations in particular!

India’s rulers have brought you destruction, poverty, insecurity, discrimination, and social divisions. When any of you raise your voice for your rights, the rulers punish you. Is this what your ancestors envisioned when they championed for the sake of independence from colonial oppression? Is this the example you want to embody before the eyes of the world? No law, divine or man-made, exists that can acceptthis oppression.

O People of India: Turning a blind eye to the oppressor encourages him to continue his oppression, while standing up to him is the beginning of the end of oppression.

To the Muslims of India in general, and to your Scholars in particular!

Look at the suffering, poverty, and misery of the people around you. Do you not have a responsibility towards them according to your Deen? Allah (swt) sent our Master the Messenger of Allah (saw) as a mercy to the worlds. Your ancestors ruled India with the justice of Islam for centuries, providing security and prosperity unseen beforeIslam and they have never seen anything like it since then. Today, only the Deen of Islam can liberate the people of India from the oppression of the manmade system.

Is it right to limit your vision to participating in this oppressive system in hopes of securing some relief for yourselves?! Is it right to chase a few parliamentary seats instead of striving to reestablish Islam’s leadership in India?!Is it right for the oppressors to work to extinguish the call of Islam, and you remain silent?

You are not weak or few in number, you are many and strong if you hold firmly to your Deen and rely on Allah (swt). The call to true religion of Islam alone will unite you to become an effective force for the desperately needed change in India. Rise up, O Muslims of India, for Allah is with you.

[يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللهُ إِلَّا أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ]

“They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.” [Surat At-Tawba:32]

The Central Media Office
of Hizb ut Tahrir