Press Release
Has the Time Not Reached to Seek for Real Protection of Your Life Even After Being Put to Test Once or Twice Every Year?

A few days after passing of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, the Muslim community is freshly seeing its effects; contingents of GSU, ATPU and regular police killed two people on Saturday, 28th October. One was 44 years old, Omar Faraj, who was popular in Mombasa for his excellent recitation of the Quran. Omar was brutally killed. He was shot in the head then his dead body thrown through the window with his crushed brain oozing out! His wife was also seriously injured. Police forced their way into his house, breaking the door and throwing in teargas canisters whereby the effect of the gas could still be felt at ten in the morning. Following this barbaric event, Hizb-ut Tahrir / East Africa wishes to elaborate the following:

1. The evil committed against our brothers and those before them demonstrates the reality of the Anti-Terrorism law as barbaric and brutal making Muslims live in great fear of this country to the extent of being like refugees in a foreign country! These murders which increase every day violate human rights and go against the courts in Kenya. A clear sign that this law is discriminatory, targeting Muslims while purporting to be a war on terror. Up until now, no human rights lobby group has raised its voice nor is any media institution following this issue. It seems certain media institutions are helping the government in this fake war against Muslims and if not, then the government has decided to silence them except that which it wants.

2. It is now clear that the war on terror is taking a new turn which is use of force against "terrorists" rather than the previous system of prosecuting them. It should be remembered that already several Muslims have lost their lives despite their cases still pending in court. The sad thing is that up until now, intelligence agencies have not released investigation reports every time Muslims are murdered.

3. Passing of this law has been due to pressure from Western countries especially America. As a reminder, several days before the passing of this bill, America addressed Kenya and warned that it risked losing billions of monies from American banks if the bill is not passed. Therefore, as there is no state in the world which can disobey America, it was expected Kenya will hurriedly pass the bill making Muslims as a sacrifice! Surprisingly, there are those who call themselves leaders and great defenders of Islam who participated in the last meeting that contributed to the passing of this unjust bill!

4. This injustice being done to Muslims in Kenya is just a part of the many injustices Muslims face including fighting against Hijab in schools, Kadhis courts, etc. These are all examples of the injustices which are a part of the war on terror being spearheaded by America and Britain throughout the whole world. Already, Muslims in countries where such laws have been enacted like Pakistan, Britain and Yemen are facing such injustices. Hizb-ut Tahrir considers such injustices as evidence of intellectual bankruptcy of the Western ideology which has resorted to using force as a weapon to defend itself against the establishment of the just ideology of Islam.

Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative
Hizb-ut Tahrir / East Africa