Press Release
Detainees' Tortures: The Brutality of CIA and Malaysia's Involvement

The recent report by the United States Senate Intelligence Committee on the brutal tortures carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) towards the detainees was shocking in that Malaysia is among the list of American allies in CIA's secret interrogations and detention program since the 9/11 event. Besides Malaysia, other Muslim countries which are also co-operating with CIA's global crimes are Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Libya, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen. The report has actually confirmed a study by the Open Society Justice Initiative entitled "Globalising Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition" produced in February 2013 alleging that Putrajaya had assisted CIA on the rendition, twice.

The Senate report detailed how CIA operatives had used cruel and terrifying torture techniques on prisoners which contravene the international law on the subject. Among others, detainees were reported to have been forced to stand on broken limbs for hours, kept in complete darkness, deprived of sleep for up to a week with their arms shackled above their heads, waterboarding and other inhuman techniques resulting up to fatality.

The Malaysian Insider reported that the head of the Royal Malaysian Police's (RMP) Special Branch, Datuk Seri Akhil Bulat, confirmed that Malaysia shared data and training with CIA but neither aided nor facilitated torture and extraordinary rendition operations with respect to terror suspects. The report is not true, Akhil said. He asserted that information sharing between all intelligence entities in the world is necessary in tackling terrorism, hence, it is normal to forge ties with the CIA. Akhil was explaining the "rendition" on Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (Abdul Hakim Belhadj) and his wife, Fatima Bouchar, who were detained in Malaysia in 2004, which was made available in the report. According to the report, Abu Abdullah and his wife, who was pregnant at the time, were arrested by Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur and detained for 13 days under poor conditions and the wife was denied medical attention. Both were later "transferred" to Thailand where they were allegedly tortured and finally sent to Libya where Abu Abdullah was detained until 2010, while his wife was released shortly after she gave birth. "They came in from China and they were supposed to be deported back to the country but it could not be done due to visa problems. They were deported to Thailand instead, on their own request, not ours," said Akhil.

Apart from contradictions with the CIA report, the answers given by Akhil are peculiar indeed! Since when did RMP listen to the request of a "criminal", let alone the person involved was not a mere criminal but a "terrorist"!? And why did RPM continue to co-operate with CIA despite the fact that CIA is known to be untrustworthy, and it knows the inhumane character of CIA, and it knows how brutal and barbaric CIA is, especially against Muslims? Where is the dignity and integrity of the RPM when it dares to abet with the worst of human beings? We all know that the US is the world's actual terrorist and the US is the enemy of Islam, the enemy of Allah, His Messenger and the enemy of all Believers! Does RPM not see all these? Is there no pious adviser to advise RPM that collaborating with the US, a Kafir Harbi state, is prohibited (haram) in Islam? Or there actually was an advice but the RMP never listened?

Many may be wondering, why the US Senate revealed this report, tarnishing their own reputation and embarrassing themselves and could expose the US to ‘terrorist' threats. This can be answered correctly for those who have clarity of thought and the acuteness of analyses. An important question for us now is, what does this exposure mean to us? One thing for sure, we now know the abetment of Muslim rulers with the most nasty and brutal Disbelievers on earth. Muslim rulers may not have been involved in this alliance if their hearts are not filled with betrayal. Indeed, with this exposure, the US seems to be telling us, "O Muslims, I have disclosed my heinous crimes and I have disclosed the participation of your leaders in these crimes and that our co-operations are very close indeed. I can torture and kill you and your brothers and whomever I want. I have the power and you are weak regardless of your huge numbers. So, what can you do to me? Look at your leaders who bow to me, they are with me and not with you...so do not try to fight me because I could definitely torture and kill you and you will never get any help nor protection from anyone!"

For this report and for the brutality of the US, we answer them with the words of Allah (swt),

[وَاسْتَكْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ يُرْجَعُونَ]

"And he (Fir'aun) and his armies were arrogant in the land, without right, and they thought that they would never return to Us" [Al-Qasas (28):39]

[كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ]

"Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir'aun, and of those before them, they rejected the Ayat of Allah, so Allah punished them for their sins. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, severe in punishment" [Al-Anfal (8):52]

O Muslims! Can't you still see how horrible and hypocritical the US and its allies are? They say that they are the defenders and upholders of human rights and are the guardians of international law, where in actual fact they are the real offenders. Hizb ut Tahrir Malaysia hereby reminds the Ummah that the global war on terrorism led by the US is none other than a war on Muslims, who are in reality, enemies to them. A terrorist in their eyes is any Muslim who opposes Western colonialism and hegemony and works to establish Islam in its entirety (kaffah) within the framework of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State, even by way of intellectual struggle!

Hizb ut Tahrir would also like to remind Muslims that there is no other hope to save ourselves from the evils perpetrated by the US except by obeying Allah's (swt) commands by establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate" as a global political entity that will not only unify and save the Ummah, but will also bury all Western hegemonies and the hideous baggage that comes with them. The establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" will also rid us of the puppet rulers in the Muslim countries, who have faithfully served the interests of and are subservient to the US. Thus, Hizb ut Tahrir shall never stop calling upon all Muslims who have faith and sincerity to join us in our work to re-establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashidah in the way of the Prophethood. Rest assured, under the shade of the Islamic Caliphate the grace of Islam as promised by Allah (swt) will be manifested and the dignity of the Muslims and the sovereignty of our lands will be realized in its entirety, Allah willing.

Abdul Hakim Othman
Head of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Malaysia