Press Release
The Passage of Suppression of Terrorism Bill Is the Oppression to the Muslim

After a series of grenade explosions in Nairobi, Mombasa and other areas in the country, it appears that the Government of Kenya is intending to pass the ‘Suppression of Terrorism Bill' which is now known as Prevention of Terrorism Bill,2012. This bill was published for the first time in the official Kenyan Gazette supplement No. 38 on 30th April, 2003 and was rejected by parliamentarians nine years ago.

The Islamic Party of Hizb ut-Tahrir East Africa would like to highlight this issue in the following points:

Firstly: This bill violates the so-called Human Rights including those of suspects which the Kenyan government claims to have incorporated in the new constitution while boasting proudly that these new rights and constitution is the greatest prize the government gave citizens in the ‘New Kenya'!!! For example Article 30 of the Terrorism Bill grants police the right to hold a suspect into custody for 36 hours and deny all an access to a lawyer and his or her family members while in Article 49 of the new Kenyan constitution plainly states that the maximum the duration of holding a suspect without charge is 24 hours while guaranteeing him right to legal counsel and access to his relatives. This indicates that the government in its fight against what they call terrorism has already decided to violate its own constitution while at the same time urges its citizens to respect it because it is ‘supreme law' that no one should violate /contravene it!

Secondly: The government is now taking a new turn in its continuation of war against Muslims under the pretext of fighting terror.We say a continuation because already there is a special police unit known as Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) which carries out raids at Muslim houses, arbitrary arrests, torture and even illegal rendition/deportation to other countries without a court ruling. The saddest thing is that some suspects have died after being tortured by the police and up to this day no one yet has been given an apology nor even one family compensated! At the same time, it is worth mentioning that these bombings are the government's attempts to create an atmosphere of fear that can be used as an excuse to pass a manifestly oppressive bill to target Muslims!

Thirdly: The passage of this this bill is due to pressure of Western countries, especially the US and UK governments, who dictate to the Kenyan government. The US congress passed the ‘Patriot Act 2001' which resulted in the arrest of many foreign Muslims in that country. The UK is not left behind in waging war on Islam under the pretext of war on terror as it recently granted the Kenya government four lorries and 37 radio calls' speaking in that function the UK ambassador to Kenya said while handing over the equipments that his government will commit itself very strongly in fighting terrorism because it is a real threat. This is clear that British and the US are pressurizing Kenyan government to enact this oppressive bill.

Fourthly: To depict Islam and Muslims as linked to terrorism is a deliberate campaign given a wide platform in the western media houses to tarnish Islam as a bloody thirsty religion a matter that contradicts the reality and truth of Islam which decisively forbids using violence against non Muslims as a method to force them embrace Islam. Amazingly the US and UK governments who are the flag bearers of the counterfeit war against terror invade and occupy Muslim lands such as Afghanistan and Iraq spilling the blood of hundreds of thousands of civilians while calling these acts of evils 'liberation'! Meanwhile here in Kenya there are many illegal militant gangs backed by politicians who kill innocent people every day and yet are not equated to terror groups. As for the normal Muslim, he is labeled as ' terrorist' even without speaking a single word!

The Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir sees this war on terror as a clear sign of anxiety and fear exhibited by the new colonialist power (USA) backed by the old colonialist power (UK) to prevent the rise of Islam taking its natural course of leading the world via the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" State. Signs of collapse of capitalism are now apparent whether in widespread political unrest, high levels of poverty across the globe, economic recession of western nations one after the other and the spread of social evils in the all corners of the globe. All Muslims must therefore comprehend that in war on terror they are the targets simply because they possess a real ideological solution capable of liberating humanity in the whole world. This fact is clear and open to anyone who has an eye.

We conclude by urging Muslims in Kenya to stand up firmly and oppose this bill using all legitimate means and remind them that Almighty Allah will not forget their good deeds.

Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative
Hizb-ut Tahrir / East Africa