Press Release
DEMOCRACY IS A ROOT CAUSE OF MATRIMONIAL DISPUTES

The recent reports from Press indicate that Zanzibar is facing a huge trend of matrimonial disputes to the extent of having 89 proceedings between June and December 2010 (Zanzibar Leo 3 January 2011). This statistic covers only Kadhi's Court of Urban district in Unguja Island, without the rest of other districts and the whole of Pemba Island.

Most of these disputes are associated with marriages, divorces and children maintenance.

Following this social problem facing Zanzibar and other Muslims countries Hizb ut-Tahrir East Africa would like to make clear the followings:

1. A great deal of these disputes is a result of low understanding of Islamic thoughts and the seriousness of family commitments among a majority of Muslims. This is motivated by evil thought of ‘Interests' and ‘secularism' derived from democratic system which makes the Muslims to disregard their Islam and instead push them to engage in indecency, futile pursuits and to neglect family commitments and other Islamic responsibilities.

2. Immorality of Society caused by the dangerous thoughts of ‘freedoms' derived from the evil democratic system which induces people to believe they are ‘free' of responsibility and commitments thus motivating them to engaging in the evils produced by society.

3. Devoid of power, the inability of Kadhi's Courts to properly account culprits who negligently ignore their responsibilities via punishing them so as to correct them and deter others. This is due to the hostility of capitalist ideology that deliberately weakened and neglected Kadhi's Courts and restricted their jurisdiction and powers.

Hizb ut-Tahrir East Africa hereby clarifies that it is only a true Islamic society that is able to eliminate matrimonial disputes and deal with them effectively and comprehensively. Firstly by culturing Muslims via strong Islamic thoughts in schools, universities, media etc. Secondly, by cleansing the society of the pollution of Western immorality caused by democracy and instead spreading the superior Islamic moral values upon the criteria of ‘halal' and ‘haram'. And lastly, returning Kadhi's Courts to their original glory and jurisdiction thus enabling them to administer the justice of Islam through ‘Hadd', ‘Ta'azir'and ‘Qisas' to effectively deter culprits who are unfortunately scared more by worldly penalties than by the fear of Allah Ta'ala.

Masoud Msellem
Deputy Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir East Africa