Press Release
Is Delivering the Truthful Message that “Democracy is a Failed System, Khilafah "Caliphate" is the only Solution” a Crime?

Nine members of Hizb ut Tahrir / Malaysia (HTM) have been detained by the police during a car convoy around Muar, Johor yesterday (11/03/2017). They were detained at the Muar Police Headquarters along with their six cars plastered with stickers that read “Democracy is a Failed System, Khilafah "Caliphate" is the only Solution”. The convoy was organized by Hizb ut Tahrir in an effort to remind the Muslims of the destruction of the Khilafah "Caliphate" (Caliphate) 93 years ago, that took place on 3^rd of March 1924. The convoy was also meant to express the fact that the democratic system practiced in Malaysia in specific and in the Muslim world in general, ever since the destruction of Khilafah "Caliphate", has failed and the only solution to all the Ummah’s problems is the re-establishment of Khilafah "Caliphate", by which Al-Quran and As-Sunnah will be implemented as our way of life in all aspects.

The arrested nine have been locked up overnight before taken to the Magistrate court today for a remand order. The court gave a four-day remand on them starting from today (12/03/2017). The lawyer’s attempt to see them was denied by the police. It is learnt that they were detained under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 505 of the Penal Code, Section 50 (3) of the Societies Act 1966 and also under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. The arrest came after four members of HTM were charged at the Hulu Langat Shariah Court recently under the offence of insulting the religious authorities in Selangor for acting contrary to the fatwa that had banned Hizb ut Tahrir. Earlier, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commissions had imposed a legal restriction on the website of HTM and all websites of Hizb ut Tahrir all over the world.

This is the "freedom of speech" practiced and exalted under the democratic system in Malaysia! Voices to restore the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" are vigorously blocked, while voices calling for secularism, liberalism, pluralism, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), including voices insulting the Islamic laws by certain groups, are ignored! Islamic activities carried out by Hizb ut Tahrir have been heavily constrained and prevented in numerous ways, while crimes and vice activities such as bribery and corruption within the leadership of the country, the existence of gambling centres, liquor factories, immoral concerts, superstitious activities conducted openly by shamans, beauty pageants, gangsterism, snatch theft, rape, kidnapping and others, are still unattended to and some are even intentionally ignored!

It seems now that expressing “democracy is a failed system" has become a crime in Malaysia! And worse, expressing that the Khilafah "Caliphate" State is the only solution for Muslims, is also a crime! This is despite the fact that the noble tongue of the Prophet (saw) has explained clearly that the leader of the Muslims is the Khalifah and that the State for the Muslims is the Khilafah "Caliphate", which shall soon be re-established to shade the world after the end of today’s dictatorship era. Uttering what had been uttered by Rasulullah (saw) has now been made a crime by the police and the government!

O those who hold the power! Know that Hizb ut Tahrir will continue to voice out that democracy is a Kufr and failed system originating from the West and it is haram (forbidden) for Muslims to take it, implement it and spread it. Know that Hizb ut Tahrir will never stop calling for Islam and Khilafah "Caliphate", in our noble effort to realize its establishment, because Khilafah "Caliphate" is the only Islamic system to replace the Kufr and flawed democratic system.

O those who hold the power! You can detain as many members of Hizb ut Tahrir as you wish, but you can never stop the da’wah of Hizb ut Tahrir, let alone to halt the return of the Khilafah "Caliphate" upon the method of the Prophethood that Hizb ut Tahrir is working on and that which has been promised by the Prophet (saw). Do take heed that you can choose to continuously prevent our da’wah and to continue living in misery and humiliation under this failed democratic system, or choose to support us and live with pride and dignity under the Khilafah "Caliphate" State which shall soon be re-established by the will of Allah (swt). We remind you now because now (in this world), you can still make a choice, whereas in the Hereafter, there will only be infinite regret for those who turn away from the reminder.

[وَتَرَى الظَّالِمِينَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ يَقُولُونَ هَلْ إِلَىٰ مَرَدٍّ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ]

“And you will see the wrongdoers, when they behold the torment, they will say ‘Is there any way of return?” [Ash-Shura: 44]

[وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ]

And they will say, ‘Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire.” [Al-Mulk:10]

Finally, do release all our members in your detention, so that in the Hereafter Allah may release you from His severe torment.

Abdul Hakim Othman
Spokesperson of Hizb ut Tahrir in Malaysia