Uzbekistan: Response of Imran Waheed on BBC News 2

[maruf]

www.1924.org/multimedias/tv/imranbbc24.ram

[Islamic Revival]

Hizb ut-Tahrir Challenges Karimov to End His Tyranny and Violence


London, UK, May 14 – At a press conference earlier today, the Uzbek President Islam Karimov, blamed Hizb ut-Tahrir for recent violence in Uzbekistan. Hizb ut-Tahrir views this as yet another futile attempt, by a weak and ailing regime, to malign Hizb ut-Tahrir by accusing it of involvement in violence, terrorism and militancy. This is despite the fact that Hizb ut-Tahrir categorically rejects violence, militancy or armed struggle as a method to re-establish the Islamic State. After decades of repression at the hands of the rulers of the Muslim world, the party has not erred from its non-violent methodology in the slightest.

By blaming Hizb ut-Tahrir, Karimov wants to shift attention from the cold-blooded murder of hundreds of civilian protestors in Andijan, including unarmed women and children. These murders were carried out on his orders and at the hands of his brutal Interior Minister Almatov and security forces. The massacre in Andijan is the latest chapter in Karimov's brutal campaign of torture, intimidation and killing against all those who dare to speak out about his corruption, tyranny and unjust practices.

The governments of the West have once again illustrated the decadence of their values with their silence while hundreds of Uzbek Muslims are killed. While US President Bush recently praised the Baltic States for throwing off their Soviet shackles, he continues to maintain close ties with the Uzbek dictator, Karimov, whose Soviet and communist credentials are well known to all.

Commenting on Karimov's claims, Dr Imran Waheed, the Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "It is a weak and ailing regime that terrorises the masses through the cold-blooded murder of women and children. Muslims will never bow down their heads before this arrogant, tyrant ruler – the increased oppression will be an incentive to further intensify the work for the removal of such tyrants”.

"We challenge Karimov to end his tyranny and violence, release all political prisoners from the dungeons of Uzbekistan and confront the Muslims of Uzbekistan in an intellectual debate rather than hiding behind lies and propaganda."

CONTACT:

Imran Waheed – Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

[Islamic Revival]

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain Comments on Events in Uzbekistan

London, UK, May 13 – The blame for today's unrest in Uzbekistan lies squarely with the desperate Karimov regime whose repression of Uzbekistan's Muslims knows no bounds or limits. In recent weeks and months, the Uzbek regime has continued its brutal campaign of raids, arrests, intimidation, torture, imprisonment and murder against all those who dare to speak out about its corruption, tyranny and unjust practices.

Every week sees yet another theatrical trial of dozens of Uzbek Muslims whose only crime is to stand up against the western supported tyrant, Islam Karimov. The trials that have begun in the last two weeks in Tashkent and Andijan are the latest examples of the repression of Uzbekistan's Muslims. Despite such repression, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the non-violent Islamic political party that is spearheading the global work for the return of the Islamic Khilafah [Caliphate], continues its work for political change in Uzbekistan and the Muslim world.

The hypocrisy of western governments in supporting Karimov is clear. While US President Bush recently praised the Baltic States for throwing off their Soviet shackles, he continues to maintain close ties with the Uzbek dictator, Karimov, whose Soviet and communist credentials are well known to all.

Commenting on today's events in Uzbekistan, Dr Imran Waheed, the Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "A strong regime need not terrorise the masses through violence, torture and tyranny. We challenge Karimov to immediately release all political prisoners from the dungeons of Uzbekistan and confront the Muslims of Uzbekistan in an intellectual debate rather than hiding behind banning and censorship."

"The call of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Central Asia continues to grow in strength and popularity in the region and the return of the Islamic Khilafah [Caliphate] is on the horizon. The silence is breaking…"

CONTACT:

Imran Waheed – Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

[Islamic Revival]

Uzbekistan Update

On Friday 13th May 2005, thousands of Uzbek Muslim protestors came onto the streets of Andijan to protest against the tyranny of President Karimov and the theatrical trials of dozens of Uzbek Muslims whose only crime is to stand up against the western supported tyrant. In response, President Karimov ordered his security forces to use maximum force - some estimates suggest that as many as 500 Muslims have been killed in cold blood, including unarmed women and children.

Wanting to shift attention from the blood on his hands, Karimov claimed that Hizb ut-Tahrir had been responsible for the violence in Andijan. It seems that the coward Karimov will blame anyone but himself for the miserable situation of Uzbekistan's Muslims.

The media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, Dr Imran Waheed, and his deputy, Hasan al-Hasan, have been giving interviews to the world's media explaining the real situation in Uzbekistan - the oppressive rule of thr tyrant Karimov and the growing movement for the Islamic Khilafah. There have been interviews with Agence France Presse, Associated Press, Reuters, BBC Uzbek Service, BBC World Service, BBC News 24. RFERL Uzbek Service, Al Jazeerah and Radio Monte Carlo, amongst others.

You have a responsibility to stand up for the Muslims of Uzbekistan against the lies of Karimov. You need to do the following:

(1) Contact the Uzbekistan Embassy in London

Ask to speak to Ambassador Tukhtapulat Riskiev or any other diplomats present. In a frank and courteous manner complain to him regarding the actions of the dictator Karimov. Make the following points

Tell him that Karimov has the blood of Muslims on his hands and that Muslims will not forget these crimes that he has committed and that this blood will not leave him.

Ask them whether they agree with Uzbek Interior minister Almatov who said, "We don't care if 200, 300 or 400 people die. We have force and we will chuck you out of there anyway".

Ask them why does not Karimov and his henchmen step aside and make way for a representative Islamic government?

Demand that he passes on this message to President Karimov directly.

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Postal: 41, Holland Park, London, W11 3RP

(2) Contact Western companies and organisations that work with the Uzbek regime

Some of the main companies and organisations involved in Uzbekistan include British American Tobacco, the UK-listed mining company Oxus Gold and the University of Westminster. They do business with a regime that routinely uses torture as a means of interrogation against its citizens. Contact them and ask them if they, like Western governments, are willing to dispense with all ethical values and turn a blind eye to the repression of Uzbek Muslims by the Uzbek regime?

Contact Oxus Gold to register your concern about their continued investment in Uzbekistan. Ask for Richard Wilkins, commercial director and secretary or CEO William Trew:

Telephone [phone] or email [e-mail]

Richard Wilkins - 07979854950

Contact British American Tobacco on 0207-845-1000 and ask to speak to their public relations officer

Contact University of Westminster on 0207-911-5000 and ask to speak to their public relations officer

(3) Take part in a "Day of Action" on Wednesday 18th May 2005

Further details to be announced - watch this space - keep the morning free

(4) Speak to your relatives and friends

It may be surprising but some Muslims in Britain may be unaware of the situation of Muslims in Uzbekistan. You need to tell them how tens of thousands of Uzbek Muslims are heroically languishing in jail for practising Islam and accounting the tyrant Karimov. These are the real heroes of this Ummah in this era.

Remind them of the hadith of the Messenger (saw): "The best Jihad is the word of truth spoken to the tyrant ruler".

(5) Raise awareness about the issue in the media

You have an opportunity to contact radio phone-ins and write letters to newspapers about events in Uzbekistan. Focus on the hypocrisy of the West who support the tyrant Karimov and the right of Muslims to determine their own political destiny. Choose the best words and argue your point politely so as to win over others to this point of view.

(6) Remember the Muslims of Uzbekistan in your du'a

During the battle of Badr, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) stood up all night in prayer seeking Allah's [swt] help in the battle between unequal armies that would follow the next day. In the decisive battles against the crusaders, Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi was busy day and night. His days were devoted to Jihad. His nights were spent making du'a, crying, seeking Allah's help.

Some Background on Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a republic in central Asia whose inhabitants number approximately 26 million. Its land is of the most fertile and it is one of the richest due to its natural resources. Uzbekistan became independent in 1992 when the Soviet Union broke up but remained linked to Russia militarily, politically, economically and in terms of security, through ‘The Commonwealth of Independent States’ (CIS) which was established as a substitute for the former Soviet Union. More recently, Uzbekistan has been a key ally of western governments in the ‘war on terror’, providing an airbase from which attacks on Afghanistan have been launched.

No sooner did the godless communism collapse and the central Asian republics became independent, than their inhabitants felt that they had become freed from the slavery of communism and the dictatorship of the Russians. They began to return to the fold of Islam which was forbidden to them for three quarters of a century. They went back to cleaning their mosques, most of which the Russians had turned into alcohol store houses and pig pens. They proceeded to give money and accept donations from their Muslim brothers outside the country in order to restore old mosques and to build new ones. The republic of Uzbekistan was one of the most devoted to Islam from the central Asian republics. It is no surprise that its people were known for their love for Islam since ancient times. For the Ummah, it has given birth to some of the great scholars, like Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasafi and Zamakhshari.

[Islamic Revival]

Lying is the weapon of the tyrant of Uzbekistan and fear is killing him


The tyrant of Uzbekistan held a press conference today on Saturday on 14/5/2005. He began his speech, at a time when his hands were dripping from the blood of Muslims which he spilled by the hundreds in Andijan, to the point that they closed down the country’s media so that his massacres would not be exposed. He began, as is his custom in every incident, by saying that Hizb ut-Tahrir is behind the Muslim uprising in Andijan. He was tongue-tied and could not speak about the glaring truth, that all the Muslims in Uzbekistan are cursing his tyranny, evil and torture of the Muslims just because they say: Our Lord is Allah.


We now turn to the tyrant addressing him with words, which perhaps will frighten him even more:


You know that Hizb ut-Tahrir works to create an Islamic Khilafah in the Muslim countries and Uzbekistan is a part of that. And this is through the method clarified by the Messenger of Allah (saw), without the use of violence. When the Hizb decides to execute this method in a country it does not aim at the outskirts of the country like Andijan in order to move within it, rather it targets the centre of the tyrant, Tashkent, to make him taste his evil in this world, though the torment of the Hereafter is more grievous.


You are used to the oppression, tyranny and the spilling of Muslim blood as if you will live forever. Have you forgotten the fate of the tyrants before you who were afflicted by humiliation and a miserable punishment:


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"And the heavens and the earth wept not for them, nor were they given a respite." [44:29]



Do not for one-second think that America and Russia in whose embrace you are, sometimes here and sometimes there, that they will protect you from the anger of Allah and the anger of the servants of Allah. Also, do not think that the five thousand that Russia sent recently, to protect you, that they will give you protection. Rather, the one who is terrified and has a noose around his neck due to the blood of the Muslims; his fear will not go even if a hundred fold of soldiers come to help him. He will remain distressed in mind and body and he will perish and is doomed to destruction.


The blood of the Muslims will come to haunt you even in your dreams. The Khilafah will pursue you until it smashes your head for by Allah’s Leave it is returning.


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"And you shall certainly know the truth of it after a while." [38:88]


Hizb ut-Tahrir
6th of Rabee’ ath-Thaani 1426AH
14/05/2005