Hizb ut-Tahrir Accepts Musharraf’s Call To Debate The Future Of Pakistan

London, UK, December 8 – In response to comments made by President Musharraf in a lecture at the International Institute for Strategic Studies [IISS] in London and at a gathering of UK Pakistanis in Manchester yesterday, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the leading global Islamic political party, openly challenges President Musharraf to a debate about the future of Pakistan.

In his speech at the IISS he described Hizb ut-Tahrir as an “extremist organisation” that wants to “impose its will on others” and “impose Khilafah [Caliphate]”. He belittled the Islamic ruling system, the Khilafah, by merely describing it as the “period of rule of our first four Caliphs”. He went on to say, in reference to protestors outside the IISS, that “he would like to sit and discuss ’what are you talking?’ [sic]” and that such people needed “to be corrected”. In his speech in Manchester, Musharraf angrily said that “he knew more than Hizb ut-Tahrir” about Islam and the Khilafah and he called upon the audience to prevent their children from working with Hizb ut-Tahrir. Whilst listening to his speech the audience were able to read copies of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain’s “Stop Busharraf” leaflet that had been widely distributed by Hizb ut-Tahrir activists in the audience.

Demonstrations organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain in recent months to draw attention to Pakistan’s lack of independence under the Musharraf regime and the continued subservience of Musharraf to foreign powers have attracted thousands of UK Muslims.

Dr Imran Waheed, a UK based doctor and the Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, “If Musharraf is serious in wanting to discuss with us and ’correct us’ then we challenge him to an open debate about the future of Pakistan in which he can point out the deficiencies of our approach and his alternative to the Islamic Khilafah. I am willing to debate with him in front of a public audience or on satellite television.”

“His comments demonstrate the frustration of his regime in countering Hizb ut-Tahrir’s peaceful intellectual and political work in Pakistan. Like Karimov of Uzbekistan he talks of countering our work peacefully while all the time he has been ’imposing his will on others’ by arresting and torturing our members in Pakistan. Despite such intimidation, the thoughts of Hizb ut-Tahrir are present in the entire Muslim Ummah today and the party continues to intensify its political struggle against the tyrannical rulers of the Muslim world.”

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Notes to Editors:

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an independent Islamic political party. The party works throughout the Islamic world, including Pakistan, to resume the Islamic way of life by re-establishing the Islamic Khilafah [Caliphate]. The party adheres to Islamic law in all aspects of its work and considers violence or armed struggle against the regime, as a method to re-establish the Islamic State, to be forbidden by Islamic law. In the Western world, the party seeks to explain the Islamic ideology to Muslims, to create a dialogue with Western thinkers and to present a positive image of Islam to Western society.

Contact Information

Dr Imran Waheed

Media Representative

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain

Contact via E-mail