Hizb ut Tahrir East Africa strongly condemns and absolutely does not agree with the comment of the office of the Grand Mufti of Zanzibar banning the use of loud speakers except for adhan, iqama, sermons and during Jumaah prayers in what they term as legal necessity. The comment that was gazette from the office dated 28/10/2014 which was signed by Undersecretary Fadhili Saroga.

Hizb ut Tahrir East Africa openly declares that this step is just one amongst a series of conspiracies against Islam and Muslims being spearheaded by the American and the European states through institutions nicknamed as Islamic institutions. These are being forcefully implemented in Islands of Zanzibar whose residents are majority Muslims and the entire East Africa witness discriminatory arrests, killing of Muslim preachers, persecution, war against Kadhis court, intimidating campaigns against preaching Islam, corrupting Muslim children via western culture including nonstop entertainments full of vice and now, involving in the heinous campaign to fight Islam in mosques! This is a contradiction of their own system of democracy what they claim to propagate freedom of worship which the capitalist states claim to protect and uphold.

Hizb would like to ask all the imams of various mosques and Muslims at large to denounce this call which is full of oppression and threatens the call for Islam. Also we would like to clearly make Muslims be aware that this comment was cunningly stated to appear to favor them yet is one step to interfere with their affairs in mosques activities aiming at creating divisions and animosity within the Muslims. Above all, that comment came from the Grand Mufti's law no 9 of 2001. It is a discriminating law that fundamentally contradicts their democratic system that claim the government does not involve itself with religious issues.

The banning of the use of loud speakers under the claim that their voice interferes with the people's rest and disturbs the sick is null and void for the following reasons:

1. There are various commercial advertisements and political campaigns that use vehicles with high voltage loud speakers roaming cities and rural arrears some with disturbing messages yet this is not perceived as nuisance. Nevertheless, the voice emanating from the loud speakers of the mosques are.

2. Why are democratic rallies and crusades conducted with high voltage loudspeakers publically without banning? Above all, Christians in Zanzibar despite being the minority have officially been offered special ground "UWANJA WA TUMBAKU" where they use loud speakers to preach yet their number is small despite the entire area is surrounded by Muslims. Why has the office of the Grand Mufti not seen this as public nuisance?

3. Loud music in bars and other entertainment arrears are within the range of residential areas while others are within the residential areas, which use high voltage loudspeakers for longer sessions than the mosques yet they are not banned.

4. Muslims have for several times sued various bars and recreational centers that are within the residential arrears which use loud music without a tangible solution. If indeed the office of the Grand Mufti and the Council of Scholars are so concerned about the affairs of the Muslims, don't they know that Muslims including scholars are behind the bars facing unutterable humiliation without these institutions intervention? Or are they oblivious to their sufferings?

That comment of the Grand Mufti under the pretext of emergency sitting of the Council of Scholars of 18/8/2014 is nothing but an attempt to deceive people. It is actually a war led by America against Islam under the guise of combating terrorism. They are not satisfied by buying off some cheap imams thus inundating mosques with spies. Under their desperate attempts, they have now resorted to banning the preaching of Islam in mosques, rampant arrests of innocent Muslims under the pretext of terrorism, etc.

Finally, Hizb ut Tahrir would like to admonish some devoted and committed workers in the office of the Grand Mufti and the Council of Scholars in Zanzibar to shun and stand aloof from these traps and conspiracies of the enemies against Islam in an endeavor to protect your Hereafter against the meager benefits of a perishable life.

Masoud Msellem
Deputy Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir
in East Africa