Thirty bloody days or more, have passed since Tawfan Al-Aqsa between the patient crowds in besieged Gaza and the gangs of Zionist occupiers led by America and its allies, Britain and France… Thirty bloody days or more, and the bombs of America and its missiles pour like a torrent onto the heads of our people in the blessed land of Palestine, demolishing homes, mosques, and hospitals. Thirty days or more of killing, Muslims harvested and burnt in the path of the Messenger of Allah (saw), the first of the two Qiblas, and the third of the holy sanctuaries. Thirty sad and bloody days, or more, and the entire Ummah has risen, calling for life to jihad, life to the support of the oppressed, and no response from the rulers or the armies entrenched in their barracks, unwilling to leave them… No response except from the police elements unleashed by the authority, not to support Gaza and Palestine (as they falsely claim) but to monitor those who come out seeking the armies to be unleashed from their prisons! Yes, only the police elements responded to the calls of the Muslims, monitoring, attacking, and arresting! On Friday, 10/11/2023, a massive march was launched, called for by Hizb ut-Tahrir, where Muslims marched from the Al-Fath Mosque chanting life to jihad because “war is met with war, the army crushes with the army, and the land is liberated with blood, so life to jihad.” When the Shabab raised the Raya (banner) of the Messenger of Allah (saw), the political police went mad, and their elements rushed to try to stop the march. When they failed, they forcibly and violently confiscated the banners, the Raya (banners) of the Messenger of Allah (saw). They continued to assault the march, attacking anyone carrying a banner, confiscating and arresting them! And a few meters away, the banner of the criminal France rises, untouched by the police elements, and those who approach it are prevented and protected!

Indeed, we have heard from some of them claiming that this banner is a party flag, not permissible to be raised! (In this way), the matter becomes confusing for the people, and therefore, in the media office of Hizb ut Tahrir/ Wilayah Tunisia, we clarify the following:

1- The arrests were not solely due to raising the banner; rather, they were a crackdown on those who support Palestine, Gaza, and the mujahideen there. This is evidenced by the fact that the police elements abducted the young man Muhammad Ali Al-Awani, a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, just before Juma’ prayers, before the start of the march, to prevent him from participating and delivering a speech.

2- The banner and the flag raised by Hizb ut Tahrir, calling upon the Ummah to raise them, are not specific flags for Hizb ut Tahrir alone. Instead, they are the banner of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his flag. Numerous authentic hadiths describe the banner of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his flag, including the hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

«كَانَتْ رَايَةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سَوْدَاءَ وَلِوَاؤُهُ أَبْيَضَ، مَكْتُوبٌ عَلَيْهِ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ»

“The Prophet’s flag was black and his banner white, …written on it: ‘La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’”

3- The banner has the inscription of the declaration of faith, “La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah” (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah). It is a sign of belonging to the Islamic Ummah and its leader, the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds, Muhammad (saw). It is the only banner that unites Muslims. However, the colonizers do not like the word of monotheism (Tawhid), and they do not want this Ummah to unite. Therefore, they instruct the pseudo-rulers in our countries to fight against any manifestations of Muslim unity, even if it involves raising a banner in a march!

4- The raising of banners, especially in times of war, is a sign of resilience, while their descent signifies defeat and surrender. America and its allies, Britain and France, fight us from the same side, with the hands of the Zionist Jewish gangs. They supply them with all kinds of weapons to slaughter Muslims there in the blessed land of Palestine. Yet, here in Tunisia, their flags continue to fly high! Look at the embassies of France, America, Britain, and Germany… You’ll see police barracks armed to protect those who kill us, shielding their flags from being torn. Moreover, they lower the banner of the Messenger of Allah (saw), and more so, they arrest those who raise it, presenting them for trial under terrorism laws, yes, under terrorism laws!!

O Soldiers and Officers,

How can you be content to be used by pseudo-rulers, serving as guards to protect the flags of the enemy that is waging war against you from being taken down?! Do you lower your own banner with your own hands?! Don’t you comprehend?! Allah (swt) says:

[وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنْصَرُونَ]

“And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped.” [Surat Hud :113].

As for those pseudo-rulers who say what they do not do, we stun them with the saying of Allah (swt):

[لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئاً إِدّاً * تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً]

“You have done an atrocious thing. The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation” [Surat Maryam :89,90].

And we say to you: Our banners will remain the banner of the Messenger of Allah (saw), raised high despite your opposition. We will continue to raise it, and the sincere Muslims will lift it high until Allah judges between us and you. We are certain that Allah supports His servants, even if it takes time, and certainly, He will

[…يَأْتِي اللهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ]

“Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” [Surat Al-Mai’da:54].

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Tunisia

Press Release
27 Rabi’ II 1445 – Saturday, 11th November 2023
No: 16 / 1445
(Translated)