The Palestinian Authority is becoming bolder and bolder every day and intimidating people through arbitrary arrests and threatening to cut-off ration supplies. It insists on establishing a policy on the number of mouths to be fed, denies a platform to those who speak the words of truth, merely in an attempt to project and promote the leaders of the Authority and to further its criminal policies and to improve its image to the West and those who serve the interests of the Jewish state.

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Media Office in Palestine

Media Statement

29th Muharram 1431 A.H / 16th January 2010 C.E

Ref: S/BN/42/010

The Palestinian Authority spoils peoples’ worships by forcing the Imams to adopt its political stance and blackmailing them over their jobs

The Palestinian Authority is becoming bolder and bolder every day and intimidating people through arbitrary arrests and threatening to cut-off ration supplies. It insists on establishing a policy on the number of mouths to be fed, denies a platform to those who speak the words of truth, merely in an attempt to project and promote the leaders of the Authority and to further its criminal policies and to improve its image to the West and those who serve the interests of the Jewish state.

Having run out of steam on the TV channels, and after all its arguments that it cites to justify its failures on the Palestinian issues failed, the Authority resorted to the pulpit of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in order to prolong its rule and turned the pulpit sermons into media conferences from where it delivers false and fake statements.

We, in Hizb ut-Tahrir feel it our duty to call for truth and confront those who intend to perpetrate falsehood under the cover of deen and turn the Friday prayers into a governmental occasion, and therefore we bring the following for the consideration of the people:

1. The Ministry of Awqaf has been engaged in compelling the mosque preachers and giving them such topics for the sermons that serve the agenda and policies of the Palestinian Authority. This results in sermons becoming devoid of issues that concern the people and their interests. The ministry seeks to turn the Friday prayers into a mere ritual and preaching which consolidates the notion of separating and insulating the deen from the daily lives and turns the pulpit into a platform for the Authority’s propaganda which is in direct contradiction with Islam which covers both religion and state. The propaganda of the Authority shamelessly publicises its secular credentials.

2. In order to gain control, the Palestinian Authority has stepped up its campaign against the mosques and has targeted the good Muslims to prevent them from building new ones by ordering that any new mosque that people may want to build must be first cleared by the ministry of Awqaf and the local officials. It is also taking action to close down what it calls the ‘mini-mosques’ in a campaign that puts the Jewish Occupation policies to shame.

3. Persisting in its policies, the Palestinian Authority terminated the services of employees because of their political views and affiliations and blackmailed them over their and their children’s livelihood. It compelled the preachers to prevent them from uttering the truth and turning them in to the Authority’s official mouthpieces.

4. I heard the scandalous sermon last Friday and it was nauseating. The Awqaf decreed that a sermon under the title: “If If a liar – evil person comes to you with any news, verify it.” This was aimed to defend the president of the Palestinian Authority who conspires against the Palestinian issue and boasts that he does not believe in using arms against the Jewish occupation. He has vowed that he will not allow a renewed uprising (Intifadha) against the occupation. This sermon was distributed among all the Friday preachers and the ministry officials were present to monitor it and to ensure that it was read out and warn those who refused to read the official sermon. The minister of Awqaf was ordered to demand from the preachers that they defend the Palestinian Authority and its president. The preachers were told that whoever partakes from the share of the government deserves to be punished.

5. When the Palestinian Authority realised that its repulsive policies clashed with the beliefs of the people and their religious sensitivities, its security forces armed with batons clashed with people in front of a number of mosques in order to intimidate the worshippers and arranged to have the sermons delivered under the watch of its armed forces. This is among its most shameful acts and adds to its list of such actions.

6. Despite such shameful acts, the Palestinian Authority failed miserably to force people into submission as well as its security forces under the guidance of an American general failed to scare the people. The purpose of all this was to ensure peace under occupation and to push the false invalid peace process. The Authority’s actions further provoked the people last Friday and this led to tensions in a number of mosques and spoiled the prayers of many worshippers. Worshippers insisted that some of the Awqaf preachers who agreed to the dirty agenda of the Authority be dismissed and expelled and demanded that they do not return to the mosques.

7. The Palestinian Authority which claims that it does not want to politicise the mosque and the Friday sermons, actually worked to turn the pulpit into media centres monopolised by it. At the same time its security forces arrested and prosecuted the Shabab of Hizb ut-Tahrir and other sincere believers who deliver sermons calling towards the truth. Recently some of the Shabab were arrested in ‘Araba-Jenin, Bethlehem and Qalqaliyyah soon after the Friday sermons and study circles at the mosques.

8. The sincere preachers and worshippers want and work to please Allah سبحانه وتعالى by worshipping exactly as required in the Shariah, they will never please the Palestinian Authority at the cost of displeasing Allah سبحانه وتعالى, nor will they ever allow the pulpit of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to be turned into a media platform of the Authority’s ruling party and its programmed which are designed and decided by the colonialist kuffar. As for the scholars aligned with the rulers and such preachers, we would only offer them a basic advise: This will only result in humiliation in this world and complete shame and disgrace on the day of Judgement.

9. We call upon the Muslims to continue to call for the truth and confront this clear and open war against the mosques and the Friday prayers and sermons and most importantly, do not succumb or accede to the official agenda of the Palestinian Authority in the mosques.

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

“And the mosques are for Allâh (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allâh.” [al Jinn:72:18]