The Uzbek regime uses rape in its hidden war against Muslims July 01, 2003
Highly disturbing and worrying news has emerged recently from within the darkest corners of Uzbekistan. It has transpired that a Muslim sister, living in the village of Qaroqchi in Khojaobod was raped. In a shocking and callous manoeuvre, two Uzbek state officials raped the sister in full view of her seven year old daughter, on May 27. This heinous crime was committed simply because her husband, himself arrested on May 25, was a member of Hizb ut Tahrir. This latest act of cowardice by Karimov and his cronies clearly shows that their shame knows no bounds. The increasing paranoia that now dominates his inner circles clearly manifested itself in this latest act of spineless cruelty and malice. As each day passes, the momentum against his tyrannical rule intensifies both domestically and internationally. It is something of which he is all too well aware. Karimov has repeatedly failed to rise to the intellectual challenge laid down before him. By refusing to meet argument with argument, thought with thought and doctrine with doctrine he has exposed the complete bankruptcy of his own political agenda. Instead, his response has been to mobilise the entire force of his brutal state apparatus against those who dare speak against him. He has extended them a carte blanche to imprison, torture and even murder any political opponent as they please. Despite these draconian measures he has repeatedly failed to extinguish the fire of Iman which burns within the da'wah carriers. Rather than dishearten them, the brutality of his regime has only served to strengthen their resolve. In a last act of desperation, he has now resorted to extending this silent war against Islam and the Muslims to our honourable sisters. This is not the first time he has stooped to such levels. Last year his security apparatus arrested and tried Musharraf Usmanova - the widow of the martyred Farhad Usmanov. She is a mother of six. Earlier this month another Uzbek court sentenced Malika Raimova to eight years in jail for her membership of the party - despite her being over seven months pregnant. Another three sisters were convicted along with her. Matilda Bogner, the Tashkent representative of Human Rights Watch, said "there are reports of female relatives of religious prisoners being raped by police in retribution for protesting about torture and treatment in jail." The UN rapporteur on torture, Theo van Boven, echoed Bogner's sentiments when he concluded that the use of torture in Uzbekistan "is not just incidental, but is systematic." Allah (SWT) unequivocally warns those who persecute the believers, "They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise! To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything. Those who persecute the believers, men and women, and do not turn in repentance, will have the torment of Hell: They will have the punishment of the Burning Fire" [TMQ 85:8-10] And He (SWT) warns those who continue to transgress, "Therefore I have warned you of a Fire blazing fiercely (Hell); None shall enter it save the most wretched, Who denies (truth) and turns away. But those devoted to Allah shall be removed far from it." [TMQ 92:13-17] It is incumbent upon Muslims living in the west to protect the honour of their brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan. Allah (SWT) says "And if they seek your help in the Deen, you must help them" [TMQ 8:72] The Uzbek interrogators use all forms of pressure, terror and torture on the arrested members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Uzbekistan, but despite this they are afflicted with hopelessness and despair and are seeking help from Turkey, Israel and Jordan. The following is a selection of statements by one of the inspectors under the authority of Karimov: - Those arrested number over 40,000, and we don't sleep day or night in pursuing them, but they are like ants. - What is strange is that all we ask of them is to reject this group, but they refuse, and prefer to go to Jail for periods between 12-20 years instead. All of them are young men, including many women in this group. - This issue is worrying us and worrying President Karimov personally, who inspects each and every leaflet produced by this group. We have met the President on numerous occasions, each time he asks us regarding (Hizb-ut-Tahrir) and how they are fought in the Arab lands, and how to meet with the Jordanian intelligence forces to learn from their experience and take their advice on how to fight them. - They must be clear that this 'Hizb' will not continue here, and we will be hunting them, every step they take, even if this means killing 100,000 of them, we will never allow them to stay. - Islam Karimov said to us: "I am like a cement pillar; I do not weaken or bend before Islam, and I do not care to win the approval of the people of Uzbekistan, or to use the policy of niceness with them." http://www.1924.org/comment/index.php?id=569_0_13_0_M
