Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad (image BBC)
Ehsanullah Ehsan the official spokesperson for Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Jamaat -ul-Ahrar (TTP JA) has released an statement raising concerns regarding the treatment of Shaikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, a Muslim scholar detained by Lebanese authorities. The Independent reported the following on May 26th, 2014, “Lebanon’s Interior Minister, Nouhad Machnouk, told a press conference yesterday that Mr Bakri Mohamed had been arrested in the early hours of the morning in the city of Aley, in the mountains southeast of Beirut.” He was arrested for alleged links to terrorism. The Independent stated, Mr Bakri Mohamed was “previously sentenced to life in prison in Lebanon in 2010, following a terrorism conviction, but was released on bail after witnesses recanted their testimony.” Full story can be read on following link,
“Banned radical cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohamed arrested in Lebanon over ‘links to terrorism'”
Human rights campaigners stress the importance of humane treatment for ALL prisoners wherever they are detained in the world. This includes access to legal representation, fair judicial process, the right to access medical treatment, the right NOT to be tortured or suffer degrading treatment, independent monitoring of the wellbeing of detainees.
“Statement regarding arrest of respected Shaikh Omar Bakri Muhammad by Lebanese regimen”
TTP JA statement from Ehsanullah Ehsan (official spokesperson)
We have learnt with great concern that a top Muslim scholar Shaikh Omar Bakri Muhammad is unjustly detained by the apostate Lebanese regimen for past 10 months. It has been brought into our notice that Shaikh is suffering from serious medical conditions like ischaemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Moreover he is not being given access to medical treatment and he is also being beaten in custody. Adding to the insult, Shaikh is stripped searched every time he is taken to kangaroo courts set up by the regimen.
It is very sad as well as annoying to hear such degrading treatment being given to a gentleman who has invested all his life in spreading the word of Allah SWT in the world. The services of Shaikh Omar Bakri Muhammad to the Deen of Al-Islam are well known. He has a key role in introducing the ignorant West to the light of Islam and he is one of very few scholars in the world who is upholding the true Manhaj of Ahl al Sunnah wal Jamaat. We are especially indebted to Shaikh and his students for their Shariah4Pakistan initiative and for their support of oppressed Muslims of Waziristan and tribal areas of Pakistan.
Our Prophet PBUH has said that all the Muslims worldwide are like one body.
ﻋَﻦْ ﺍﻟﻨُّﻌْﻤَﺎﻥِ ﺑْﻦِ ﺑَﺸِﻴﺮٍ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺭَﺳُﻮﻝُ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺻَﻠَّﻰ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪُ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻪِ ﻭَﺳَﻠَّﻢَ
ﻣَﺜَﻞ ﺍﻟْﻤُﺆْﻣِﻨِﻴﻦَ ﻓِﻲ ﺗَﻮَﺍﺩِّﻫِﻢْ ﻭَﺗَﺮَﺍﺣُﻤِﻬِﻢْ ﻭَﺗَﻌَﺎﻃُﻔِﻬِﻢْ ﻣَﺜَﻞُ ﺍﻟْﺠَﺴَﺪِ ﺇِﺫَﺍ ﺍﺷْﺘَﻜَﻰ ﻣِﻨْﻪُ ﻋُﻀْﻮٌ ﺗَﺪَﺍﻋَﻰ ﻟَﻪُ ﺳَﺎﺋِﺮُ ﺍﻟْﺠَﺴَﺪِ ﺑِﺎﻟﺴَّﻬَﺮِ ﻭَﺍﻟْﺤُﻤَّﻰ
(5665 ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ﺍﻟﺒﺨﺎﺭﻱ ﻛﺘﺎﺏ ﺍﻷﺩﺏ ﺑﺎﺏ ﺭﺣﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﻬﺎﺋﻢ)
The example of the believers in their affection, mercy and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.
So we are restless on hearing the detention and maltreatment of Shaikh Omar Bakri Muhammad by the Lebanese regimen. We urge the regimen to release respected Shaikh immediately and see the writing on the wall. Mujahideen in the region are gaining ground and noose is tightening against Lebanon while the backers of the regimen like America, Britain and France etc are no longer able to exert significant influence on the world stage. Lebanese regimen should learn to respect our elders before the time arrives when Mujahideen will raid and break the prisoners free. If the matter lingers on till that stage then the oppressors should not expect any respect from us either!”
Ehsanullah Ehsan
Central Spokesman Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
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Human Rights Watch stated the following on Lebanon in their World Report 2014 in the section, “Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Prison Conditions”,
“Lebanon, with substantial assistance from donor countries, has taken a number of steps to expand and reform the ISF (Internal Security Forces) in the last five years, including by establishing a new code of conduct. However, these efforts remain inadequate and have failed to address ongoing abuses. Despite repeated government pledges to prevent torture and ill-treatment, accountability remains elusive. Lebanon has not yet established a national preventive mechanism to visit and monitor places of detention, as required under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), which it ratified in 2008.”
http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/lebanon?page=2
Human rights campaigners point out that it is in the interests of national, international security to follow human rights protocol for the care of prisoners as more research is coming to light linking maltreatment of prisoners to retaliation attacks which affects the wider community beyond prison walls. An example of this is the Peshawar Army School attack which was carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) another Taliban group in December 2014 to avenge alleged torture, killing of detainees in state custody and resulted in over 140 deaths with many injured. It is unlawful to abuse those in custody and anyone committing such criminal offences must be held accountable as they are contributing to inciting acts of terror.
Links
“Cage case file for Omar Bakri Muhammad Fustuq”
http://www.cageuk.org/case/omar-bakri-muhammad-fustuq
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.
Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog 
Jazakallah khairan.