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December 12, 2005

UK: Islamists of Hizb ut-Tahrir March in London

On Saturday, about 8,000 Muslims marched from Parliament Square to a rally in Hyde Park, according to the BBC.

The march was aimed at voicing protest against the government's plans to outlaw the group Hizb ut-Tahrir, listed in a clause of the new anti-terror bill currently receiving its second reading in the House of Lords.

The meeting was addressed by speakers including the spokesman for HIzb ut Tahrir in the UK, Dr Imran Waheed (pictured, right). He said: "We will continue to stand up for justice and call on all people of conscience to prevent the silencing of thought, the muzzling of criticism and the repression of dissent under the pretence of fighting terrorism."

As well as criticising the anti-terror laws, the rally addressed the issue of the extradition of Babar Ahmad to the US, to face charges of terrorism.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in Germany and Russia, and the Muslim states of central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. What is it that makes it so threatening when it claims to be against violent conflict? The BBC gave a brief assessment of the group. More information can be found from World Press.org.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has been around for about 50 years. Its name means "party of liberation". It was founded in Jerusalem in 1953 by an Islamic jurist, Taqiuddin al-Nabhani. The basic aim of the group is to form an Islamic state which includes the entire Middle East, in what is called a Caliphate.

The last Caliphate was the Ottoman Caliphate, which was brought to an end by Kemal Ataturk in 1924. The new Caliphate would respect no current government, as they would have no meaning in a pan-Islamic superstate. Arab governments take them seriously for them to be banned in virtually all Arab states.

According to its own website, the desire to create a Caliphate is not the end product in their ambitions: "It also aims to bring back the Islamic guidance for mankind and to lead the Ummah into a struggle with Kufr, its systems and its thoughts so that Islam encapsulates the world."

Kufr or Kaffir means "the infidel", the non-Muslim. This "leading into a struggle" is the ominous subtext which alarms so many about the group. Though they profess to be against violence, they would enable or support those who would overthrow any government.

Perhaps one should remember that a previous leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain was Omar Bakri-Mohamed, who is now in exile in Lebanon. Bakri was involved with al-Muhajiroun, who were suspected of involvement with the bombing of Mike's Bar in Tel Aviv by Asif Hanif, which killed three people in April, 2003.

Bakri was also involved with the successors to al-Muhajiroun, the Saviour Sect and the al-Ghurabaa group. He notoriously called the four Muslims who killed 52 people on 7/7 "the fantastic four". Hizb ut-Tahrir may claim to be a non-violent group, but overthrowing of governments rarely happens without bloodshed. And they officially support in principle the actions of suicide bombers in Israel.

In March and April 2002, Hizb Ut Tahrir handed out leaflets in a square in Copenhagen, and at a mosque. The leaflet, which also appeared on the Danish groups internet site, makes threats against Jews, using a quote from the Koran urging Muslims to 'kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have been turned you out.' The leaflet also said, 'The Jews are a people of slander...a treacherous people... they fabricate lies and twist words from their right context.' And the leaflet describes suicide bombings in Israel as "legitimate" acts of "Martyrdom".

Their anti-semitism is now less obvious on their website, but their desire to create an Islamic superstate, and then world domination is clearly spelled out on their website:

"Its aim is to resume the Islamic way of life and to convey the Islamic da'wah to the world. This objective means bringing the Muslims back to living an Islamic way of life in Dar al-Islam and in an Islamic society such that all of life's affairs in society are administered according to the Shari'ah rules, and the viewpoint in it is the halal and the haram under the shade of the Islamic State, which is the Khilafah State."

On Wednesday 27 August, 2003, a report for the BBC's Newsnight claimed the group's website promotes "racism and anti-Semitic hatred, calls suicide bombers martyrs, and urges Muslims to kill Jewish people. In Denmark, HT's spokesman has been found guilty of distributing racist propaganda."

The report encountered many Muslims who were critical of Hizb ut-Tahrir and its methods, but were unwilling, or scared, to be seen publicly condemning the group. The report quoted a Muslim leader who only spoke on a condition of anonymity:

" I believe that if Hizb Ut Tahrir are not stopped at this stage, and we continue to let them politicise and pollute the youngsters minds and other gullible people minds, then what will happen in effect is that these terrorism acts and these suicide bombings that we hear going on around in foreign countries, we will actually start seeing these incidents happening outside our doorsteps."

Chilling, considering two years after he said this, there were the two sets of attacks on London Transport in July 2005, which killed 52.

Global Security describe Hizb ut-Tahrir's proposed three-step strategy for overthrowing governments:

The first involves educating Muslims about its philosophies and goals. In the second step, the Muslims would then spread these views among others in their countries, especially members of government, the military and other power centers. In the third and final step, Hizb ut-Tahrir believes its faithful will cause secular governments to crumble because loyalties will then lie solely with Islam - not nationalities, politics or ethnic identifications.

One thing is certain. Hizb ut-Tahrir is popular amongst young Muslims, particularly in Britain. There have been threats made of violent riots happening amongst young Muslims if the group is outlawed, but threats of organised riots are no reason to alter the path of democratic law.

Until 7/7, some Islamic groups in Britain have felt a freedom to express views which in some senses could be termed seditious. In Russia, Hizb ut-Tahrir is treated with some contempt. Since events in Beslan and the Nord-Ost theatre siege, the goodwill for Islamic fundamentalist demands has worn thin.

The Muslim states of central Asia would, like Arab nations, be politically homogenised by Hizb ut Tahrir's all-enveloping Caliphate, so there is a tough stance taken against them there. In Tajikistan in 2004, 70 members of the group were arrested, and in September, nine received prison sentences ranging from 13 to 15 years for crimes which included "organising a criminal group, inciting national, racial, religious and ethnic strife."

One of the few countries where Hizb ut Tahrir appears to be doing well is Indonesia, where it is involved with groups whose aim is to close down Christian churches.

In Britain, where appeasement has followed in the wake of 7/7, feelings towards those who espouse revolutions and insurrections in the name of religion are beginning to harden.

They are already unwelcome on UK university campuses, and they even managed to annoy the Quakers of Euston, who are usually tolerant of other faiths. It remains to be seen what will happen in the House of Lords.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 12, 2005 12:00 AM

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