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Hizb ut-Tahrir: A Party We Should Know More About

Manuela Paraipan - 7/12/2005

Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) is a global Islamic political party whose ultimate aim is to implement Islam in all life aspects and to establish the caliphate in the Muslim lands and then spread it everywhere in the world. Its leadership claims that their message is peaceful and they do no support terrorist actions against capitalist nations they are so eager to bring down.

The party, which refuses to take part in any political system except that based on Islam and the Sharia, describes as carrying "the Islamic call in a political way, so as to change the current corrupt society and transform it to an Islamic society. It works also to change the current dealings (relationships) so as to become Islamic dealings (relationships) that proceed according to the rules and solutions of Islam."

Sheikh Taqi Al-Din Al-Nabhani established HT in Jerusalem in 1953 as a breakaway from the Muslim Brotherhood. The Sheikh studied and then taught at the al-Ahzar University in Egypt when he joined the Muslim Brotherhood. Later, he left the group blaming it for supporting Gamal Abdel Nassar, merely a US puppet in his view.

Now, HT is centered mainly in Britain, but with thousands of supporters and members all over the world. The party's activities in most parts of the world are clandestine, and sometimes associated with various terrorist cells. Taking advantage of the freedom and liberty of rights and movement from the United Kingdom, HT openly manifests against country's leadership and against any secular, liberal democracy. Hizb ut-Tahrir rejects everything that is not an Islamic theocracy.

The Soviet regime has aggressively suppressed the members and sympathizers of HT because of their declared aim of destroying the central government, taking over the state institutions and replacing them with a Muslim caliphate. After the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, the party felt that it has been given the right opportunity to achieve its aims. Few things are public about their present leadership. In United Kingdom Omar Bakri Mohamed was the founding leader of the party and its global leadership is ensured by Abu Ata Rishda. However, the party never disclose the name of its members, much less the names of its leaders not even to its members out of fear of being targeted by the regimes they criticize.

There is a high level of secrecy around the party. As a member you are allowed to know the other 4 or 7 persons part of your circle, but not the whole hierarchy. A member of Hizb ut-Tahriri's policy described the party as: "The Muslim world see the Hizb ut Tahrir as an intellectual party; its secret weapon is the understanding of Islam as a political ideology and motivated by its creed. The HT to my knowledge of the Islamic world and my eye on its political analysis has what the Muslims say 'shaken the throne of the tyrants' "

Apparently, the Jihadist movements, the ones who believe and promote the three stages of Jihad, are adhering to HT discourse. The HT recognizes the fact that the Jihadists and its members share the same goal: the establishment of the caliphate, but the means are different. HT preaches the da'wah or peaceful, missionary work and the Jihadists preach the spreading of Islam mainly through violence.

The ones who read the Holy Qu'ran and pay attention to the messages of the Muslim clerics and leaders around the world notice the deception. Whether recognized or not, the Holy Qu'ran encourage Muslims to spread Islam through any possible mean: peaceful or violent. This being the reality, Jihad can be carried out in three stages:

- The invitation to Islam, whereby the Islamic State will invite another state to accept Islam. Here the term invitation requires a practical example in the form of a living socio-political and economical system that can provide a viable alternative for the people to witness and live under. To do this, the Islamic parties, organizations and movements are calling for the revival of the Umma, the Muslim community in its true sense all over the world. Using technology and mass media, namely its website and its journal, HT is fulfilling the missionary task as best as it can.

- If the nations of the world will not accept the invitation, there will certainly be people and small communities who shall accept it, and this might prove to be enough for the implementation of the next stage. However, in this situation those nations will have to pay a tax called "jizya" since as infidels they will be considered second-class citizens. The Islamic state and its institutions will not protect those who will reject the tax.

- Once the Islamic Umma gains the superiority position the rest of the world will be at its mercy. When the other states' rejection of Islam will be unbearable, then the final stage of Jihad, meaning the armed force will be brought against the infidels.

On the long run, the option is to either accept Islam, or accept death as a punishment for turning away from the only true religion. Not a very tolerant Umma, if it will ever arrive to this point.

Within the caliphate all individuals would have to abide by Sharia law when outside their homes. Therefore, all women would have to wear long dresses and scarves when in public places. In one of party's leaflets they clearly say that the women according to the Holy Qu'ran do not have any option than to cover all the body as Allah told Prophet Mohammed: "O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful" [TMQ Al-Ahzab: 59].

Moreover, there should be no military cooperation between the believers and the Kuffars (disbelievers or infidels). If accepted, the cooperation will only give the disbelievers authority over the Muslims sacred land and Allah through His Prophet Mohammed forbid it: "And Allah will never allow for the Kafirs to have a way (authority) over the believers" [TMQ An-Nisa': 141].

In a recent interview, Dr. Mohammed al-Massari said that HT already developed a constitution of the Islamic state covering everything from politics, economics, social life to women's rights and responsibilities.

The Egyptian Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman who is imprisoned in US supposedly has said: "If the Gama'a al-Islamiyya takes Egypt we will give the caliphate to the Hizb to run as they know their Islamic politics."

No doubt that they are doing their best to achieve their aim - but are we doing our best to know and understand the ramifications of their goals?

The party claims to reject violence, yet its message incites Muslims to change the existing regimes by any possible means at the right time, and to turn against those who are not Muslims.

HT is actually saying that it is not against violence as such. It is just against the use of violence at this point in time. Knowing what their goal is, we should pay more attention to their actions.