This is a guest post from Raziq, a former member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir
Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT) is an anti-Semitic, separatist and divisive group which justifies the use of violence. Ideologically it has the same goals as al-Qaeda (i.e. the creation of a super expansionist Islamist state) only the methods differ. HT is not a terrorist group, but it does believe in orchestrating offensive bloody wars once its version of an Islamist state is established.
In their manifesto they give the following interpretation of jihad (holy war):
“Jihad originally is fard kifayah (a collective duty to be fulfilled by a sufficient number of Muslims) but when the enemy attacks then it becomes an individual duty for all Muslims. The meaning that Jihad is fard kifayah originally is that we begin fighting the enemy even if he did not start fighting with us. If no one from the Muslims begins fighting in any period of time, all Muslims then would have committed a sin by leaving Jihad. And therefore jihad is not a defensive war: it is in fact a war to raise the Word of Allah (SWT), and it is compulsory originally in order to spread Islam and to carry its message even if the disbelievers did not attack us”. (Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Pg 71, Al-Khilafah Publications)
According to the above, HT believe jihad is a collective duty upon Muslims, but if Muslims are attacked it becomes an individual duty on all Muslims to fight. So according to this interpretation, all Muslims in the world today should be fighting against British and American troops because they have attacked Muslim countries. Furthermore, even if the disbelievers did not attack Muslims they should still be fought and it’s obligatory for a group of Muslims to be continually doing this. Therefore, just like al-Qaeda, HT believes jihad is not a defensive but an offensive war.
Further elaborations of this offensive jihad can be found in their literature:
“It is evident that Jihad is a material war against Kuffar in order to establish the rule of Islam. Its cause is to fight the Kuffar who have refused Islam after it has been presented to them in a manner that draws attention, i.e. Islam should be offered in a state that attracts attention, and then Jihad will take place.” (A Warm Call from Hizb ut-Tahrir to the Muslims, Pg 13, al-Khilafah Publications 2001)
“Jihad is the method defined by Islam to convey the Message of Islam to the world. Conveying the Islamic Da’wa is considered the main function of the Islamic state after implementing the rules of Islam internally.” (The Ruling System of Islam, Pg 159, Al-Khilafah publications, London, 1999)
According to HT’s founder Taqiuddin Nabhani, offensive jihad would become compulsory for all Muslims in their caliphate:
“Jihad is a compulsory duty (fard) on all Muslims. Military training is therefore compulsory. Thus, every male Muslim, fifteen years and over, is obliged to undergo military training in readiness for jihad”. (Systems of Islam by Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, Pg 131, The Draft Constitution- The Army; Article 56, al-Khilafah Publications, London 2002)
“The duty of the Islamic State is to implement Islam and execute its rules internally and carrying the Da’wah for it externally, and that the method for this is Jihad, performed by the State.” (Mafahim Hizb ut-Tahrir by Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, Pg 5, Khilafah Publications, 2001)
“As for the military conscription, this necessitates the assignment of people to permanently be part of the armed forces, i.e. to have Mujahedeen performing effective Jihad and whatever the duty of Jihad entails; this is compulsory. This is because the performance of Jihad is a continuous duty whether the enemy attacked us or not, which is why military conscription is a duty that is included in the Hukm of Jihad.” (The Ruling System of Islam, Pg 168, Al-Khilafah publications, London 1999)
HT also believes in hijacking (pdf) the aircraft of countries it perceives as being at war with Muslims (i.e. America, Britain and Israel):
“If the plane belongs to a country at war with Muslims, like Israel, it is allowed to hijack it, for there is no sanctity for Israel or for the Jews in it”. (‘The Islamic rule on hijacking aeroplanes’- HT Leaflet)
Incidentally, Jew hatred is another common passion HT shares with al-Qaeda. HT’s current global leader Ata Abu Rishta has the following to say about the Jews:
“There can be no peaceful relations with the Jews: this is prohibited by Islamic Law. It is also prohibited to settle for only part of Palestine. There can be neither negotiations, co-existence nor normalization of relations with the Jews in Palestine. None of the Jews in Palestine who arrived after the destruction of the Ottoman Empire have the right to remain there. The Islamic legal rule requires that those of whom are capable of fighting be killed until none survive. Any others should be forced to leave. Individual Jews who lived in Palestine (as part of a dhimma community) before the end of the (Ottoman) empire and are not guilty of any violent act against the Muslims can be allowed to stay… however, it is anticipated that none belong in this category. It is impossible to solve the problem of Palestine by peaceful means: what is required is actual war, in the form of Jihad”. (A Fundamental Quest: Hizb ut-Tahrir and the search for the Islamic Caliphate, page 162, Suha Taji-Farouki Grey Seal London)
In a HT leaflet entitled ‘The only place between Muslims and Jews is the battlefield’, HT state:
“Clearly, the scandalous and treacherous negotiations must end, the door that leads to the treacherous peace with the Jews must be slammed shut, we must rid ourselves from their bragging, arrogance and contempt of Muslims, and destroy their existence by the lawful Jihad until they are wiped out, and their survivors are left senseless, scattered and despised the world over”. (HT Leaflet)
They even justify the killing of Muslims who do not want to live by their system:
“..he who does not rule by Islam and rules by a Kufr system should either retract or be killed. Thus, the rule by a Kufr system would be prevented even if this led to several years of fighting and even if it led to the killing of millions of Muslims and to the martyrdom of millions of believers”. (How the Khilafah Was Destroyed, Pg 199, Al-Khilafah Publications: London)
The justification of violence, anti-Semitism, homophobia and the fundamental disregard of western liberal values makes HT a dangerous and problematic movement. The Tories in their 2010 manifesto have promised to ban HT, let’s see if they live up to their promise.
