Hizb ut-Tahrir, following MB footsteps under political covers

Nahla Abdelmonem

Most of media outlets tend to cover the activities and ideologies of certain terrorist organizations that pose a threat to the international peace, while disregarding other organizations that might be even more dangerous.

Pan-Islamist political organization Hizb ut-Tahrir is considered to be one of the most dangerous extremist groups as its ideology aims at the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate and changing and blurring the identities of communities, making them more vulnerable to extreme thoughts and radical ideologies.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is seeking to recruit as much individuals, and even groups, as possible, through various systematic plans and schemes, through its media and bureaus in many countries around the world, especially in Europe, in a pragmatic resemblance to the Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

Founder of the organization, Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani (1909-1977), a well-known Islamic scholar and judge from Jerusalem, founded Hizb ut-Tahrir based on MB ideologies and fundamentals, influenced by MB founder Hassan al-Banna’s speeches and letters.

Nabhani studied Sharia law at Dar-ul-Ulum college of Cairo, where he met with al-Banna followers and became fond of the idea of the “brotherhood,” which was new at the time.

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded a few years after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923) that cast its shadows on teenagers who dreamed of rebuilding the caliphate. Soon, this dream turned into extremism and excommunicating rulers.

Successive events, including the 1948 Palestinian exodus, also contributed to the foundation of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The party was founded in 1953 as a political organization in Jerusalem by Nabhani Since then, Hizb ut-Tahrir has spread to more than 50 countries, as it started to promote for its ultimate goal of building a caliphate under the leadership of Nabahani and his predecessors.

Hizb ut-Tahrir excommunicates human laws and rulers, being founded on a fundamental base that ruling is only for god and his Sharia, therefore, the organization openly refuses democracy rules and political processes of the modern world.

In addition, Hizb ut-Tahrir also refuses concepts of equality between Muslims and Christians, as they claim that Christians will have to pay the jizyah (a per capita yearly tax historically levied on non-Muslim subjects permanently residing in Muslim lands governed by Islamic law) in their future caliphate.

The party rely in its messages on the core essence of a future nation. And despite being designated a terrorist organization in many countries, it tend to spread its ideology and goals without much of a bloodshed.

The party started in Jerusalem, and then spread to Jordan after the 1948 crisis.

Worse still, many countries welcome the existence of the party and allow it to pin its own bureaus and branches on their lands, like Lebanon.

It is also pertinent to mention that the party managed to recruit a large number of members in Australia as well as the rest of the world, reaching around a million member, including numerous activists who promote for its messages and aims.

The organization is active in the United States under the name “HT”; its website publishes all the political visions and ideas that the party adopts against Western communities.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has also been active in Denmark since 2000, it is also active in Pakistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Central Asian States.

The party is not officially welcomed in the U.K., also, formed prime minister David Cameron called to ban its existence in England, and a Tony Blair Institute study held it mainly responsible for the spread of terror ideas amongst the youth who later joined Daesh.

On the contrary, some countries ban the party and designate it a terrorist organization like Germany and Bangladesh.

It is worth mentioning that the party was reported to be active in Egypt following the January 25 Revolution, but finally disappeared after the country regained security and ousted the Muslim Brotherhood.

The party did not end with the death of Nabahani, as he was succeeded by Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum (1924-2003), who met Nabahani in his youth and joined his party and contributed to it with his writings and beliefs.

After Zallum died, Islamic jurist, scholar and writer Ata Abu Rashta became leader of the party. His whereabouts are unknown for security reasons.