Hizb ut Tahrir to be banned? And so the onslaught continues.......

[macmuslim]

Assalamu alaikum

Now, I'm not the number one fan of HT, but this is diabolical.

Muslim party condemns Blair's ban

Dr Waheed (left) said Hizb ut-Tahrir was a peaceful political party
A Muslim political party has reacted angrily to Prime Minister Tony Blair's calls for it to be banned.
Hizb ut-Tahrir said his decision on Friday was a move designed to curb legal Islamic political debate.

Party spokesman Dr Imran Waheed denounced the 7 July London bombings and said the party was committed to peaceful political campaigning.

Mr Blair had banned membership of the group alongside that of another party, Al Muhajiroun.

Placing a ban on a political party with a 50-year history of non-violence will lead many to question the talk of freedom of speech

Dr Imran Waheed


Q&A: Hizb ut-Tahir
Kennedy concern at plans

Mr Blair's plans were outlined alongside a raft of proposals to extend powers to deport or exclude foreigners accused of encouraging terrorism.

The prime minister had also said he was prepared to amend human rights laws to make deportations much easier.

Dr Waheed said: "Even though the party has been open to intellectual debate and even though the Prime Minister said that he wanted a battle of ideas, it became apparent that this government could not face the party through such avenues and resorted to such draconian measures."

He said: "Placing a ban on a political party with a 50-year history of non-violence will lead many to question the talk of freedom of speech, tolerance, people power, human rights and democracy."

The party has campaigned for the introduction of sharia law in all Muslim countries, and has been banned in several states.

It posted a statement following the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in July which said the "colonialists, especially America and Britain, harbour a hidden hatred against Islam and the Muslims".

Its membership size in the UK is unknown, though Dr Waheed said a recent conference had drawn 10,000 people.

[macmuslim]

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain Condemns Tony Blair’s Announcement to Ban the Party

London, UK, August 5 - Today’s announcement at the PM’s press conference to impose a ban on Hizb ut Tahrir, the well established non violent Islamic political party has clearly exposed this PM’s and government’s fanaticism and extremism to curtail legitimate Islamic political debate in Britain, for their own political ends. This is a clear proof of the government’s failure to face the political opinions of the party through rational debate and discussion and a desperate attempt to prevent the British public hearing the opinions of the Muslim community.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has a record of over 50 years of following a method of non-violent political activity against imperialism and dictators and despots who rule the Muslim world with the West’s approval. In its work to establish the Islamic Caliphate, Hizb ut-Tahrir has never resorted to any sort of armed struggle and nor has it ever incited people to kill innocent civilians. It has throughout its history worked through intellectual and political means while its members have been tortured and killed in the thousands.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has in explicit terms stated that Islam forbids the killing of innocent civilians and expressed its denunciation of the killing of 58 innocent individuals on 7th July 2005 in London. To place a ban on a political party that has criticised the war in Iraq which Mr Blair and Mr Bush launched after blatantly lying to the world, the illegitimate occupation of Palestine, the desire for the Muslims to see the end of dictators and despots and live by the Islamic government, the Caliphate, in their own lands has proved that all the talk about freedom of speech, tolerance, people power and democracy, are only acceptable as long as one agrees with the policies of 10 Downing Street.

Dr Imran Waheed, Media Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, “By imposing a ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir, Mr Blair has joined the ranks of some of the world’s most brutal dictators such as Karimov, Musharraf, Mubarak and Gadaffi who after banning the party continue to imprison, murder and even boil alive members of Hizb ut-Tahrir for voicing their political opinions.”

“Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain explicitly states that it will continue in its non-violent political struggle in exposing the West’s colonial policies in the Muslim world and continue to create a positive public opinion about Islam as a way of life and the Caliphate as a new state and civilization that will free the world from the oppression of global capitalism.”

Notes to Editors:

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain will hold a press conference tomorrow (Saturday 06 August 2005) at 12pm in London.
Venue: London Continental Hotel, 88 Gloucester Place, London W1U 6HR. (access from 11 am).

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain is the UK branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a global independent Islamic political party. The global leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Ata Abu Rushta, is in the Muslim world. The party works throughout the Islamic world to resume the Islamic way of life by re-establishing the Islamic Khilafah [Caliphate].

CONTACT:

Imran Waheed – Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain
Email: imran.waheed@hizb-ut-tahrir.org.uk, Web: www.1924.org
Phone: 07074-192400