Benevolent Islam Bringing Peace and Goodwill to the World at Large

"Hizb ut Tahrir categorically rejects the use of violence or material means in its methodology. The accusations linking the party to terrorism, extremism and violent activities are fabrications aimed at tarnishing its reputation."

"In light of the recent false accusations directed against Hizb ut Tahrir, it is necessary to clarify the truth and expose the baseless nature of these claims."

"The party operates in adherence to the Islamic prohibition of violence in political work, relying instead on intellectual engagement and political struggle to build public opinion and bring about societal change."

"Hizb ut Tahrir is an ideological and political party that works exclusively through intellectual and political struggle. Its sole objective is the resumption of the Islamic way of life through the re-establishment of the Khalifah [Caliphate] in the Muslim world on the method of the Prophethood, as obligated by the Qur'an and Sunnah."

Hizb ut Tahrir Canada

Hizb ut Tahrir logo.  Wickipedia

"This organization speaks to the extremism and radicalization that are becoming increasingly visible and toxic to Canadian society, posing a serious threat to our shared values and public safety through its hateful rhetoric and incitement."

"Hizb ut Tahrir's public calls for the defeat of Western democracies and promotion of antisemitism and terrorism are deeply concerning."

" This conference is a platform for radicalization and hatred. Canadians must stand united against this assault on our values of tolerance and inclusion."

Michael Levitt, president, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center

"Islam is the only correct ideology in the world. [Muslims must return to living in] an Islamic society such that all of life's affairs in society are administered according to the Shari'ah rules."

"Jihad then is the fighting to raise the Word of Allah [swt]  and to spread Islam, and it is a duty which has been established in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

"Jihad originally is fard kifayah [a collective duty to be fulfilled by a sufficient number of Muslims] but when the enemy attacks it becomes an individual duty for all Muslims. ... 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 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."

"[The relationship of ... the Muslim caliphate toward other nations] in the East or the West is defined by the demands of jihad and the interests of Muslims and the Khilafah State according to the divine law."

 Hizb ut Tahrir manifesto

Peace Tower, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (credit: CHRIS WATTIE/REUTERS)

 

The Canadian branch of an international Islamic fundamentalist group is determined to carry through with their annual conference addressed to the obligations of good Muslims living in Canada. This, despite an alarm raised by various groups over their presence and their agenda; anathema to any democracy that prides itself on balanced civic equality and protection for all its minority groups and diverse religious adherence among people from a myriad of backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs.

In response to growing criticism and pressure to disallow the conference breathing room, the group has responded, denying accusations that its purpose is to overthrow governments for the purpose of installing a Muslim caliphate, accusing the media and those it quotes of painting its purpose as being adverse to Western democracy and its populations. It vehemently denies that its presence and the content of the conference poses a security risk in Canada, calling the descriptions published about it 'fake news'.

Their detailed manifesto, however belies that claim of innocence of purpose, when the goal is to ensure that "Islam encapsulates the world"; its propaganda painting it as anti-democratic, totalitarian, militant, and antisemitic, while emphasizing the primacy of jihad as a duty of the faithful. The Khalifah Conference, scheduled for January 18 at an undisclosed location, has aroused a public outcry. The Islamic group itself has been outlawed in a number of countries, but not in Canada; its call for a Muslim caliphate for life under Islamic Shariah law was originally scheduled to take place in Mississauga.

 

A backlash from city officials had it reschedule for another secret location, this time in Hamilton, where its mayor, Andrea Horwath said the event "has raised significant concerns for me and our community", bringing in the Hamilton police to oversee the situation. "We are actively working with our intelligence partners and the City of Hamilton to address this development and are closely monitoring social media for updates", advised Constable Adam Kimber with the Hamilton police. "We want to reaffirm that hate has no place in our community."

 

A screengrab from a promotional video advertising the Hezb ut Tahrir Khilafah Conference 2024. Photo by Screenshot / Hizb ut Tahrir

"Colonial/imperialist nations like the United States, Britain and France [along with] countries which have intentions on Muslim lands, like Russia [are in a] potential war [with the caliphate]."

"As such, the basis of all relations are as if war is engaged between us and them, irrespective of the current situation whether one of war or cease-fire."

"If any of these nations occupies Islamic lands as Israel has occupied Palestine, then legally no peace can be established with her even if the occupied territory only exceeds a square inch, because she has become an aggressor by this act."

"Islam then makes it imperative upon all Muslims to engage her in war and exterminate such a state and free the Muslim lands from her."

Hizb ut Tahrir manifesto

In its defence, Hizb ut Tahrir characterized the criticism has the purpose of "distracting from its call to establish Islam as a comprehensive system of governance and mercy for humanity". Within Islam the world is divided into three categories; Muslim land, land of unbelievers, and land of war. Muslim land represents an area of peace, while the land of the 'unbelievers' represents war. The intention of groups like Hizb ut Tahrir is to transform non-Muslim land from places of war to those of peace, which is to say, captured by Islam.

 

"This democratic system is against the laws of Islam", according to the group's manifesto. Freedom of belief, freedom of speech, personal freedom and freedom of ownership of capital: "four common 'freedoms' are in conflict with the laws of Islam", according to the manifesto. "The Muslim is not free in his opinion. His opinion is the opinion of Islam, and it is not allowed for a Muslim to have an opinion other than that of Islam. Personal freedom does not exist in Islam because a Muslim is not free in personal affairs, but he is rather restricted by the Islamic Law", clarifies the Hizb ut-Tahrir manifesto.

 

Its purpose is clearly stated in its manifesto, which is "to change the situation of the corrupt society so that it is transformed into an Islamic society", thus returning the Islamic world "to her previous might and glory such that she wrests the reins of initiative away from other states and nations, and returns to her rightful place as the first state in the world." As for present-day Islamic nations, they must defy and remove their leaders and become borderless in the interests of becoming a single entity, the Caliphate.

In the United Kingdom, the Centre for Social Cohesion, a non-partisan British think tank, in a 2009 report cautioned against Hizb ut-Tahrir, stating that the group had learned in the West to "disguise its intolerant ideology" with the use of "euphemistic language to hide its support for jihad, antisemitic beliefs and totalitarian system of governance". The report placed the group's ideology in the spectrum of al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood; that the party's ideology "legitimizes acts of terrorism". 

The conference listing on Eventbrite, an online ticketing portal was deleted, in response to the general concern over the group and its conference content. However, an alternate ticket platform for non-profits now distributes the conference tickets, under the name "Hizb Canada". 

 

That this group feels free to operate its agenda within Canada with impunity can be directly attributed to the uncaring attitude firstly of the federal government under the leadership of prime minister Justin Trudeau. The hope is that when the Liberals no longer hold the seat of power in Canada, their successor Conservatives under a new leader, Pierre Poilievre, will see fit to cleanse the country of such toxic groups like this one.

 

A poster advertising Khilafah Conference 2024.