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Hizb ut-Tahrir

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Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international political organization. It is described as a pan-Islamist and Islamic fundamentalist group. The primary goal of the organization is the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate. A caliphate is a single state that unites the global Muslim community, known as the ummah. This organization seeks to implement sharia, or Islamic law, on a global scale.

Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir

They view world history as an eternal conflict between Islam and non-believers. They consider the current system of nation-states to be a historical assault on Islam.

The organization follows a specific three-stage method for political progress. This process is modeled after how the Prophet Muhammad established the caliphate in thirteen years. The first stage involves converting new members to the cause. The second stage focuses on building a network of small, private study circles and secret cells. This stage aims to build public opinion among the Muslim masses through intellectual transformation. The third stage involves penetrating government positions and the military. Members may even change their personal behaviors to blend into secular elite groups. This infiltration is intended to facilitate nussrah, a method to change a government.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has a complex history of leadership and methods. The group was founded in 1953 in Jerusalem. Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, a Palestinian scholar from Haifa, was the founder. He had been educated in Egypt and served as a qadi, a religious court judge. Al-Nabhani wrote a draft constitution to outline the future caliphate. After he died in 1977, Abdul Qadeem Zallum became the leader. Zallum led the group through an internal dispute called "the Redress" in the late 1990s. In 2003, Ata Khalil Abu-Rashta succeeded Zallum. Abu-Rashta is a Palestinian civil engineer who has led the group on a more aggressive course.

The group's views on conflict have evolved over time. In the early years, the party focused on seeking support from influential factions. By 1961, they sought sympathy from within armies to conduct coups. In 1989, the party began moving away from a strict non-violence stance. Their conference reports discussed the theological basis for armed insurrection against unfaithful governments. By 2001, the group's journal, Al-Waie, stated that suicide attacks using explosive belts were permissible.

Hizb ut-Tahrir demo kbh
Hizb ut-Tahrir demo kbh

These shifts show how the organization's approach to Jihad has changed.

Today, Hizb ut-Tahrir is a widespread organization with significant numbers. It has spread to more than 50 countries. Membership is estimated to be between tens of thousands and about one million people. The group maintains dual headquarters in Jordan and London. This allows them to use the relative freedom in Europe to oversee activities in other nations. However, many governments have banned the organization.

Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir

Banned countries include Russia, China, Germany, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. In 2017, Indonesia revoked the group's legal status due to concerns about extremism.

The organization's vision for a caliphate includes very specific rules. According to their draft constitution, the state would be a unitary, non-federal state. A caliph, who is elected by Muslims, would serve as the head of state. The currency of this state would be restricted to gold and silver. Arabic would be the sole language of the state. Additionally, every Muslim male over the age of fifteen would be required to undergo military training. The constitution also mandates that Islamic disciplines and Arabic be taught equally with other sciences in schools.

Hizb ut-Tahrir connects to broader global and political themes. It uses the internet to propagate its message in many different languages. The group views major geopolitical events, such as the US-led invasion of Iraq, as ways to raise awareness of the global ummah. They also invested heavily in the Syrian Revolution between 2010 and 2016. They hoped revolutionary fighters would eventually unite under their Islamic umbrella. This shows how the group attempts to link local conflicts to their larger global mission.

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