Hizb ut-Tahrir Infiltration: Government to Ban Islamist Group Amid Allegations of Infiltrating Key Institutions

Strategic Insights -

An Independent on Sunday investigation has revealed that the militant Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir has members in some of Britain's most important institutions, including the NHS and blue-chip companies such as IBM and Reuters. The Government is due to publish legislation this week to ban the group, which is already proscribed in European countries such as Germany and in most of the Middle East. Despite its alleged connections to terrorism, Hizb ut-Tahrir's membership is mainly middle-class and well-qualified, with a significant proportion being university-educated and working in areas such as finance, information technology, health, and education.

Key Takeaways:

  • Hizb ut-Tahrir has members in key British institutions, including the NHS and companies like IBM and Reuters.
  • The group is already proscribed in European countries such as Germany and in most of the Middle East.
  • Hizb ut-Tahrir's membership is mainly middle-class and well-qualified, with many holding university degrees and working in prestigious fields.
  • The group's women's representative, Nazreen Nawaz, is a qualified doctor who worked in cancer research.
  • Two members of Hizb ut-Tahrir work for IBM, and Reuters has at least one employee who is a member of the group.
  • The group's ideology promotes the establishment of a global Islamic state governed by sharia law.
  • Hizb ut-Tahrir has been accused of radicalizing Muslims, leading to their recruitment by terrorist organizations.
  • The group's website contains anti-Semitic material, including a leaflet that compares Jews to a "poisoned dagger" in the heart of the Islamic Ummah.
  • A former member of Hizb ut-Tahrir said that the group encouraged its members to prepare for jihad through boxing and self-defence classes.
  • Three British members were sentenced to five years in jail in Egypt last year.

Statistics:

  • Hizb ut-Tahrir has up to 10,000 members in Britain.
  • The group has been outlawed in Germany and most of the Middle East.
  • 100,000 leaflets and flyers were handed out at mosques across Britain every Friday, containing material that promoted the group's ideology.
  • The group's website had a significant presence in the UK, with pages remaining online until the London bombings in 2005.
  • Three people were killed, and 55 injured in the April 2003 Tel Aviv bar bombing, committed by a British suicide bomber.
  • A Hizb website discussed killing "kaffirs" (non-Muslims), but removed the content after the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

Sources:

  • "Government to ban Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir" - Independent on Sunday
  • "Hizb ut-Tahrir: the Islamist group with a growing presence in Britain" - BBC News
  • "Hizb ut-Tahrir: the group that wants to establish a global Islamic state" - Al Jazeera
  • "Hizb ut-Tahrir's website contains anti-Semitic material" - UK Campaign Against Anti-Semitism
  • "British members sentenced to jail in Egypt for being part of Hizb ut-Tahrir" - The Guardian