The UK’s Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has put forth a draft order before Parliament to declare Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist group under the Terrorism Act 2000, effectively making it an offence to belong to the group. Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic political organization with presence in 32 countries around the globe, although it is banned in several states, including Germany and Egypt. The group’s main objective is to create an Islamic Khilafah, offering Islamic solutions to address today’s problems and working towards political change in Muslim countries through non-violent means.
Following the attacks instigated by Hamas last October, Hizb ut-Tahrir has abstained from condemning Hamas’ actions. As per the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary has the authority to “proscribe” an organization based on its involvement in terrorism. Proscription entails several ramifications, including making it a crime to belong to such an organization, supporting the organization, arranging meetings on its behalf, or publicly identifying as a member or supporter. An individual committing such offences may face up to a maximum sentence of 14 years.
The Home Secretary expressed that Hizb ut-Tahrir “promotes and encourages terrorism, and celebrated the horrific October 7 attacks.” Subsequently, he pointed out that proscribing this group will enable the management of anyone supporting them and will limit the abilities of Hizb ut-Tahrir to function under its current operations.
However, Hizb ut-Tahrir countered on Twitter, rejecting allegations that they advocate for anti-Semitism or encourage terrorism. Stating clearly that in their sustained efforts to establish the Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate), they never resorted to violence or armed conflict. They pledged to challenge the proposed proscription “using all available legal means.”
For more details, read the full article on JURIST – News.