Credibility at Stake?

12Dec06

A little disagreement has ensued over the mention of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Mamoon Chowdry’s article titled “The Fruit We Bear On Being Judged By What We Do.”

In his opinion piece, Chowdry states:  Today those that seem to wave the flag of Islam the most, and should ‘Allahu Akbar’ the loudest, are so often those who do so whilst advocating the slaughter of innocents.

Osama Bin Laden.  Ayman al-Zawahiri.  Hizb ut-Tahrir.  Al-Muhajiroun.

Following the publication of this article, a reader sent in a comment stating, “Contrary to what Mamoon Chowdry has insinuated, Hizb-ut-Tahrir ideologically supports non-violent means in overthrowing dictators of Muslim countries and for the re-establishment of the Caliphate…(the reason) they are banned is because they want to re-establish the Caliphate, which is the GREATEST threat to Western Imperialists.”  He also went on to state “maybe, instead of parroting groups/individuals that are banned/negatively portrayed by the oh so truthful Bush-Blair duo, writers should do proper research; their credibility-and that of the magazine is at stake.”

So naturally, this prompted me to do a little research and present to you my findings.

What is Hizb-ut-Tahrir?

Hizb-ut-Tahrir is a global Islamic political party that was established in 1953 under the leadership of its founder – the scholar, political thinker and judge in the Court of Appeals in al-Quds (Jerusalem), Taqiuddin an-Nabhan.

In the Muslim world, Hizb ut-Tahrir works at all levels of society to bring the Muslims back to living an Islamic way of life under the shade of hte Khilafah (Caliphate) State following an exclusively political method.

Hizb ut-Tahrir adopts the methodology employed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he established the first Islamic State in Madinah.  The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) limited his struggle for the establishment of the Islamic State to intellectual and political work.  He established this Islamic state without resorting to violence.  He worked to mobilise public opinion in favour of Islam and endeavoured to sway the political and intellectual elites of the time. 

Despite the persecution and boycott of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the early Muslims, they never resorted to violence.

The party is therefore proactive in disseminating the Islamic intellectual and political thoughts widely in Muslim societies so as to challenge the existing status quo that exists there.The party presents Islam as a comprehensive way of life that is capable of managing the affairs of state and society.  The party also expresses its vieww on political events and analyses them from an Islamic perspective.

The party disseminates its thoughts through discussion with the masses, study circles, lectures, seminars, leaflet distribution, publishing books and magazines and via the Internet.

In the West. Hizb ut-Tahrir works to cultivate a Muslim community that lives by Islam in thought and deed, adhering to the rules of Islam and preserving a strong Islamic identity.  The party does not work in the West to change the system of government, but works within the boundaries of the system.

The party also works to project a positive image of Islam to Western society and engages in dialogue with Western thinkers, policymakers and academics. (www.hizb.org)

So from these articles, Hizb ut-Tahrir is a group that does not promote violence and that seeks to project a positive image of Islam to Western Society.

If that is the case, then why is this group banned?  Why, according to Wikipedia, is this group defined as an Islamic terrorist orgazination?

From the brief research that I have done, the conclusion that I have drawn is that these categorizations are a result of the actions of the more extreme members.  We must remember that we are a time where anything affiliated with Islam is often judged by the actions of the more extreme individuals.  According to Imran Khan of Newsnight (BBC), a website affiliated with this group propogates more racist and violent actions.

So was Mr. Chowdry right to include Hizb-ut-Tahrir in the context that he did?  I’m not one to say, after all it was his opinion piece, not mine.  However, I urge you to do your own research and come up with your own conclusion.

Now to say that the credibility of the magazine is at stake, I beg to differ.  ParadigmCafe seeks to establish itself as a forum for Muslims to voice their opinions, interests, concerns, and experiences.  We are here to promote open and respectful dialogue, while at the same time clarifying any misconceptions about Islam and of Muslims, that are out there.

-sk

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