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| Terror Networks |
| Hizb ut-Tahrir Backgrounder |
| 2003-06-14 |
| I found a link to this article on LGF, and thought it might be worth keeping, the article below is just a summary of the material contained in the link above, which explains how shadowy the Hizb is in terms of structure, size and leadership. Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic Party of Liberation) is an emerging threat to American interests in Central and South Asia and the Middle East. It is a clandestine, cadre-operated, radical Islamist political organization that operates in 40 countries around the world, with headquarters apparently in London. Its proclaimed goal is jihad against America and the overthrow of existing political regimes and their replacement with a Caliphate (Khilafah in Arabic), a theocratic dictatorship based on the Shari'a (religious Islamic law). Hizb ut-Tahrir's spread around the globe, in Western Europe and often in authoritarian states with strong secret police organizations, is impressive. It could be accomplished only by applying 20th century totalitarian political "technology" melded with Islamic notions of the 7th and 8th centuries, as interpreted by medieval Islamic scholars. "Representatives" in Great Britain and Pakistan claim to speak for the organization but have no official address or legal office. Leadership for large regions, countries, and local areas is kept secret. Hizb ut-Tahrir is a totalitarian organization, akin to a disciplined Marxist-Leninist party, in which internal dissent is neither encouraged nor tolerated. The genius of Hizb founder Taqiuddin an-Nabhani was marrying Orthodox Islamist ideology to Leninist strategy and tactics. Because its goal is global revolution, Hizb is similar to the Trotskyite wing of the international communist movement. Its candidate members become well-versed in party literature during a two-year indoctrination course in a study circle, supervised by a party member. Only when a member "matures in Party culture," "adopts the thoughts and opinions of the party," and "melts with the Party" can he or she become a full-fledged member. When a critical mass of cells is achieved, according to its doctrine, Hizb may move to take over a country in preparation for the establishment of the Caliphate. Such a takeover would likely be bloody and violent. Moreover, its strategy and tactics show that, while the party is currently circumspect in preaching violence, it is already justifying its use--just as Lenin and the Bolsheviks did--when "circumstances" dictate (such as jihad against the "infidels"). Hizb's platform and actions fit in with "Islamist globalization"—an alternative mode of globalization based on radical Islam. This ideology poses a direct challenge to the Western model of a secular, market-driven, tolerant, multicultural globalization. Where radicalization has taken hold in the Islamic world, Hizb has gained new supporters in droves. Its primary characteristics are the fiery rhetoric of jihad, murky funding sources, rejection of existing political regimes, and outlook and goals that are shared with al-Qaeda and other organizations of the global jihadi movement. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #1 This goes back to the money. Follow the money and dry it up. And we know where the money is. After Iraq fell, we must have cut off 20 to 25% of the money. Iran and Saudi must go and then we can look around and see what happens after that. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-06-14 13:38:07 |