ZFA to call on Australian government to proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist organisation
The explosive investigation by the Nine Newspapers must be a wake-up call – Hizb ut-Tahrir is promoting terrorism, hatred and violence.
The media group reports that “the radical Islamist organisation recently banned as a terrorist group in Britain has infiltrated the mainstream pro-Palestinian movement, using front groups to spread their radical ideology and holding events at the Sydney University encampment”.
The group is believed to be behind Stand for Palestine, which has been active at the University of Sydney.
Nine Newspapers said the group is not involved in street protests.
Jeremy Leibler of the Zionist Federation of Australia said: “We will be writing to the Australian Government, urging it to initiate the legal process for Hizb ut-Tahrir to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation.
According to this investigation, Hizb ut-Tahrir – banned in Germany, and proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom – has led national boycotts of Jewish-owned businesses and incited violent protests in Caulfield that required a synagogue to be evacuated; they have infiltrated Australia’s leading university, are glorifying terrorism and distributing extremist material, and are covertly using front organisations to mainstream their extremism with a combined 33,000 followers.
We should not have any doubt as to what Hizb ut-Tahrir’s key players and supporters mean when they refer to 7 October as a “day of courage,” or when they share videos of Hamas terrorists paragliding into Israel. This explosive investigation has exposed that their leaders preach that “the sharia obligation is for people who have the capability to rise and wage jihad” – they have even stood up a “secret wing” that is actively lobbying Muslim soldiers to fight together with Hamas.
For months now, the Jewish community and leaders of all backgrounds have been warning that there are serious threats to social cohesion, with an explosion of extremism in Australia. There’s not much wondering why, because this extensive investigation has made it clear that extremists like Hizb ut-Tahrir are actively working to destroy social cohesion, and are operating with complete impunity.
For Hizb ut-Tahrir to have so much as a foothold in Australia is dangerous. But it is frankly reckless that our authorities have let it establish a sophisticated operation. Especially so given that it is banned in Germany and proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom.
This investigation has exposed that Hizb ut-Tahrir has been covertly pushing unwitting Australians towards extremism, and radicalising its members in support of terror. Governments must take it seriously and act decisively.
Where members of Hizb ut-Tahrir have broken the law, the law must be enforced. And if no laws have been broken, then our laws must be strengthened. Our authorities must be given the powers they need to stamp out this extremism and racial hatred.”
Dr Colin Rubenstein, executive director of The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, commented: “AIJAC has long warned of the danger to the Australian community, and Australian Jewish community specifically, posed by the extremism promoted by Hizb ut-Tahrir (HUT), and we are pleased that this group is finally receiving some of the critical scrutiny it deserves. HUT spreads hatred and conspiracy theories, urges the use of violence, terror and war, specifically targeting Jews, and has also engaged in Holocaust denial and attempted to justify domestic violence against women. HUT may not itself have participated in terrorism in Australia, but it certainly radicalises Australians, especially Muslims, and encourages them to celebrate the crimes of Hamas and other terror groups, and to consider using violence themselves.
At the very least, it should be subject to much greater legal scrutiny than it has been in the past, and wherever possible, prosecuted under state and federal laws related to incitement to violence, racial vilification, and providing support for listed terrorist organisations. There is also a strong case for reviewing Australia’s counter-terrorism laws to potentially allow proscription of terrorism-promoting groups that are not themselves directly responsible for violence, as the laws in the UK allow for – leading to the banning of HUT over there earlier this year.”
