Sydney, Australia, 11 January 2007 – Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia strongly rejects the baseless allegations published in the media surrounding the upcoming Khilafah Conference and Bankstown City Council’s decision to cancel the hall booking.
We would like to take this opportunity to respond to some of these allegations as a matter of historical record.
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir is working to implement Sharia (Islamic Law) and establish the Khilafah (Caliphate) in Australia (Herald Sun 09/01/07)
Refutation: Hizb ut-Tahrir works to establish the Khilafah (Caliphate) in the Muslim world where the people have a natural affinity towards Islam. This is achieved by advocating for peaceful political change in these countries, despite the harsh resistance meted out by the tyrants and dictators that currently litter the Muslim world.
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in the Middle East & Europe (Herald Sun – 09/01/07, Sydney Morning Herald 10/01/07, Daily Telegraph 10/01/07)
Refutation: The question is not whether Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in some of the Muslim countries, the question is why? Hizb ut-Tahrir is at the forefront of challenging tyranny and oppression in the Muslim world and is working to alter the political landscape so as to accord to the peoples’ beliefs and aspirations. All regimes have reacted in the most heinous and barbaric ways to combat the growing sentiments of the people and the party. Despite the inhumane reaction of the rulers, the party has continued in its peaceful work towards change.
Regarding Europe, Hizb ut-Tahrir is not banned in Britain. Despite the empty posturing following the London bombings, the British government, its domestic security apparatus and the Metropolitan Police Association have all acknowledged that Hizb ut-Tahrir does not pose a security risk in Britain and there is no basis whatsoever to ban the activities of the party.
In Germany, membership of Hizb ut-Tahrir is still legal. Public activities of the party have been restricted due to the country’s strict and onerous anti-semetic legislation, not because of any links to terrorism. The country’s ban on the public activities of the party is currently being contested in the courts, and the matter is far from resolved.
In the Netherlands, the party and its activities are entirely legal. However, the spokesperson for the party was brought to trial under dubious incitement charges, the resolution of which is still pending in the courts.
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir is calling Muslims to arms (Herald Sun – 09/01/07)
Refutation: It is well known that Hizb ut-Tahrir is a non violent Islamic political party that operates under the most heinous conditions in the Muslim world. Its members regularly face imprisonment, torture and extra-judicial killings. Despite the barbarity meted out by the opponents of party, Hizb ut-Tahrir has never deviated from its non-violent method.
Allegation: The promotional video for the Khilafah Conference features the current Iranian leader (Herald Sun – 09/01/07)
Refutation: The depiction of a member of the party in the video presentation as constituting the President of Iran demonstrates the length at which the media will resort to distorting the facts. It is not the first time that the line between political Islam and political violence is being deliberately blurred.
Allegation: The Khilafah Conference is a high risk event that necessitated extra police presence (SMH – 10/01/07)
Refutation: Every large gathering organised within the Bankstown municipality requires a police risk assessment. This assessment includes, amongst other things, traffic management, crowd control and the rostering of additional police officers to patrol these public events. A delegation of Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia met with the representatives of the Bankstown Local Area Command, and after an initial assessment and consultation, the conference was deemed not to be high risk and initial assessments were actually revised down.
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir is linked to the London bombings (Tel Editorial – 10/01/07, Tel -10/01/07)
Refutation: Linking the party to the London bombings is one of many failed attempts to discredit the political work of Hizb ut-Tahrir, and is yet another attempt to deliberately blur the line between political Islam and political violence.
Even in London, such a claim was immediately rejected by the British government and law enforcement authorities. It is disturbing to say the least that the Daily Telegraph has levelled this accusation without any shred of evidence.
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir incites hatred – Tel (10/01/07)
Refutation: Hizb ut-Tahrir would like to reiterate that the call towards peaceful political change within the Muslims world does not constitute the incitement of hatred. The work towards changing the corrupt regimes within the Muslim lands and governing the people according to their natural aspirations is legitimate and an Islamic obligation. If Hizb ut-Tahrir was inciting hatred, why have the Australian authorities declared publicly and consistently that there is no basis whatsoever to ban the activities of the party in this country?
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir incites violence again women (Channel Nine News 11/01/07)
Refutation: The Mayor of Bankstown City Council, Tania Mihailuk, publicly accused Hizb ut-Tahrir of having a history of advocating violence against women. When pressed to provide specific evidence to substantiate such a charge, Ms Mihailuk made reference to a lecture delivered at Bankstown Town Hall in 2005 that was organised by an entirely different organisation, and the speech delivered by a completely unrelated personality. The blatant falsification of such a claim reveals the desperate underhanded tactics employed by the council, and displays most vividly the extent to which the council will go to cover their real motives for cancelling the hall booking.
Allegation: Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia was deceptive when it made the hall booking (Tel – 10/01/07)
Refutation: Bankstown City Council is claiming that, up until two days ago, they were unaware that Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia was in fact booking the Bankstown Town Hall under the name Risala Incorporated. It is also claimed that the council was unaware that Risala Incorporated was being used to organise previous Hizb ut-Tahrir gatherings at the same venue.
Risala Incorporated is a registered incorporation under NSW law. Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia is not.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has been forthright and open with Bankstown City Council and the community in relation to its activities. On every occasion an event was organised under Risala Incorporated, Bankstown City Council was informed from the outset that the event was a Hizb ut- Tahrir lecture, and the name Risala Incorporated was being employed as an administrative tool.
This fact is a matter of historical record. All written, email and telephone correspondence between Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia and Bankstown City Council has been fully documented, and there are no grounds whatsoever for the council to claim ignorance or deception.
In addition, Bankstown City Council has on at least three occasions conducted extensive radio interviews over the last two years concerning Hizb ut-Tahrir events at Bankstwon Town Hall. In each instance, the events in question were organised under the name of Risala Incorporated, and the transcripts of the interviews illustrate very clearly that Bankstown City Council was fully aware of the relationship between Risala Incorporated and Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia.
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CONTACT:
Wassim Doureihi
Spokesperson, Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia
Email: media@risala.org
Mobile: 0438 000 465
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