This is why Hizb ut-Tahrir have been added to the UK's Terror List (Hizb ut-Tahrir Explained)

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly after banning the group

The UK is at the forefront of Western counter-terror initiatives. Their recent participation in the US-led anti-Houthi coalition seemingly prompted the Home Office to reevaluate the position of Islamic fundamentalist groups operating within the UK. One group, in particular, has been targeted by the UK Home Office: Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, the British arm of the Lebanese-based Hizb ut-Tahrir. So, who is Hizb ut-Tahrir, and why are they being placed on the UK's list of banned terror groups?

Who is Hizb ut-Tahrir?

Founded in 1953 by Palestinian scholar, Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, the Hizb ut-Tahrir organisation championed the idea of a singular, unified Muslim state. This idea of forming a Muslim caliphate is an idea championed by other Islamic extremist organisations, like the Islamic State. To them, it was the Muslim world against all other religions and beliefs. The group was also founded on the idea that jihad was a fundamental and important aspect of Islam. The group is fundamentally opposed to Zionism and the state of Israel. Such beliefs meant that the group was involved in numerous assaults and failed coups in the Middle East, with the group being linked to failed coups in Jordan and Syria. All the while, the organisation claimed to be one of non-violence. In 1989, this illusion would finally be dropped, when the organisation began to move away from their non-violent approaches and instead become more militant in their efforts to form a Muslim caliphate. Since then, the group has endorsed suicide bombing and other forms of violence against national governments. In 2003, two events would push Hazb ut-Tahrir to its most violent position yet: the US-led invasion of Iraq and the retirement of the group's then-leader Abdul Qadeem Zallum. He was replaced by a Palestinian, Ata Khalil Abu-Rashta, an advocate for Hizb ut-Tahrir to become more extreme in their actions and instructions to their supporters. When the US invaded Iraq, the group became galvanised to fight back against Western intervention in the Middle East. The group would also be extremely involved in the Syrian Revolution, and the following conflicts, hoping that the revolutionary soldiers could platform Hizb ut-Tahrir's beliefs about forming an Islamic Caliphate.

Beyond its involvement in crises, Hizb ut-Tahrir has utilized emerging forms of communication, like the Internet, to spread its extreme platform worldwide. With branches in fifty countries, including the UK, its estimated membership ranges from ten thousand to millions. The group's finances and logistics remain mysterious, with speculations about funding from members' contributions or possibly from national governments like Iran or Saudi Arabia.
The group's extreme beliefs, particularly in endorsing violence against countries seen as a danger to Muslims, have led several nations, including China, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany, and Muslim nations except the UAE, Lebanon, and Yemen, to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir. With a history riddled with calls to violence, it is no surprise that the group has been banned in the UK. However, the actual process of getting it banned in the British Isles has been a long and complicated one.

Why were they added to the terror group list by the UK Government?

Hizb ut-Tahrir supporters at a Pro-Palestine Protest

The group was first put under scrutiny in 2005 when Prime Minister Tony Blair sought to ban the group after the London Bombings. Subsequent investigations found that the group had no links to the terror attacks. In 2010, UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised to ban the group. This was easier said than done. When approached about banning the organisation, UK lawyers claimed that they couldn't add the group to the list of banned organisations as they had not committed any terror-related offences. Discussions of banning the group would not return to the UK political consciousness until October of 2023. The current conflict between Israel and Palestine had ushered Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain to organise Pro-Palestinian protests. At these protests, members of Hizb ut-Tahrir were chanting for jihad which caused great concern among police and politicians. Following the protests, Hizb ut-Tahrir took to their websites to support Hamas attacks on Israel and attacks on Jewish people in other countries. Promoting and encouraging such violence prompted Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to call for the group to be banned. She spoke about the group in the House of Commons in a speech that got the attention of many UK politicians. Days later, Home Secretary James Cleverly began the process of getting the group banned. On January 19th, British politicians agreed that the British wing of Hizb ut-Tahrir should be added to the list of banned terror organisations. In one final statement, the leaders of the UK branch of the group stated that the ban was politically motivated and that they had no credible links to actual terror organisations.

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