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EXPLAINER: what is Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir?

AAP

AAP

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a international political organisation which advocates the ideology of Islam, with political branches in Asia, the Middle East, the UK, America and Australia.

The group was established in 1953 as a Sunni Muslim organisation in Jerusalem and is estimated to currently have over one million members.

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It is unclear when Hizb ut-Tahrir established an Australian branch, but ASIO reportedly attempted to have the group banned in 2005, unsuccessfully.

Political stances

The Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia website says the work of the group is to convert Australia to an Islamic society.

“It aims to do this by firstly changing the society’s existing thoughts to Islamic thoughts so that such thoughts become the public opinion among the people, who are then driven to implement and act upon them,” says the site.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has condemned US military action in Iraq against the Islamic State, calling it an attempt by the country to maintain its “subjugation of the region”.

The group has also been an outspoken critic of Australia’s new anti-terror laws, saying the intent was to “intimidate the Muslim community and to criminalise ideas deemed ‘extreme’”.

Past controversy

Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesperson Uthman Badar was banned from delivering a controversial speech during Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas in June.

According to a Daily Telegraph report, Mr Badar was due to speak about how Islamic community violence such as honour killings paled in comparison to American military action.

He is also an outspoken critic of the Abbott government on Twitter.

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