Ruddock investigates Hizb ut Tahrir

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 06/07/2007

Reporter: John Stewart

The Australian Attorney-General is again investigating the Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir after members of the group have allegedly been associated with one of the men arrested over the failed London bombing.

Transcript
VIRGINIA TRIOLI: Australia's Attorney-General is investigating whether Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir should be banned in Australia.

Members of Hizb ut Tahrir are alleged to be associated with one of the men arrested over the failed London bombing.

Last night on Lateline, a British defector from the group warned Australian members of Hizb ut Tahrir are Muslim extremists and take direction from London.

John Stewart reports.

JOHN STEWART: Two years ago, the British Government considered banning Hizb ut Tahrir after allegations they were linked to the July 2005 London bombings.

The latest attacks have reignited the debate, with the British Opposition Leader calling for the group to be banned.

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH OPPOSITION LEADER: We need to act against groups seek to radicalise young people. Almost two years ago the Government said it would ban the extremist group Hizb ut Tahrir. We think it should be banned. Why hasn't it happened?

JOHN STEWART: It might yet happen. There are allegations one of the men involved in the latest bomb plot is a former member of Hizb ut Tahrir.

Britain's new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, plans to expand the watch list of potential terror groups but Islamic organisations can only be added to the list when clear links to terrorism are found.

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Of course in all these details, and I have had to deal with this that Treasury when we're dealing with terrorist finance, you have to have evidence to do so.

JOHN STEWART: Hizb ut Tahrir means party of liberation. The group wants to unite all Muslims under a giant pan-Islamic state based on strict Sharia law.

In Australia, Hizb ut Tahrir are based in south-western Sydney and they've been under close scrutiny by Australian authorities.

Last night on Lateline, Ed Husain, a former member of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain, warned that Australian members of the group were extremists and took direction from members in London.

ED HUSAIN, AUTHOR: My only criticism of the reports coming out of Australia is that you've directly identified segments within Mohabism to be a problem. Well done for doing that, but we must also remember Australia is also now home to one of the most extreme Islamist organisations - not Islamic but Islamist - organisation known as Hizb ut Tahrir.

That organisation functions in Australia and its leadership takes its call from... and its literature from the London based Hizb ut Tahrir. That's also a threat that's in the making.

JOHN STEWART: Ed Husain also warned the group attracts highly educated members including doctors.

ED HUSSAIN: On a final thought, even here, the leadership of Hizb ut Tahrir as well as the leadership of Mohabist organisations are filled with engineers and doctors.

JOHN STEWART: The Australian Government has considered banning Hizb ut Tahrir several times and today responded to the concerns expressed by Ed Husain.

PHILIP RUDDOCK, ATTORNEY-GENERAL: Last night there, was, on the Lateline program, a person who was speaking about its techniques, the way in which it conducts itself.

And I thought those comments were of interest. I've raised them today but I'm sure the relevant agencies have already seen them.

JOHN STEWART: But without proof of terrorist plans, the group will not be outlawed. Australian Muslim leaders say the group is all talk and has no links to violence and should not be banned.

AMIR ALI, REGIONAL ISLAMIC COUNCIL: It can be counterproductive. We might go into the danger of driving them underground and after that, we won't know what they are up to and it will be difficult to monitor their activities.

At the moment, we know their leadership, we know what they preach, they have a romantic attachment towards an Islamic State. That is also not in the western countries but the Muslim countries.

JOHN STEWART: Dr Ali says moderate Australian Muslims don't believe in the creation of a separate Muslim State.