Political Islam in Central Asia: the Role

FEBRUARY 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 2 convicted of involvement in terrorism Finally, some cases, such as the one Political Islam in Central and were key instigators in a global against the young Mohammed Gul terrorist network operating from the who stands accused of disseminating Asia: The Role of Hizb al- internet in the United Kingdom.16 Other extremist material by e-mail, remain on Tahrir individuals such as Nicky Reilly17 and the docket.23 Isa Ibrahim18 were instead apparently By Emmanuel Karagiannis drawn in by material they found online Conclusion and tried to build explosive devices Radicalization remains an issue in one of the fastest growing global, on their own. Ibrahim was interdicted the United Kingdom, although the Sunni Islamic political organizations is before he could execute his plot, but threat has evolved away from the old Hizb al-Tahrir (the Islamic Liberation Reilly was only prevented by his own structures that used to make up the Party, HT).1 HT often escapes in- incompetence when his bomb failed to infamous Londonistan. Radicalization depth analysis because the group itself detonate properly in the middle of a today is more difficult for policymakers does not use violence to seek political restaurant in Exeter in May 2008. to legislate against. Dangerous extremist change. As a result, it is not on the activities online are hard to distinguish U.S. government’s list of terrorist It is also on the internet that security from the vast mass of meaningless organizations. Nevertheless, HT is services are increasingly concentrating extremism on the internet, while parts pursuing an agenda at odds with the their efforts, attempting to identify of the real-world portion have melded West, and eventually the group could threats through the internet or finding into the mainstream of British political pose an active threat to the United legal ways of charging people who discourse. This makes it difficult to craft States and its allies. step beyond the boundary with online legislation that targets groups specifically extremism. These include individuals that does not also catch harmless and Profiling HT is important as the group such as Krenar Lusha, who was legitimate forms of political discourse. is one of the most popular pan-Islamic identified through a network of online organizations, counting tens of thousands extremists and later convicted while Physical jihad continues to hold sway, of members.2 While it rejects violence at in possession of an assortment of with events in Afghanistan and East this time, it is open to waging jihad once radical material as well as 71.8 liters of Africa drawing young men into their a proper Islamic state is established with petrol and potassium nitrate,19 or Bilal thrall,24 but the networks and extremist the purpose of creating a global Islamic Mohammed and Rizwan Ditta who both rhetoric that were previously responsible caliphate. To establish this initial Islamic pled guilty to charges of distributing for the stream of individuals going to state, HT is pursuing an agenda to make extremist material obtained online.20 training camps have been forced into a society more “Islamist” so that such Other cases have proved more difficult, less prominent position. Unfortunately, a state can be established peacefully. however, with a group of cases linked however, a hardcore of jihadist thinking Nevertheless, the group ascribes to a little to the internet in Lancashire largely remains, making what happens in the discussed strategy called nusra, which dropping off the radar for legal United Kingdom still relevant for the means it could support a coup d’etat by reasons.21 Moreover, part of the case global fight against terrorism. an armed force if that force is pursuing against Mohammed Atif Siddique an Islamist agenda. that stated he was involved in actual Raffaello Pantucci is a Consulting Research terrorist planning was overturned and Associate at the International Institute for This article will provide background on he was released from prison, although Strategic Studies (IISS) and an Associate HT, including its strategy to establish other charges against him stood.22 Fellow at the International Center for the an Islamic caliphate. It will then profile Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s HT’s role in Central Asia, the region in 16 For more on this network, please see Evan Kohlmann, College. which it is most active. “Anatomy of a Modern Homegrown Terror Cell: Aabid Khan et al,” NEFA Foundation, September 2008; Raf- Background on Hizb al-Tahrir faello Pantucci, “Operation Praline: The Realization of HT was founded in East Jerusalem in Al-Suri’s Nizam la Tanzim?” Perspectives on Terrorism 1953 by Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, an 2:12 (2008). Islamic scholar of Palestinian origin. In 17 Adam Fresno, “Nicky Reilly, Muslim Convert, Jailed the decades since its establishment, HT for 18 Years for Exeter Bomb Attack,” Times, January 31, 2009. 1 Hizb al-Tahrir is more commonly transliterated as 18 Raffaello Pantucci, “Britain Jails ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorist material online, as he was linked into the broader Khan/ Hizb ut-Tahrir. Isa Ibrahim,” Terrorism Monitor 7:23 (2009). Tsouli network. See “Siddique Terrorism Charges in De- 2 HT’s total numbers in Central Asia are not known 19 “Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Terrorism Offenc- tail,” BBC, February 9, 2010. because the group operates clandestinely. There are, es,” Derbyshire Constabulary, December 15, 2009. 23 “Man Charged With Sending Terrorist Material by however, some 6,000 HT members and sympathizers 20 “Muslim Man Who Sold DVDs Glorifying the 9/11 Email,” Daily Mail, February 24, 2009. serving time in Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik pris- Atrocities Jailed Under New Terror Laws,” Daily Mail, 24 The case of Mohammed Abushamma is instructive in ons. The U.S. State Department claims, for example, that March 20, 2008. the case of Afghanistan. See “Student Jailed for Trying to as many as 4,500 HT members are currently jailed in 21 “PM Death Plot Suspects in Court,” Derby Evening Fight British in Afghanistan,” London Evening Standard, Uzbekistan alone. See the Bureau of Democracy, Human Telegraph, October 4, 2008; “Jury in Blackburn Terrorist June 18, 2009. The Somali case is increasingly a concern. Rights, and Labor, Uzbekistan – International Religious Trial Discharged,” Lancashire Telegraph, July 27, 2009. See Richard Kerbaj, “UK Students Recruited for Somali Freedom Report (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of 22 The charges that held include spreading extremist Jihad,” Sunday Times, January 24, 2010. State, 2007). 13 FEBRUARY 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 2 has become an international movement3 To achieve this strategy, HT does not help. This is the method that the with tens of thousands of followers want to seize control of the state by Prophet Muhammad adopted to worldwide. Although the group is force and coerce society into accepting establish the State of Islam and to primarily active in Central Asia, it also has its political agenda. Rather, HT wants implement the Islamic rules.10 a large following in a number of Western to persuade society to accept its ideas countries, including in the United States. willingly, which would then inevitably In practice, this means that HT could Today, HT is led by Ata Abu Rashta, a lead to a regime change. Yet even in these support a coup organized by a military Palestinian civil engineer who studied circumstances, it is likely that HT would that would have first embraced in Cairo and previously served as the use some form of pressure to remove Islamism as its ideology. For example, party’s spokesman in Jordan. recalcitrant regimes; party ideologues HT encouraged elements within the have often implied that regimes could be Jordanian armed forces to overthrow HT does not view itself as a religious overthrown by acts of civil disobedience, the Jordanian government in 1968 and organization, but as a political party based such as demonstrations and strikes. For 1969. Moreover, there are indications on Islamic values. HT’s political doctrine example, the media representative of HT that some members of HT were linked to is founded on two principles. The first in Britain, Imran Waheed, once wrote: a failed coup attempt in Egypt in 1974.11 is the need for Islamic law, or Shari`a, The objectives of seeking nusra for the to regulate all aspects of human life— a day will come when the Muslims re-establishment of the caliphate are politics, economics, science and ethics. will take revenge against all twofold: first, to enable HT to continue The second principle is the need for an those who participated in their its political struggle without risking a authentic Islamic state, which would oppression [i.e. the Karimov regime military confrontation with authorities; pave the way for the re-establishment of in Uzbekistan]. Hizb ut-Tahrir does second, to propagate its ideology to the the Islamic caliphate. According to HT, not use weapons or resort to violence, security forces so that they overthrow a “just” society can only be achieved nor uses any physical means in existing regimes and establish an within such a political entity. its call…However, do not expect, Islamic state. that these rulers and their regimes HT’s goal is to create an Islamic state will collapse all by themselves. On It is important to note, however, that that will first absorb all Muslim- the contrary, patient believers are HT never developed a paramilitary wing populated territories into its borders to required to shake these regimes and and its members did not provide military establish a caliphate, and then spread uproot them.7 support for the coup attempts in Jordan Islam worldwide through jihad. For and Egypt, although these coups were instance, al-Nabhani wrote in Article Moreover, HT has also developed the aimed at establishing an Islamic state.

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