A Positive Agenda for Muslims in Britain

A positive agenda for Muslims in Britain Defend against attacks on the Shariah Promote Islamic Values Support our worldwide Ummah Strengthen our Community A positive agenda for Muslims in Britain Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain Defend against attacks on the Shariah Promote Islamic Values Support our worldwide Ummah Strengthen our Community July 2009 Rajab 1430 First Edition Contact details: Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain Suite 301 28 Old Brompton Road London SW7 3SS http://www.hizb.org.uk [email protected] 2 ِِْ اِّ اْ َ ِ اِِ CONTENTS • About Hizb ut-Tahrir • The Global Struggle for Islam • UK Governments efforts to westernise Muslims and change Islam • Failed alternatives • Principles upon which to move forward • Our Values • Our Community • Our Identity • Our Ummah • Our Relationship with non-Muslims • Your Party 3 About Hizb ut-Tahrir Hizb ut-Tahrir is a global Islamic political party that was established in 1953 under the leadership of its founder - the scholar, political thinker and judge in the Court of Appeals in al-Quds (Jerusalem), Taqiuddin an-Nabhani. Hizb ut-Tahrir global leadership is currently headed by Ata’ Abu Rashta. In the Muslim world, Hizb ut-Tahrir works at all levels of society to bring the Muslims back to living an Islamic way of life under the shade of the Khilafah (Caliphate) State following an exclusively political method. Hizb ut-Tahrir adopts the methodology employed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he established the first Islamic State in Madinah. The Prophet Muhammad limited his struggle for the establishment of the Islamic State to intellectual and political work. He established this Islamic state without resorting to violence. He worked to mobilise public opinion in favour of Islam and endeavoured to sway the political and intellectual elites of the time. Despite the persecution and boycott of the Prophet Muhammad and the early Muslims, they never resorted to violence. The party is therefore proactive in disseminating the Islamic intellectual and political thoughts widely in Muslim societies so as to challenge the existing status quo that exists there. The party presents Islam as a comprehensive way of life that is capable of managing the affairs of state and society. The party also expresses its views on political events and analyses them from an Islamic perspective. The party disseminates its thoughts through discussion with the masses, study circles, lectures, seminars, leaflet distribution, publishing books and magazines and via the Internet. We encourage people to attend our demonstrations, marches and vigils. In the West, Hizb ut-Tahrir works to cultivate a Muslim community that lives by Islam in thought and deed, adhering to the rules of Islam and preserving a strong Islamic identity. The party does not work in the West to change the system of government. The party also works to project a positive image of Islam to Western society and engages in dialogue with Western thinkers, policymakers and academics. Western governments, under the banner of the War on Terror, are currently working to present Islam as an ‘evil ideology’. Indeed at the heart of this campaign is to malign the Islamic ideology as an alternative to Western liberal capitalism. Because of this propaganda aspect to the War on Terror, Hizb ut-Tahrir works to develop opinion about Islam in the Western countries, as a belief, ideology and alternative for the Muslim world. 5 The Global Struggle for Islam َو َ" َ!َ ُْ اِْ َواَِْ ِإ َُُِْوِن "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." [Surah al-Dhariyat 51:56] The Ummah of Muhammad (saw) is unique. It transcends boundaries of geography, colour, race and tribe. Our beloved Prophet (saw) said “ Each Messenger was sent to his own nation. I was sent to all mankind” [Bukhari]. While Allah Subhanahu wa-Ta’ala says to the Prophet (saw) in Quran: َوَ" َأرَْ(َْ)َك ِإ َرَْ ً% #ََِْ َ "And We have not sent you except as a Mercy for all creatures." [Surah Anbiya 21:107] Wherever we live, in whatever age, it is Islam - the Quran and the Sunnah – that provides the basis for our role and purpose in life – as individuals, as a community or as a State. The fact we live in 21st Century Europe does not change this fact; nor does the passport we hold, the place we call home, the fact we are a minority or our ethnic origins change the fact that we have many obligations and responsibilities placed upon us as part of this noble Ummah – the best Ummah. Allah Ta’ala says: ُآ)ُ.ْ َ!َْ ُأ"ٍ% ُأ!َِْ,ْ ِ)ِس 72َُْ"ُوَن َِْ ُْوِف و2ََ)05ََْْن 4َِ اُْ )3َِْ َو12ُِْ"ُ)0َن ِِ “You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind. You enjoin Al-Ma`ruf and forbid Al- Munkar and believe in Allah.” [Surah al-Imran 3:110] Our community may live in Europe, but finds itself in the midst of a much wider global struggle. In their desire to maintain their control of the resources of the Muslim world and maintain their strategic dominance, western governments have launched a war on Islam around the world. 6 Some of this has been a military war– what they call the ‘war on terror’ in the Muslim world. These invasions, together with the client regimes western governments installed and supported over decades, are all aimed to prevent the rise of Islam as a way of life. They seek to prevent the rise of the righteously guided Khilafah state. These regimes oppress the people, introduce reforms of the education system and spread western values through the media - all in order to try to secularise Muslims. Western governments have learned that ideas travel and as such have developed policies for all parts of the world. Some of their plans have been to try to win the “hearts and minds” of Muslims in the west; to westernise them and ultimately to change Islam into a set of personal beliefs and ritual worship – like Christianity was changed some centuries ago. They call this westernisation or secularisation assimilation or integration. They do this by bullying Muslims; by spreading propaganda and lies about Islam in the media; by trying to control masjids and madrassahs; and by trying to create a new secular liberal Muslim leadership. Hizb ut-Tahrir has recognised these problems and proposed some ideas for a way forward. These ideas are based on understanding our role as Muslims, as part of this Ummah and in the midst of such a struggle. The proposals are aimed to be positive and Islamic, as well as to counter these destructive forces. Our Ummah is one and in today’s world distance is increasingly irrelevant. Global communication: telephone, television, internet and air travel - all mean that we become aware of problems in far off places; it also means that if we speak about these matters, our voices are heard in those far off places. We believe that our community has an active and positive role to play in the UK from an Islamic basis. However, we also believe that many of the solutions currently proposed are flawed, counterproductive or contradict Islamic values. We pray others find usefulness in this document. We invite discussion and feedback. We hope that some might work with us towards these objectives, and that others work towards the same noble ends in their own way. Lastly, but most importantly, we always ask for the Help of Allah and that He accepts these efforts no matter what the future holds for our community in the west. @َِن 0َ0َ2ْاْ @َ ُ?ْ َِْ<َ اُّ > إَِـَ إِ> ه0َُ 4ََِْ 0َ2َآُْ وَه0َُ رَب9 اَْْشِ اAَِِْ But if they turn away, say: ‘Allah is Sufficient for me. La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.’ [Surah Tauba 9:129] 7 UK Government’s efforts to westernise Muslims and change Islam In 2009 the government produced a new plan to assimilate Muslims called Contest 2. The 160-page document mentions many of the plans and shows how they plan to implement these, particularly under the guise of “Preventing Violent Extremism” also known as PVE. It blames Islam’s political ideas as a cause for ‘terrorism’ and even explicitly labels the struggles in Palestine, Chechnya, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kashmir as ‘terrorism. A leaked article in the Guardian, which has never been denied by the government, explains the government definition of “extremism” they seek to prevent through PVE. The definition includes: • Believing in a Caliphate (Khilafah) in the Muslim world • Promoting Shariah for anywhere in the world, and even the personal aspects of Shariah in the UK • Believing Jihad, or armed resistance, is permitted - anywhere in the world including armed resistance by Palestinians against the Israeli military. • Believing that Islam bans homosexuality and that it is a sin against Allah. • If you fail to condemn the killing of British soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan. Against this backdrop there is an urgent need for Muslims to wake up and realise that the government wants more than our silence over its unjust actions or the harmful failing values in this society. They want us to actively support their injustice and adopt these same values, and they want to control our communities to achieve this. 8 Failed Alternative Strategies Our community has made many mistakes in the past in mapping out a path for our future in the west. Some failed to see our cause here as linked to that of the wider Ummah.

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