The Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh is a fundamentalist Islamist political party seeking to establish an Islamic state (Khilafat) in Bangladesh and in other Muslim countries through the adoption of Islamic (Shariah) law.
Its website publicizes articles and leaflets that are sharply critical of US foreign policy actions in Afghanistan and Iraq amid calls for Muslim countries to liberate their lands from the secular influences of the West by using peaceful means to establish Islamic theocratic governments. The website specifically renounces "violence, force, and militancy" as the way of establishing theocratic governments. The information in this media aid is current as of 5 January, the last known update of the site.
The organization's website-- available at http://www.khilafat.org/index.htm --carries a banner that reads: "Khilafat.org is the official website of the members of Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh" and "is dedicated to the revival of the Muslim Ummah (community)." The website posts items in both English and Bengali--along with Arabic version of quotations from the Qur'an--and the internal links include: Weekly Circles, Events Diary, Bangla (Bengali), Latest Leaflets, Khilafat, Slide Gallery, Qur'an Corner, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Press Room, Leaflets, Articles, Islamic Belief, Systems of Islam, and Contact information. There are no external links.
Weekly Circles: This section gives the date, venue, and time of weekly meetings of the Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Events Diary: This is a listing of upcoming events. It gives the date, timing, and venue of discussions on various topics. Some of the topics listed--without additional comment--are: the Duty to Establish Khilafah; Muslim Youth Identity Crisis; Crime, Corruption and Terrorism; Islam and Science; Anglo-American Crusade Against Islam; The Clash of Civilization; Anglo-American Imperialism; and War in Iraq.
Bangla: This section contains Bengali and English-language leaflets and articles that have been compared and found to be identical. Some of leaflets and articles listed in this section are: US-UK state terrorism in Iraq; Re-establishing the Khilafah state; and Islam is the only permanent solution to crime and corruption in society.
Latest Leaflets: The latest leaflet is dated January 2004 and is titled: "No 'Third Force' will change anything in Bangladesh politics! The rotten-man made benefit-based ruling system needs to be changed." The leaflet says that at present there is talk in Bangladesh about the emergence of a political "third force" as a possible alternative to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League. It says that for decades Bangladesh politics have been controlled by elite groups who brought only "hardship and oppression" to the people. The leaflet says a "third force" or any other force within this ruling system, "will continue to keep the country enslaved to the dictates of the imperialist policies of the US, UK, India, IMF and World Bank." It adds, "unless and until the corrupt capitalist ruling system is changed, changing politicians and parties will bring no relief to the country's problems." The leaflet urges the establishment of an Islamic ruling system.
A leaflet dated 19 October is titled: "The Muslims' Rulers are a harm (Darar) and reciprocation of harm (Diraar) upon the Ummah in the Summit Conference." This leaflet criticizes the Muslim leaders who attended the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) summit in Malaysia last October. It says that the Muslim rulers met and dispersed "without doing anything good for you." The leaflet says these leaders harm the Ummah as they have handed over issues "to the Kafir (nonbeliever) colonialists with submission and disgrace." The leaflet urges Muslims to establish the Khilafat, as it will unify them to fight their enemy and liberate their lands. The leaflet concludes by saying that once the Khilafat is established "no Kafir colonialist would dare to attack the Muslims' lands, let alone occupy them. Rather, they would not be able to prevent the Muslim army from bringing the Light of Islam to their homeland, by Jihad and clear conquest."
Khilafat: This section carries the 16 October 2003 edition of a Bengali newsletter, Al Khilafat. This newsletter contains reports on the following issues: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's meeting in Dhaka, India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission meeting; WTO meeting in Cancun, and the increasing gap between the rich and the poor in Bangladesh.
Slide Gallery: This section contains pictures of wounded and killed Iraqis, mostly children and women. The caption of this section reads: "This slide gallery depicts some of the murder and misery unleashed by America and her allies in their bloodthirsty colonialist crusade against the Muslims of Iraq."
Qur'an Corner: This section contains verses from the Qur'an in English and Arabic.
Hizb ut-Tahrir: An article on this page explains that "Hizb ut-Tahrir is a political party whose ideology is Islam, so politics is its work and Islam is its ideology." It adds: "The party, as well, aims at the correct revival of the Ummah through enlightened thought. It also strives to bring her back to her previous might and glory such that she wrests the reins of initiative away from other states and nations, and returns to her rightful place as the first state in the world, as she was in the past, when she governs the world according to the laws of Islam."
The article further adds that: "The party started the first stage in al-Quds in 1372 AH (1953 CE) under the leadership of its founder, the honorable scholar, thinker, able politician, qadi (meaning not known) in the Court of Appeals in al-Quds, Taqiuddin al-Nabhani (may Allah's mercy be upon him)."
Press Room: This section contains Hizb ut-Tahrir press releases. One release dated 22 June 2003 is titled: "Agents of imperialism in the Bangladesh Government try to portray protesting against worldwide US imperialism as 'anti state' activity." It says on 19 June police arrested two Hizb ut-Tahrir activists for distributing leaflets against the visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The leaflet criticized the "US occupation, looting and killing of thousands of innocent men, women and children in Iraq over false claims of weapons of mass destruction." The press release adds: "Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic political party, has been opposing US/UK imperialism in all its forms through an intellectual and political struggle for the last 50 years. The party has never resorted to violence as a means to achieve its objectives, as this is not the way of the Prophet (SAW) (peace be upon him) to bring change in society and state." It further says: "The party believes the only way the peoples of this world can be saved from the clutches of imperialism is by establishing an ideological Islamic State that will implement the laws of Islam bringing justice and peace for humanity. It is the Khilafah State that will expose the atrocities of the US/UK imperialists and their hired agents on the international stage and stand by the millions of victims of imperialism throughout the world. "
Leaflets: This section contains identical leaflets in English and Bengali. One leaflet titled "Islam prohibits violence and militancy" says, "Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic party, which seeks true change in society. We believe that Islam is the only true ideology from Allah that needs to be established in society through the Islamic State. Hizb ut-Tahrir began its work to revive society 50 years ago after a deep and profound study of the declined reality of the Muslim world and the causes behind this decline. At the same time it conducted a profound study of Islam as a System, and the method by which Islam brings change." The leaflet adds: "Violence, force and militancy can never change the beliefs, values and sentiments of a people and hence can bring no change to society. It breeds fear and resentment among people, and further alienates society away from Islam. The only way to truly change people's thinking is to convince them of the falsehood of their current thoughts and replace them with the correct ones by way of discussion and evidence."
Another leaflet dated 10 July 2003 and titled: "Accepting a constitution for Iraq upon the order of the Kafir occupier is a reprehensible crime." It says: "O Muslims in the lands of Islam! Hizb ut-Tahrir in Iraq is asking you to support Iraq and its people and not abandon them to face the oppressive American power and her arrogance and deception. You are a great Ummah; your peace is one and your war is one. Islam hates and abhors your division and lack of unity in facing the Kafir occupiers, a matter that has led to the increase in the calamities and evil befalling the Ummah. You should take a lesson from your abandonment of the people of Palestine who are facing the Jews on their own; your abandonment of the people Chechnya to face Russians alone; and your abandonment of the people of Kashmir to face the Hindu's alone. This is beside your abandonment of the people of Afghanistan to face America, Britain and their followers. All of this is a crime against the Deen (religion) of Allah. Do not complete the chain by taking the same stance toward Iraq."
Articles: This section contains articles on domestic and international issues. An article dated February 2003 and titled "The Islamic Perspective on the Iraq Crisis" is written by an unnamed member of the Hizb ut-Tahrir. It says: "Ever since the events of September 11th, the current US administration has been pursuing an aggressive foreign policy within the Muslim world. The year 2001 saw the attack on Afghanistan and the removal of the Taliban regime. And now the latest chapter in the 'War on terror' is surrounding Iraq." The article goes on to make the point that: "This recent Iraq crisis is no more than another chapter in the old colonialists' plan to further their grip on the Gulf region. In order to disguise her nasty greed the United States continuously preaches about 'peace and security' in the world. This current designed crisis has demonstrated clearly the lies, propaganda and war mongering of the Western capitalist nations. The UN has clearly shown itself as a club for the colonial powers where the spoils of the Muslim world are divided."
The article concludes: "It is time for us to deeply analyze the politics of our countries both domestically and internationally. The work for us now is to establish a sincere, courageous and dynamic leadership for the Muslim Ummah. This leadership will come by reestablishing a state upon the ideology of Islam i.e. the Khilafah State--which will not bow down to the will of the West but build its domestic and foreign policy on the basis of Islam."
Islamic Belief: This section contains articles on Islamic belief, including the existence of God, and the Qur'an as the word of God.
Systems of Islam: This section contains articles on the ruling system, social system, economic system, and judicial system of Islam.
Contact Us: This section says that to contact members of Hizb ut-Tahrir for general queries at: info@khilafat.org. To contact the editor of the webpage, Rashid Choudhury, send an email to editor@khilafat.org
Office: This section contains the address of the Bangladesh office of Hizb ut-Tahrir: 3rd Floor, 234 Khairunessa Building, New Elephant Road, Dhaka
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