Abbott warns Hizb ut-Tahrir

A COALITION government would take firm action to curb the activities of Islamist hate group Hizb ut-Tahrir, Liberal leader Tony Abbott has pledged.

Interviewed in The Herald Sun on August 14, Abbott said he would “take a strong stand against peddlers of hate”.

If the Coalition wins government at this Saturday’s election, it would take three steps to quarantine the Australian arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in several countries, including the United States.

Abbott outlined plans to look into prosecuting the group, heightening surveillance of its activities, and denying visas to overseas members of the group to visit Australia.

And in an opinion piece in this week’s AJN, Abbott described the group as “an organisation that is openly hostile to our democratic values and way of life, to non-Muslims¬† — Christians, Jews and Hindus — and to moderate Muslims as well. Its adherents around the world are well-known for violent anti-Semitic rhetoric and propaganda.”

“On ABC’s Lateline in 2007, one of the leaders of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia also exhorted Muslims to kill Jews and Hizb ut-Tahrir quite openly calls for Israel’s destruction. Most Australians — including moderate Muslims — will be profoundly disturbed by the existence and activism of such a group in our midst. Hizb ut-Tahrir has grown into a substantial organisation in Australia over the past decade and it held a major conference in July in Sydney, attracting 1000 people.”

The Herald Sun quoted the Opposition Leader as saying that “people of Jewish faith ought not feel threatened or persecuted in their own country, Australia”.

The Howard government considered banning the group in 2007, but was advised by the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisa tion that it was not promoting violence, and there were fears a ban could drive it underground.

But Abbott said he was gravely concerned about an organisation that “openly preaches the destruction of Israel” and teaches “that Islam is incompatible with the Australian way of life”.

Approached by The AJN, a spokesperson for Attorney-General Robert McClelland stated this week it would be “inappropriate” to comment on whether any group is being considered for listing as a proscribed organisation. “The issue of terrorist groups and whether or not they should be proscribed is under constant review by Australia’s security and intelligence agencies. The Government takes a hard line against groups that advocate terrorism, and will act upon advice from its security agencies,” the spokesperson said.

The Australian Federal Police has refused to comment to The AJN on whether Hizb ut-Tahrir is being probed.

In response to Abbott’s comments, Hizb ut-Tahrir blamed Jewish communal leadership for the Liberal leader’s policy. “The influence of the Australian Jewish Lobby [sic] is obvious in this change of attitude by Mr Abbott. Hizb ut-Tahrir’s strong and principled stance against ‘Israel’, articulated in the last few weeks, has been predictably used by various Jewish groups to cry victimhood.”

PHOTO: Tony Abbott. Photo: George Fetting/AJN File