MPs back move to proscribe extremist Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir
It will become a criminal offence to join or support the group Hizb ut-Tahrir from this Friday, after MPs backed the home office's proscription move
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Islamist extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir will become a proscribed organisation on Friday after MPs backed moves announced earlier this week by the Home Secretary to designate it an “antisemitic organisation that promotes and encourages terrorism.”
MPs from across all parties spoke in support of the government’s move to ban the group, who Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said had responded to the October 7th Hamas atrocity in Israel with “elation.”
For Labour, shadow security minister Dan Jarvis said his party “strongly supports” the move to ban the group, of whom it will now be a criminal offence to join or support from midnight.
Debating a Prevention And Suppression Of Terrorism motion in the Commons, Security Minister Tugendhat moved the banning order to “finally see Hizb ut-Tahrir proscribed.”
He told MPs:”What Hamas did on October 7th will be permanently engrained in our minds. It was evil.
“Who can erase the images that we saw of mothers crying over their blood soaked beds, their children missing . Of teenagers gunned down at a festival of peace.
“Of women abducted, raped, slaughtered. Who among us could fail to be appalled by such depravity or still feel the pain? Who could remain silent in the worst pogrom against Jews on any day since the Holocaust?”
But the minister noted how in the aftermath of the massacre, while communities came together to condemn the attacks, “instead of of horror Hizb ut-Tahrir responded to the murder of civilians with elation.”
The minister said that while he was a champion of free speech “this is different” and does not include the promotion of celebration of terror acts.
He noted further comments by the group, which has “antisemitism at its very core” celebrating or calling for the murder of Jews.
Labour shadow minister Jarvis said the proscription order was underpinned by those in the UK who “work tirelessly to keep this country safe.”
He said it was “vital” his party worked in tandem with the government on these issues, and added “the opposition strongly supports” the proscription of “this international terrorist” group, already banned by countries like Germany.
“There is no place on Britain’s streets for vile antisemitism,” added Jarvis, “or those who peddle violence or terrorism, there is no place for Hizb ut-Tahrir.”
It was noted that the Community Security Trust, the Antisemitism Policy Trust and the Union of Jewish Students had long raised concerns about the group’s activities.
Kirsty Blackman for the SNP, said her party “absolutely” supported moves to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir, adding antisemitism needed to be combatted wherever it emerged.
The work of Danny Stone at the Antisemitism Policy Trust came in for particular praise from several MPs.
Elsewhere in the debate, Iain Duncan Smith and Christian Wakeford were among the MPs to suggest the after banning Hizb ut-Tahrir, the government must also move to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Andrew Percy MP also told the Commons he was concerned this week to have been informed that pro-Palestinian activists planned to stage a demo outside a Holocaust Memorial Day event in his constituency.
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