London, UK, August 5 – Today's announcement at the PM's press conference to impose a ban on Hizb ut Tahrir, the well established non violent Islamic political party has clearly exposed this PM's and government?s fanaticism and extremism to curtail legitimate Islamic political debate in Britain, for their own political ends. This is a clear proof of the government's failure to face the political opinions of the party through rational debate and discussion and a desperate attempt to prevent the British public hearing the opinions of the Muslim community.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has a record of over 50 years of following a method of non-violent political activity against imperialism and dictators and despots who rule the Muslim world with the West's approval. In its work to establish the Islamic Caliphate, Hizb ut-Tahrir has never resorted to any sort of armed struggle and nor has it ever incited people to kill innocent civilians. It has throughout its history worked through intellectual and political means while its members have been tortured and killed in the thousands.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has in explicit terms stated that Islam forbids the killing of innocent civilians and expressed its denunciation of the killing of 58 innocent individuals on 7th July 2005 in London. To place a ban on a political party that has criticised the war in Iraq which Mr Blair and Mr Bush launched after blatantly lying to the world, the illegitimate occupation of Palestine, the desire for the Muslims to see the end of dictators and despots and live by the Islamic government, the Caliphate, in their own lands has proved that all the talk about freedom of speech, tolerance, people power and democracy, are only acceptable as long as one agrees with the policies of 10 Downing Street.

Dr Imran Waheed, Media Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "By imposing a ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir, Mr Blair has joined the ranks of some of the world?s most brutal dictators such as Karimov, Musharraf, Mubarak and Gadaffi who after banning the party continue to imprison, murder and even boil alive members of Hizb ut-Tahrir for voicing their political opinions."

"Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain explicitly states that it will continue in its non-violent political struggle in exposing the West's colonial policies in the Muslim world and continue to create a positive public opinion about Islam as a way of life and the Caliphate as a new state and civilization that will free the world from the oppression of global capitalism."

Notes to Editors:

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain will hold a press conference tomorrow (Saturday 06 August 2005) at 12pm in London.
Venue: London Continental Hotel, 88 Gloucester Place, London W1U 6HR. (access from 11 am).

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain is the UK branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a global independent Islamic political party. The global leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Ata Abu Rushta, is in the Muslim world. The party works throughout the Islamic world to resume the Islamic way of life by re-establishing the Islamic Khilafah [Caliphate].