Inside the Islamic Threat: Hizb ut-Tahrir's Radical Agenda and Ismail al-Wahwah's Ominous Legacy

Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the self-declared “Party of Liberation,” an international Islamic political organization that advocates for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, has been spotlighted in the news very often lately. 

And for all the wrong, troubling, and disturbing reasons.

The Islamist outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir operates in more than 40 countries, predominantly in the Middle East, Australia, America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The organization is popular among Muslims for its pan-Islamic ideology and its opposition to nationalism, advocating for the unity of Muslims under a singular political entity governed by Islamic law (Sharia).

The very recent rally organized by Hizb ut-Tahrir in Los Angeles shed light on their radical intentions and disturbing rhetoric following the Islamic terror attack by Hamas on innocent Israelis and Jews. One of their members called for the “Muslim armies rise to up, fight the Jews, establish the Islamic state, and also the white flag (of Islam) that will fly high above the White House one day.”

Engaging in such vile and inflammatory rhetoric is a standard operating procedure of Muslims worldwide to rabble-rouse their Muslim followers. It is all a part of the “grand over dramatic Islamic theatrics” that sway masses, win votes in landslide elections, and help to gain more followers and supporters in Muslim nations.

After all, Islamic figureheads must “play to their gallery” and pose themselves as pious, self-righteous, and holy warriors of the Ummah. Violent rhetoric is one of the ways this is actually done.

One of the most important figures within Hizb ut-Tahrir was an Islamist cleric named Ismail al-Wahwah, who was the head of the Australian chapter of the international Islamist proselytization organization. Al-Wahwah died on May 17, 2023, of an undisclosed illness.

Nevertheless, to comprehend and gain more insight into the mindset of this organization, it is instructive to examine some of the statements made by Ismail al-Wahwah, who had a very significant influence within the sphere of Global Islamic Jihad Operations. Hizb-ut-Tahrir was flagged by Tony Abbott, the former Australian PM, of nurturing “extremism in Australian suburbs.”

Al-Wahwah traveled to Syria in 2013 to preach the necessity of erecting a global caliphate and, made fiery anti-Western, antisemitic, and anti-capitalist statements, and believed that “Western civilization and Christians will pay the price.” 

Ismail Al-Wahwah called for a new “world order” and promised to send “troops to Australia, to France to Germany in the cause of Allah.” He also called for jihad and genocide of Jews in Israel. In the past, he has also called for the killing of Americans.

Ismail al-Wahwah called Australia (the country of his citizenship) part of a U.S.-led “crusader invasion” targeting the Muslim world. He justified the January 2015 attacks on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo as “a cure” for relieving pressure caused by “daily humiliation” of Muslims and “insults to their book and prophet. Al-Wahwah had also been seen at past Hizb ut-Tahrir events with Man Haron Monis, the Islamist who took more than a dozen people hostage at a Sydney café in December 2014.

Even in 2023, Hizb-ut-Tahrir operates legally in Australia as a charitable and social NGO where al-Wahwah’s views are protected speech.

Al-Wahwah statements, now in the public domain, reveal a disturbing pattern of inflammatory rhetoric and hateful sentiments that form the core philosophy of every Jihadist outfit across the world, irrespective of location and not just Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

A Timeline of Ismail al-Wahwah’s hateful and violent Islamic Rhetoric.

1) June, 3, 2020

In response to the protests in the United States following the death of George Floyd: “Who will take over if America falls? Someone can say Europe, someone can say China, and speak about Russia some, but for me, the message is the one who has more values, true values, and that’s us Muslims. I would be a hypocrite if I say I’m unhappy about what’s happening in America today.”(Link)                      

2) Mid-2017

In response to U.S. President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital: “The very knife with which you cut Palestine is a criminal, infidel, hypocritical knife, and it will be turned against you and will cut your bodies and behead you. This knife will sever your heads from your bodies, just like you severed East Jerusalem from West Jerusalem.” (Link)                      

3) March 2016

Ismail al-Wahwah-“Before Allah [pledge] to restore the caliphate, to raise the banner, to restore the Sharia, to unite the Islamic nation and to lead the armies of jihad that will conquer Europe and America so that the word of Allah will reign supreme.” (Link)                      

4) March 9, 2015

Ismail al-Wahwah –“It makes no difference whether a Jew is pro-peace or pro-war, whether right-wing or left-wing, any Israeli living in Palestine is an occupier and serves as a target for the jihad of the Islamic nation. If you don’t like it, take your passport and return where you came from.” (Link)                      

5) January 2015

In response to the Charlie Hebdo attack in France and “pressure” from the West against Islam: “Woe, time and again, to all those who point the finger at any pressure when it gets a blast from the Muslims, regardless of size. For the accusation is ready; You justify the explosion, you justify terrorism.” (Link)

6) October 10, 2014

Ismail al-Wahwah -“They send their troops to Iraq. We will send our troops to Australia, to France, to Germany.” (Link)                    

7) December 24, 2012

Ismail al-Wahwah: “That is the duty of the caliphate – to implement Islam internally and carry the light of Islam to the rest of the world. How? Not with flowers. It was the army of Muslims, which started from Al-Madina, and they went to China, India, and Al-Maghreb. That is jihad.” (Link)                      

The choice of rhetoric and words used in the delivery of speeches by a leader can offer profound glimpses into the core essence, mission, values, and future aspirations of any organization or group.

Much like a revealing window that offers the observer a glimpse of the psychological framework and mind state from which these terror outfits operate from.

At times, what a leader says embodies what an institution is all about in their entirety by reiterating their core values. By doing so, we discover the principles, beliefs, and dreams through which a particular organization has come to see its worldview.

Hence, it is no different for Muslim leaders, who have always used inflammatory rhetoric characterized by provocative language and the deliberate use of offensive or divisive expressions, hence influencing public discourse significantly in Islamic circles. When employed by individuals in positions of influence or authority, such language can contribute to the polarization of communities and the creation of an environment conducive to extremist thinking, which has been normalized in Islamic communities around the world.

The impact of inflammatory rhetoric lies in its ability to fuel rеsеntmеnt, foster a sense of “us versus them,” and dееpеn existing divides within society. This divisive atmosphere can serve as a brееding ground for еxtrеmist Islamic ideologies, as individuals susceptible to radicalization may be drawn to the еxtrеmе narratives that exploit these divisions. 

While Hizb-ut-Tahrir presents itself as a harmless nonprofit social organization around the world, the statements and language used by many of its leaders, such as Ismail al-Wahwah’s explicit calls for violence against the West and Non-Muslims, clearly present a very contrary picture.

The above statements of Ismail al-Wahwah reflect the Islamic radical and dangerous mentality that hides behind such outfits. 

And Hizb-ut-Tahrir is just one out of thousands of Islamic terror organizations operating across the world on different continents. Yet, all of them speak the exact same language of hatred.

It is essential to know that such Islamic terrorist ideology has a substantial fan base in Australia, which is fast turning into a breeding ground for Muslim radicalism. Hizb ut-Tahrir’s calls for violence pose an immediate threat and require swift and targeted responses from law еnforcеmеnt. Also, surveillance efforts, which can involve online and offline monitoring to track potential threats, can yield good results in averting an attack. Kееping a close eye on Muslim groups and individuals known for promoting violence and terror will help to curb this menace in society.