Parliamentary parties seek to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir: “It wants to make Denmark part of an Islamic caliphate.”
According to BT on Tuesday morning, several parties are currently preparing to try to ban the Islamic Liberation Party. This new attempt - after several failed attempts - comes in the wake of BT's revelation of the double life of a prominent member of Liberation Party, according to the newspaper.
Lea Wermelin, acting political spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party, told BT: “Hizb ut-Tahrir is a highly problematic organization that works against our democracy and our values. The Social Democrats” position is clear: Hizb ut-Tahrir must be dissolved, if legally possible.” This statement comes after renewed controversy surrounding Hizb ut-Tahrir.
This controversy was sparked, among other things, by BT's revelation that the prominent Islamist known as Aqil Abu Usama is actually Sebastian Osterfelt, who works under his Danish name for the state-owned company Energene, which operates vital infrastructure such as the Danish electricity grid. This revelation has raised concerns among many experts and politicians, according to the source.
Both the Danish People's Party and the Conservatives have also stated that they are prepared to try to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir, according to the newspaper's website.
Repeated attempts to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark have failed.
This is not the first attempt to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark. In 2004, 2008 and 2015, there were attempts by political circles to impose a ban on the party, but the Attorney General rejected the matter each time, because in his opinion, the ban would be unconstitutional, according to the source.
The Danish People's Party is optimistic about the party ban.
However, Mikkel Bjørn, the Danish People's Party's spokesperson on immigration, remains optimistic, telling the source: "I've heard lawyers say something is impossible, and then when you phrase it somewhat creatively, suddenly it's possible anyway. I'm not a lawyer, so it's difficult for me to say for certain whether Hizb ut-Tahrir can be banned under the constitution. But I think we should examine the possibilities very carefully.".
Circumstances changed after October 7th
Conservative Party spokesman Fredrik Bloch-Münster believes that “the situation surrounding Hizb ut-Tahrir has changed following the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, an attack for which Hizb ut-Tahrir members were charged and convicted. It is important that we reconsider this. It is not right that they should be allowed to act in this way,” he told BT.
“We were able to ban the Loyal to Familia gang organization, and there is a convergence between it and Hizb ut-Tahrir.”
Conservative Party spokesman Frederik Bloch-Münster told BT: “We have previously succeeded in banning Loyal to Familia, and although they are not exactly the same, the two organizations are close, you could say.”
“Hizb ut-Tahrir wants to make Denmark part of an Islamic caliphate.”
In response to BT's question about Loyal to Familia being a violent criminal gang, and Hizb ut-Tahrir being an Islamist party, why the latter is banned on par with Loyal to Familia, Fredrik Bloch-Münster said: "It's because they are both subversive organizations. Hizb ut-Tahrir wants to erase everything that makes Denmark Danish and make us part of an Islamic caliphate. The country they want is one that violates the rights of its citizens to a great extent, forcing us to defend ourselves. There is a fine line between tolerance and stupidity, and here we must ensure that we in Denmark act wisely, not stupidly.".
The BT newspaper website stated that the newspaper sent the data contained in this article to Hizb ut-Tahrir, but the party did not respond within the specified deadline.
Facts about Hizb ut-Tahrir according to BT website
Over time, several spokespeople for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark have been convicted, among other things, of inciting the murder of Jews.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is originally an Islamic political party that originated in Jerusalem in the mid-20th century and has since spread to many countries.
The organization, which seeks to establish a caliphate and implement Islamic law throughout the world, is banned in many Middle Eastern countries as well as in Germany and the United Kingdom.
Here in Denmark, political parties have tried several times to ban the organization, but to no avail.
Hizb ut-Tahrir came to Denmark in the 1990s, and in the first two decades of the 21st century, the party announced that its membership in the country ranged between 100 and 150 members.
