Hizb ut-Tahrir, the extreme Islamist group which wants to establish a worldwide Caliphate, has pressed ahead with plans to hold its annual conference in East London this weekend, despite criticism from a wide range of local politicans.
Jim Fitzpatrick, the Labour MP for Poplar and Canning Town, where the event is being held, told the East London advertiser that "It's an organisation that preaches intolerance and division and there should be no place for it ... it's disappointing that they're coming to Tower Hamlets when so many people are working hard to build up community relations."
Tim Archer, a Tower Hamlets Tory councillor also criticised Hizb ut-Tahrir's decision to hold the event in East London:
He said: "The last thing we need in Tower Hamlets is a questionable organisation getting its claws stuck into our communities."
The East London Advertiser reported that "hundreds" of young Muslims are expected at the former Troxy cinema in Commercial-road on Saturday for the yearly gathering of a party banned in several countries around the world.
Hizb ut-Tahrir, however, rejected their concern. Taji Mustafa, the group's main spokesman, said: "It is hard to understand how a conference which is discussing the political future of the Muslim world and presenting a positive series of solutions is divisive."
"Politicians and media that comment on such matters without correctly establishing what the purpose of our conference is do themselves no credit and do a great injustice to those whom they represent or inform.
People should really go to one of Hizb ut-Tahrir's conferences before making such dogmatic and bigoted statements.
I went last year. And it's exactly what the mainstream Muslims need - a non-violent, Islamic and practical approach to some of the problems we're facing at the moment.
I'm travelling up with a bunch of guys and girls from Kent. Only complaint is that there's 2500 seats and it's still damn hard to get hold of tickets! C'mon people - choose a bigger venue next year!
Interesting.
Cairo has been full of Hizbis all summer, studying Arabic, maintaining exquisitely trimed beards and stocking up on Ibn Hazm tomes.
Judging by the amount of intelligence sharing between the Tajiks, Uzbeks and their Brit pals, HuT are confident enough to display their credentials again in Egypt.
A couple of Qaradaawi postings of late are brimming with caliphatist nonsese too...will he be reapplying for a visa?
http://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=6086&version=1&template_id=119&parent_id=13
http://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=6088&version=1&template_id=119&parent_id=13
http://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=6092&version=1&template_id=119&parent_id=13
http://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=6101&version=1&template_id=119&parent_id=13
The last in his series carefully situates democracy in an Islamic context as THE model Islamic state whilst lamenting the 'illusory nature' of Western democracy.