Press Release
Cameron announces another nail in the coffin of 'British freedoms' calling them 'counter-extremism' measures!

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a series of measures to silence dissenting views - and to ban lawful religious practice – saying they fall outside his definition of "British values".

These proposals – like almost all counter-extremism policy in this country – are not about 'terrorism' or violence – but are about enforcing a secular identity, suppressing political views and reforming the religious values of Muslims. They are a deflection from government policies – foreign and domestic – that are recognized drivers of legitimate grievances.

Using rhetoric that accuses those he disagrees with of being 'hate preachers' and 'extremists' - he perpetuates the discredited links between beliefs and violence, and exploits public fears of ISIS and of terrorist violence in order to justify yet more draconian laws, building upon a decade and a half of measures that have not just affected Muslims, but others as well.

Commenting on Cameron's latest announcement, Taji Mustafa, media representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain said, "Cameron seems proud to propose more 'police state' policies to put himself alongside both his old friends in the Saudi royal family and his new friends in the Chinese politburo - including arbitrarily blacklisting 'radicals', subjecting them to a variety of measures including house arrest and internal exile, threatening a dissolution of mosques and imposing new censorship rules on broadcasters."

‎ "What does it say of his confidence - or lack of it – in being able to counter ideas, if he bans and bullies, rather than debates ideas?"

"What does it say of his confidence – or lack of it - in the judicial system of this country that he plans to take a flamethrower to Magna Carta, bypassing due process and giving the executive more power to criminalise peoples' views and lifestyles, rather than use existing laws which outlaw incitement to violence?"
"Is every critic of liberal values or the democratic system to be labeled an 'extremist', in this so-called 'free society'?"

‎"Amongst all his proposals, which would make employers and public services part of his 'stasi' state, there is still some room for amusement in his ridiculous proposal to waste yet more money funding government friendly groups, who have done him the service of trying to reform Islam! Having failed to convince the Muslim community to adopt his ideas, he now has to bribe people."‎

"Why should anyone have confidence in another raft of 'anti-extremism' policies that have led Muslim children to be reported to police-led counter-extremism programs for requesting prayer facilities, declining to play musical instruments, holding pro-Palestinian political views and for using the word 'eco-terrorist'?"

"Our aim in Hizb ut Tahrir is to continue to expose pernicious policies like these wherever and whenever we can."

"We will continue to work in protecting people's Islamic identity at a time when they are being bullied into hiding it."

"We will continue to discuss important political issues, and inform Muslims about Islam's political views to the best of our ability. To accept the rules of "Prevent" and remain silent whilst everyone in society can discuss issues such as Syria, Palestine, Jihad, Shari'ah and Islamic State – would be a crazy approach. Most Imams and Islamic scholars do not dare discuss these issues in any meaningful way for fear of being labeled 'extremist' or 'hate-preachers' - thereby leaving a mountain of unanswered questions for the Muslim youth. This is utterly stupid in an era when young people need legitimate Islamic answers to difficult questions."

"Cameron, May, Gove and others doubtless think they are more capable than Stalin Putin, Islam Karimov and the leaders of Quraysh in forcing Muslims to abandon Islamic values."

"But it is our belief that just as their forebears failed to both convince Muslims by intellectual argument they will similarly fail to coerce Muslims by force."

"As we have said before – and we will say again, every student of history or religion knows that whenever an arrogant ruling class tries to crush the values of a principled few, they always end humiliated."

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Britain