Hamas Is Challenged by an Old Islamist Group, HT

The West Bank of the Palestinian territories has duly noted the folly of Hamas, but the people are not pleased with the Fata party either. The idea of negotiating with Israel is offensive to them. Better to starve than cooperate, they say. And as long as they maintain the sympathy of Europeans and the UN, they will not really starve.

Into this political vacuum comes a party that was founded 50 years ago but has enjoyed little attention until now: Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), which is attracting hordes of people. This group is as fundamentalist as Hamas or even al Qaeda, but it professes nonviolence. It can, however, put thousands of people into the streets – so far nonviolently. They claim membership in 45 countries, where many governments consider them a gateway organization feeding into extreme and violent groups.

What is their pitch? This group is expecting a miracle in which all the world’s Muslims will rise up and restore the Caliphate, which will then rule the world in perpetual peace. Groups such as al Qaeda believe in this Caliphate too – but want to bring it about by global Jihad. But so far, Hizb ut-Tahrir preaches nonviolence and attracts through hope.

How many times in history did Christians expect the final day, in which Jesus would return to preside over the violent end of the world? How many times have preachers walked around with sandwich boards proclaiming: “Repent! The End of the World is Near!” How many groups have sold all their possessions because they expected the end of the world at 3:00 pm Wednesday, only to be humiliated when their prediction failed to materialize? They do it over and over, without embarrassment.

Hizb ut-Tahrir predicts the return of the Caliph, the universal dictator of all Muslims and, of course, the conqueror of the rest of humanity. This vision is based on the fantasy that there was a universal dictator of all Muslims in history. The Caliphs were the immediate successors as head of religion and state after the prophet Mohammad died. The Caliphate, which lasted from 632 to 1256 AD, was a murderous institution in which assassination was the rule and dying in bed the exception. This institution only ruled over the Arabs and newly conquered Persia, never over the later converted Moghul India, Central Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia (all of which have much larger population than Arab Islam). The Ottoman Turks (1299-1922) established a make-believe Caliphate which was dissolved by Kamal Ataturk in 1924, when modern Turkey was born. The Caliphate’s glory days are imaginary.

Even if it were not, who would the Caliph be: an Arab, Persian, Indonesian, Afghan, or a British, French, or German Muslim? Can you imagine the entire Muslim world agreeing on such an issue? Would they hold their noses and vote?

Even if they could agree, can you imagine that they would have the military clout to take on the Western developed world – or China? How does a culture in which modern education is scorned, in which women are property and preferably kept ignorant, and in which modern democratic governance and modern jurisprudence haven’t a chance, expect to conquer the world?

They promise pie in the sky by and by, and that is enough to attract a very stupid constituency.

Contributing Editor Dr. Laina Farhat-Holzman is a historian, lecturer, and author.