Daily Times

Naeem Tahir received his first glimpse of members from Hizb-ut-Tahrir on the streets of Birmingham in October 2010 (‘Hizb-ut-Tahrir infiltration, Daily Times, July 16, 2011). My own ‘first contact’ with Hizb-ut-Tahrir was not one of physical proximity. Introduction to the organisation came through an article sent to me by an Islamic scholar several years ago. The words of a former member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, who also resides in the UK, were a scathing indictment against the US military operations in Iraq. One section in the article stands out in my mind to this day. The journalist emphatically states that captured American troops should be slowly tortured to death. The academic hunt was on because the threat became personal. I felt his saliva drip on my uniform and his breath on my collar device.

My digital library contains a portion of a Hizb-ut-Tahrir document that was circulated at a conference in Australia several years ago. Unsure of why I am in receipt of only 50 percent of a nearly 100-page text, I remain grateful for what was passed along.

‘From Darkness into Light’ by Salim Fredericks and Ahmer Feroze is distributed by Al Khilafah Publications based out of London. The authors use the seerah (biography) of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the springboard for their political template. The lengthy introduction to the document ends with this ayat, copied directly from the text:

“Allah has promised, to those among you who have believed and worked righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the earth, inheritance of power, as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their deen (religion), the one He has chosen for them and that He will change their state of fear in which they lived to one of security and peace” (TMQ An-Nur: 55).

The initial reading of ‘From Darkness into Light’ gave me an impression of cedar panels with vermilion script.

Brigadier Ali Khan was detained on May 6 for his purported involvement with members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir. The facts of the case will be presented against the officer in question. A free press will report on any new developments. But this scenario increases the pressure on editors and journalists to dig into available research regarding the organisation. Let me focus on the fifth chapter of the aforementioned document. It is titled ‘Targeting Nusrah for the attainment of Statehood’. The word ‘nusrah’ translates to support. In this case, support is sought by attaining, taking and targeting power and authority. The authors state this again and again. Here is one sample sentence:

“The lessons Muslims must take today is that this phase of the seerah of seeking support to take power, is the only way to attain a state today.”

This document is dependent on a retrograde activity model. It catapults from the seventh century to the 21st century by replicating within a different timeline and physical space the world as it existed in the time of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). This is not realistic. Current realities demand current solutions. I am not sure which tribes Hizb-ut-Tahrir is seeking for consolidation of power, nor which chieftains they hope to influence. But it appears they have influenced at least one high-ranking military officer in Pakistan to move on their behalf. Online research brought a startling moment. A Facebook page for Hizb-ut-Tahrir Wilayah Pakistan states the following: ‘Real change is Khilafah by Nusrah through the Pak Army’. Any individual can set up a Facebook wall. But this particular wall is coming out of Lahore, Pakistan and has over 2,000 members. This is the power of networking, which can be a technological web of nusrah.

What must be determined in the ongoing investigation against Brigadier Ali Khan are the granular details. Has chain of custody been breached? Military personnel follow strict rules for maintaining chain of custody for sensitive documents. But there is another chain of custody that must be maintained. It is the custody of our military ideology. It is not about blind allegiance. It is about keeping a singular focus regarding the oath of office. We serve the needs of the legal state. If Hizb-ut-Tahrir has infiltrated the military ranks, Pakistan faces an internal national security issue.

Let’s review the basics of good governance. Healthy political process requires transparency. Operationally visible political parties present their platforms in public manner. The candidates provide individual qualifications for stewardship. They all give it their best shot. Voters head to the polls and await the outcome. Mixed within the electoral season are the backroom deals made by the usual powerbrokers. The philandering ways of the powerful remind us to clutch the best of our own wit and talent. When the outcome is not to our satisfaction we await the next voting cycle. The grand game begins again. Citizens must work for political goals with integrity and transparency. Citizens benefit by entering the fray with honest intentions. Government benefits by receiving into their ranks the best of the talent pool. Finally, a government with the greatest level of transparency presents as the least oppressive toward their citizens.

Cleaning the shop of government is a hard task. Cleaning the military shop is quite a bit easier. Discipline is more streamlined and effective. Commands can be lost and duties stripped. Officers can be confined to quarters. But I do have to shudder a bit. Does Hizb-ut-Tahrir imagine Pakistan within even remote grasp via the mechanism of a future military coup? Open political process is healthier than dark operational intrigue. The citizen is to be a creature of light and not one of darkness. It is not words but deeds that display proof of wisdom. And the truly wise are never completely sure of themselves. Rather, they are tentative by nature and willing to explore different perspectives.

‘The Warm Call of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Britain’ is the final chapter in the writing done by Fredericks and Feroze. Apparently, that warm call has also drifted into Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be reached at tammyswof@msn.com