Hizb ut-Tahrir
Aug 13th, 2007, in News, by PatungHizb ut-Tahrir’s caliphate conference in Jakarta.
About 70,000 people attended the International Khilafah Conference at Senayan stadium in Jakarta on 13th August hosted by Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), in the interests of furthering the goal of restoring the caliphate, or worldwide Islamic state.
Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Waving flags and chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great), the crowd included a large number of women and children. After a number of speeches the conference ended with a theatrical performance purporting to show the Islamic nations of the world being invaded by Western imperialists. The last scene showed a triumphant Islamic Caliphate expelling the westerners and restoring the unity and glory of the Muslim world.
Two speakers for the conference, Sheik Ismail Al Wahwah from Australia, and Imran Waheed from Britain, were denied entry to Indonesia on arrival at Jakarta airport, while radical Indonesian-Arab cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was ordered not to attend by police. heraldsun
A number of mainstream Indonesian Muslim leaders attended, and sometimes addressed the crowd, including Din Syamsuddin of Muhammadiyah, and randy preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar or Aa Gym.
Aa Gym said Hizb ut-Tahrir should be accepted because they were not violent.
Din Syamsuddin.
Din Syamsuddin, who was not killed in the Garuda crash of March this year, said the idea of a caliphate was fine as long as it recognised the unitary state of Indonesia and the pluralism of the country. The caliphate was mentioned in the Quran, he said, but these days it should be understood not in terms of a concrete political structure but as a way of uniting the world’s Muslims, in some uncertain way.
Even though Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in most Muslim majority countries, and also in Germany and Russia, he said it should be tolerated because Indonesia was democratic and pluralistic, and those who attempted to suppress the caliphate movement were being anti-democratic and anti-pluralistic. antara
Muhammad Ismail Yusanto.
Muhammad Ismail Yusanto of HTI said the organisation rejected the democratic system because it placed sovereignty in the hands of the people rather than God. However HTI was willing to participate in elections, and was quite willing, in a pluralistic spirit, to cooperate with other Islamic groups, and it abhorred violence. antara
A video collation of news reports of the event:
39 Comments on “Hizb ut-Tahrir”
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Djoko says:
80% were middle aged women, housewives. When I saw them on TV I mentioned to the wife that they were just the sort of women who used to spend Sunday afternoons watching AA Gym on the telly. I now see that ol’ AA was speaking at the rally, his attendance probably accounted for about 60% of the audience turnout.
The irony is, in Indonesia at least, many members of groups like this are in fact women. The other two examples I can think of are the PKS and the student organisation (which more or less is run by people who go on to become PKS cadres), KAMMI. In fact KAMMI is often jokingly redubbed ‘Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Muslimat Indonesia’ (Indonesian Women Muslims’ Action Union) .
HTI is still miniscule compared to other Islamic organisations, though I was talking to friends who are members of Persatuan Islam in Bandung and said that HTI has begun popping up almost out of nowhere there.
Having heard Ismail Yusanto speak at a seminar once though, I get the impression that for the most part HTI is the equivalent of far left socialist groups in Europe, pining away for some massive revolution or transformation which they are in no position to pull of in any number of lifetimes soon. Doesn’t stop them putting on a spectacle though.
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Ismayanto Prihandariyanto says:
This movement is nothing but cruel dictator. They critize Bush for creating Guantanamo ( which I prefer to call it ” Gulagtanamo), like the communists did in Siberia, but they are also going to make it even worse cause they use the name of God to prohibite any dissidents. They abuse any possible verses of Holy Koran to justify their desire to hold power ( same with Hitler,Bush,and Stalin). Save our Islam from the people of a-history,bloody power thirsty. They even bad people for Islam rather than for non Muslims.
Islam is a religion of equality ! Why don’t they quote the story of the fellow Christians from Najran which were allowed to pray in their own rite at the Masjid Nebawi ( see sirah ibn Hisham)?. This movement is centered in UK ? Who donates them ? .
They want to create one caliphate! Which caliphate do they want ? Historically there were bicaliphates ; 1 in Syria under the reign of Abd El Malik ben Marwan,and another in Medina under the reign of Abdellah ben Zobaer. Both made bloodshed in the name of Islam! It is going to be repeated again by these stupid people.
This religion ( like also many religions) is sick for being abused for gaining power. Please brothers in Islam, unite to resist this blood thirsty people! Show that we ,Muslims are mature ! -
Sputjam says:
Muslims are submitters.
submitters to the guides laid up in the koran.
the ones who attended the rally defy the guides in the koran.
prophet Mohamed dared not introduce or delete anything from the koran by himself.
friday and 5 daily prayers, there is no such requirement in the koran, but these people who atended the rally does so.
Previous prophets never asked for any money from their community. Why is it that zakat must be paid to the clergies, who then conned the followers into slavery to their man made religion.
Previous prophets never performed the Haj. Why must Muslims worship around a piece of stone in mecca.
fasting in ramadan meant self-discipline/self-restraint, not starving yourself to death for one month.
The correct translation of the koran must not have any contradictions. If there are, then the meaning is wrongly translated.
prophet Mohamed was against any form of idol worship. he was against the quraish who were performing stone worshipping in mecca.
Upon his death, the quraish discarded the guidelines in the koran by mistranslating a few words, introduce the hadith and sunnah and went back to pagan worship which hundred of millions were enslaved into.
The Muslim religionist believe that followers of Christians and Jews discarded and corrupted the bible and torah. what they did not know was that the Arabs did similar things to the koran and introduce the hadith and sunnah to mislead the masses into paganism.
beleive in the One God and do good deeds of rightiousness. For you will be judged by your deeds alone. That was the main message in the koran. -
Rambutan says:
Djoko said
Having heard Ismail Yusanto speak at a seminar once though, I get the impression that for the most part HTI is the equivalent of far left socialist groups in Europe, pining away for some massive revolution or transformation which they are in no position to pull of in any number of lifetimes soon. Doesn’t stop them putting on a spectacle though.
Yes, very true. They are more left-leaning than any self-professed socialist in Indonesia. It just shows their confused thinking and populism.
Personally, I think it’s a scandal that Din Syamsuddin is talking at an event organised by a clearly anti-democratic organisation. He is showing his true colours after all. Dangerous man, he is. Far more dangerous than ten Abubakar Basyirs put together…
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Personally, I think it’s a scandal that Din Syamsuddin is talking at an event organised by a clearly anti-democratic organisation. He is showing his true colours after all. Dangerous man, he is. Far more dangerous than ten Abubakar Basyirs put together”¦
I don’t think he is as radical as some people think he is. I think in the end he has his eyes on one thing and one thing alone, and thats a run at the presidency in 2009. Just after the 2004 elections people were worried because Din seemed close to the PKS, but in recent times he’s distanced himself from them and Muhammadiyah even put a warning out about PKS. Of course this was interesting as it was nicely timed to go along with his part in the establishment of the Baitul Muslimin wing of the PDIP. Now he shows up at a HTI rally. He’s hardly an extremist, just a pathetic political chameleon.
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He’s hardly an extremist, just a pathetic political chameleon
Yes, I agree. Din is certainly not a radical, rather a conservative. But I think he is dangerous as he is willing to get into bed with everybody as long as it furthers his personal and political goals. His attendance at the HT event is contributing to public acceptance of groups like HT and thus undermining the very foundations of the country.
If he attends such an event he should say it clearly that a caliphate and the Indonesian state are contradictory. The two just don’t go together. If you support the establishment of a caliphate it automatically implies that you want to abolish the Indonesian state in its current form. Instead he goes on about good Islamic teachings and blahblahblah. Din is an opportunist and hypocrite – unfotunately with a lot of influence; that’s what makes him dangerous.
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Ross says:
The most disturbing aspect of this fanatic rally -apart from ostensibly respectable people like A. A. Gym and Din Syansuddin lending it the credibility of their presence – was the lavish coverage given by TVRI.
I tuned in at 11pm to catch any late news and was aghast to sit through over an hour of rants faithfully recorded by the nation’s flagship tv station. This close attention to the lunatic fringe (would the major US networks give saturation coverage to a Ku Klux Klan rally?) included the ludicrous ‘entertainment’ whereby placard-carrying loonies representing Muslim countires were confronted with the wicked old Stars and Stripes and our Union Jack trampling on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Not so much as a glimmer of recognition that thanks to the Allies, these two nations had their first free elections in many decades. Nor that it is the uniformly Muslim govenrments of Iraq and Afghanistan which are united with Brits and Yanks and Aussies and Canucks and many others in fighting ignorant and evil savages aka Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Thanks to TVRI, however, I was able to see and hear that none of the star speakers used the opportunity to apologise for their co-bigots’ murder of innocent Koreans. Did Pak Gym or Pak Din take the chance to speak for decency and demand the hostages’ release instead of pandering to Islamist drivel? I don’t think so but would be delighted to stand corrected.
When will these kind of benighted totalitarian twits be corralled into pariah status and given the time and attention they deserve -ten minutes of contempt sometime after the cartoons are over. Indonesia’s Muslims should act to preserve the good name of their faith.
Incidentally, Metro TV news told us that evening that the many foreign delegates to the conference included ‘English’ Muslims. Indonesians annoyingly use Inggris to describe British, not just English, people or things. One hopes that when these ‘English’ fanatics return to their homeland, Special Branch will be waiting to ask why they are coming back to a country towards which they feel they owe no loyalty. In fact, it might be a fine idea to refuse them admission unless they swear fealty to Her Majesty. Sedition is still a crime and urging a caliphate clericalist universal tyranny surely amounts to seeking to get the Queen’s subjects to forswear allegiance? -
The most disturbing aspect of this fanatic rally -apart from ostensibly respectable people like A. A. Gym and Din Syansuddin lending it the credibility of their presence – was the lavish coverage given by TVRI.
I know hey. I haven’t seen any other Islamic organisations or even parties getting coverage like that. The closest thing to it was the silaturahmi between Golkar and PDIP recently (though that was on metro, and you would expect that with it being Golkar’s media wing).
Then again maybe they thought people would enjoy a giggle at the silliness of it all. There was a lot of pomp and ceremony going on for not much substance.
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Sylvester says:
Agree. Din Syamsudin is just a low level old brat.
Also, A.A Gym true color is obvious now. It’s hard to trust any moslem politicians in Indo anyway. Simply because in islam that for against “infidels”, any bad things including killing is allowed.
It’s a pity that Indo Govt has no nerve to demolish this organization. -
Who in his right mind would be watching TVRI???
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“Islam is a religion of equality!”
I’m sorry Ismayanto but it is not just Islamic anachronisms who preach the dualistic worldview. Perhaps a little self-reflection is in order here.
I’ll also agree with the comments that regardless of who actually attended – there are a few areas of concern to note:
1) Political change begins in the kampungs not in the city
2) The legitimization of the rally by Indonesia’s elite and media
3) The lack of an effective counterbalance to the movement’s momentumLao
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WP says:
Who in his right mind would be watching TVRI???
Ross did 😀
(Sorry Ross, couldn’t resist this one 😉
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Peter says:
he said it should be tolerated because Indonesia was democratic and pluralistic, and those who attempted to suppress the caliphate movement were being anti-democratic and anti-pluralistic.
How ironic. Citing the ideals of democracy and pluralism to defend a movement whose goal it is to establish an anti-democratic and anti-pluralistic society.
the organisation rejected the democratic system because it placed sovereignty in the hands of the people rather than God.
And conveniently, “God” cannot be held accountable for anything, can He? The rulers of a Khalifa become in effect representatives of God, and by extension become immune to any censure, because to challenge the Khalifa is to challenge God’s rule, which is to challenge God Himself. Hmm. I bet Indonesian politicians would like this arrangement very much, ya?
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Poernomo says:
Not so much as a glimmer of recognition that thanks to the Allies, these two nations had their first free elections in many decades.
You call having election under occupation free? But considering the history of the british establishment, you probably would. But that doesnt matter now does it? Britain is insignificant anyways. Like his predecessor, I’m sure gordon will make a fine lapdog. And besides free elections in the Muslim world are overrated … just ask Hamas.
Oh and on behalf of Afghanistan and Iraq … thanks allies for making life worse than under those dictators and killing even more innocent lives. Its ok that you didnt find those WMDs … or that you lied to the world about your reasons for coming … or that you cant even find osama … or that you dont even have an exist strategy. At least they’ve had free elections under a barrel of a gun.
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The elections in both countries were not disputed for fairness by anyone, UN, parties involved (from Communists to Monarchists) or by the anti-Western activists in the so-called ‘occupying’ countries. Do you really dispute their legitimacy?
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Oigal says:
What an excellent comment, full of laughs.
“Like his predecessor, I’m sure gordon will make a fine lapdog.”
Laugh. Indonesia calling someone a lapdog, here quick dress like an Arab, adopt his customs and dump your own..pant, pant..yes master you called.
“thanks allies for making life worse than under those dictators and killing even more innocent lives” Ya the bastards making all those bombs and blowing up markets…oh wait thats right, its other Muslims doing that..
Personally I agree though, Allies (your word) should never have gone and should get out now but only because it’s just not worth the effort and besides everyone knows you can rely on the other Muslim Nations to do the right thing and make sure everyone has a safe, happy life.
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Ihaknt says:
Hey, will they be welcoming people next year for Visih Indonesia year? Woohoo…
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Aluang Anak Bayang says:
Friend Rob, we are not following the Arabs. We are following God’s advice. The Arabs are God chosen people, and Arabic is God’s language. Before Islam, the whole world was in darkness, every race and nation behaved like the Jews. The proof is in the Quran itself. Allahi illaha Allah Subhana Wata’ala – this is the language that is going to replace English, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, etc. Read the Quran if you have doubt. Prophet Mohammad pbuh said that Allah is mankind’s creator. The proof is in the Quran itself.
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Jagger says:
Watch out Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia! If you read the book of JI’s emir, Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, entitled “Catatan Dari Penjara: Untuk Mengamalkan dan Menegakkan Dinul Islam” [Notes from Prison: To Erect and Implement Sharia Law — written when he was behind bar as implicated in the 2002 Bali bombing], the goal of HTI is definitely the same as what Ba’asyir advocated. Ba’asyir rejected the existence of democracy, parliament, and people’s sovereignty, as they are man’s made, not God’s made. He and HTI instead want the implementation of a strict sharia law and advocate religious intolerance. HTI should be banned. They are breeding and supporting terrorists.
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The elections in both countries were not disputed for fairness by anyone, UN, parties involved (from Communists to Monarchists) or by the anti-Western activists in the so-called ‘occupying’ countries. Do you really dispute their legitimacy?
As voting goes, they probably were fair however, you cannot call it legitimate when election implies electing a government on which to rule. As it stands now the Maliki government in Iraq and the Karzai government in Afghanistan do not have that capacity. The security of Iraq is in the hands of over 100,000 American troops. So what if they had the opportunity to vote, what does that vote mean in the end when the security and sovereignty of that country is in the hands of a foreign force? And yes, having an active foreign military force on your soil means you’re ‘occupied’.
Laugh. Indonesia calling someone a lapdog, here quick dress like an Arab, adopt his customs and dump your own..pant, pant..yes master you called.
Islam is a religion which has a set of doctrines much like Christianity and Democracy, its not about being Arab much less being a lapdog to the Arabs. Its like calling the British lapdogs to Jews since they adopted Christianity and the Americans to the Greeks since they adopted democracy.
Personally I agree though, Allies (your word) should never have gone and should get out now but only because it’s just not worth the effort and besides everyone knows you can rely on the other Muslim Nations to do the right thing and make sure everyone has a safe, happy life.
Yeah thats typical of the west, spread chaos and mayhem then leave. We’ve seen it before.
Aluang Anak Bayang Says: blah blah blah…
Aluang, I dont really know what you said but you really stand on your own two feet and stop hiding under the pretext of being Muslim. Being cynical is one thing but do you have a point or just want everyone to laugh at you?
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Pena Budaya says:
This is sad..really sad..
…In a country like Indonesia or majority of Asian countries like India, which many faiths and religions are existed, no real nationalism can be built up, except on the basis of secularity…
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KSJ says:
Uhh Ohh… here we go again. I’m glad that some Indonesian Muslim organizations reject this dangerous Islamic organization. If it is banned in several countries, then, it must not be good. Let’s keep Indonesian young democracy safe from religious bigotries.
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Teta says:
Muhammad Ismail Yusanto of HTI said the organisation rejected the democratic system because it placed sovereignty in the hands of the people rather than God. However HTI was willing to participate in elections, and was quite willing, in a pluralistic spirit, to cooperate with other Islamic groups, and it abhorred violence.
Huh?
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Brothers, we support the worldwide caliphate for very good reasons. God had said that He accept no other religions except Islam. Muslims in NW China are treated and persecuted like the Christians and non-Muslims in the Middle East. Uighur Muslims are not allowed to keep long beard as per Islamic tradition. We should send a very strong message to China that this is not acceptable.
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Tomaculum says:
“God had said that He accept no other religions except Islam.”
Which God do you mean, brother Aluang? My God (and it is surely not Allah, Christian, Hindu God or similars) said: He doesn’t accept no religions. He just want us to be good human being and not to abuse His name(s). So which God is the mightier?“Muslims in NW China are treated and persecuted like the Christians and non-Muslims in the Middle East.”
Yasidis in Irak are treated and persecuted by their moslem brothers, the kurds in the turkey are discriminated and also persecuted by the islam turks, also the Christian minority up there. More of such examples? So we see how usefull are the religions.
So let us better create a caliphate or an empire of do-gooder and let us love each other (in our heart and in bed).
🙂In da mattress, brother Aluang (freely adapted from brother A. Sudarsono, which I miss very much … 🙂 )
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Cukurungan says:
Aluang :
Brothers, we support the worldwide caliphate for very good reasons. God had said that He accept no other religions except Islam.
Cukurungan:
If God wish, it is very easy to make the islam is only religion on earth but God doesn’t want so instead God create every thing in pairs and diversity so there is good vs bad, beautiful vs uggly, sweet vs bitter, hard vs soft, hot vs cold, heaven vs hell and so on, the secret of those differentiation is to highlight, reveal and give strong sign of His existence.
The simple question to reject the world’s single idelogy is what purpose God created Hell if all human fate will be ended up in heaven….of course God won’t create something without purpose.
Regard,
Your Guru -
Sheikh Cuk, you mean as in ‘yin and yang’? That is Chinese philosophy which they copied from Allah swt.
I see your reasonings now – opposing pair:
the Arab – big eyes, big nose
the Chinese – small eyes, small nosethe Arab’s religion – Islam
the Chinese’s religion – Communismthe Arab – fly on buraq
the Chinese – fly on dragonthe Arab – sex with underages children ok
the Chinese – think it is repulsivethe Arab – sex with animal ok
the Chinese – can’t even imaginethe Arab – wife swapping ok
the Chinese – think it is shamefulthe Arab – ready to kill in Allah’s name
the Chinese – ready to tradeSurely, Allah swt has created hell for the despicable Chinese. It all make sense now.
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Sheikh Cuk, I am very very angry with the Chinese when you wrote, ‘…..God create every thing in pairs and diversity so there is good vs bad, beautiful vs uggly, sweet vs bitter, hard vs soft, hot vs cold, heaven vs hell and so on, the secret of those differentiation is to highlight, reveal and give strong sign of His existence……’
Darn Chinese had been copying Allah’s ying and yang philosophy, and pass it as their own.
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Aluang,
why you hate many people?
Is your allah filling your heart with hatred and anger?
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Some of the US blogs are pointing out this event as proof that the so called “moderate” nature of Indonesian Islam is a sham, I don’t think so for a number of reasons.
1) There are a quarter of a billion people in Indonesia, 90% of whom are Muslim. Hizbut Tahrir wanted 100 000 people to come to the event, they got 70 000.
2) 80% were middle aged women, housewives. When I saw them on TV I mentioned to the wife that they were just the sort of women who used to spend Sunday afternoons watching AA Gym on the telly. I now see that ol’ AA was speaking at the rally, his attendance probably accounted for about 60% of the audience turnout. There were several big soccer matches yesterday, I am pleased to see that Indonesian men have more sense about the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon than their wives.
3) The speeches were fairly tepid stuff, no real ‘slay the infidel’ stuff. The reason being that seven of the Hizbut star performers were banned from entering the country. It would appear that the Indonesian government has a better idea about how to treat these folks than Australia or Britain.
All in all it would seem that Hizbut Tahrir will have a bloody long wait if they want Indonesians to kick start their worldwide Caliphate.