in brief
- Home affairs minister said the group has been spreading hate “for a long time”.
- The Islamist group has also been banned in many other countries.
The Australian government has officially outlawed the Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir, declaring it illegal to be a member or to financially support the organization.
This prohibition marks the first implementation under new hate speech regulations introduced by the Labor government in response to the recent Bondi terror attack. These reforms aim to dismantle extremist entities and limit the impact of antisemitic and neo-Nazi rhetoric.
The legislation empowers authorities to dismantle extremist organizations and is designed to combat antisemitic hate preachers and neo-Nazi activities.
Prior to this, the government had indicated that such laws could be used against radical groups, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir and the neo-Nazi group, National Socialist Network.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is already banned in several countries, including Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the United Kingdom.
As of Thursday, under the new legal framework, associating with Hizb ut-Tahrir is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement on Friday it is designed to stop groups “from spreading hate and sowing the seeds of division in the community, that risks not only our social cohesion but the safety of Australians”.
“For a long time, Hizb ut-Tahrir has been able to spread hate and create a pathway for others to engage in violence,” he said.
Speaking to ABC Radio later on Friday morning, Burke clarified the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) recommended the ban, and it was then his decision to approve it.
“If the answer to that is yes, and there’s a view that banning them would provide general protection for the rest of the country, then the banning can happen and that takes effect today.”
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