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In brief
- Burke said his department had received advice from ASIO that the group met the legal threshold to be banned.
- Established in 1953, Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic political organisation with chapters around the world.
The federal government has initiated proceedings to outlaw the Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, leveraging newly established hate group legislation. This development was disclosed by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
During an appearance on ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday, Burke stated that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had advised his department that Hizb ut-Tahrir met the criteria necessary for a ban. This recommendation stems from a legal framework introduced following the Bondi Beach terror attack, which empowers the home affairs minister to prohibit groups involved in or promoting hate crimes rooted in racial, national, or ethnic animosity.
Burke elaborated that his department is tasked with compiling a comprehensive briefing to substantiate claims that the radical cleric group poses an increased threat of hate-motivated violence. This briefing is a critical step in the legal process leading to the potential ban.
Following this, the leader of the opposition will be briefed, setting the stage for the attorney-general’s final approval of the legislation. Burke highlighted the significance of this move, noting, “This is the first occasion where we are considering banning a group that does not meet the full criteria for a terrorist listing.”
The opposition leader would then be briefed before the attorney-general signed off on the laws.
“This is the first time we have been able to ban, potentially, a group which falls short of a terrorist listing,” he said.
“It says you don’t have to be specifically calling for, but you do have to be acting in a way that increases the risk of communal violence or politically-motivated violence.”
The federal government announced in December that the laws were intended to target “hate preachers”. They named Hizb ut-Tahrir and the National Socialist Network, a neo-Nazi group that disbanded in January, as organisations it wanted banned.
Established in 1953, Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic political organisation with chapters around the world. Its name translates to “Party of Liberation”.
The organisation is banned in several countries, including in the United Kingdom, Germany, Egypt, Turkey, China and several countries in Central Asia.
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