London, England

  For an organization that lacks any institutional support in the Muslim world, the pro-Caliphate group Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT) still manages to get its point across. Shunned from mosques and banned in several countries – usually for alleged anti-Semitism or annoying autocratic rulers - the group has relied in the past on relative secrecy (a counterintuitive strategy for a group seeking mass acceptance), the Internet and new media, or infiltrating existing media and civic groups to find a wider voice.

As an example, when pollster Dalia Mogahed recently appeared on the show Muslimah Dilemma, a women-led public affairs program on the UK-based Islam Channel, she may have felt that she was only lending her expertise to a discussion about sharia law. Being Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, Mogahed co-authored a number of poll-driven studies on the Muslim world, including 2008’s Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, among the most comprehensive studies available on contemporary Muslims.

Since she was a call-in guest, Mogahed didn’t realize that both the show’s host, Ibihal Bsis Ismail, and in-studio guest, Nazreen Nawaz, were both members of HT. As a result, the show’s meaning strayed far from women’s issues or sharia law itself. Mogahed is also a member of US President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which meant that this was as close as HT could get to debating Obama himself.

Although Mogahed offered observations from her studies relevant to the debate – particularly the views of women who felt that some aspects of sharia could deliver gender justice - her participation was spun as tacit agreement with HT’s philosophy, despite Mogahed’s comments that she was a researcher and not an advocate. Nevertheless, the show was soon touted on HT’s website as a de facto endorsement of their philosophy.

After many right wing commentators blasted Mogahed, interpreting her views the way HT did, Mogahed clarified that she was misled about the interview and would not have participated had she known about HT’s involvement. Noted Mogahed in a letter to Britain’s Daily Telegraph, “I suspect the host knew this and therefore deliberately misled us to score propaganda points for an ideological movement."

More importantly, Mogahed also confirmed that her own work contradicted HT’s philosophy and that substantial majorities of Muslims worldwide increasingly:

• Found no contradiction between democratic values and religious principles and the equal importance of democracy and Islam to the quality of life and progress of the Muslim world,
• Admired the political freedoms found in the West,
• Felt that any new constitution in their countries should guarantee freedom of speech,
• Want neither theocracy (what HT offers) nor secular democracy but a third model in which religion and democratic values form an indigenous democratic framework,
• Felt that religious leaders should play no direct role in drafting a constitution, writing legislation, determining foreign policy, or deciding how women dress in public.

All of these principles stand in contrast to Hizb-ut Tahrir’s worldview. In an open debate with such facts, the HT message would have been a harder sell (further untenables such as the abolition of copyrights and Saudi-style gender segregation can be seen in a draft constitution). Even the contention made on the show that women should not be "permitted to hold a position of leadership in government" belies those huge parts of the Muslim world led by women – in Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey. Nearly all were democratically elected in multi-party elections, another HT no-no.

Without a challenge, Hizb-ut-Tahrir continues to interpret polls such as Mogahed’s as indicating support for their brand of sharia law. Often cited to indicate a growing appeal are the 100,000 who showed up at a 2007 Jakarta rally. And yet Islamist political parties closest to Hizb’s viewpoints suffered at the Indonesia’s polls this year at the expense of more secular parties. Similar setbacks have taken place recently in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and elsewhere.

Despite a spike in HT activity over the past few years, due in part to the use of new media, there are still signs of decreasing influence, as HT audiences dwindle. In Britain, other attempts to blend unidentified with mainstream community organisations and newspapers have largely failed. A case involving Britain’s Guardian newspaper after the July 2005 attacks in London, where the author of a provocative commentary was uncovered as an HT activist, is one of the better known examples.

The reticence with which HT asserts itself within community forums, media groups, and political organisations speaks of a group that knows that its public face and vague strategy of implementation has limited appeal. And without access to mass media, HT’s reach to the average Muslim will continue to remain difficult. The coverage of this issue, coupled with the warmth with which Mogahed’s advisory position in the Obama administration was accepted by Muslims, could mean that undercover HT hosting of shows like Muslimah Dilemma could be in jeopardy. If so, HT will only have its image, tactics, and its message to blame.

Who exactly is the proposed "caliph" in this caliphate that HT proposes? Who is the group/nation/body that will lead ALL MUSLIMS? I find this a fascinating comcept since a large part of the pie I hear from Muslims is nationism, state determination and autonomy, and I am not seeing ethnic Muslims turning their show over to any group outside their own. I brushed shoulders briefly with a global Sufi order that is working hard to bring back the caliphate, a caliphate they believe is rightly theirs and their own nation's RIGHT to control. Take a guess who they might be. But all they look like is a lot of obessive dress-up and engagement with a disturning amount of stuff many other Muslims and even westerners would call blatant Orientalism. But then I have this same feeling about the European Union and a so-called president of that.

Good to see that you linked to the Huffington Post blog which Dalia wrote here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dalia-mogahed/who-speaks-for-islam_b_332686.html

which lets her speak in her own words, rather than the words of the right wing blogosphere. However, you followed that up by linking to a notorious right-wing British neo-conservative blog (spittoon) run by self-professed "murtads" and "former" Muslims:

http://neoconeurope.eu/The_Spittoon

the cowards of whom just did a hatchet job on sister Fareena Alam today:

http://www.spittoon.org/archives/3254

no need to go into details about mocking other Muslims or ridiculing Islamic practices (hijab, niqab, beards, segregation of sexes, etc.), which this blog does on a routine basis.

They asked you to apologize here:

http://www.spittoon.org/archives/2903

but still can't find the backbone or spine to use their own names to stand behind their own words.

Kw

>>> And yet Islamist political parties closest to Hizb’s viewpoints suffered at the Indonesia’s polls this year at the expense of more secular parties. Similar setbacks have taken place recently in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and elsewhere.

As long as Islamists continue to perceive Islamic power as Economic, Military or Political power, we will constantly be forced into a lamentable situation where dunya defines deen. Isn't it ironic that the message of the deen is undone by those who seek to "apply" it in every sphere. Islamic power is consolidated in the power of the believers to act in accordance with the message. Everything else is secondary.

So what next? Fatricide of the Kingdoms? Let them war till one nation is declared winner and becomes Caliph? What utter idiots. I come across them constnntly online. Not a single one is concerned with building up real world institutions that can reach into as many hearts as possible. All have an ideological goal to serve and protect. The sister shouldn't even bother. I just hope as many people can join the Muslims4UK march that can stamp out the doubters for Islam4Uk and the EDL.

If we go by the picture, the best line against HT would be: "If you join HT, you will look just as sad as our TV anchorwoman in the picture"!