The UK Islamist news website 5Pillars has published an opinion piece by Abdul Wahid—chairman of the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain—arguing that Muslim majority countries, and to a lesser degree some Muslims in the UK, are betraying the Palestinian and Kashmiri causes. Titled, Only a united Ummah can liberate Palestine and Kashmir, Wahid advocates the use of military force and the establishment of the Khilafah, or Caliphate, as the only means for achieving this.
Subtitled “Dr Abdul Wahid, chairman of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, asks when will Muslim states step up to their responsibilities and liberate Palestine and Kashmir,” this piece is primarily an attack on Muslim countries, although it also denounces the United States and Israel—which is referred to by the derogatory term “the Zionist entity”.
Wahid writes of “treacherous intermediaries in places like the UAE” who allegedly sell property to Israelis, and under the heading “Traitorous Muslim states” Wahid claims that “the real problem” is countries like Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, which have long standing diplomatic ties and peace agreements with Israel. The UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco are also condemned in the piece for their recent part in promoting regional cooperation and coexistence with Israel. According to the author, this has made the “Zionist occupiers” ever-more “emboldened and shameless.”
In his article, Abdul Wahid likens these “traitorous Muslim states” to Muslim politicians in the UK (linking to a piece about Sadiq Khan) and “government backed Imams” (linking to a story about British Imams visiting Jerusalem as part of a trip arranged with Ed Husain in 2019).
The article takes a similarly critical view of efforts by Pakistan’s General Bajwa to encourage a peace process with India—framing this as “surrendering” the Kashmir issue at America’s behest.
Wahid argues that the Middle East was “thrown into oppression and chaos by a shake up of the region after World War One,” and that “only a similar political shake up will rectify the problem.” This means, “uniting the lands and resources and people, under a sincere Islamic leadership.” Wahid continues by asserting:
“It is only armies of a state that can liberate a state-level military occupation.
That is what Salahuddin (may Allah have mercy on him) did centuries ago. That is what the people of Palestine cry out for today – and that all of this can only come with the re-establishment of the Khilafah, on the method of Prophethood.”
Hizb ut-Tahrir’s chairman concludes his piece by quoting from a passage of Quranic scripture, stating; “And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children”.
Beneath this piece, a number of readers left extreme and hateful messages, raising questions about whether 5Pillars’ staff moderate the comments sections of the articles they publish. One commenter who was critical of the piece was attacked as a “Kafir Qadiani”—Qadiani being a term of abuse used about Ahmadi Muslims. The individual making that comment claimed that it was Britain who “created Qadianis in the first place,” stating that the “cursed” founder of the Ahmadi denomination was actually a British agent.
A third commenter, who similarly accused the first of being a “qadiani kafir disbeliever,” claimed that the armies in several Muslim countries help “kuffar Jews America Russia kill muslims.” The same individual also claimed that the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon are “all kafirs.” In response, another commenter cautioned to take care when referring to “the brothers and sisters of hizb ut tahrir who work day and night to expose the falsehood of human-made systems and show the correctness of Islam.”
