On the 2nd of February 2015, Prime Minister Abbott delivered an address at the National Press Club. In it, he made mention of potentially strengthening anti-terror legislation and banning Hizb ut Tahrir. In response, Hizb ut Tahrir Australia relates the following:

1. At a time of immense political pressure and weakness, Tony Abbott is playing tough to score cheap and opportunistic political points. The issue of national security is one conveniently raised only for politically expedient purposes.

2. Mention of banning Hizb ut Tahrir and further strengthening already overreaching anti-terror laws have little to do with security, and much more to do with silencing dissent. Hizb ut Tahrir's activities are not illegal; and to alter that would demonstrate that the Australian government is willing to change law to suit political agendas and stifle critical voices.

3. Hizb ut Tahrir is a party of ideas - it is exclusively intellectual and political. To institute measures to ban Hizb ut Tahrir would be nothing other than an effective banning of certain concepts and discussions that the government is uncomfortable with. This is troubling to say the least.

4. The accusation of Hizb ut Tahrir being somehow linked to terrorism is a tired and baseless claim that is unworthy of a serious response. The Australian government has no moral standing when talking of terrorism as it supports some of the greatest terrorists of our age - state terrorists such as America and "Israel", as well as dictators in the Muslim world such as El-Sisi of Egypt.

5. Australia's anti-terror laws have already created a two-tiered legal system that treats Muslims not as ordinary people before the law, but as a national security issue to be policed. The cover of legality afforded to the anti-terror laws worryingly justifies state oppression and discrimination.

6. The objective of such talk is to threaten and intimidate Muslims into not accounting the Australian government for its foreign policy crimes and to have them accept a localised, secular version of Islam that is not the Islam revealed by Allah (swt) to Muhammad (saw). This must be staunchly rejected. Today Abbott is taking aim at Hizb ut Tahrir, but tomorrow it could be any other Muslim or Islamic group.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Australia

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