Muhammad Zamir's reasons for leaving Hizb ut-Tahrir
(an email sent to the members of HT)

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakuthu

As I was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir for over 6 years and actively involved with Hizb ut-Tahrir for almost 10 years, I feel it is necessary to inform you guys that I've left HT, and give you SOME of my main reasons for resigning my membership from Hizb ut-Tahrir. I have been considering this for some time, and the decision was not taken lightly.

1. I no longer accept the premise that anyone disagreeing with HT's analysis of the current world and the nature of Islam, and the shariah are upon kufr, and that they justify kufr by not demanding a radical military overthrow and forced unification of the Muslim countries by civil war.

2. I no longer believe in the foundation of HT's political work i.e. that everyone amongst the ulema, thinkers and political movements have failed to understand Islam, and that HT solely have understood Islam to the exclusion of all the ulema.

3. I do not believe in the radical ideological interpretation of the sirah in Mecca (life of the Prophet), which falsely ascribes an ideological orientation upon the tabligh (call) of the Prophet (saw) as this is impossible to prove without even the revelation of the complete code of religious rituals and ethics of Islam until well after the Prophet (saw) came to Medina.

These are the main and most important reasons for which my conscience forced me to resign my membership of HT. I am available for people to raise any questions and queries in more detail.

Your brother

Zamir

Mohammad Amin's experiences of Islamism (al-Muhajiroun)

Growing up listening to my father moan and ponder on God’s favours that seemed to allude the people of Bosnia I was aware of the injustices of the world. This sense of injustice was enhanced through the media reports from Gaza and the West bank, but there was never any action taken. However, I soon realised that action was taken, but only by those who had power: the Americans post 9/11 in Afghanistan.

The beautiful religion I adored was now corrupted by the media aligning militants with Islam. I was 15 by this time and as a curious young man wanted to know the truth, so I attended many conferences, talks and gatherings concerning my ‘beautiful religion’. I did not want to be told what I was supposed to believe by The Sun newspaper or by BBC news reports; I began challenging orientalist perceptions long before I came to SOAS.

But even going to these talks I was not convinced. It seemed as if I was getting a double dose of the same hatred, anger, and satanic vibe, from the media and the responses of young Muslims. I refrained from taking any action because it didn’t seem very positive, but I did do my own little mission; in the form of bodily adornment. I decided to look like a Muslim: long beard, robes, and constant engagement in bashing ‘the West’.

This lasted a few years and only ended after a deeper understanding of life, Islam, and human behaviour after studying at SOAS. Islam was not just a coke of extreme segregation and imposed confrontation, like refusing to go to a school assembly because I had to pray at that precise moment. Islam became the flexible tonic refreshing to all in ice, steam, water, or rain. I saw Muslims who did not have long beards and who did not wear hijab. Yet you could tell they were at one with their creator and strived to concur hearts through dialogue and compromise, and not conquer cities by the bullet or the blade. God could do that himself.