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British Home Secretary Announces Ban Against ‘Antisemitic’ Hizb ut-Tahrir Organization
Supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir at a pro-Hamas rally in London. Photo: Reuters/Martin Pope
Britain’s interior minister on Monday announced a ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir, a militant Islamist organization that has long been in the sights of the UK authorities for its violently antisemitic rhetoric and enthusiastic support of terrorist groups including Hamas.
“Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organization that actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling Oct. 7 attacks [by Hamas terrorists in Israel],” British Home Secretary James Cleverly told parliament on Monday.
“Proscribing this terrorist group will ensure that anyone who belongs to and invites support for them will face consequences. It will curb Hizb ut-Tahrir’s ability to operate as it currently does,” Cleverly said.
The banning order will come into force on Friday unless MPs decide to vote it down. Under its terms, certain offenses are punishable with up to 14 years in prison, while the group’s property and assets face seizure now that it is classified as a “terrorist” organization.
The impetus for the ban was a pro-Hamas rally which Hizb ut-Tahrir staged in London on Oct. 21, as thousands of protestors descended on the British capital to demonstrate their opposition to Israel. Antisemitic slogans and calls for jihad were on display, leading Cleverly’s predecessor as Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, to order a review of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s activities.
Previous British governments — including the administrations of former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron — had investigated the possibility of banning Hizb ut-Tahrir but were told by government lawyers that the group had not violated any anti-terrorism legislation.
Hizb ut-Tahrir first emerged in Jordanian-occupied Jerusalem in 1952, formed by a Palestinian Muslim cleric, Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani. Its ideology is based on an uncompromising struggle between Muslims and non-believers that places the duty of jihad — holy war — at its center and demands the submission of all non-believers to Islam.
The group’s focus on what it calls the “near enemy” — the current rulers of Arab and Islamic countries who are deemed to be corrupt — has led to it being banned in most Arab countries as well as Indonesia, the state with the world’s biggest Muslim population.
Active in more than 50 countries, Hizb ut-Tahrir launched a chapter in the UK in the early 1980s. Its current leader is Wahid Asif Shaida, who also goes by the name Abdul Wahid, a family doctor with a practice in north London.
After Shaida warmly praised Hamas during a television interview in December, the health authority where his practice is based expressed concern over his “distressing comments,” adding that it was recommending an investigation of him by the National Health Service (NHS).
In that interview, Shaida described Hamas as a “resistance organization,” praising the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom — in which more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were murdered and more than 200 kidnapped amid atrocities that included rape and mutilation — as “a very welcome punch on the nose of the enemy.”
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Pro-Palestinian Rapper Leads ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at English Music festival
Revellers dance as Avril Lavigne performs on the Other Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
i24 News – Chants of “death to the IDF” were heard during the English Glastonbury music festival on Saturday ahead of the appearance of the pro-Palestinian Irish rappers Kneecap.
One half of punk duo based Bob Vylan (who both use aliases to protect their privacy) shouted out during a section of their show “Death to the IDF” – the Israeli military. Videos posted on X (formerly Twitter) show the crowd responding to and repeating the cheer.
This comes after officials had petitioned the music festival to drop the band. The rap duo also expressed support for the following act, Kneecap, who the BCC refused to show live after one of its members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known by stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terror offense.
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Rubio Holds First Meeting with Hostage Families, Urges End to Gaza War
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard
i24 News – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held on Friday his first meeting with the families of the hostages still held in Gaza since taking office in January, telling the loved ones that a “real victory” can only occur in Gaza when the remaining hostages are returned.
Those in attendance included Omri Miran’s brother-in-law; Evyatar David’s brother; Hadar Goldin’s brother; and Iair Horn, who himself is a freed hostage, with his brother Eitan still held by Hamas in Gaza.
According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, they urged the current US administration for a “bold decision.” “We’ve waited long enough,” the family members said. “It’s time to make brave decisions and bring all our loved ones back—all at once.”
Rubio, in turn, expressed the Trump administration’s “unwavering commitment” in rescuing the 49 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
This meeting comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he believes a ceasefire will be reached between Israel and Hamas “within the next week.”
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Trump Says He Would Consider Bombing Iran Again, Drops Sanctions Relief Plan
US President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured), at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, on Friday, dropped plans to lift sanctions on Iran and said he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels.
Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei’s first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the United States launched bombing raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites.
Khamanei said Iran “slapped America in the face” by launching an attack against a major US base in Qatar following the US bombing raids. Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender.
Trump said he had spared Khamanei’s life. US officials told Reuters on June 15 that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader.
“His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,” Trump said in a social media post.
“I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH,” he said.
Iran said a potential nuclear deal was conditional on the US ending its “disrespectful tone” toward the Supreme Leader.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X in the early hours of Saturday.
Trump also said that in recent days he had been working on the possible removal of sanctions on Iran to give it a chance for a speedy recovery. He said he had now abandoned that effort.
“I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” he said.
Trump said at a White House news conference that he did not rule out attacking Iran again, when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point.
“Sure, without question, absolutely,” he said.
Trump said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency – the U.N. nuclear watchdog – or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend.
Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said.
The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.
However, Iran’s parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump said Iran still wants to meet about the way forward. The White House had said on Thursday that no meeting between the U.S. and an Iranian delegation has been scheduled thus far.
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