Hardline Islamic Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Posting Propaganda Videos on YouTube
ICC Note: The Malaysian branch of a Islamic group calling for the establishment of an Islamic state under Sharia law is using technology to spread its ideology.
8/23/07 Malaysia (Fox News) – The hardline Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir has started posting professionally produced propaganda video clips on YouTube.
The clips, some lasting almost 10 minutes, posted on the internet video-sharing site depict Muslims being attacked by Western forces and asks “for how much longer?”
Produced by the group’s Malaysian branch, the clips call on Muslims to “arise and shake off the dust” of European colonialism and show members marching in support of Palestinians to the commentary “O armies of the Muslim world, we wait for your help.”
U.S. intelligence analyst Madeleine Gruen has warned that the younger generation’s pioneering spirit has made Hizb ut-Tahrir one of the world’s most innovative extremist groups.
In an article this week for the Jamestown Foundation, Gruen says younger members are using the reach of new media to market its ideology.
“Some of their marketing schemes have included hip-hop fashion boutiques, hip-hop bands, use of online social networks, use of video-sharing networks, chat forums and blogs,” she writes.
“Their ability to stay one step ahead of the trend curve has ensured their efforts endure, and their ever-changing tactics make adversarial scrutiny more difficult.”
Hizb ut-Tahrir has been banned in Europe, China and countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia .
However, it remains active in Britain and Australia , promoting the idea of an international caliphate, or Muslim government, to run countries with a majority Muslim population under sharia law.
Barry Rubin, a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says the group has been banned in the Middle East because people there understand the dangers, but is allowed to continue operating in the West because its governments fail to appreciate the group prepares people mentally for terrorism
