Islamic group defies ban, draws educated Pakistanis

Author: Reuters
Publication: Dawn
Date: October 3, 2004
URL: http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/03/welcome.htm

Hizb ut-Tahrir (Liberation Party), an international Islamic group with roots from England to Central Asia, is a recent addition to myriad radical organisations striving to enforce "true Islam" in Pakistan. They are considered a new breed of Islamic fundamentalists, who study at top British and American schools yet abhor Western values, advocate a pan- Islamic state and favour the removal of Pakistan's pro-U.S. government. Militancy and violence is not part of their agenda; they want to achieve their "lofty goals" through peaceful and non-violent struggle. But analysts say such men, fired by the passion of an Islamic renaissance, stand on a thin line dividing political and violent struggle. The group was outlawed in Pakistan in Nov. 2003, just three years after it started operations, but its members continue undeterred, distributing party literature and holding small meetings in efforts to expand their base.
 

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