Albanese government outlaws Islamist group under new hate crime laws

The Albanian government has listed the radical Islamist organization Hizb ut Tahrir as a banned hate group; This was the first use of the new powers since Labor introduced tougher hate crime laws in response to the Bondi massacre on 14 December.

The organisation’s listing late on Thursday means it is now a criminal offense to be a member of the organisation, to recruit members of the organisation, to provide training or funding or to provide material support.

Home Secretary Tony Burke. Alex Ellinghausen

Home Secretary Tony Burke said of the change: “Hizb ut Tahrir has long succeeded in spreading hatred and creating an avenue for others to resort to violence.”

“The Australian Government’s new hate group listing framework is designed to stop organizations like Hizb ut Tahrir from spreading hatred and sowing division in society, which puts not only our social cohesion at risk but also the safety of Australians.”

The controversial fringe organization has been viewed with caution by many in the Muslim and wider community due to its teachings, and was listed as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom in January 2024. The group is banned in Germany, India, Indonesia and some other jurisdictions.

The government was given powers to designate banned groups after adopting a series of reforms designed to tackle antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi attack in January. These reforms also tightened gun laws in the country.

In announcing the new law, the Labor Party made clear that it intended to ban Hizb ut Tahrir and the National Socialist Network. The latter quickly dispersed to escape the consequences of the reform.

Hizb ut Tahrir was defended by the country’s top Muslim body, which claimed the organisation’s listing was “part of a broader effort to hold the Muslim community collectively responsible for the Bondi attack”.

More to come.

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