British chapter of pan-Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain (also known as HT Britain, HTB, HT in the UK, and HTUK) is the official name of the United Kingdom branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a transnational, pan-Islamist and fundamentalist group that seeks to re-establish "the Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate)" as an Islamic "superstate" where Muslim-majority countries are unified and ruled under Islamic Shariah law, and which eventually expands globally to include non-Muslim states such as Britain. The group was designated a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK in January 2024.
The Home Office of the UK government describes HTB as "radical, but to date non-violent Islamist group" that "holds anti-semitic, anti-western and homophobic views"; a BBC programme described the party's website as promoting "racism and anti-Semitic hatred", calling "suicide bombers martyrs", and urging "Muslims to kill Jewish people".
As in other countries, HT preaches that re-establishing the caliphate is a religious obligation of Muslims, that Western countries are waging war against Islam, that "democracy", patriotic feeling for, assimilation into, or voting in a non-Muslim country/society are forbidden in Islam.
In Britain, the party describes itself as "focused on directing Muslims to make a positive contribution to society whilst preserving their Islamic identity", according to an HT Media Pack issued after talk of proscribing the party developed. 
In its work with non-Muslims, the party states it has engaged in panel discussions that "have helped to overcome the intellectual entrenchment" that characterises "most of today's debate" between Muslim and non-Muslim cultures, and hopes that its advancement of "Islamic values and culture" will make a contribution towards "solving" Western society's problems of "racism, alcohol abuse, substance misuse, family breakdown, sexual abuse and the decline in morality". The party seeks out young Muslims (15-18-years old), attracting interest by offering football, trips, workshops, and residential after-school homework club. Potential party members start with the study of party texts in "Halaqa" study circles.
As of 2007, HTB "dominate[d]" the Islamist "scene" in Britain with an estimated 8,500 members (compared to only 1,000 for the rival, Muslim Association of Britain) according to a report in "Foreign Affairs Journal". However, two years later, another report estimated HTB to be much smaller, with only approximately 2000 activists—the most active numbering approximately 100–200.
HTB conferences in 2002 and 2003 drew over 6,000 people, but a 2009 HTB conference was attended by "no more" than 1000 people.
As of mid-2015, a British GP known by the pseudonym "Abdul Wahid" was the leader of HT Britain. According to an ex-member, as of 2006, HTB was funded by private donations and membership revenue – members typically donating ten percent of their income to the party.
In January 2024, the government declared its intention to designate Hizb ut-Tahrir as a proscribed terrorist organization; the group was formally banned on 19 January after parliamentary approval.
Significance.
Unlike many other countries, the United Kingdom has historically not banned Hizb ut-Tahrir, making the country "vital" and "nerve center" for the global HT movement, according to some (ex-member Ed Husain and Centre for Social Cohesion). The UK gives HT "access to the global media", provides a "fertile recruiting ground at mosques and universities" and a location for the production of its leaflets and books for global distribution. According to Zeyon Baran, HT's "London-based headquarters oversees HT activities in Muslim countries," and the global party's "supreme legislative body" ("kiedat"), is located in London and surrounding cities of high Muslim concentration -- "Birmingham, Bradford and Sheffield". An HT Media Pack denies this, stating that the party's leadership and the "main area" of its "political work" is in the Muslim world and that it is "untrue" that UK branch is among HT's "most important", or that Britain "serves as the base for much of HT's leadership".
In at least one HT text the UK is also known as the land of the "arch enemies of Islam". Abdul Qadeem Zallum, HT global leader from 1977 to 2003, writes: 
... when the discerning and sincere people say that the British are the head of Kufr [Unbelief] among all the other Kufr states, they mean exactly that, for they are indeed the head of Kufr and they are the arch enemies of Islam. The Muslims should indeed harbour hatred for the British and a yearning for revenge over them…
Organization and membership.
Abdul Wahid (a pseudonym) was the leader of HT Britain, chairman of its executive committee as of mid-2015. 
In the global HT organization, HT Britain does not constitute not a "Vilaya" or province, but is "a branch that is entrusted with its own administrative affairs", according to its former UK head Jalaluddin Patel. An executive committee is charged with executing the administrative affairs for HTB. As of 2004, the executive committee had nine member who were elected every two years.
An HT Britain Media Pack describes HT membership as "men and women, young and old, from different walks of life and from different ethnic backgrounds", many having "senior roles in IT, economics, medicine, teaching, engineering".
Member motivation.
One ex-member described factors contributing to radicalization of Muslims in Britain as
A heightened perception of Muslims and Muslim countries being unjustly attacked (Gulf War I and II, Afghan war, Palestine, Chechnya.) Double standards exhibited by the UN and USA with respect to Israel. Political Islam, being touted as a panacea for the Muslims' problems. A lack of alternative scholarly voices advocating more traditional responses to state oppression and increased media awareness due to proliferation of Islamic literature on the internet.
Sadek Hamid quoted one ex-member of HT: HT filled a void for the young intellectually frustrated youth who had been told that Islam is the truth and they must pray and fast by people who couldn't explain why. By HT `proving` that Freedom, Democracy and Capitalism are defective, and that we Muslims are better than those kaffirs, it restored some of the loss of faith in the relevance of the religion.
Psychologically, HT provided "the attraction of being part of an elite group, who appeared intellectual", the feeling "of being part of something big" that was "going somewhere". Sadek Hamid describes the "overriding appeal of HT in the 1990s as 'the absence of able alternative Islamic leadership', with other groups with other Islamic groups appearing 'inarticulate, weak or compromising the militant message of Islam.'" HT provided an alternative to "petty local politicking" and a "drift" towards secularism of the Muslim community.
As well as a religio-political focal point, the tight-knit HT community provided friendships, mutual support, and marriage partners. More superficially, Sadek Hamid notes "many young people were attracted to HT entirely due to their slick appearance," the members "distinct .. almost uniform-like appearance"—distinct hijab styles and jilbabs for women and "men in casual jackets and designer-stubble beards".
The party lost membership by its lack of progress towards the creation of a caliphate. The failure of rumored military takeovers by pro-caliphate forces to materialize in Pakistan, or other countries, disillusioned some of the younger members.
Views and criticism.
As in other countries, HT preaches that working to establish the caliphate is a religious obligation ("fard") of Muslims; that America, Britain and the West are waging war against Islam; that democracy is a "system of "kufr" (unbelief)" that Muslims are "forbidden to adopt, implement or call for"; that patriotism (e.g. loyalty to Britain), assimilation into a non-Muslim society, or voting in democratic elections are also forbidden. The party also seeks the destruction of Israel.
Hizb ut-Tahrir preaches that Muslims in Britain should not think of themselves as Muslim "and" "British", only Muslim. (HTB pamphlets have declared that is "haram" (forbidden) for Muslims to vote in the British elections, because Britain is not ruled according to Shariah law and participation in "secular politics" would lead to assimilation in British society.)
In an HT promotional video shown on BBC News an HTB representative declared:
I think Muslims in this country need to take a long, hard look at themselves and decide what is their identity. Are they British or are they Muslim? I am a Muslim. Where I live, is irrelevant.
Public campaigns by HT in Britain have included: 
In a 2004 interview, HT leader Jalaluddin Patel described the party's work as re-establishing the "Khilafah" state through "intellectual and political work". In Britain this had "two levels": 
However, critics (Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart of the research group Centre for Social Cohesion) complain that HT Britain is engaged in an effort to "mainstream" its ideology and downplay its more intolerant beliefs with "euphemistic language" for the benefit of the non-Muslim majority government and population of the state it operates in. 
Despite this attempt to "soften" its image 
and represent itself as a "non-violent", 
"intellectual" 
alternative to democracy and capitalism, has not involved modifying its ideology, Ahmed and Stuart insist, HT remains committed to a legal system that violates international norms of human rights, and an ideology of jihad, including plans for militarily expanding its proposed Islamic super-state by taking over non-Muslim countries. 
Ahmed and Stuart contrast the statement by HT Britain head Abdul Wahid that, ‘the party considers violence or armed struggle against the regime a violation of the Islamic Shari’ah’, with the claims of Abdul Qadeem Zallum, the head of Global HT for over two decades, that apostasy from Islam or seceding from the Caliphate must be stopped even if it means killing ‘millions’.
An alternative view is that HT has made an ideological shift and that the UK government has "achieved a considerable measure of success" in pressuring the party to moderate and pragmatise its approach. According to university lecturer Noman Hanif, arguing circa 2006, "the threat of proscription" under Anti-Terrorism legislation and the help of "compliant" former HT members "in the media", has led to HT's modifying its principle of "democracy is Kufr (non-Islamic)". In the May 2006 local election in the UK, the party did not call on its members to refrain from voting.(However, in later 2010 and 2015 Elections HT Britain did declare voting "haram"/forbidden.)
Alleged connection to terrorism.
According to Michael Whine, a "partial list" of "terrorists who were also HT members and/or influenced by its teachings" in Britain includes: Faisal Moustafa, Shafihur Rehman and Iftikar Sattar, who in 1995 were arrested and charged with conspiring to assassinate the Israeli ambassador, were reported to have been in possession of HT literature and to have helped organize HT meetings in Manchester. (Moustafa was again arrested in November 2000, but acquitted of terrorism charges—though his co-defendant, Moinul Abedin, was sentenced to twenty years). Omar Khan Sharif and Asif Hanif, the Mike's Place suicide bombers, had contact with HT before moving on to more extreme organisations. Mohammad Babar, who is linked to the seven men currently on trial in London on charges of planning terrorist attacks between January 2003 and April 2004, has stated that he was a member of HT while in college. Imam Ramee, an American, spoke on behalf of HT while living in Manchester, and was the featured speaker at the HT organized Muslim Unity Action March against the war in Iraq on March 15, 2003. He was reportedly an associate of Abu Hamza, and is said to have preached to "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, along with Hanif and Sharif, at the North London Mosque in Finsbury Park.
Proscription.
In January 2024, the UK government, pending parliamentary approval, has designated the group a proscribed terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000. Home Secretary James Cleverly presented a draft order to Parliament for the proscription of the group on 15 January 2024, stating that: "Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organisation that actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling 7 October attacks. The group's praise of the attacks as well as describing Hamas as heroes on their website constituted promoting and encouraging terrorism". On January 19, 2024, the proscription came into effect. 2024.
Expressing support for or being a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir will be a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The decision comes after the group organized rallies following Hamas' terror attack on Israel, featuring chants of "jihad". The group denies supporting Hamas and advocating violence.
Past threats of proscription.
On at least two occasions, political leaders in the UK have announced plans to proscribe HT for extremism.
Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings the British government announced its intention to ban the organization but later abandoned these. According to "The Independent", Prime Minister Blair "shelved the ban after warnings from police, intelligence chiefs, and civil liberties