On Sunday 6 November 2016, Hizb ut Tahrir Scandinavia held its 12^th annual conference with the title: “Bans and Coercion – The Political Course towards Islam in Europe”.

When the conference started, the hall was filled with more than 1000 young men and women, Muslims as well as non-Muslims. Outside there were separate demonstrations against the conference and Hizb ut Tahrir. One was led by exile Iranians from the left in the Danish political landscape, while the other was made up by 20-30 people from the Danish branch of Pegida.

As usual Danish media tried to avoid the topic of the conference and instead focused on the two insignificant demonstrations, while two English online papers completely distorted the facts.

Comment:

The online sites “trueviralnews.com” and “sputniknews” both reported that “protesters clashed with supporters of the controversial radical organization”.

This is far from the truth, which one would know if having witnessed the events unfold, having followed Danish news and having had just a small amount of integrity. What really happened is however interesting on many levels.

While no one took notice of the 20 people of the Iranian-left wing protest, some were bothered by the right-wing anti-Islamic Pegida protest, however they were neither supporters of Hizb ut Tahrir, or Muslims in general. The Pegida protest was eventually attacked with rocks and eggs by activists from the far left, after a post and encouragement on Facebook in defense of their Muslim neighbors.

This scene caused two left-wing debaters (from two different parties) to write a public letter the following day, to a MP from the party most to the left in Danish politics, urging him to stand up and tell his hinterland that the real enemy is Hizb ut Tahrir and political Islam and not the extreme right. As they stated in their letter: “The Islamism is the most dangerous right flow in Denmark, because it can mobilize the youth in a way the half balled racists in SIAD (Stop Islamization of Denmark) can only dream of.”

This just proved two of our points at the conference; that there is no fundamental difference between the left and the right in Danish politics when it comes to the hatred towards Islam. The difference is only in means and rhetoric. After all they are just sides of the same western secular liberal coin, and see each other as allies in the fight against Muslims and Islam. Secondly, that we as Muslims need to stand firm as one Ummah against all attacks, and present Islam as an alternative to mankind.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ‌ۚ إِلَّا تَفۡعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتۡنَةٌ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَفَسَادٌ۬ ڪَبِيرٌ

“And those who disbelieve are protectors one of another – If you do not so, there will be confusion in the land, and great corruption.”

(8:73)

Junes Kock

Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Scandinavia