Islamic Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia Refuses to Condemn Paris Killings, Says Attacks a Reaction to 'Humiliation'

An Australian branch of a pan-Islamic organisation has accused the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo for insulting Allah and condemned the "selective moral outrage" over the massacre in Paris. The Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia refused to denounce the slaughter of journalists and cartoonists because it believes the global reaction to the incidents is not proportionate when compared to other people being killed every day.

The Islamic organisation said Muslims do not need a lecture on the sanctity of human life especially if it comes from the "greatest criminals of the modern age." The criminals the organisation referred to included U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, SMH reported.

Majority of the Muslim leaders in Australia have condemned the Paris attacks but Hizb ut-Tahrir had issued a public statement with the headline "We will not abandon our Prophet." The media release contained the group's criticism of the unprecedented scale of the political response to Charlie Hebdo shooting. The group also blamed the massive global response to the incident to the political class that encouraged and reinforced the desire of Europe to "intensify its constant pressure on Muslims."

The Islamic organisation slammed the global reaction for devaluing the countless lives lost on a daily basis and that fact should keep the recent events in France in perspective. Hamzah Qureshi from the media force of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia, said it will be superficial and unproductive for the group to reduce the issue to either a show of support or condemnation.

However, Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad, rejected the statement and denounced the shooting in the offices of Charlie Hebdo as an "attack on Islamic values." Previous reports said Hizb ut-Tahrir was cleared by ASIO and escaped a proposed ban in Australia in 2005. The organisation has been banned in Russia, Turkey, Pakistan and some Arab countries.

Ismail Alwahwah, leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia, said the Paris attacks were a reaction to Muslims' "daily humiliation" and repeated insults to the Prophet Mohammad. He described the massacre as a "cure" in long diatribe of his attempts to justify the brutal killings, the Daily Telegraph reported. Alwahwah believes the terrorists who stormed the Charlie Hebdo offices were part of an "explosion" caused by Western pressure. He wrote that justifying the explosion should also mean justifying terrorism.

Contact email: r.su@ibtimes.com.au