In the wake of the terrorist attack in Copenhagen earlier this month, a majority in parliament has agreed to look into the possibility of banning the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark.
With the backing of opposition parties Liberal Alliance, Venstre, Socialistisk Folkeparti, Dansk Folkeparti, and Enhedslisten, the justice minister, Mette Frederiksen, has asked the state prosecutor, Rigsadvokaten, to look into the possibility of banning the controversial organisation.
“My own opinion is that that organisation should be dissolved,” Frederiksen told Politiken newspaper. ”And the second that Rigsadvokaten finds grounds for dissolving them, it must happen.”
“Therefore, it's essential that Rigsadvokaten, based on the latest developments, evaluates whether there is a foundation present to dissolve Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Hizb ut-Tahrir – which has declared its goal to replace democratic society with a caliphate and establish the radical Islamic sharia law – has already been banned in a number of countries.
While most Muslim organisations in Denmark condemned the shootings that left two people dead (not including the shooting) and several policemen injured on February 14 and 15, Hizb ut-Tahrir refused to distance itself from the attack.
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Second time lucky?
But banning Hizb ut-Tahrir will not be easy and the Danish government failed in its previous attempt to outlaw the organisation.
In 2008, Rigsadvokaten concluded that it was not illegal for an organisation to work towards a goal that is fundamentally different from the existing order of society – such as a caliphate in Denmark.
Junes Kock, the spokesperson for Hizb ut-Tahrir, was perplexed at the government's proposal, which he refers to as “desperate”.
“It's well known throughout the world that we are an ideological political party that doesn't support violence. But we are in an election period and, after the tragic events of last week, they want to show decisiveness,” Kock told Politiken.
