America, Brace Yourself: 'Fall of Capitalism, Rise of Islam'

I'm not sure I would have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my very own eyes but this article from Counterterrrorism Blog has a hugely disturbing announcement of a public event happening in Illinois (why does all the evil shit in this country lately come out of Illinois?) on July 19th, 2009. Let's get to parts of the article to make this crystal clear what is going on, but first, let's look at a promotional video that announces the conference that is coming to Bridgeview, Illinois:





Now, from the article:

Hizb ut-Tahrir America (HTA) has indicated that it has transitioned from its covert status to a public phase of operations by issuing an announcement, signed in its own name, that it will host a conference in July 2009 to support the establishment of a Caliphate. The promotional video can be viewed on YouTube. The event, titled "The Fall of Capitalism and Rise of Islam," is scheduled for Sunday, July 19th, 2009, at the Aqsa School in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Bridgeview is a suburb of Chicago. Chicago has been a major hub of HTA's activities for the past ten years, approximately. According to information available on the internet, the Aqsa School is a private Islamic primary and secondary school. Although HTA's Khilafah conference will be held at the school, there is no public indication that the school, its staff, or its board members are directly involved with HTA.

Okay, so this organization of islamists is calling for the fall of capitalism and the rise of islam here in America...but what is Hizb ut-Tahrir America (HTA)? Well, take a look at this:

According to party doctrine, Hizb ut Tahrir (HT) implements its strategy in three stages--The first stage is the covert level of development in which members are recruited and trained. In the second stage, members promote the party's methods and objectives publicly in order to win the support of the Muslim population. The final stage is the establishment of an Islamic government and military, in order to carry HT's "message to the world."

What this article is pointing out is that the HTA, by announcing this conference in Illinois, is entering the second stage of their strategy. Now, I have to confess that to me, there seems to be one helluva lot of other phases that need to happen before the HTA can get from the second stage to the third stage but the fact that an organization INSIDE OF AMERICA has that third stage strategy is disturbing enough. Let's look again at the third stage:

The final stage is the establishment of an Islamic government and military, in order to carry HT's "message to the world"

So there you have it....an islamic revolutionary movement inside the United States of America, calling for the death of capitalism, calling for the death of America as we know it and unbelievably, they will kick off their "campaign" in a sleepy little town in Illinois...the Land of Lincoln....or is it the Land of Obama?

Hizb ut-Tahrir America Enters Public Stage

Hizb ut-Tahrir America (HTA) has indicated that it has transitioned from its covert status to a public phase of operations by issuing an announcement, signed in its own name, that it will host a conference in July 2009 to support the establishment of a Caliphate. The promotional video can be viewed on YouTube. The event, titled "The Fall of Capitalism and Rise of Islam," is scheduled for Sunday, July 19th, 2009, at the Aqsa School in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Bridgeview is a suburb of Chicago. Chicago has been a major hub of HTA's activities for the past ten years, approximately. According to information available on the internet, the Aqsa School is a private Islamic primary and secondary school. Although HTA's Khilafah conference will be held at the school, there is no public indication that the school, its staff, or its board members are directly involved with HTA.
Last fall, after HTA issued a leaflet in its own name calling for Muslims not to participate in the U.S. elections, I wrote a brief post on CTB about the possible transition of HTA to the second stage of its development. According to party doctrine, Hizb ut Tahrir (HT) implements its strategy in three stages--The first stage is the covert level of development in which members are recruited and trained. In the second stage, members promote the party's methods and objectives publicly in order to win the support of the Muslim population. The final stage is the establishment of an Islamic government and military, in order to carry HT's "message to the world."
Indeed, HTA's announcement that it will host the Khilafah conference in July indicates that the U.S.-based branch now perceives itself as solidly prepared to emerge from its covert status into the second stage. HTA has held Khilafah conferences, and other major conferences, in the past, but has only done so from behind fronts and covers.
Other international branches of HT that have advanced from the developmental stage to the public phase have done so after achieving a level of internal fortitude that would enable the branch to withstand opposition. The transition may indicate that HTA perceives a level of comfort in an operating environment in which aggressive challenge from the government or the public is not anticipated. In order to sustain operations publicly, the branch leaders must be confident that members are loyal and committed to HT's objectives.
The conference promotional video does not provide a list of speakers or an agenda for the conference. However, Khilafah conferences hosted by branches of HT in other countries most often include prominent HT members invited from overseas. It is likely members of HT will travel from abroad to the conference in Bridgeview, Illinois, to enhance the credibility of HTA and to solidify the commitment of its members.
The promotional video for the July conference appears to have been created by an Australian member of HT, which indicates some degree of coordination between the organization's branches. This particular member has created promotional videos for HT conferences in Indonesia and in Australia.
Although HTA appears to have transitioned to the second stage of development, it is important to note that aspects of HTA's activities will continue to be conducted covertly, such as recruitment and ideological training.
HT is not designated as a terrorist organization in the United States, however many consider it to be a stepping stone to more militant organizations.
For more information on Hizb ut-Tahrir, please see Hizb ut-Tahrir: Islam's Political Insurgency, by Zeyno Baran.
For more information on the background of Hizb ut-Tahrir America, please see my article in the Jamestown Terrorism Monitor.