Denmark: Local Hizb ut-Tahrir leading recruitment in Germany and France

Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende interviewed one of Hizb ut-Tahrir's former top men in the UK. The entire interview can be read on their site (Danish). I hope to translate it, but it's quite a long interview.

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Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark are the spearhead for recruiting young 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants in Germany and France to the Islamic movement.

"Denmark is very important in Europe," says Maajid Nawaz, who until recently was the movement's front figure in Great Britain.

He says well-educated and well-integrated youth with "street credit" were recruited in Denmark who can go to France or Germany, for example, to recruit. "Hizb ut-Tahrir can - and I know that they do - send them to other European countries to appeal to their contemporaries.

The movement's activities are banned in Germany no the basis that the movement supports violence to achieve its goals. In Denmark the prosecution has so far rejected a ban against Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Hizb ut-Tahrir's Danish spokesperson, Fadi Abdullatif, calls Maajid Nawaz revelations "untrue" but one of the leading researchers in the field, Kirstine Sinclair from Syddansk University's Center for Middle East Studies says: "It is precisely the way they work. So it is very conceivable that the Danes went to Germany to establish a group there."

Maajid Nawaz broke off from Hizb ut-Tahrir in May 2007 and now the former UK spokesperson publicly opposes the movement that he sees as a threat against the west democracies and integration.

He does not say the movement should be banned, but he emphasizes their dangerous goals.

Therefore he also tells now of the movement's financing.

"Every member is obligated to give 10% of their salary every month. The leaders collect the money on a fixed day every month."

Fadi Abdullatif says this is also "untrue".

That Hizb ut-Tahrir is still financed by members paying 10% of their income to the organization is new to researchers.

Kirstine Sinclair says it shows the strong commitment and dedication of the members to Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Maajid Nawaz says his plane tickets between London and Copenhagen were paid for by the movement when he worked to expand its reach in Denmark in 2000.

Source: Berlingske Tidende (Danish)