Is HT a Cult?

[abuzakarya]

Among the divisive issues holding back the Ummah today are the groups and sects which revel in their own ideologies. But some of these groups are more akin to cults. Have a read of this material on the characteristics of a cult and you'll probably feel that the likes of Hizb ut Tahrir, the followers of Sheikh Nazim, etc. fit the bill. This helps us to understand the stranglehold these groups hold over their zombie-like followers and maybe it also gives us some insight into how to help these misguided souls.

From the Cult Information Centre (http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/faq.html)
What is a Cult?


Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:
1.
It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members

2.
It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

3.
Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.

4.
It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds recruit people.

5.
Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.



Categories of Cults
Religious Cults:
Communal living common.
Members may leave or not join society's workforce.
Average age at the point of recruitment is in the 20's.
Registered as religious groups.
Appear to offer association with a group interested in making the world a better place via political, spiritual or other means.


Therapy Cults:
Communal Living rare.
Members usually stay in society's workforce.
Average age at the point of recruitment is in the mid 30's
Registered as 'non profit making' groups.
Appear to offer association with a group giving courses in some kind of self improvement or self help technique or therapy.


Are Cults Harmful?
To remain within the strict mental and social confines of a cult for even a short time can have the following disastrous effects:

Loss of choice and free will.
Diminished intellectual ability, vocabulary and sense of humour.
Reduced use of irony, abstractions and metaphors.
Reduced capacity to form flexible and intimate relationships.
Poor judgement.
Physical deterioration.
Malnutrition.
Hallucinations, panic, dissociation, guilt, identity diffusion and paranoia.
Neurotic, psychotic or suicidal tendencies.


Quote:
"When you meet the friendliest people you have ever known, who introduce you to the most loving group of people you've ever encountered, and you find the leader to be the most inspired, caring, compassionate and understanding person you've ever met, and then you learn the cause of the group is something you never dared hope could be accomplished, and all of this sounds too good to be true-it probably is too good to be true! Don't give up your education, your hopes and ambitions to follow a rainbow."

Jeannie Mills
Ex - member of The People's Temple, later found murdered.


Caring, loving, wholesome individuals and groups do exist. The call, however, is for discernment and a need to fully question all interesting groups before becoming involved and/or a member.



What is Mind Control?
Mind Control techniques include:
Hypnosis
Inducing a state of high suggestibility by hypnosis, often thinly disguised as relaxation or meditation.

Peer Group Pressure
Suppressing doubt and resistance to new ideas by exploiting the need to belong.

Love Bombing
Creating a sense of family and belonging through hugging, kissing, touching and flattery.

Rejection of Old Values
Accelerating acceptance of new life style by constantly denouncing former values and beliefs.

Confusing Doctrine
Encouraging blind acceptance and rejection of logic through complex lectures on an incomprehensible doctrine.

Metacommunication
Implanting subliminal messages by stressing certain key words or phrases in long, confusing lectures.

Removal of Privacy
Achieving loss of ability to evaluate logically by preventing private contemplation.

Time Sense Deprivation
Destroying ability to evaluate information, personal reactions, and body functions in relation to passage of time by removing all clocks and watches.

Disinhibition
Encouraging child-like obedience by orchestrating child-like behaviour.

Uncompromising Rules
Inducing regression and disorientation by soliciting agreement to seemingly simple rules which regulate mealtimes, bathroom breaks and use of medications.

Verbal Abuse
Desensitizing through bombardment with foul and abusive language.

Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue
Creating disorientation and vulnerability by prolonging mental an physical activity and withholding adequate rest and sleep.

Dress Codes
Removing individuality by demanding conformity to the group dress code.

Chanting and Singing
Eliminanting non-cult ideas through group repetition of mind-narrowing chants or phrases.

Confession
Encouraging the destruction of individual ego through confession of personal weaknesses and innermost feelings of doubt.

Financial Commitment
Achieving increased dependence on the group by 'burning bridges' to the past, through the donation of assets.

Finger Pointing
Creating a false sense of righteousness by pointing to the shortcomings of the outside world and other cults.

Flaunting Hierarch
Promoting acceptance of cult authority by promising advancement, power and salvation.

Isolation
Inducing loss of reality by physical separation from family, friends, society and rational references.

Controlled Approval
Maintaining vulnerability and confusion by alternately rewarding and punishing similar actions.

Change of Diet
Creating disorientation and increased susceptibility to emotional arousal by depriving the nervous system of necessary nutrients through the use of special diets and/or fasting.

Games
Inducing dependence on the group by introducing games with obscure rules.

No Questions
Accomplishing automatic acceptance of beliefs by discouraging questions.

Guilt
Reinforcing the need for 'salvation' by exaggerating the sins of the former lifestyles.

Fear
Maintaining loyalty and obedience to the group by threatening soul, life or limb for the slightest 'negative' thought, word or deed.

Replacement of Relationships
Destroying pre-cult families by arranging cult marriages and 'families'.


Who Do Cults Recruit?
Cults want people who are:
Intelligent.
Idealistic.
Well educated.
Economically advantaged.
Intellectually or Spiritually curious.
Any age.


How Do I Avoid The Cults?
Cults use sophisticated mind control techniques that will work on anyone, given the right circumstances. Those who think they are immune are only making themselves more vulnerable. Remember the assult is on your emotions, not on your intellect.

The two basic principles of psychological coercion are:
If you can make a person BEHAVE the way you want, you can make that person BELIEVE the way you want.
Sudden, drastic changes in environment lead to heightened suggestibility and to drastic changes in attitudes and beliefs.
BEWARE!

Protect yourself! Why go away for a weekend or longer with a stranger or a strange group unless:
You know the name of the sponsoring group.
You know its ideas, beliefs and affiliations.
You know what is going to happen at the gathering.
You know what will be expected of you.
You know that you will be free and able to leave at any time.


How Do I Help a Cult Member? - The Do's and Don'ts
The Do's
DO try to keep in regular contact via mail or telephone even if there is little response.

DO express sincere love for the cult member at every available opportunity.

DO keep a diary of comments, attitudes and events associated with his/her life in the cult.

DO always welcome the cult member back into the family home no matter what is said.

DO keep copies of all written correspondence from you and the individual.

DO record all the names, addresses and phone numbers of people linked with the cult.

DO try to bite your tongue if the cult member makes unkind comments.

DO read all of the recommended books relating to cults and mind control, as well as reading other information on the cult in question.

DO seek help and information from organisations specialising in counter-cult work. We care about you and your individual situation.


The Don'ts
DO NOT rush into adopting a potential solution before carefully researching the cult problem.

DO NOT say:"You are in a cult; you are brainwashed".

DO NOT give money to the member of the group.

DO NOT feel guilty. This is not a problem caused by families.

DO NOT act in an angry or hostile manner towards the cult member.

DO NOT feel alone. It happens to thousands of families every year.

DO NOT underestimate the control the cult has over a member.

DO NOT antagonise the cult member by ridiculing his/her beliefs.

DO NOT be judgemental or confrontational towards the cult member.

DO NOT antagonise any of the cult's leadership or members.

DO NOT be persuaded by a cult 'specialist' to pay large sums of money without verifying his/her qualifications.

DO NOT give up hope of success in helping your family member to leave the group no matter how long the involvement has already been

DO NOT neglect yourself or other family members.

[Dawud_uk]

assalaamu alaykum,

think it would be fair to say that HT have some of these characteristics but not others, Snake Zazims Naqshbundis are definetely a cult under this criteria.

i think there is a danger however of using this kufr phycho babble as such people might also apply this title of cult to a masjid or perhaps a person who attachs himself to a masjid or sheikh to learn?

HT have tried to recruit me several times, but at least they didnt offer me a wife like the tablieghis did lol.

as for the naqshbundis... i went to one of their dhikr circles for a few months after accepting islam but stopped because it was just too wierd and unbelievable, when coming to the logical deen and people are telling you crazy stuff with no daleel then it was time for me to head for the door.

assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdullah

[Abuz Zubair]

as for the naqshbundis... i went to one of their dhikr circles for a few months after accepting islam but stopped because it was just too wierd and unbelievable, when coming to the logical deen and people are telling you crazy stuff with no daleel then it was time for me to head for the door.

What did they tell you?

[abuzakarya]

I don't think we should dismiss this stuff as psycho-babble. These people are experienced in dealing with cults. My own experience of being in HT is that, as you said, Dawud UK, HT have many features of being a cult but not all of the ones mentioned above. They do meet the essential criteria of a cult in terms of their idolisation of Taqiuddin an-Nabhani and the zombie-like hold of the leadership over them amongst other things. We can try and learn ways of dealing with them based on people's experiences with other cults. It's not like we have a whole lot else to work with.

[gag order]

your article from cultinformation places us in a dilemma. consider some of the the do's and dont's, how many of us are prepared to deal with abu nihla and salahuddin according to those guidelines? how many of us are conducting ourselves with HT at present in the recommended manner from cultinformation?

secondly not all the listed identifiers are applicable to HT. if we are to define them then the most accurate defnition of their culture is that of a political party. and as with all other political parties, its members are not at liberty to say or do anything that undermines its leadership or its policies which are derived from islam though not necassarily from the perspective of the pious predecessors.

[Salahudin]

Another low has been reached....may Allah (swt) forgive you AbuZakarya and heal your heart of such enimity....Ameen.

[Abu'l 'Eyse]

Another low has been reached....may Allah (swt) forgive you AbuZakarya and heal your heart of such enimity....Ameen.

hmmmm.......got any answer to the many posts on this forum you've left? or just rethoric?

Amazing how you come here and say this yet can say things like "you anthropomorphists" for believing in the ru'ya, or "you wahabis" etc.......

how about this present discussion on your group's site:

http://www.hizbuttahrir.org/index.ph...f4c767b6505fe6

you people have the traites of a cult and your posts on this forum are an example of this......I have never seen you on your own groups forum ask for frgiveness when they cuss other groups!


I mean you follow a majhul amir and you pst things in arabic, which we know you have no clue of what is being said.....these are just some features of people in pseudo-cults

A'udhu billahi min dhalik!

[abuzakarya]

As-salamu alaykum, Salahadin. Don't accuse me of enmity when it is clear from the initial post that it recommends showing love towards cult members rather than hatred and repulsion. If we didn't care about people trapped in the HT cult, we would leave you to rot and wouldn't even bother to try to persuade you to leave.

Of course, the info I posted is just a guideline and not hard and fast rules. Not all of the criteria will be met by HT because most cults in the West are of a different nature but who can deny that HT meet the 5 essential criteria they list?

"Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.
"BRUV, YOU'RE SINFUL COS WE HAVE NO KHILAFAH. YOU'RE GONNA DIE THE DEATH OF JAHILIYAH."

2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.
"WE CANNOT DIVULGE THE NAME OF OUR EMIR (say HT super-strength version). WE HAVE A PARTY STRUCTURE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH."

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.
TAQIUDDIN AN-NABAHANI

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds recruit people.
WE ALL KNOW HT QUOTE AYAAT AND AHADITH OUT-OF-CONTEXT WITHOUT TAFSEER AND SOMETIMES WEAK AHADITH TO JUSTIFY THEIR AIMS. DECEPTION THROUGH SPEECH IS WIDESPREAD AND THEY GO TO THE PARLIAMENT FOR THEIR OWN ENDS BUT THEN PROHIBIT OTHER PARTIES FROM DOING SO!

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.
ALL MEMBERS AND SHABAAB ARE REQUIRED TO DONATE A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME TO THE PARTY AND THERE IS NO ACCOUNT OF HOW THAT MONEY IS USED.

[Salahudin]

Ws,

Again I pray to Allah (swt) to forgive you for your excesses.

Why are we using unIslamic or batil or kufr concepts to judge muslims? Is the Sharia not enough?
Does the Sharia not oblige us to carry the dawa and call to khair, enjoin the right and forbid the evil?
I will not respond to the nonsense you have posted since it is sheer slander and fabrication.

[Salahudin]

Bismillahi AlRahman AlRaheem

Question :

Would Hizb-ut-Tahrir be considered as a Mujtahid, or Muqallid, Ammi, or Muttabi? And what would be its position vis-à-vis the current existing thoughts in the world, and vis-à-vis the solutions and the laws.

Answer :

Hizb-ut-Tahrir is a Takattul (structure) based upon an Ideology (Mabda') whose members have believed in, an ideology which the Party aims at establishing in society, in one part of the world at first, then throughout the whole world. Therefore , it is not a Mujtahid, nor is it a Muqalid, it is in fact a Takattul, based upon Islam as an ideology, which it aims at establishing in society then in the world. Hizb-ut-Tahrir is a group of individuals and a group of institutions gathered on the basis of Islam as an ideology. It would be difficult, if not impossible to describe it as a Mujtahid or Muqalid. It would be even wrong if not impossible for it to be Mujtahid or Muqallid. The Party rather adopts a host thoughts and Akham (rules) from the Islamic Shari’ah, which he calls for and works towards implementing. However , it would only take these rules and thoughts from Mujtahids, who are either Members of the Party, i.e. individuals within the Takattul, or from other Mujtahids, past and present alike. The Party's adoption of these rules and thoughts would not be based on the interests, nor on their suitability to deal with situations. It would rather adopt them simply because they would be part of the Wahiy (Revelation) or because they are deduced from what the revelation has brought.
Therefore , the Party has adopted these rules and thoughts according to the strength of the evidence and nothing else. Hence if their evidence were strong, it would adopt them, and if it were weak, it would reject them, even if they happened to be widespread among the Muslims, even if they were to provide a solution to the problem, and even if it were in the Party's interest to adopt them . This is so because the Party's adoption of the thoughts and the rules would be based on the strength of the Dalil (evidence); in other words, if these were brought by the revelation, or if they were deuced from what the revelation has brought .

“The Party is exclusively based upon the Idea, i.e. upon the ideology of Islam, according to its own perception of its thoughts and rules. Hence, it is based solely on the Idea. It is the secret of its life; it is the only thing that keeps it alive and that makes its life constant and even eternal. The party is not based on individuals, no matter how much knowledge, power and prestige they had. It also does not lend any importance to their multitude or scarcity, nor is it based upon people’s support, no matter how weak or how strong this support is, nor is it based on what provides for it the ability to work, no matter how tempting this ability were in terms of facilitation, simplification, progress and elevation, nor is it based on what draws it nearer to seizing power, or facilitates for it the seizure of the reins of power. The Party is rather based upon one thing, and that is the Idea.

The Party considers this idea to be the secret of its life, i.e. its soul by which it exists, and which if it were to lose it, it would perish. Hence, the Idea is the basis of its existence, the basis of its life and the basis of its progress. The Party therefore attends solely to the Idea and diverts all its attention towards it. It considers all its activities related to the Idea, whether with regard to the adoption, or publication or implementation, or with regard to what is requisite to build society, or what is imperative to the establishment of the State, or indispensable to the revival of the Ummah, or what is incumbent to carry the Message to the world. While the Party works towards establishing the State, shaping society, reviving the Ummah and carrying the Message to the world, it works by the Idea and for the Idea. Hence, the Idea is everything in Hizb ut-Tahrir.”

The Party means by the idea, the Islamic idea, in its quality as an intellectual Aqeedah, bulit upon the spiritual basis, and also in its quality as a political idea and not just a religious and spiritual idea, nor just a legislative idea, nor just an exclusively intellectual idea, but rather in its quality as a political idea.

Therefore it is not a religious Party, solely in the spiritual meaning, nor is it a political Party, solely in as far as managing people's affairs is concerned, rather in its quality as an idea about the universe, man and life, and what preceded it and what is to follow, as well as what is connected to life. The Party looks upon this idea in a manner that would lead it to implementing it upon the people and in society, and would also lead to its conveyance throughout the world. Therefore, it is a political Party with Islam as its ideology, and it would be wrong to describe it otherwise.

Since this idea, i.e. the Islamic idea were exclusively the secret of its life, the Party would therefore adopt it on a definite and conclusive basis. Therefore, whoever aims at joining the Party must be absolutely certain that the Party is effectively based on Islam, and that its members believe in its ideology, which is Islam, and that they are determined to establish it, i.e. Islam in society. In other words no person would join the Party, unless they decisively and conclusively believe in this Party. As for those who support the Party, they should support it with the least amount of doubt, on the basis that it is generally on the right path, regardless of the details. Therefore, membership of the Party depends on the decisive belief, and its Hukm would be the same as that of the Islamic belief, and the condition for its support would be the condition of taking the Sharia'a Hukm, i.e. with the least amount of doubt that this Party is based on Islam, and that it works for Islam, and its Hukm would be the same as those related to dealing with the Akham of Islam.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir has laid down a basis for adopting the thoughts and rules. Regarding the thoughts related to Aqa'id (DOCTRINES), the Party would not be ale to adopt them unless the definite and conclusive evidence about their soundness and truthfulness has been established. The evidence would either be derived from the revelation, or a rational evidence, according to the Party's perception of rationale. As for the Akham, their authenticity need not be definite and conclusive, the least amount of doubt would be sufficient to establish their authenticity and their soundness. The Party would not confine itself to the study of the texts, nor to the understanding of the texts, but besides this it makes it a condition for the rules to fit the situation which the texts had brought. Therefore, the Party would study the reality a study of ijtihad, and would study the text a study of ijtihad, and then it would apply the rule which it had deduced, from the text upon the situation which it had studied, and if it were applicable the Party would take it, if it were not applicable, it would leave it and search for the rule that applies to the situation until it finds it. If then it were applicable, it would adopt it and if it were not applicable and it did not know the rule that applies to that situation, the Party would either not adopt it, or it would adopt that it is not part of Islamic rules.

Since the idea were the secret of the Party's life, and since the Party works with the idea and for the idea, therefore, its seizure of power would be the method to implement the idea and not a method for the idea. Hence the method of adopting the idea, would be by taking it from the Mujtahid, according to the conditions laid down by the Party, then by adopting it and then committing every Shab in the Party to adopting it. The method spreading the idea would be the method which the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had brought, reflected in both his actions and sayings (SAW). The method of teaching the idea would be the Islamic method of teaching. The Party aims at establishing the idea in society. Hence one of its main activities would be to seize power in order to implement the idea and in addition to this, it would work towards spreading the idea and culture the individuals in order to spread it. Hence it would be the idea alone which keeps it alive.

Since the idea has been exposed to the various elements of blurring, and since it has been due to the cultural and political invasions, subjected to all kinds of perversions, and since this idea is the soul of the Party, it has become imperative for the Party to adopt from the thoughts and rules what it believed that it alone was right, as far as the Aqa'id(doctrines) were concerned, and what it alone deemed, with the least amount of doubt, to be correct as far the Akham were concerned. The Party was also obliged to adopt the rules and the thoughts which would enable it to carry out its task of establishing the state, establishing the society, reviving the Ummah and carrying the message of Islam to the world. Therefore, due to the Party's pressing needing for a great deal of thoughts and rules, it has adopted a number of thoughts and rules which it published in ten books, which it has committed itself to studying them and culturing itself with them. It has also published a number of other books, questions and answers, in order to facilitate the study of Islam, the study of how to carry it to the people. Although the Party did not adopt these other books, it has however taken into consideration what it would normally take into consideration when adopting any rule or any thought or any book. Despite the fact that the idea, according to the Party's perception, is the secret of the Party's life and the object of its existence, it is however not a Math'hab(school of thought) nor is it a " Tariqa" (order), nor is it a personality. It is rather a political Party with Islam as its ideology. In other words, it is a Takattul based on an idea whose members have believed in, and which it aims at establishing in society and carry it to the world. Although the Party has a special method of perception, it is however not Mujtahid, nor is it a Math'hab, the method is merely used for the purpose of adoption, not for the purpose of ijtihad, and also for the preserving of this adoption not for the purpose of committing people to it, nor to get them to understand according to it. Besides, although it has adopted a specific method of perception, the Party has not adopted all the thoughts which would be necessary for the Muslim. It has rather adopted what is necessary for it to resume its work. In the Aqa'id , it has only adopted what was necessary for it to adopt on. In has also not adopted in the Ibadat (rituals) except what was necessary to spread the thoughts, such as the rules of Jihad. Likewise, it has not adopted in the Tashri'i (legislative rules) except what was necessary to seizing power. Although the Party has adopted in the ruling system, it has however not adopted in the Mu'amalat (transactions) and the Uqubat (penal code). Therefore, it is not a Math’hab, nor is it a Tariqah, i.e. an order, nor a Mujtahid. Although the Party's whole concern is the idea, and its whole work is the idea, it could not however be described as an intellectual school. Likewise, although Hizb-ut-Tahrir is not a messenger, nor does it possess anything from the matters related to the message and those related to the messenger, it does however follow the messenger (SAW) the prophet "al Ummiy", and it does progress according to his guidance (SAW). The Party is a group of Muslims who have gathered on the basis of the Islamic ideology, in order to establish it in society, and carry it to the world. It is based upon the Islamic ideology, and follows the prophet and the Messenger of Islam (SAW), and progresses according to his guidance, it emulates none but him (SAW). It does not lend any importance to any other human being but him (SAW). It is part of the Ummah and just like any of the Muslim individuals, it does not distinguish itself in anything from the smallest of Muslims, except that it is the one carrying the heaviest of loads, and it is the most eager to gain the pleasure of Allah (SWT). It is the Islamic Ummah, whom the Party is an inseparable part of her, and who reflects the strength of the Party, who in fact represents Islam, and it is her who is considered the Jama'a of the Muslims, not the Party, nor any other gathering. However, the Party, which is the custodian of the society, and which considers the idea as being the secret of its life, it considers the Islamic Aqeedah as being the basis of the Islamic Ummah, and the basis of the Party. Therefore, if the Ummah consented upon abandoning the Islamic Aqeedah, the Party should strive towards preventing her even single handed from doing so, until it succeeds to bring her back to Islam.. However, if the Ummah consented on other than this, the Party would not resist her, and it would continue to progress as part of her, even though it would stick to its own understanding of thoughts and rules.

As for the Party's position vis a vis the current existing solutions and laws, this is the same as the positions of Islam, i.e. it does consider these to be Kufr, and it would be forbidden to adopt them and implement them. Because it would be forbidden to adopt or implement any rule apart from those derived from the Revelation. As for the thoughts which do not represent a solution, such as the fact that life is a matter, and that the human being is created by a creator, the Party would adopt those which agree with Islam, and would reject all those who contradict Islam. In any case , the Islamic Aqeedah would be the basis of the rules and thoughts, i.e. all the rules and all the thoughts would be derived from the Aqeedah. What the Party has adopted in terms of rules and thoughts is confined to the Islamic Aqeedah, hence the Party is guided by the Aqeedah and its position would be that of the Aqeedah. This is because the Islamic Aqeedah is the secret of the Party's life, it is the Aqeedah which drives and steers the Party in every position and in every action, even the Party's adoption of the idea is based upon the Islamic Aqeedah and nothing else.

29th Rabi'i Al Awwal 1394 a.h.
21st April 1974